AU2009222498B1

AU2009222498B1 - Material Cutting and Finishing System

Info

Publication number: AU2009222498B1
Application number: AU2009222498A
Authority: AU
Inventors: John W. Archer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-10-02
Filing date: 2009-10-02
Publication date: 2010-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 2029-10-02
Also published as: WO2011038466A1

Description

P/00/009 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Invention Title: MATERIAL CUTTING AND FINISHING SYSTEM The invention is described in the following statement, including the best method of performing the invention know to us: Our Ref: 092041 - 2 MATERIAL CUTTING AND FINISHING SYSTEM The present invention relates to the shaping and forming of rock and other hard material and, more 5 particularly, to elements of a machining centre for such shaping and forming. BACKGROUND The shaping of quarried rock and like materials for 10 the purposes of built structures, paving and like applications, is for the most part performed with hand tools. Although stone and concrete cutting saws are known, their use is generally restricted simple cutting operations. 15 For the cutting and shaping of stone blocks for retaining walls, building facades, stone steps, bench tops for example, stone is usually quarried and the rough stone brought to site for shaping into the required finished items. This requires the transport of a far greater volume 20 of mate-rial than will comprise the finished articles, being wasteful of labour and transport. Machines for cutting stone are known but are generally specialised for cutting only and cannot perform polishing or specialised shaping. Typically also machines are able to 25 cut in one plane only so that the stone must be repositioned and re-aligned each time a cut of another -3 surface is required. Such machinery is usually also very heavy and cumbersome and incapable of fine detailing. It is an object of the present invention to address or 5 at least ameliorate some of the above disadvantages. Notes 1. The term "comprising" (and grammatical variations 10 thereof) is used in this specification in the inclusive sense of "having" or "including", and not in the exclusive sense of "consisting only of". 2. The above discussion of the prior art in the Background of the invention, is not an admission that any 15 information discussed therein is citable prior art or part of the common general knowledge of persons skilled in the art in any country. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Accordingly, in a first broad form of the invention, there 20 is provided a material cutting and finishing system; said system including a motor-driven articulated rotating tool head mounted to a guiding subsystem; said guiding subsystem providing movements of said articulated rotating tool head along horizontal X and Y axes and a vertical Z axis; 25 characterized in that said articulated rotating tool head includes a telescoping spring-loaded spindle; said system further including spacer and adjustment elements adapted to ensure vertical and horizontal cuts produced by a cutting blade of said system in successive passes meet in a common line. 5 Preferably, said. attachments include stone cutting blades, stone polishing discs, stone cutting router blades and stone shaping discs; said attachments rotationally driven by said articulated rotating tool head. Preferably, said articulated tool head is pivotable about 10 at least a first articulation axis; said first articulation axis adapted to allow a range of angular orientations of said articulated rotating tool head between a vertical and a horizontal position. Preferably, said spacer and adjustment elements position 15 the mid-plane of a cutting blade at a distance from said articulation axis such that when said cutting blade is rotated from a vertical position to a horizontal position, said vertical and horizontal cuts produced by said cutting blade in successive passes meet in said common line. 20 Preferably, said guiding subsystem includes a first and second slide way assembly; said first and second slide way assembly providing movement of said articulated tool head along X and Y axes in a horizontal plane. Preferably, said guiding subsystem includes vertical 25 adjustment of said horizontal plane along a Z axis.

- 5 Preferably, a drive motor and said articulated tool head form a subassembly mounted in said first slide way; said subassembly including a supporting frame provided with rolling elements; said subassembly moveable along said X 5 axis on parallel guide rails mounted to a supporting frame of said second slide way. Preferably, said supporting frame of said second slide way is provided rolling elements; said supporting frame of said second slide way moveable along said Y axis on parallel 10 guide rails provided along longitudinal support members. Preferably, said longitudinal support members are supported by vertical members; said vertical members provided with adjustment elements for raising and lowering said longitudinal support members along said Z axis. 15 Preferably, said X, Y and Z axes of said guiding subsystem are provided with servo drive motors; said servo drive motors controlled from a programmable logic control module. Preferably, said telescoping spring loaded spindle is adapted to provide a constant contacting force, of a stone 20 or like material surfacing or polishing disc, against a surface of a said stone or like material. Preferably, a stone or like material circular cutting blade or a said polishing disc is mounted to said telescoping spring loaded spindle. 25 Preferably, said circular cutting blade is provided with radially arranged, repeating patterns of open-ended slots - 6 extending from the periphery of said cutting blade towards the centre of said blade; said patterns including at least one longer open-ended slot and at least one relatively shorter open-ended slot. 5 Preferably, said slots terminate at inward ends in an aperture; said aperture being of a larger diameter than the width of said slot. Preferably, a subsystem is attachable to said first slide way assembly; said subsystem including a driven pulley and 10 slave pulley; a stone cutting wire passing around said driven pulley and said slave pulley in a horizontal plane; strands of said cutting wire substantially parallel to said X axis of said system. In another broad form of the invention, there is provided a 15 method of cutting and polishing stone and like material; said method including the steps of: (a) mounting a motor-driven articulated rotating tool head in a guiding subsystem, (b) providing a range of stone and like material cutting, 20 polishing and shaping attachments for use with said articulated rotating tool head, (c) providing a telescoping spring loaded spindle for attachment to said articulated rotating tool head, (d) mounting any one of said attachments to said 25 telescoping spring loaded spindle, - 7 wherein said attachments further include spacers and adjustment elements such that a cut by a cutting blade in a vertical plane and a subsequent cut in a horizontal plane meet in a common line. 5 Preferably, said guiding subsystem provides movement for said articulated rotating tool head in a horizontal plane along X and Y axes; said guiding system further providing vertical adjustment of said articulated rotating tool head along a Z axis. 10 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings 15 wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a preferred embodiment of a rock cutting and finishing system incorporating preferred embodiments of the invention, Figure 2 is a side view of a spring-loaded spindle 20 according to the invention and cutting blade in a first orientation with the cutting blade vertical, and in a second orientation with the cutting blade horizontal, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a block of material into which a rebate has been cut, removing a 25 rectangular sectioned portion, - 8 Figure 4 is a partially sectioned detailed side view of the spring-loaded spindle of Figure 2 according to the invention, Figure 5 is an end view the system of Figure 1 showing 5 a horizontal cutting attachment in position for use, Figure 6 is a partially sectioned side view of the spring-loaded spindle of Figures 2 and 4 with a pulley for driving a diamond coated wire attached, Figure 7 is a partially sectioned side view of the 10 spring-loaded spindle of Figures 2 and 4 with a polishing disc attached, Figure 8 is a partially sectioned side view of the spring-loaded spindle of Figures 2 and 4 with a special abrading shaping disc attached. 15 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to Figure 1, a motor-drive articulated rotating tool head 10 is mounted in a guiding system 12. 20 The rotating tool head 10 and guiding system 12 may take the form, for example of a portable wood sawing mill, such as the Lucas Mill operating on the principles disclosed in Australian patent AU1995020628 and W01995/025619. Guiding system 12 includes first and second slide way 25 assemblies 14 and 16 allowing movement of the rotating tool head 10 along two axes in a horizontal plane. A drive motor - 9 18, typically a petrol or diesel engine, and the rotating tool head 10 are supported as a subassembly in a supporting frame 20 of the first slide way assembly 14. The supporting frame 20 is provided with rolling elements 22 adapted to 5 allow bi-directional movement of the supporting frame 20 along a first X axis. Rolling elements 22 of the first slide way assembly 14 run on rails 24 provided on a second supporting frame 26 of the second slide way assembly 16, This second supporting 10 frame 26 of the second slide way assembly 14 is also provided with rolling elements 28 which in turn run on rails 30 of longitudinal support members 32. This arrangement allows bi-directional movement of the second supporting frame 26 along a second Y axis. 15 Longitudinal support members 32 are maintained in spaced apart parallel configuration, in a horizontal plane at a desired level above a supporting surface and material 34 to be cut, polished or shaped. Four vertical support elements 36 are provided with adjustment mechanisms to 20 simultaneously raise and lower the longitudinal support members 32 along a Z axis. The drive 38 between the motor 1$ and the rotating tool head 10 is arranged to allow rotation of the spindle 40 of the rotating tool head in a vertical plane parallel 25 to the X axis of the guiding system 12 as shown in Figure 2. Thus a cutting circular blade 42, surfacing or polishing - 10 disc affixed to spindle 40 may be rotated 90degrees between the vertical cutting or polishing position shown in Figure 2 by full lines and a horizontal position shown by dashed lines. Preferably circular cutting blades 42 of the present 5 system are provided with radially extending slots around the periphery of the blade and tipped with carbide or diamond strips. The mounting and dimensions of the spindle 40 to the drive system 38 is such that the point 44 of maximum depth 10 of cut of a cutting blade 42 when in the vertical position, is coincident with the maximum depth of cut of the blade when in the horizontal position. As shown in Figure 3, this ensures that a vertical cut 46 and a horizontal cut 48 made in two successive passes of the blade along the Y axis, 15 with the first slide way 14 remaining locked at a position

X

1 , and supporting rails 32 locked at Zi, results in the two cuts meeting at right angles, precisely along a common line 50. These two cuts provide a length of rectangular sectioned material 52 cut from a block of material 54 to 20 form a rebate 56 in the block. A jet of water or other suitable lubricant (not shown) is directed at the blade to aid in the cutting of stone and like material. In a further preferred arrangement of the system, the 25 spindle 40 of the rotating tool head 10 of the system may be provided with a second rotation about a vertical axis.

- 11 That is, this second rotation can be applied to bring a vertically oriented blade, surfacing or polishing disc, into alignment with the X axis of the system. In this position the material may be cut (surfaced or polished) by 5 setting a desired second slide way 16 position Y 1 , along supporting rails 32 and moving the first slide way 14 along the X axis. As before, the blade 42 can be rotated into the horizontal plane for a second pass along the same X axis to form a rebate in the material as described above. 10 In still a further preferred arrangement, the rotating tool head 10 may be rotated to any desired intermediate angle between the vertical and horizontal blade orientations to allow the cutting, surfacing and polishing of chamfers for example. 1s As in the Lucas mill referred to above, and as shown in Figure 5 the present system may include an attachment 37 in the form of a separate horizontal cutting tool mounted below and between the first and second slide ways 14 and 16. Unlike the attachment of the Lucas mill however, 20 cutting of the horizontal cutting tool 37 of the present invention is by means of a diamond coated wire 39 operating between a first driven pulley 41 driven by the rotating tool head 10 and a slave pulley 45. The slave pulley 45 is mounted relative the driven pulley 41 such that the strands 25 of the wire 39 are substantially parallel to the Y axis of the system.

- 12 In this arrangement, the first slide way 14 is locked in position at one end of its possible travel along the X axis, with the driven pulley 41 supported below the rotating drive head 10 and the slave pulley 45 supported 5 near the opposite end of support frame 24. The attachment provides connection of the driven pulley to the rotating tool head 10 when the tool head axis has been rotated into the vertical position. This arrangement allows for the cutting of wide slabs of stone or other material 34, 10 The movements of the motor, drive system and rotating tool head in supporting frame 20 may be effected manually. Depending on whether a cut or polishing pass is to be made parallel to the Y axis or cross-ways parallel to the X axis, the appropriate slide way is pushed to the desired 15 setting and locked into position, with the other slide way left unlocked. An operator then starts the motor, engages the drive and manually pushes the free slide way along to make a cut or polishing pass. It will be understood however, that the movements along each of the X, Y and Z 20 axes may be driven by servo motors under the control of a programmable logic control module. A particular feature of the invention resides in the rotating tool head arrangement of the spindle 40 to which the cutting blade 42 or polishing disc (not shown) is 25 mounted. With reference to Figure 4, the spindle 40 comprises a mounting flange 60 provided with mounting holes - 13 62 for bolting to an output flange of the motor drive output shaft as shown in Figure 2. Extending from mounting flange 60 is a cylindrical hollow body 64 which houses a spring 66. A shaft 68 is telescopically retained in the 5 housing 64 by a retaining element 70 sliding in a slot 72 the side of body 64. Shaft 68 is adapted to accept a cutting blade 42, driving pulley 41, polishing disc 51, or other stone shaping attachment by means of a washer 73 and a threaded boss 75 engaging an internally threaded socket 10 74 as best seen in Figures 6 to 8. Preferably, the spindle 40 is covered with a flexible elastomer boot (not shown) to prevent the ingress of grit, dirt and moisture into the mechanism. Cutting blade 42 may be provided in more than one 15 size. The articulation axis 43, about which the rotating tool head 10 and spindle 40 pivot between the vertical and horizontal blade orientations, is fixed relative support frame 20 and drive 38. It follows that the distance between the mid-plane of a blade 42 and the pivot axis 43 must be 20 adjusted for each size of blade if the condition described above of vertical and horizontal cuts meeting in a line is to be satisfied. The smaller the blade diameter, the closer the plane of the blade must lie to the pivot axis 43. Moreover, the cutting of hard material such as stone and 25 like material reduces the diameter of the blade to the point where, while the blade is not sufficiently worn to be - 14 discarded or re-tipped, the vertical and horizontal cuts no longer meet at line 50. The present invention provides a range of spacers and shims 45 interposed between the spindle 40 and the rotating 5 tool head 10 to address this problem. In a preferred arrangement, a fine adjustment mechanism may be incorporated in the spring-loaded spindle. For example a captive adjustment ring (not shown) at the inner end of body 64 and engaging an external thread provided on the 10 shaft 68, allows adjustment of the degree of projection of the shaft 68 from the body and thereby decreasing the distance between the plane of the blade and the pivot axis 43. For the operations of vertical or horizontal cutting, 15 driving the diamond coated wire pulley and shaping attachments, the spring-loaded spindle 40 is locked; that is movement of the shaft 68 relative to the body 64 is prevented. As can be seen in Figure 6, the pulley 41 for driving the diamond coated wire 39 is adapted for mounting 20 to the spring-loaded spindle 40 such that the shaft 68 is locked in its fully extended position thus preventing movement of shaft 68 relative to the body 64, Similarly, as shown in Figure 8, a shaping disc 77 for bull-nosing a bench top slab 79 for example, is also arranged to 25 immobilise shaft 68.

- 15 The spring-loading of the spindle 40 is effective in polishing and grinding of stone surfaces. As shown in Figure 7 a polishing or grinding disc 51 is mounted to the end of shaft 68 allowing the disc to move relative to the 5 body 64 and the drive system. In Use In use, the system of the invention allows for the precise cutting and finishing of stone, either at a site at 10 which the stone is to be used, or where the rough stone has been quarried. Graduated scales (not shown) mounted along each of the slide ways and at least along one of the vertical support elements, allow accurate and repeatable settings of the 15 cutting vertical and horizontal cutting and polishing planes. The automation of the movements of the rotating tool head by providing computer control of servo motors driving the X, Y and Z axes, adds considerably to the uses to which 20 the system can be applied. For example a surface may be shaped in complex ways with a suitable cutting head moving in the three axes. A router attachment for example may be used to cut patterns or indicia into the surface of the material. 25 The spring-loaded spindle 40 of the invention which may be used either in it locked or floating state for - 16 grinding and polishing, together with the spacer attachments, which allow for the use of different size cutting blades in vertical and horizontal cuts, provide highly flexible stone cutting, polishing and shaping 5 functions to a portable saw mill system. The above describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing 10 from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A material cutting and finishing system; said system including a motor-driven articulated rotating tool head mounted to a guiding subsystem; said guiding 5 subsystem providing movements of said articulated rotating tool head along horizontal X and Y axes and a vertical Z axis; characterized in that said articulated rotating tool head includes a telescoping spring-loaded spindle; said system further including 10 spacer and adjustment elements adapted to ensure vertical and horizontal cuts produced by a cutting blade of said system in successive passes meet in a common line.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said attachments include 15 stone cutting blades, stone polishing discs, stone cutting router blades and stone shaping discs; said attachments rotationally driven by said articulated rotating tool head,

3. The system of claim 1 or 2 wherein said articulated 20 tool head is pivotable about at least a first articulation axis; said first articulation axis adapted to allow a range of angular orientations of said articulated rotating tool head between a vertical and a horizontal position. 25

4. The system of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said spacer and adjustment elements position the mid-plane - 18 of a cutting blade at a distance from said articulation axis such that when said cutting blade is rotated from a vertical position to a horizontal position, said vertical and horizontal cuts produced 5 by said cutting blade in successive passes meet in said common line.

5. The system of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said guiding subsystem includes a first and second slide way assembly; said first and second slide way assembly 10 providing movement of said articulated tool head along X and Y axes in a horizontal plane.

6. The system of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said guiding subsystem includes vertical adjustment of said horizontal plane along a Z axis. 15

7. The system of claim 5 or 6 wherein a drive motor and said articulated tool head form a subassembly mounted in said first slide way; said subassembly including a supporting frame provided with rolling elements; said subassembly moveable along said X axis on parallel 20 guide rails mounted to a supporting frame of said second slide way.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said supporting frame of said second slide way is provided rolling elements; said supporting frame of said second slide way 25 moveable along said Y axis on parallel guide rails provided along longitudinal support members. - 19

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said longitudinal support members are supported by vertical members; said vertical members provided with adjustment elements for raising and lowering said longitudinal 5 support members along said Z axis.

10. The system of any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein said X, Y and Z axes of said guiding subsystem are provided with servo drive motors; said servo drive motors controlled from a programmable logic control 10 module.

11, The system of any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said telescoping spring loaded spindle is adapted to provide a constant contacting force, of a stone or like material surfacing or polishing disc, against a 15 surface of a said stone or like material.

12. The system of any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein a stone or like material circular cutting blade or a said polishing disc is mounted to said telescoping spring loaded spindle. 20

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said circular cutting blade is provided with radially arranged, repeating patterns of open-ended slots extending from the periphery of said cutting blade towards the centre of said blade; said patterns including at least one 25 longer open-ended slot and at least one relatively shorter open-ended slot. - 20

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said slots terminate at inward ends in an aperture; said aperture being of a larger diameter than the width of said slot. 5

15. The system of any one of claims 5 to 14 wherein a subsystem is attachable to said first slide way assembly; said subsystem including a driven pulley and slave pulley; a stone cutting wire passing around said driven pulley and said slave pulley in a horizontal 10 plane; strands of said cutting wire substantially parallel to said X axis of said system.

16. A method of cutting and polishing stone and like material; said method including the steps of: (a) mounting a motor-driven articulated rotating tool 15 head in a guiding subsystem, (b) providing a range of stone and like material cutting, polishing and shaping attachments for use with said articulated rotating tool head, (c) providing a telescoping spring loaded spindle for 20 attachment to said articulated rotating tool head, (d) mounting any one of said attachments to said telescoping spring loaded spindle, wherein said attachments further include spacers and adjustment elements such that a cut by a cutting blade in 25 a vertical plane and a subsequent cut in a horizontal plane meet in a common line. - 21

17, The method of claim 16 wherein said guiding subsystem provides movement for said articulated rotating tool head in a horizontal plane along X and Y axes; said guiding system further providing vertical 5 adjustment of said articulated rotating tool head along a Z axis.