Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for
tunnel lining and particularly to methods and apparatus for
facilitating the erecting and sealing of tunnel linings.
Tunnel liners Eor large diameter bores through the
~ earth for subways, water ways, sewage systems and the like are
- well known and of great variety. Basically tunnel liners are
made up of a plurality of arcuate segments which are put
together to form a cylindrical section of an elongate cylindri-
cal tunnel structure. In general they have been made either o~
metal or concrete and fastened together both longitudinally and
circumferentially by bolts. The use of bolts as fasteners
require that the liner segments have internal flanges, recesses
or pockets on the inner surface in order to permit access to
the fasteners so as to apply the fastening means, e.g. nuts.
Such flanges, recesses or pockets defeat the desired end of
having a smooth inner bore and re~uire that the inner bore be
finished by filling these recesses with concrete or the like.
It has heretofore been proposed to use pins or
projections on the side edges of tunnel liner segments to align
and hold the segments as the segments are installed.
Unfortunately, however, such devices were not capable of firmly
fastening the adjacent segments together so as to prevent their
separation either circumferentially or a~ially of the tunnel~
Thus a tunnel lined with such segments could separate at the
joints and required some external fastening means to hold the
segments in place both in the individual ring sections and in
the length of the tunnel.
We have invented a tunnel liner segment, tunnel liner
and method of tunnel lining which eliminates all of these
problems of this prior art. The tunnel liner segments of our
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invention may be quickly assembled into a complete tunnel liner
which is sealed and will not separate under normal conditions.
It does not require the presence of fastening flanges, recesses
or pockets as did prior art devices. It is readily construc-
ted, easily assembled and tight fitting.
We provide a tunnel liner made up of a plurality of
arcuate segments having two end walls and two spaced generally
parallel sidewalls, at least two pins on one sidewall extending
therefrom in the median plane of the segment, a like number of
openings in the other sidewall adapted to receive like pins
from two adjacent segments and locking means in each said
opening permitting the pins to be inserted in the opening but
lockingly engaging them against removal while urging said two
segments in end to end engagement. Preferably the locking
means is a one way friction locking means such as one or more
Timmerman clips or the like in the opening which permit the pin
to be inserted but engage it to prevent removal. The locking
means may also be a split pin or hollow pipe which is expanded
in an enlarged position of the opening by an expansion device,
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such as a wedge in the opening. Another alternative locking
device is a resin pack inserted in the opening and punctured
and activated by the insertion of the pin to harden around the
pin in the opening to fix it against removal. The final and
perhaps most useful embodiment consists of a cylindrical
plastic sleeve having an enlarged head with a frusto conical
opening, a plurality of lengthwise s~its in the reduced
diameter body following said opening and a metal shell
surrounding and engaging said head and spaced from said reduced
diameter body. On inserting a pin into the frusto conical
opening it is guided between the slit portions of the reduced
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diameter body which frictionally engage the same while
permitting some axial misalignment. Finally a combination of
these locking means, such as for example one of the mechanical
fastening means and the resin pack, can be especially
effective. Preferably all segments in each ring except two are
of parallelogram shape and the remaining two are trapezoidal in
shape for ease in completing the ring within a tunnel. Either
of both sidewall and endwalls may have matiny tongues and
grooves.
In the foregoing general description we have set out
certain objects, purposes and advantages of our invention.
Other objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from a consideration of the following description and
the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is an end elevational view of a tunnel liner
section made up of four segments according to our invention;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the tunnel liner
section of Figure l;
Figure 3 ~s a side elevational view of the tunnel
liner sections of Figure 1 from the left of Figure l;
Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the tunnel
liner section of Figure 1 from the right of Figure l;
Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the tunnel liner of
Figure l;
Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of a partly
installed tunnel liner showing the staggered relationship of
liner segments in a preferred practice;
; Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section of two
~ side by side liner segments showing a pin and Timmerman
; 30 friction grip coupling arrangement for use in this invention;
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Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section of two
side by side liner segments showing a split hollow pin and
expander for use in this invention;
Figure 9 is a second embodiment of split hollow pin
arrangement for use in this invention;
Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section of two
side by side liner segments showing a plastic, puncturable
pouch and pin arrangement according to this invention;
Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a
combination of the structures of Figures 7 and 9;
Figure 12 is an enlarged fragmentary section of
another embodiment of liner segment connector according to our
invention;
Figure 13 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a
~` fifth and preferred embodiment of liner segment connector
according to our invention;
Figure 14 is an end elevational view of the connector
~ of Figure 13; and
''- Figure 15 is an exploded isometric view of the
~;~ 20 connector of Figure 13.
Referring to the drawings we have illustrated in
Figure 1 a single section of tunnel liner made up of four liner
segments 10, 11, 12 and 13, two of which, 10 and 12, are of
` parallelogram form and two of which 11 and 13, are of isosceles
trapezoidal form. One side edge of each segment is provided
, with two pins 14 and 15 spaced apart transversely of the edge
at its median plane. The other side edge of each segment is
provided with a pair of identically spaced sockets 16 and 17.
These are preferably spaced apart at 45 in the segment and at
45 between segments so that the segmen~s of different sections
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can be staggered as shown in Figure 6. Preferably the segment
ends are provided with interfitting tongues and grooves 18 and
19.
The pins 14 and 15 may be solid pins as shown in
Figure 7 which are cast into the concrete of the liner seyment
at one end, leaving the other end extending from the sidewall
of the segment. The sockets in such case are pre~erably made
of an inner cylindrical receptacle 20 having a conical opening
21 carrying a Timmerman clip 22 or similar one-way friction
grip device and an outer guide member 23 holding the Timmerman
; clip 22 and ha~ing a conical guide opening 23a to guide the pin
14-15 into and through the Timmerman clip. The exterior of the
guide member 23 may be conical in shape as shown or be provided
with an external flange or similar device for holding it in the
concrete cast around it.
The pin 19 is inserted through guide opening 23a,
through the opening in Timmerman clip 22 into the receptacle
opening until the two segments abut. The Timmerman clip 22
engages the exterior pin 19 to prevent its removal and this
locks the two adjacent segments tightly together.
In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 8, the pins
14' and 15' are in the form of hollow split pipes which are
preferably filled with plastic resin. The socket is preferably
- of double frusto conical or hour-glass shape 30 having an inner
-- cap 31 with a central conical expander 32. The socket 30 and
~` cap 31 are cast into the concrete segment. The pipe pin is
cast into an adjacent segment and the pipe is forced into the
socket 30 onto toothed expander 32 causing the split pipe end
to be expanded within the socket 30 around toothed expander 32
and forcing the plastic resin to expand within the socket.
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In F'igure 9 we have illustrated another form o~
expanded pipe end structure similar to that of Figure 8, with a
somewhat different form of expander device 40, which may be
inserted in the end of the hollow split pipe to expand the same
~hen inserted in the socket 30'.
In Figure 10 we have illustrated a device in which
pins 14'' and 15l' enter a socket made up of an inner cylinder
hollow cup 50 containing a two part plastic bag 51 having
plastic resin and hardener in separate portions thereof. A
guide member 52 having a frusto conical opening 53 acts to
guide pins 14" and 15l' into their respecti~e receptacle 50 to
puncture the resin and hardener bags and cause them to intermix
and be forced around the periphery of the pin in the socket so
as to set up and hold the same in place. An annular flange 54
on the guide member holds it against removal from the cast
concrete segment.
Figure 11 is essentially the same structure as shown
in Figure 7 except that a plastic two part bag containing resin
and hardener, as in Figure 1~, is inserted in receptacle 20 to
be punctured by inserting pin 14'l' or 15l'' therein. This
causes the resin and hardener to be intermi~ed and forced
around the pin and socket interior. This provides both
additional holding power and protection against corosion of ~he
metal parts.
The form illustrated in Figure 12 provides pins
~4'''' and 15'''' having a resilient locking ring 60
intermediate the ends of the portion extending out of the
segment. The locking rin~ 60 is compressed by the frusto
conical guide opening 61 in socket 62 permitting the pin to be
inserted through the opening 63 into the inner receptacle
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portion 64 of the socket where ring 60 expands to a diameter,
intermediate the original and the compressed diameters
; preventing its removal and urging the pin into socket 62.
The form of liner segment connector illustrated in
Figures 13, 14 and 15 provides an elongate cylindrical plastic
(e.g. ABS) locking member having a cylindrical head 70 with a
reduced shoulder 71 and a second reduced portion formed by
reduced body portion 76 engaging and connected in a metal
protective cylinder 72. The head 70 has a frusto conical
opening 73 leading to a cylindrical passage 74 between elongate
legs 75 formed by slitting a reduced body portion 76 extending
axially from head 70. When a pin 14''''' or 15''''' is
inserted into frusto conical opening 73 it is guided into
passage 74 expanding the plastic around it which in turn
frictionally engages the pin preventing its removal except with
the use of substantial force. Preferably the end of metal
cylinder 72 opposite head 70 is closed by a cap 77 which may be
plastic or metal.
In the foregoing specification we have set out
certain preferred practices and embodiments of our invention,
however, i~ will be understood that this invention may be
otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.
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