TUNNEL EXCAVATOR AND EXCAVATION METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tunnel excavator and an excavation method, which enable the excavation of a desired curved tunnel by allowing a segment to be appropriately assembled even in the bending of an excavator body. SOLUTION: The excavator body 11 is constituted by bendably coupling front and rear barrels 12 and 13 together by means of a spherical bearing 14 and making the front and rear barrels 12 and 13 bendable by means of a buckling jack 15; and the rear barrel 13 is constituted by coupling a coupling ring 31 and a rear barrel body 32 together by means of a slot hole 34 of a coupling ring 33, a coupling shaft 35 and a seal member 36 in a longitudinally and axially movable manner. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO