GB2186899A

GB2186899A - Installing pipes in the ground

Info

Publication number: GB2186899A
Application number: GB08703519A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Werner Hampel
Original assignee: Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westfalia GmbH
Current assignee: Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westfalia GmbH
Priority date: 1986-02-25
Filing date: 1987-02-16
Publication date: 1987-08-26
Also published as: BE1000299A3; DE3605961A1; GB8703519D0; FR2595736A1; IT8712405A0

Abstract

A pipe section (9) for pipe advance work has, in the region of its outer peripheral wall, at least one longitudinally-extending duct (23) which extends over the length of the pipe section, and is capable of recovering supply lines (28). The supply lines (28) are inserted from the exterior into the duct(s) (23). A respective cover plate (25) can be used for sealing each duct (23). The pipe section is constituted by an outer pipe and by an inner pipe which is arranged rigidly coaxially therein. The inner pipe houses a conveyor screw (30) for conveying material removed from a work face (29). The pipe sections (9) can be coupled to similar pipe sections in a tension-proof manner. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Drill pipe This invention relates to a drill pipe for pipe advance work, and in particular to a drill pipe of small diameter. The invention also relates to pipe advancing apparatus for such drill pipes.

During pipe advance, drill pipes are advanced into the earth from a starting shaft by means of a jacking station, the drill pipes being added onto the already advanced pipeline in succession until the pipeline has been advanced to its full length. In order to remove material at the work face, it is known to provide a cutting head positioned in a drive shield arranged at the head of the pipeline. The drive shield can be arranged at the head of the pipeline in an angularly movable manner, so that control movements can be performed with the aid of control rams (see DE-GM 7922756 and DE-OS 3 009 837).

During the advance of small-diameter pipes (which are not accessible to men), it is known to carry away removed material from the work face by means of a conveyor screw extending through the entire pipeline. The conveyor screw carries a cutting tool at its front end, and conveys the removed material to a discharge point in the starting shaft (see the journal "Tiefbau", 1980, pages 817 820). Hydraulic mining of the work face, and hydraulic delivery of the removed material through the pipeline, are also known (see DE-PS 3233063 and DE-OS 3104058).

It is normal to guide supply lines for consumer units arranged in the drive shield through the drill pipes. The supply lines have to be separated each time a new drill pipe is added to the rear end of the advanced pipeline, inserted into the new drill pipe and then connected again. The labour costs for the introduction of supply lines are, therefore, considerable.

It is also known to integrate hydraulic supply lines into the drill pipes, so that the lines are automatically lengthened by the required amount as each new drill pipe is added to the already advanced pipeline (see DE-OS 3216919). This arrangement is accompanied by considerable production costs during the production of the drill pipes. Also, it can only be used with hydraulic supply lines, and gives rise to considerable seaiing problems.

The aim of the invention is to provide a drill pipe for pipe advance work, which drill pipe is such that, for example, hydraulic supply lines for the consumers arranged in the work face region, can be guided therelong in a simplified manner, while achieving a compact and protected arrangement of the supply lines.

The present invention provides a drill pipe for pipe advance work, the drill pipe being provided with at least one longitudinally-extending duct for receiving a supply line, the or each duct having an opening at the outer periphery of the drill pipe.

Advantageously, the opening of the or each duct is closable by a respective removable cover plate, and the or each cover plate can be fixed to the drill pipe by screw-threaded members. The cover plate(s) extend over the entire length of the drill pipe, and preferably the or each cover plate is a tubular segment.

The cover plate(s) can, therefore, complete the cylindrical shape of the drill pipe outer periphery.

With this drill pipe, it is possible rapidly to guide supply lines on to a pipeline as it is advanced, without separation and recoupling of the lines being necessary when further drill pipes are added. The lines can be introduced into the duct(s) from the exterior, the procedures being simplified during subsequent introduction of the lines, in particular in the case of small pipe diameters. The lines are arranged in the duct(s) in a protected manner. If several hydraulic consumers, for example several hydraulic control rams distributed over the periphery of a drive shield associated with the pipeline, are to be supplied with hydraulic fluid, then it is advisable to provide the drill pipe with a plurality of ducts, the ducts being offset from one another in the circumferential direction, and each receiving at least one supply line.It is thus possible to connect the individual hydraulic consumers or control rams to the individual supply lines over the shortest connecting path.

The supply lines can also be deposited in a bundle (or bundles) in the duct(s). Moreover, the or each duct can have a relatively small internal cross-section. Preferably, the or each duct extends over a part of the periphery of the drill pipe, and is divided from the interior of the drill pipe by longitudinal and transverse walls.

Advantageously, the drill pipe is constituted by an outer pipe and an inner pipe which is arranged rigidly concentrically therein, the inner pipe defining a passage for the delivery of material. Such a drill pipe is preferably produced as a welded steel pipe. In a preferred embodiment, the or each duct is arranged between the outer pipe and the inner pipe. Such a drill pipe can be produced with great strength, and without excessive outlay in the welding thereof.

The invention is particularly advantageous for a drill pipe having a small, non-man-size diameter, and which can be recovered after the advance process and replaced by a permanent pipe, for example a so-called product pipe made of concrete.

Preferably, the drill pipe further comprises a conveyor screw portion arranged within the inner pipe, the conveyor screw portion having an axially-extending shaft whose ends are provided with coupling elements for coupling said conveyor screw portion to adjacent conveyor screw portions. When adding individual drill pipes to the rear end of an already advanced pipeline this not only connects the drill pipes, but also results in the connection between the shafts of the individual portions of the conveyor screw. The shaft couplings can simply be composed of axially closable and releasable sliding couplings or the like, for example, in the form of a polygonal pin arranged at one end of the shaft and a polygonal socket arranged at the other end of the shaft. A mining tool, such as a cutting head, arranged at the head of the continuous conveyor screw, can be driven by the conveyor screw.The drive means for the conveyor screw is located in the region of the rear jacking station for the pipeline. With this design, it is possible to arrange the duct or ducts for receiving the supply lines in the space between the outer pipe and the inner pipe.

Advantageously, the inner pipe is connected rigidly to the outer pipe by longitudinally-extending connecting walls and/or by circumferential, arc-shaped connecting walls, the arcshaped connecting walls being provided with openings. Conveniently, the or each duct is restricted laterally by longitudinally-extending connecting walls which are provided with screw-threaded elements for receiving externally-actuable screw-threaded fixing members which secure the associated cover plate to the drill pipe. The inner pipe may be provided with an internal, tubular, wear-resistant lining.

In a preferred embodiment, the drill pipe further comprises coupling members at its two ends, the coupling members being engagable with couple members of adjacent drill pipes for tension-proof coupling with said adjacent drill pipes. In this case, therefore, the drill- pipe has a pressure surface for transmitting the forces applied by the jacking station onto the subsequent drill pipe, as well as coupling members for coupling it in a tension-proof manner to the adjacent drill pipes. It is thus possible to pull the advanced pipeline back to a starting shaft which houses the jacking sta tion, or, after reaching a target shaft, to re cover the drill pipes in the target shaft. It is also possible to introduce the permanent pi peline at the same time as the original pipeline is removed.Moreover, if the pipeline is not yet advanced over the complete advance dis tance, it can be pulled back to the starting shaft if, for example, an unsurmountable ob struction is encountered.

In a preferred embodiment, each tension proof coupling is locked by means of exter nally-actuated plug-in coupling bolts. Prefera bly, the coupling members are constituted by brackets at one end of the drill pipe and by bolt bearings at the other end of the drill pipe, the plug-in coupling bolts being arranged to engage within aligned apertures in the brack ets and the bolt bearings of adjacent drill pipes. Conveniently, the bolt bearings are defined by bolt openings formed in both the inner and outer pipes, and bolt holes are formed in the brackets, whereby the plug-in coupling bolts can be introduced, radially from the exterior, through the bolt openings in the outer pipe of one drill pipe, through the bolt holes in the brackets of an adjacent drill pipe and into the bolt openings of the inner pipe of said one drill pipe.

Advantagously, each coupling bolt is provided with a head plate which can be screwed onto the outer drill pipe within a tapered reset portion thereof.

The invention also provides pipe advancing apparatus for advancing drill pipes as defined above, the drill pipes being joined together end-to-end to form a pipeline, and the pipeline housing a conveyor screw, wherein the conveyor screw is in drivable engagement with a rotatable cutting head at the work face end of the pipeline, and wherein a drive shield is arranged in the region of the cutting head, the drive shield being angularly adjustable relative to the pipeline by means of hydraulic control rams associated therewith, and wherein hydraulic supply lines leading to the control rams are arranged in the ducts of the drill pipes.

Preferably, the conveyor screw has an end piece provided with discharge means and drive means, the end piece being positioned at the opposite end of the conveyor screw to the cutting head. At the same time, all the drill pipes are coupled to one another in tension-proof manner, as described above, so that the advanced pipeline can be extracted from the ground if desired by means of a pulling device, for which purpose the jacking station can optionally also be used.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical section through pipe advancing apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through several drill pipes constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 3 is a cross-section taken on the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2; Figure 4 is a cross-section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2; Figure 5 is a cross-section taken on the line V-V of Fig. 2; and Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a plug-in bolt for fixing a cover plate to a drill pipe.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows pipe advancing apparatus which includes a jacking station 2 positioned in a starting shaft 1. The jacking station 2 includes hydraulic rams (jacks) 4, the jacking station being sup ported on an abutment 3 in the shaft 1. The hydraulic rams 4 advance a pipeline 7 into the earth 5, in the direction of an arrow 6, via a thrust ring 8. The already advanced pipeline 7 consists of individual drill pipes 9, and a working pipe 9' at the front end of the drill pipes.A drive shield 10 is pivotally mounted in a pivot bearing 11 at the fron end of the pipe 9' the drive shield being pivotal to a limited extend in all directions so that direction control and direction correction can be carried out by means of control rams 12 pivotally connected between the drive shield and the working pipe 9' or the bearing 11 connected thereto.

The drill pipes 9 are added behind the pipeline 7 as usual, according to the progress of advance, the pipeline being advanced together with each newly-added drill pipe 9 by means of the jacking station 2 by approximately the length of the added drill pipe 9 in the direction of arrow 6. Each new drill pipe 9 is lowered into the shaft 1 to rest on a roller conveyor 13 (see Fig. 1). This drill pipe 9 is subsequently fixed to the rear end of the pipeline 7, and is then advanced by the thrust ring 8 and the hydraulic rams 4 of the jacking station 2. In order to add a new drill pipe 9, the thrust ring 8 is retracted into the position shown in Fig. 1.

The drill pipe 9 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figs. 2 to 6.

The drill pipe 9 consists of an outer steel, pipe 14 and an inner pipe 15 which is rigidly arranged concentrically therein, and is preferably also made of steel. At its two ends, the outer pipe 14 has respective reinforced sleeve-like pipe attachments 16 and 17 welded on. The attachments 16 and 17 permit successive drill pipes 9 to fit together while being supported on adjacent end faces 18, and with insertion of seals 19. The lefthand side of Fig. 2 shows two drill pipes 9 in the connected state, while the right-hand side of Fig. 2 shows two drill pipes 9 in the unconnected state.

The inner pipe 1 5 is connected to the outer pipe 14 by means of welded-in, longitudinally- extending connecting walls 20 and by circumferential, arc-shaped connecting walls 21. The walls 21 are provided with window-like openings 22. The arc-shaped connecting walls 21 are rigidly welded to the connecting walls 20 and to the pipes 14 and 15. A drill pipe which is stable in shape and is rigid to pressure is obtained in this way. The openings 22 in the walls 21 serve mainly to promote air circulation, though the upper openings 22 form orifies for the passage of a laser beam to a laser target device 51 provided in the working pipe 9' (see Fig. 1).

At least one duct 23, which extends over the entire pipe length, and serves to receive supply lines and the like, is arranged within the drill pipe 9, the mouth 24 of the or each duct being arranged on the outer periphery of the drill pipe 9, that is on the outer pipe 14.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, two separate ducts 23 are provided in the space between the outer pipe 14 and the inner pipe 15. The outer pipe 14 has a respective elongate opening which defines the mouth 24 of the associated duct 23. Each opening 24 constitutes a line admission opening which can be closed by means of a cover plate 25. Each opening 24 extends over the entire length of the drill pipe 9. Each cover plate 25 is designed in the form of a tube segment (see Fig. 5), so that the openings 24 in the outer pipe 14 are closed when the cover plates are in the closed position.

Each duct 23 is limited by two connecting walls 20 longitudinally, by the inner pipe 15 internally, and by the associated cover plate 25 externally. The cover plates 25 are secured to the drill pipe 9 by means of bolts 26. For this purpose, the cover plates 25 are provided with longitudinally-spaced holes, through which the bolts 26 pass. The bolts 26 are screwed into screw-threaded passages of support brackets 27 which are welded onto the connected walls 20 limiting the ducts 23.

The cover plates 25 rest on the support brackets 27. The duct 23 shown on the right of Fig. 5 is closed, a supply line 28 being located in this duct. The other duct 23, shown on the left of Fig. 5, is open for insertion of a further supply line 28.

One of the supply lines 28 (see Fig. 1) issues from the rear of the pipeline 7 into the shaft 1, and is guided here to a pump station (not shown). In order to insert this supply line 28 into the drill pipe 9 resting on the roller conveyor 9, one of the cover plates 25 is removed so that the supply line can be inserted, from the exterior, into the associated duct 23. The cover plate 25 is then re-positioned on the drill pipe 9, and is rigidly connected to it by means of the bolts 26. In this way, the supply line 28 can follow the pipe advance process without having to be separated and then introduced into the drill pipe and then coupled again each time a new drill pipe 9 is added to the pipeline 7.

The hydraulic control rams 12 are pressurised via the supply lines 28. It is generally advisable to arrange several ducts 23 for supply lines 28, so that the line connection to each control ram 12 can take place over the shortest path in the region of the drive shield 10. As soon as the cover plate(s) 25 is (or are) closed after insertion of the supply line(s) 28, the drill pipe 9 can be advanced on the roller conveyor 13 towards the end of the pipeline 7 by means of the thrust ring 8. It can then be advanced in the direction of the arrow 6 together with the pipeline 7. The supply lines 28 are guided through the thrust ring 8, and run inside the pipeline 7 through the aligned ducts 23 of the drill pipes 9 into the region of the drive shield 10.

The inner pipes 15 of the drill pipes 9 of the pipeline 7 form a conveying pipe passing from the work face 29 to the shaft 1 for carrying off the material removed from the work face. This is accomplished by means of a conveyor screw 30 which consists of individual screw portions 31, each having approximately the same length as the drill pipes 9.

The shafts 32 of the screw portions 31 each have coupling elements 32' and 33 at their opposite ends. One coupling element 32' of each screw portion 31 is constituted by a polygonal coupling pin, the other coupling element 33 being constituted by a corresponding polygonal socket 33. When a drill pipe 9 is added to the rear end of the pipeline 7, the polygon pin 32' of the associated screw portion 31 is moved into the polygonal socket 33 of the screw portion 31 associated with the previously-added drill pipe 9, so that a rotationally-engaged and driving connection between the individual portions 31 of the conveyor screw 30 is produced. A drive motor 34 for the conveyor screw 30 is located at the end thereof situated in the shaft 1. The motor 34 drivably engages the shaft 36 of an end conveyor portion whose housing 35 is closed at the end.The housing 35 is provided with a discharge opening 36, through which the conveyed material is discharged by a bucket wheel 38 driven by a drive motor 37.

The housing 35 is fixed to the thrust ring 8, and so is advanced by the rams 4 together with the thrust ring 8 towards the pipeline 7, thereby producing the driving connection between the shaft 36 and the shaft 32.

The conveyor screw 30, or the portions 31 thereof located in the drill pipes 9, is not shown in Figs. 2 to 5. As indicated in broken lines 39 in Fig. 4, the inner pipe 15 can be provided with a tubular wear-protection lining.

The drill pipes 9 described above are such that they can be joined together in a tensionproof manner. A pair of diametrically-opposed brackets 40 are welded internally onto the pipe attachment 16 of each drill pipe 9 (see Figs. 3 and 5), these brackets being arranged to fit into the end of the adjacent drill pipe 9.

The brackets 40 each have elongate bolt holes 41 for radial coupling bolts 42 which are designed as threadless plug-in bolts. Bolt bearings 43 and 44 for the coupling bolts 42 are located as coupling members at the attachment 17 of each drill pipe 9. The bolt bearings 44 are welded externally onto the associated inner pipe 15 and are provided with openings for engagement with the coupling bolts 42. If the drill pipes 9 to be coupled are inserted into one another with their pipe attachments 16 and 17 as shown on the left of Fig. 2, then the coupling bolts 42 can be inserted, from the exterior, through the bolt openings 42 and the bolt holes 41 of the brackets 40, the coupling bolts simultaneously moving into the bolt openings in the bolt bearing 44, where they receive secure support.Each outer pipe 14 has, in the region of the bolt openings 43, tapered recesses 45 into which the head plates 46 of the coupling bolts are positioned. The head plates 46 are provided with holes 47 for securing screws 48 (see Fig. 6) which secure the coupling bolts 42 to the associated attachment 17.

The tension-proof coupling of the drill pipes 9 is produced, from the exterior, in the shaft 1 when adding a new drill pipe at the rear end of the advanced pipeline 7. It allows the entire pipeline 7 to be pulled back into the shaft 1, if this should be necessary for any reason.

The drill pipes described above can be dismantled on completion of the advance work, that is to say after reaching a target shaft.

This is preferably carried out in such a way that a permanent pipeline, for example one constituted by concrete pipes, can be advanced from the shaft 1 by means of the jacking station 2 and the thrust ring 8, the pipeline 7 formed by the preliminary drill pipes 9, the working pipe 9' and the drive shield 10 being forced through to the target shaft, where it is dismantled. Furthermore, the pipeline 7 formed by the drill pipes 9 can also be moved sideways, because the individual pipes are coupled to one another in tension-proof manner. Moreover, if an insurmountable obstruction is encountered in the course of the advance work, the entire pipeline 7 can be retracted to the shaft 1 for recovery. In some circumstances it is also possible to manoeuvre round an obstruction, by partially retracting the pipeline 7 and then advacing it again after altering the advance direction using the control rams 12. It should also be noted that a cutting or boring head 50 which is arranged in the drive shield 10 for removing material at the work face 29, can be driven via the screw shaft 32.

Claims

1. A drill pipe for pipe advance work, the drill pipe being provided with at least one longitudinally-extending duct for receiving a supply line, the or each duct having an opening at the outer periphery of the drill pipe.

2. A drill pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opening of the or each duct is closable by a respective removable cover plate.

3. A drill pipe as claimed in claim 2, wherein the or each cover plate can be fixed to the drill pipe by screw-threaded members.

4. A drill pipe as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the or each cover plate is a tubular segment.

5. A drill pipe as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the or each duct extends over a part of the periphery of the drill pipe, and is divided from the interior of the drill pipe by longitudinal and transverse walls.

6. A drill pipe as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the drill pipe is consti tuted by an outer pipe and an inner pipe which is arranged rigidly concentrically therein, the inner pipe defining a passage for the delivery of material.

7. A drill pipe as claimed in claim 6, wherein the or each duct is arranged between the outer pipe and the inner pipe.

8. A drill pipe as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, further comprising a conveyor screw portion arranged within the inner pipe, the conveyor screw portion having an axially-extending shaft whose ends are provided with coupling elements for coupling said conveyor screw portion to adjacent conveyor screw portions.

9. A drill pipe as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the inner pipe is connected rigidly to the outer pipe by longitudinally-extending connecting walls and/or by circumferential, arc-shaped connecting walls.

10. A drill pipe as claimed in claim 9, wherein the arc-shaped connecting walls are provided with openings.

11. A drill pipe as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the or each duct is restricted laterally by longitudinally-extending connecting walls which are provided with screw-threaded elements for receiving externally-actuable screw-threaded fixing members which secure the associated cover plate to the drill pipe.

12. A drill pipe as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the inner pipe is provided with an internal, tubular, wear-resistant lining.

13. A drill pipe as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising coupling members at its two ends, the coupling members being engagable with coupling numbers of adjacent drill pipes for tension-proof coupling with said adjacent drill pipes.

14. A drill pipe as claimed in claim 13, wherein each tension-proof coupling is locked by means of externally-actuated plug-in coupling bolts.

15. A drill pipe as claimed in claim 14, wherein the coupling members are constituted by brackets at one end of the drill pipe and by bolt bearings at the other end of the drill pipe, the plug-in coupling bolts being arranged to engage within aligned apertures in the brackets and the bolt bearings of adjacent drill pipes.

16. A drill pipe as claimed in claim 15, wherein the bolt bearings are defined by bolt openings formed in both the inner and outer pipes, and bolt holes are formed in the brack ets, whereby the plug-in coupling bolts can be introduced, radially from the exterior, through the bolt openings in the outer pipe of one drill pipe, through the bolt holes in the brackets of an adjacent drill pipe and into the bolt open ings of the inner pipe of said one drill pipe.

17. A drill pipe as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein each coupling bolt is provided with a head plate which can be screwed onto the outer drill pipe within a tapered reset portion thereof.

18. A drill pipe substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.

19. Pipe advancing apparatus for advancing drill pipes as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18, the drill pipes being joined together end-to-end to form a pipeline, and the pipeline housing a conveyor screw, wherein the conveyor screw is in drivable engagement with a rotatable cutting head at the work face end of the pipeline, and wherein a drive shield is arranged in the region of the cutting head, the drive shield being angularly adjustable relative to the pipeline by means of hydraulic control rams associated therewith, and wherein hydraulic supply lines leading to the control rams are arranged in the ducts of the drill pipes.

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the conveyor screw has an end piece provided with discharge means and drive means, the end piece being positioned at the opposite end of the conveyor screw to the cutting head.

21. Pipe advancing apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.