AU2010201367A1

AU2010201367A1 - Cutting apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU2010201367A1
Application number: AU2010201367A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Michael Toohey
Original assignee: M 2 E Maintenance & Fitting Pty Ltd
Current assignee: M 2 E Maintenance & Fitting Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2009-05-05
Filing date: 2010-04-07
Publication date: 2010-11-25

Description

Australian Patents Act 1990 - Regulation 3.2 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title Cutting apparatus The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: P/00/011 5102 C :\RPorblDCC\KM H276518_1 DOC-794/2010 CUTTING APPARATUS Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to cutting apparatus suitable for use in 5 quarrying, excavation or cutting materials such as rock, earth, concrete or asphalt for example. Cutting apparatus of the type commonly referred to as wire saws are known for use in the cutting of concrete, rock and materials of this type. Wire saws generally comprise a flexible cutting element in the form of a loop which is mounted so as to be driven by a 10 motor. The cutting element may comprise a steel carrier cable to which diamond or similar material is bonded. Current wire cutters generally suffer from a lack of versatility which tends to limit their application. Summary of the Invention 15 According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided cutting apparatus comprising: a main body; a plurality of pulleys including a drive pulley, the pulleys being operatively mounted to the main body for supporting a flexible cutting element in the form of an endless loop; a drive operatively connected to the drive pulley so as to cause rotation thereof so that the cutting element can travel around the pulleys; an attachment for 20 enabling the cutting head to be mounted to a boom or like arm of a machine. The drive pulley may be of any suitable form including for example a sheave, wheel, disc, gear or cog which drives the cutter element as a result of rotation thereof. One or more of the other pulleys may be of the form described above or may be in the form of a stationary guide over which the cutter element can pass, that is the term "pulley" when 25 referring to the other pulleys includes within its scope a non-rotational guide member or members. The apparatus may include two guide pulleys which are spaced apart so as to provide a cutting zone therebetween. The drive pulley may be spaced from the guide pulleys. One or more idler pulleys may be arranged relative to the drive pulley to increase 30 the contact of the cutter element on the drive pulley.

C \RPorIlDCC\KMH\2786518_ 1.DOC-7A)4/210 -2 The main body may include a support section and two mounting arms secured to and extending away from the support section and terminating at distal ends, the guide pulleys being operatively mounted at the distal ends of the arms. The drive pulley and drive are preferably operatively mounted to the support section. The arms may extend 5 away from the support section in a diverging fashion. The main body support section may comprise opposed sides with the drive being on one side and the drive pulley on the other side. In one form the main body comprises two spaced apart side walls secured together to form a rigid structure. The side walls may be in the form of plate like members secured together by one or more cross members. Each of the mounting arms may have an end 10 portion secured to the support section and extending outwardly therefrom. In one form, one of the mounting arms is disposed at an edge portion of the support section and the other of the arms is disposed at an opposite edge portion of the support section. The arms may be in the form of elongated bars which may be solid or tubular in form. The bars may be generally square or rectangular in cross-section although other cross-sectional shapes 15 may be utilised. In one embodiment the attachment is configured so that, in use, the cutting element can be oriented in different planes relative to the boom arm. At least one of the arms may be adjustable to facilitate tensioning of the cutter element. In one embodiment the adjustable arm may comprise two arm sections hingedly connected together. An actuator 20 may be provided which operatively is interconnected to the arms to cause pivotal movement therebetween. The actuator may be in the form of a linear actuator such as a piston and cylinder powered by a fluid source such as a hydraulic fluid or pneumatic fluid. Preferably the actuator is in the form of a hydraulic piston and cylinder operatively connected between the arm sections. 25 In one form one guide pulley is upstream of the cutting zone and another guide pulley is downstream of the cutting zone. The apparatus may further include a guard adjacent the downstream guide pulley to limit cut material contacting the downstream guide pulley. A spray device may be provided adjacent the upstream guide pulley with an associated water spray cover. 30 The drive may include a housing which may be operatively mounted to the main body and in one form is operatively mounted to the main body support section. The C \NRPonbl\DCC\KMH\2786518_ .DOC-7)4/20I -3 housing may include a drive motor housing section for a drive motor such as a hydraulic or electric motor and a drive shaft housing section. In one form the drive shaft housing is adapted to be secured to the support section of the main body with the drive motor housing being disposed at one side thereof. The drive shaft housing may include a bearing for the 5 drive shaft. There may be further provided an attachment by which the apparatus can be mounted to a boom or like arm of the machine. In one form the attachment comprises first and second attachment mounts which can be used for securing the cutting head to the boom or like arm of a machine. At least one of the attachment mounts may be arranged for 10 rotation relative to the housing. The drive as described above may be used separately with other cutting devices such as for example saw blades or the like. This constitutes a further aspect of the present invention. According to this other aspect of the present invention there is provided a drive for a cutting apparatus comprising a housing for a drive motor, the motor being disposed within the housing and comprising a drive shaft and an attachment 15 by which the drive can be mounted to a boom or like arm of a machine, the attachment comprising a mount which is operatively mounted to the housing for rotation relative thereto. A further mount may be provided which is secured to the housing and which may be rotatable relative thereto. 20 According to another aspect there is provided a drive suitable for use in cutting apparatus, the drive comprising a housing, a drive motor associated with the housing a drive shaft adapted to be driven by the drive motor and first and second attachments each on said housing by which the drive can be mounted to a support which may be in the form of a boom or arm as an excavator or other machine. The first and second attachments are 25 configured so that the drive can be mounted to the support and oriented in different planes relative thereto. At least one of the attachments may be mounted for rotation on the housing. In one embodiment both the first and second attachments are mounted for rotation on the housing 30 about respective rotation axes which are inclined relative to one another. In one embodiment both the first and second attachments are mounted for rotation on the housing C \NRPorbIH\DCCMKMHI276518_1 DOC.7A4/20I -4 about respective rotation axes which are inclined relative to one another. Preferably the rotation axes are generally at right angles with respect to one another. The drive is particularly suitable for use in cutting apparatus as described earlier. 5 Description of the Preferred Embodiments Example embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in those drawings: Fig. 1 is an isometric view of cutting apparatus according to an embodiment of the 10 invention viewed from one side; Fig. 2 is an end side elevation of the cutting apparatus shown in fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the cutting apparatus shown in figs. I and 2; Fig. 4 is a detail of part of the apparatus circled in fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the drive when used in another application; and 15 Fig. 6 is an isometric view of the drive shown in fig. 5. Referring to figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings there is shown a cutting apparatus generally indicated at 10 which comprises a main body 12 including a support section 14 and mounting arms 16 and 17 secured to the support section 14 and extending away therefrom in diverging fashion. The support section 14 of the main body 12 in the form 20 shown comprises two spaced apart plate members 13 and 15 which are secured together by cross-members 18 to form a rigid structure. The arms 16 and 17 are secured at one end portion thereof to the support section 14 at opposite side edges thereof and extend away from the support section in a diverging fashion terminating at distal ends. Thus in the form shown the main body provides a rigid frame to which other components of the apparatus 25 can be mounted. The apparatus further includes a cutting tool element 55 in the form of a flexible wire which is configured in an endless loop and mounted to a pulley assembly on the main body. The cutting wire may be in the form described earlier. The pulley assembly includes a drive pulley 21 mounted to the support section and guide pulleys 22 and 23 at 30 the free or distal ends of the arms 16 and 17. The pulley assembly further includes idler pulleys 24 and 25 mounted to the support section 14 which are arranged to increase the C WRPorbDCC\KMH\2786518_ .DOC-704/20O10 -5 contact of the cutting element around the drive pulley 21. Between the guide pulleys 22 and 23 there is a cutting zone 50 in which cutting operations are carried out by the cutting element. Rotation of the drive pulley causes the cutter wire to track around the pulley assembly. The arm 17 comprises two sections 26 and 27 interconnected by hinge link 28. 5 A hydraulic cylinder 29 enables pivotal adjustment between the two arm sections. At upstream guide pulley 22 there is provided a cover 56 for a spray device (not shown). A guard 57 is provided in the region of the downstream guide pulley 23 to try and limit the ingress of cut material onto that pulley. The apparatus further includes a drive 40 which comprises a hydraulic motor which 10 is operatively connected to drive pulley 21 via a drive shaft 44 (fig. 5). The motor is mounted within housing section 42 and the drive shaft 44 is supported by a bearing in housing section 43. Activation of the drive motor causes rotation of the drive pulley. The drive motor may be adapted to rotate the drive pulley in both directions. The housing section 42 has an attachment mount 30 thereon through which the 15 apparatus can be attached to the arm or boom of an excavator or other machine. The attachment mount 30 comprises a first attachment mount 31 and a second attachment mount 32 which enables the apparatus to be oriented in different planes with respect to the excavator boom arm. In addition attachment mounts 31 and 32 may be mounted for rotation relative to the housing section 42 on turntables 33 and 34. The first and second 20 attachment mounts 31 and 32 comprise mounting pins 35 which facilitate attachment to the arm or boom of an excavator or other machine. For example the attachment mounts shown enable the cutting zone 50 to be oriented vertically or horizontally dependent upon which attachment mount is used. Furthermore because the attachment mounts are rotatable further changes in the orientation of the apparatus can be effected. 25 Referring to fig. 5 the drive 40 is shown in use in another application. The drive 40 is the same as that described earlier and comprises a housing having a housing section 42 for a hydraulic motor on housing section 43 in which the drive shaft 44 is mounted. There are two attachment mounts 31 and 32 mounted for rotation on housing section 42. A circular saw blade 48 is operatively mounted to the drive shaft. Flange 49 facilitates 30 operative connection to the drive pulley of the cutter head described with reference to figs. I to 4.

C NRPortbl\DCC\XMMH\276518_ I DOC-7A)4/2010 -6 Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or 5 steps. The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general 10 knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates. Finally, it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention. 15

Claims

1. Cutting apparatus comprising: (i) a main body; 5 (ii) a plurality of pulleys including a drive pulley, the pulleys being operatively mounted to the main body for supporting a flexible cutting element in the form of an endless loop; (iii) a drive operatively connected to the drive pulley so as to cause the cutting element to travel around the pulleys; 10 (iv) an attachment for enabling the cutting head to be mounted to a boom or like arm of a machine.

2. Cutting apparatus according to claim 1 including two guide pulleys which are spaced apart so as to provide a cutting zone therebetween. 15

3. Cutting apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the drive pulley is spaced from the guide pulleys.

4. Cutting apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said main body 20 includes a support section and two mounting arms secured to and extending away from the support section and terminating at distal ends, the guide pulleys being operatively mounted at the distal ends of the arms.

5. Cutting apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said drive pulley and said drive are 25 operatively mounted to the support section.

6. Cutting apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said arms extend away from said support section in a diverging fashion. C WRPrbDCC\KMH\276318_ .DOC.7A412010 -8

7. Cutting apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said attachment is configured so that, in use, the cutting element can be oriented in different planes relative to the boom arm. 5

8. Cutting apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the length of at least one of the arms is adjustable.

9. Cutting apparatus according to claim 8 wherein one guide pulley is upstream of the cutting zone and another guide pulley is downstream of the cutting zone, the cutting head 10 further including a guard adjacent the downstream guide pulley to limit cut material contacting the downstream guide pulley.

10. Cutting apparatus according to claim 9 further including a spray device adjacent the upstream guide pulley with an associated water spray cover. 15

11. Cutting apparatus according to claim 7 including a housing for the drive, the attachment comprising first and second attachment points which can be used for securing the cutting head to the boom or like arm of a machine. 20

12. Cutting apparatus according to claim 11 wherein at least one of the attachments is mounted for rotation on the housing.

13. Cutting apparatus according to any preceding claim including one or more idler pulleys arranged relative to the drive pulley to increase the contact of the cutter element on 25 the drive pulley.

14. A drive suitable for use in cutting apparatus, the drive comprising a housing, a drive motor associated with the housing a drive shaft adapted to be driven by the drive motor and first and second attachments each on said housing by which the drive can be 30 mounted to a support, the first and second attachments being configured so that the drive can be mounted to the support and oriented in different planes relative thereto. C \NPonb\DCCiKMH72765 S_I DOC.7M/2f010 -9

15. A drive according to claim 14 wherein at least one of the attachments is mounted for rotation on the housing. 5

16. A drive according to claim 14 wherein both the first and second attachments are mounted for rotation on the housing about respective rotation axes which are inclined relative to one another.

17. A drive according to claim 16 wherein the rotation axes are generally at right 10 angles with respect to one another.

18. A drive according to any one of claims 14 to 17 wherein the support is in the form of a boom or arm of an excavator. 15

19. A drive according to any one of claims 14 to 18 for use in apparatus according to any one of claims I to 13.

20. Cutting apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.