Tunnel boring machine exhaust system - has dust from spoil sucked through belt in encapsulated drilling space

摘要

Drillings and dust removal system for tunnelling or heading machines incorporates dust exhaust line and spoil off-taker conveyor which are led through the shield used to encapsulate the drilling space at the leading end of the machine. The upper limit surface of the dust exhaust line (55) is formed in part by the upper strand of the bore spoil conveyor (50, 60, 61). The dust over the spoil on the belt is sucked through into the exhaust line by holes specially provided between the top strand surface and the interior of the line for this purpose. The points where the belt and line pass through the shield at the heading face should be sealed off by a ventilating flap formed from a rigid piece (67) releasably fitted to the shield.