EP0490842A1

EP0490842A1 - Vibrating system for treating lapideous materials by means of abrasives

Info

Publication number: EP0490842A1
Application number: EP91830551A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gianfranco Bertoletti
Original assignee: TOFREN MACCHINE SpA
Current assignee: TOFREN MACCHINE SpA
Priority date: 1990-12-10
Filing date: 1991-12-10
Publication date: 1992-06-17
Also published as: IT224902Z2; IT9007078V0; IT9007078U1

Abstract

The present invention relates to equipment for treating natural or artificial lapideous materials or the like having one or more tools movable in a number of directions in relation to the piece to be treated and designed to act on the piece through an abrasive substance and in which at least one vibrator unit is connected to said tools so as to subject them to intense frequency and small amplitude in addition to the movements of the tools themselves in relation to the piece.

Description

The present invention relates to equipment for treating lapideous materials by means of abrasives, here under indicated by the term "abrasive substances".
In a preceding Italian patent application No. 5230-A/87 of the same applicant, a new method of treatment for natural or artificial lapideous materials and the like by means of abrasive substances has been proposed, said materials being of either marble, granite and other natural stones, the agglomerates of these materials with various kinds of binding agents, cements, plastic materials, etc.
In such a method, any kind of granulate and/or powder material is intended as abrasive, provided it is able to remove particles of the lapideous material under treatment when it is suitably controlled. The abrasive substance can be either loose or glued on a carrier to form regular shaped solids featuring the necessary mechanical strength. If the abrasive substance is loose, it may also be bounded with a liquid containing a bonding medium such as water lime.
The method described in the above numbered patent does not specifically refer to the equipment needed to carry it out, even though it mentions that the abrasive substance is charged with a dynamic percussive power to move, mix and compact it in order to achieve its continous exchange on the relevant surface and to quickly discharge the removed material.
Taking the above mentioned into consideration, the present invention proposes equipment for the treatment of lapideous materials of the above listed types through vibrating tools which are moved by eccentric, electromechanical, electromagnetic, pneumatic, hydraulic or electric vibrators and working on the surface to be treated by means of abrasive substance being either loose or glued on a solid carrier.
Further details of the invention will seem clearer with the following description with references being made to the attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1: shows a horizontal equipment for the sawing of lapideous material blocks;
Fig. 2: is a schematic example of an equipment with a vibrating matrix;
Fig. 3: is a schematic view of an equipment with a vibrating needle or peen.

The equipment in Fig. 1, designed to saw the lapideous material blocks into slabs, has a frame (11) above a platform (12) for holding the block (13) to be cut. A blade holder board (14) having a number of blades (15) parallelly spaced between each other is assembled on the frame (11). The blade holder board (14) oscillates on supports (14a) and is movable at least upwards on the columns of said frame so as to move the blades towards the block. The blade holder board can also be moved through a power plant or a cylinder for an alternative movement of the blades.
In each case and in accordance with the invention, vibrating units (17) are connected to the blade holder board (14) and through this to the blades (15). Said vibrating units (17), which fits against the frame and therefore subject the blades to vibrate, can be either eccentric or electromechanical, electromagnetic or pneumatic, hydraulic or electric and either commercially available or adapted to specific applications.
They are, however, fitted so as to subject the blades to an intense vibration at a frequency of up to 6000 cycles/min. and with an amplitude of various millimeters. The vibration of the blades can also be accompanied by a wide movement which is obtained through the power plant connected to the blade holder board.
Thus, the sectionizing of the piece by the blade which is subjected to intense vibrating is achieved through the circulating of a loose abrasive substance which can be mixed with a vehicle (e.g. limewash) obtained through pumping or gravity means, said abrasive substance being on the piece to be sawed (13) and the blade (15).
The machine with vibrating blades here described and shown in Fig. 1 is arranged horizontally but this does not mean that the same results can he achieved with equipment using diagonal or verticle blades.
The equipment in Fig. 2, designed for the carving of the surface of lapideous materials or the like, uses one or more tools or matrixes (20) which reproduce a positive or negative relief of the pattern to be carved. Said tools or matrixes (20) are assembled on a support frame (21) in the direction of the piece to be treated (22) which is placed on the chuck table (23). Each tool or matrix (20) and/or the chuck table (23) can move reciprocally for the traversing of one in respect to the other in three right-angled directions. Even in this case, each tool or matrix (20) is fitted with a vibrating unit (24) which subjects the tool to an intense vibrating when in use. The vibrating tool thus acts on the surface to be carved through a thin and continuous layer of abrasive substance present on the surface itself so as to be quickly carved. The depth of the carving will depend on the duration and intensity of the vibration of the tool.
The same result is obtained when treating the surface of a block of lapideous materials with at least one tool in the form of needles or peens (30) as shown in Fig. 3. The equipment, as well as being movable in relation to the piece, will be controlled through a vibrator (31) which are eccentric or electromechanical, electromagnetic, pneumatic, hydraulic or electric and designed to subject the tool to an intense vibration and to carry out the carving of the piece through the abrasive substance.
Finally it should be noted that the above mentioned method can also be applied to tools with a granulate surface designed to polish the treated surfaces through a thin layer of abrasive substance. In such applications the chuck can also be vibrated through vibrators in addition or in the place of the vibration tools.

Claims

Equipment for the treatment of natural or artificial lapideous materials or the like, having one or more tools which are movable in a number of direction in relation to the piece to be treated and designed to act on the piece through an abrasive substance which can be either loose or glued on a carrier to form regular shaped solids, the loose abrasive substance being bonded with a liquid vehicle, characterized in that it has at least a vibrator unit connected to said tools so as to subject them to intense vibrations and little amplitude in addition to the movements of the tools themselves in relation to the piece.
Equipment in accordance to claim 1, having a blade holder board (14) in a horizontal, diagonal or verticle position and fitted with a number of blades (15) for the sawing of said materials., characterized in that said blade holder board is controlled by at least one vibrator at high intensity (17) which may be coupled with a wider movement of the blades themselves in relation to the piece.
Equipment in accordance to claim 1, having one or more tools or matrixes (20) which reproduce a positive or negative relief of the pattern to be carved on a piece of lapideous material or the like and having a relative movement in relation to the piece, characterized in that each tool or matrix (20) is controlled by at least one vibrator (24) so as to subject the tool to intense vibrations whilst in moves and treats the piece.
Equipment in accordance to claim 1, using one or more tool in the shape of needles or peens (30) for the carving of the surface of a piece of lapideous material and which are movable in relation to the piece, characterized in that each carving needle or peen (30) is controlled by a vibrator (31) which subjects it to a intense vibrations whilst it moves and treats the piece.
Equipment in accordance to any of the proceding claims, characterized in that the vibrator (17, 24, 31) can be eccentric or electromechanical, electromagnetic, penumatic, hydraulic or electric, the vibrator being fixed to one side of the frame on which the tool is assembled and movable.