Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
  • B44C—PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK; PAPERHANGING
  • B44C3/00—Processes, not specifically provided for elsewhere, for producing ornamental structures
  • B44C3/12—Uniting ornamental elements to structures, e.g. mosaic plates
  • B44C3/123—Mosaic constructs
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
  • B44C—PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK; PAPERHANGING
  • B44C3/00—Processes, not specifically provided for elsewhere, for producing ornamental structures
  • B44C3/12—Uniting ornamental elements to structures, e.g. mosaic plates
  • B44C3/126—Devices for making mosaic constructs automatically
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01C—CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR
  • E01C2201/00—Paving elements
  • E01C2201/16—Elements joined together
  • E01C2201/167—Elements joined together by reinforcement or mesh

Definitions

• the present invention is enclosed in the area of outdoor pavement, specifically being related to the automatized preparation of pavement panels made of stone pieces.
• pavement panels made of stone pieces, such as stone cubes is mainly a manual work.
• pavement panels made of stone pieces is still, today, a manual/semi-manual work, which requires human operators to either provide the stone pieces on the ground to be paved either by hand or - when the stone pieces are of greater dimension and mass - with resource to devices/machines such as cranes.
• the present invention overcomes the prior art solutions by providing a reliable method and respective apparatus for manufacturing pavement panels made of stone pieces, providing a result which is both fast and reliable.
• Such method therefore provides not only a fast procedure to obtain a pavement panel made of a plurality of pavement stone pieces as it also allows to provide a pattern on such panel. This allows to obtain highly decorative solutions, mostly suitable for outdoor and street applications but also for indoor/home solutions.
• the matrix with the position of each physical pavement piece may be obtained by means of a digital image.
• each pixel or set of pixels of the image is corresponded with a position of the matrix, to which a physical pavement stone piece corresponds.
• a pixel or a set of pixels is made to a physical pavement stone piece to be placed.
• pixels or sets of pixels may correspond to stone pieces of the same size, thereby resulting that the pixels or sets of pixels define an area with a same size as well. Sizes and forms of stone pieces are discussed in several embodiments of the present invention.
• It is still an object of the present invention an apparatus for the preparation of a pavement panel with a plurality of pavement stone pieces in a pattern which comprises computational means for the creation of a pavement stone pieces pattern, means for positioning a plurality of pavement stone pieces and means for providing a support for the pavement stone pieces, the apparatus being configured to implement the method of the present invention, in any of its embodiments.
• FIG. 1 - representation of an embodiment of the apparatus (100) of the present invention.
• the apparatus (100) comprises means for positioning a plurality of pavement stone pieces (10), which in such case consist of a pick and place module and means for providing a support (30) for the pavement stone pieces.
• the pavement panel (20) consists of a matrix of pavement stone pieces.
• a conveyor belt (50) moves the pavement panel through the several elements of the apparatus.
• means for curing (40) are provided after the means for providing a support (30).
• the means for providing the support (30) provide the gluing layer and the support on top of the support, the means for curing (40) cure the gluing layer.
• Figure 2 - top view of a representation of a part of an embodiment of the pavement panel (20) of the present invention.
• the pavement panel (20) of the present invention consists of a 3x3 matrix, and each two pavement stone pieces (21) are apart of a predefined distance (d).
• the stone pieces (21) are represented with an irregular shape, substantially cubic.
• the method further comprises obtaining a digital image and converting the pixels of such image into pixels which correspond to a physical pavement stone piece to be positioned.
• a simple methodology which allows to directly correspond each pixel with a physical element - the stone piece. Considering that stone pieces are cut/broken, and the final result of each stone piece follows the properties of the particular stone - resulting in an irregular piece -, such solution provides an eased way to directly correspond stone pieces and pixels.
• each physical pavement stone piece corresponds to a predefined model of a physical pavement stone piece from a limited set of predefined models of a physical pavement stone pieces. Such feature of the method allows to create a database of physical pavement stone pieces which further enhances the previously described solution.
• the predefined models comprise different forms, types of stone and/or different colours.
• the forms may comprise cylinders, half cylinders, arc portions of cylinders, cubes and prisms, the prims comprising triangular, rectangular, or higher order prims, such forms having irregular or rounded surfaces, optionally irregular surface cubes or rectangular prisms.
• the different forms further comprise different sizes, wherein the cubes and rectangular prisms comprise bases with widths and lengths of 40-250 mm, optionally of 40-150 mm, optionally of 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150 mm.
• the colours may comprise black, blue, white, pink, yellow and red.
• the type of stone may comprise limestone, slate, marble, granite, or kyanite pieces.
• the type of stone comprises, more preferably consists of, Portuguese pavement granite pieces. Such allows to obtain "Calzada Portuguesa" pavement, traditional Portuguese pavement.
• the support is a flexible support.
• Such allows to have a panel which has flexibility, allowing a certain angle between two adjacent stone pieces.
• Such solution is particularly advantageous where the panel comprises a matrix of stone pieces.
• the flexible support is a flexible mesh, preferably a plastic or glass fibre flexible mesh, providing durability and easiness of connection to the stone pieces.
• the support is provided on top of the plurality of pavement stone pieces, after the positioning of such pieces. Such allows that, first, the stone pieces are positioned, and only then is the support provided, on top of the stone pieces.
• a gluing layer is provided on top on the plurality of pavement stone pieces, the support being provided on top of such gluing layer.
• Such gluing layer provides a during connection between the stone pieces and the support.
• the cure upon providing the support on top of the gluing layer, the ensemble containing the plurality of pavement stone pieces, the gluing layer and the support is cured, the cure providing the aggregation of the plurality of pavement stone pieces and the support through the cured gluing layer.
• the cure is performed by quick drying of the gluing layer.
• all of the pavement stone pieces have a same height, such that, upon positioning of the plurality of pavement stone pieces, a substantially even surface is provided by the plurality of pavement stone pieces. Such provides an even surface, with a better finishing.
• the physical positioning of pavement stone pieces is performed through picking and placement, preferably by an automatized pick and place device.
• the positioning of pavement stone pieces is such that each two pavement stone pieces are apart of a same predefined distance, such predefined distance preferably being of 2-10 mm, more preferably 4-10 mm.
• predefined distance preferably being of 2-10 mm, more preferably 4-10 mm.
• a frontal surface of the pavement stone pieces is bush- hammered, flamed, shot-blasted, brushed, or smooth, the frontal surface being opposite to an anterior surface which faces the support.
• a cured gluing layer is provided between the plurality of pavement stone pieces and the support, the cured gluing layer providing the aggregation of the plurality of pavement stone pieces and the support.
• Such gluing layer provides a during connection between the stone pieces and the support.
• the support is a flexible support, preferably a flexible mesh, more preferably a plastic or glass fibre flexible mesh.
• a flexible support preferably a flexible mesh, more preferably a plastic or glass fibre flexible mesh.
• each two pavement stone pieces are apart of a same predefined distance, such predefined distance preferably being of 2-10 mm, more preferably 4-10 mm.
• predefined distance preferably being of 2-10 mm, more preferably 4-10 mm.
• the panel has a width and/or a length of 300-1500 mm, more preferably a width of 800 mm and a length of 1200 mm.
• the pavement stone pieces are positioned in a matrix m x n, wherein m and n are integers higher than 1.
• the means for providing a support for the pavement stone pieces are further configured to provide a gluing layer on top of the pavement stone pieces and the support on top of the gluing layer,
• the apparatus further comprises means for curing the gluing layer, the apparatus being further configured to implement the method of the present invention, in any of the described embodiments.
• the apparatus further comprises a conveyor belt configured to move a panel through the means for positioning a plurality of pavement stone pieces, the means for providing a support for the pavement stone pieces, and/or the means for curing the gluing layer.

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• Road Repair (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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• 2022
  • 2022-01-21 EP EP22705128.1A patent/EP4284656A1/de active Pending
  • 2022-01-21 WO PCT/IB2022/050505 patent/WO2022162510A1/en not_active Ceased

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