IT201800010618A1 - A REINFORCED RESIN METHOD OF A BLOCK IN STONE MATERIAL - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Field of application

[0001] The present invention is generally applicable to the technical sector of the processing of stone materials, such as marble, granite, onyx, and other similar, and particularly relates to a method of reinforced resin coating of a block of one of these materials having cracks and / or superficial or more or less deep defects.

State of the art

[0002] It is known that in the field of processing stone materials the blocks extracted from quarries have a high and ever increasing number of defects present in natural stones, in particular of more or less deep surface or internal cracks and sometimes even "heart ", Due to the scarcity of extraction sites and the environmental and social obstacles for safeguarding [0003] To overcome this serious drawback, the use of resin methods has long been known to consolidate them and allow the subsequent cutting of the block into slabs , preventing them from breaking or crumbling.

[0004] Furthermore, the processing of defective blocks has always represented a safety problem in the cycle of transformation of the same into plates and in the processing of the latter.

[0005] In the past, the resin methods were carried out by making a wooden formwork that surrounds the block so as to create a gap between the formwork and the surface of the block, followed by a phase of pouring a hardening resin inside the interspace so as to spread the resin in the interstices of the block.

[0006] Typically, the resin is mixed with catalysts to accelerate its hardening once it has penetrated into the defects.

[0007] Furthermore, the method provides for a step of introducing the wrapped block into the formwork in a hermetically closed environment, for example an autoclave, put under vacuum, possibly subsequently subjected to a pressure higher than the atmospheric one to push the fluid resin inside cracks or defects before the resin hardens.

[0008] A first drawback of this known method is represented by the fact that the preparation of a formwork involves an onerous use of manpower and material with a consequent increase in renovation costs.

[0009] A further drawback is represented by the fact that the external surface of the block often has an irregular shape and therefore a cavity of considerable volume and variable thickness is created between the internal walls of the formwork and the external surface of the block.

[0010] Since this cavity must be completely filled to fill the defects or cracks in the block, the use of the formwork involves a high consumption of resin, much greater than that strictly necessary to restore the block.

[0011] Another disadvantage is represented by the fact that this method requires plants with work stations specially prepared for it to be carried out in an optimal manner.

[0012] In order to at least partially overcome these drawbacks, methods for resining a block made of stone material have been developed which use containers made of flexible material capable of adapting to the irregular conformation of the block.

[0013] From W02005 / 077645 a method of resin coating of marble blocks is known which provides for the application on at least the side walls of the block of a draining layer and a subsequent step of introducing the block inside a bag formed by a sheet of flexible and waterproof material.

[0014] The bag is connected to a vacuum pump and is equipped with connectors for the injection of a resin with a mixing and injection apparatus. The vacuum is then maintained in the bag until the resin has completely hardened.

[0015] A drawback of this known method consists in the fact that the application of the draining layer on the walls of the structural element is long and laborious and involves a considerable use of manpower, with a consequent increase in the cost of the process.

[0016] Furthermore, following the hardening of the resin, the sheet made of flexible material can adhere to the draining layer, preventing it from detaching at the end of the process and before cutting into plates. The sheet of plastic material that remains attached to the drainage must necessarily be removed before sawing to avoid difficulties in sawing and any damage to the cutting machine.

Technical problem

[0017] In light of the known state of the art, the technical problem that the present invention aims to solve is that of simplifying and making the block resin method more effective, in addition to reducing the execution times of the process, the quantity of resin used and to reinforce the resin.

Presentation of the invention

[0018] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problem by providing a method of reinforced resin coating of blocks in stone material which has characteristics of high efficiency and relative cheapness.

[0019] A particular object of the present invention is to provide a method of the type described above which is easy to carry out and reduces the overall quantity of resin used in the process.

[0020] A further object of the present invention is to reduce the steps of the resin coating method by avoiding the application of draining or intermediate layers.

[0021] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of the type described above which allows to consolidate blocks regardless of their shape and size.

[0022] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of the type described above which allows the consolidation of a block having both superficial and deep defects and regardless of the type of defect.

[0023] The purposes mentioned above, as well as others that will appear more clearly in the following, are achieved by a method of reinforced resin coating of a block of stone material, such as marble, granite, onyx, having cracks and / or surface or deep defects, in agreement with claim 1.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the process comprises steps a) depositing a sheet of waterproof flexible plastic material on a base resting on the ground and positioning a block to be resin-coated on the sheet, b) applying a plurality of elements spacers on one or more walls of the block, c) folding of the sheet on the walls of the block so as to form a container with a gap with respect to the external surface of the block formed by the spacer elements and d) hermetic closure of the container and application on its external surface of at least one first connector.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the method involves the following steps: e) connecting the at least one first connector to a vacuum pump by means of first pipes to create a vacuum inside the container, f) introducing a resin in the liquid or pasty state in the container by means of second pipes connected to it by means of a second connector different from the first to fill the cavity, g) maintaining the vacuum inside the container for a predetermined time until at least partial hardening of the resin and h) of disconnection of the first and second pipes from the container and extraction of the resin block from the container.

[0026] According to a peculiar aspect of the invention, after applying the spacer elements to one or more walls of the block in step b), a reinforcing belt of flexible laminar material is wound over the spacer elements and the belt is subjected to traction so as to exert a compression force directed radially inwards on the block.

[0027] Thanks to this succession of steps, it is possible to carry out the resin coating in a particularly simple way in addition to reducing the overall quantity of resin used in the method.

[0028] Advantageously, the reinforcement belt is made of a synthetic fiber fabric, leather, or other material substantially impermeable to the resin.

[0029] This feature allows the belt to be applied to the block and allows the liquid or pasty resin to enter the cracks and / or surface or deep defects preventing the resin from adhering to the plastic sheet of the container and allowing the sheet to be reused for the resining of other blocks.

[0030] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are obtained in accordance with the dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawings

[0031] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more evident in the light of the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a reinforced resin coating method of a stone material block according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example with the help of the following drawing tables in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the resin coating method according to the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic perspective views of a first and a second phase of the method according to the invention;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are respectively a schematic side and perspective view of further steps of the method according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic top view of Fig. 5.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment [0032] With particular reference to the aforementioned figures, a reinforced resin coating method is shown for a block 1 made of stone material, such as marble, granite, onyx and the like, having cracks D and / or surface defects more or less deep.

[0033] Hereinafter, the term "resin coating" will be understood as the procedure for applying a layer of resin to the surface of a stone block or product that must penetrate its surface defects by spreading, injection or suction, in order to consolidate the base material before the subsequent manipulation and cutting operation into slabs.

[0034] In a preferred form of the invention, illustrated in FIG. 2, the method comprises a step a) of depositing a sheet 2 of flexible and impermeable plastic material on a base 3 resting on the ground and positioning a block 1 to be resin-coated on the sheet 2.

[0035] The plastic material of the sheet 2 may preferably be transparent and selected from the group of plastic materials which include, by way of non-exhaustive example, nylon, polyethylene, silicone or siliconized fabric. The base 3 may comprise a suitably reinforced wooden pallet or a revolving metal support suitable for facilitating the subsequent steps of the method.

[0036] Conveniently, the block 1 can be previously subjected to washing, drying and possibly pre-heating before step a) of positioning the block 1 on the sheet of plastic material 2.

[0037] Preferably, the sheet 2 can be positioned on the base 3 with the interposition of a buffer layer 3 'of a yielding material designed to avoid incisions and breakage of the sheet 2.

[0038] This cushion layer 3 'may comprise a fabric of predetermined thickness, made with fibers of natural or synthetic material, possibly associated with suitable spacers to support the weight of the block 1.

[0039] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the method provides a step b) of applying a plurality of spacer elements 4 on one or more walls of the block 1 and a step c) of folding the sheet 2 onto the walls of the block 1 so as to form a container 5 with a gap 6 with respect to the external surface of the block 1 formed by the spacer elements 4.

[0040] In the following, the term "spacer" will mean any element capable of being applied to a surface to prevent a sheet or a laminar element lying on said surface from adhering completely to the surface itself.

[0041] Advantageously, the spacer elements 4 may be strips or bars of a material chosen from the group comprising wood, plastic, iron or linear thicknesses of rigid or partially rigid material.

[0042] Preferably, each spacer element 4 may have a thin and elongated strip shape or a substantially elongated shape with a cross section selected from the group comprising squares, rectangles or circles.

[0043] Naturally, each spacer element 4 may have a shortened and squat shape or other irregular shapes different from those described.

[0044] Furthermore, the forms described are only exemplary and may be suitably modified according to the type of defects D present in block 1 and the level of remediation to be obtained, without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] In a first embodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIG. 2, the spacer elements 4 can be applied only in correspondence with the areas of the block 1 affected by the defects D in order to avoid unnecessary operations on the parts without defects.

[0046] In a second embodiment of the invention, the plurality of spacer elements 4 can be applied in a regular manner on the side walls of the block to be resinated 1 to efficiently favor the healing of the block 1 and its resistance during cutting.

[0047] For this purpose, step b) of applying the plurality of elements 4 can be carried out by gluing the spacer elements 4 with silicone or other equivalent adhesive.

[0048] As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the method provides for the steps d) hermetic closure of the container 5 and application on its external surface of at least one first connector 7 and e) connection of the at least one first connector 7 to a vacuum pump 12 by means of first pipes 8 for create a depression inside the container 5, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0049] In a per se known manner, the step e) of creating the vacuum in the container 5 can be carried out by means of a pump or autoclave 12 suitable for extracting the air present in the container 5 and in the defects D of the block 1 so as to achieve in the container 5 a depression of between -0.9bar and -2bar and preferably equal to -0.5bar.

[0050] As illustrated in FIG. 1, 4 and 5, the method comprises a step f) of introducing a resin R in the liquid or pasty state into the container 5 by means of second pipes 9 connected thereto by means of at least a second connector 10, different from the first 7, to fill the interspace 6.

[0051] In a per se known way, the resin R can be selected from the group that includes epoxy, polyurethane, polyester, thermoplastic, water-based resins or a combination thereof.

[0052] This step f) of introducing the resin R, can be carried out by connecting the second pipes 9 to a suitably sized container containing the resin R mixed with a catalyst of a per se known type.

[0053] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the resin R mixed with the catalyst can be pushed into the interspace 6 due to the depression created by the vacuum pump 12.

[0054] In this way, the pump 12 in addition to extracting the air present in the container 5 will allow the resin R mixed with the catalyst to pass through the second pipes 9, enter the interspace 6 and be recalled in the defects D of block 1.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment, the flexible and waterproof sheet 2 can be made of silicone or silicone-coated fabric to facilitate its reuse for other blocks 1 of stone material.

[0056] In this embodiment, the sheet 2 can be shaped like a bag, possibly with a removable or resealable lid by means of a hermetic zip closure 5 'to form the container 5 in the closing step d).

[0057] In this embodiment, the internal surface of the sheet 2 in contact with the block 1 to be resinated can be coated with a PTFE-based release varnish to prevent the resin R from adhering to the sheet 2 so that the latter can be reused for the resin coating of other blocks 1 in stone material.

[0058] This embodiment also allows to avoid the use of the buffer layer 3 'between the base 3 and the block 1 and allows the reuse of the container 5 to resin other blocks 1.

[0059] It is in fact known that silicone is a material with high non-stick properties and therefore allows it to be easily detached from the resin R, without leaving residues on the sheet 2.

[0060] After having created the vacuum, the block 1 placed in the container 5 is subjected to a step g) of maintaining the vacuum inside the container 5 for a predetermined time t until at least partial hardening of the resin R, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0061] The predetermined time t of the maintenance step g) may vary according to the material of the resin R, the type of catalyst and the shape and size of the block to be resinated 1.

[0062] By way of example, to resinate a block of marble having an approximately cubic shape with a side equal to 2.5m, it is sufficient to maintain the vacuum for a predetermined time t close to 18 hours.

[0063] Finally, a step h) is provided for disconnecting the first 8 and second pipes 9 from the container 5 and extracting the resin block 1 from the container 5 to allow the subsequent processing steps of the block 1 in safety conditions.

[0064] Naturally, both the positioning of the block 1 on the base 3 in step a) and the extraction of the block 1 from the container 5 in step h), can be carried out by any means of lifting and transport, for example an overhead crane or a forklift, not shown in the figures.

[0065] According to a peculiar aspect of the invention, illustrated in FIG. 3, after the application on one or more walls of the block 1 of the spacer elements 4 in step b) of application, a reinforcing belt 11 of flexible laminar material superimposed on the spacer elements 4 is wound and the belt 11 is subjected to traction in so as to exert on the block 1 a compression force directed radially towards the inside.

[0066] Advantageously, the reinforcing belt 11 of flexible laminar material can be made with a fabric of synthetic fiber, leather, or other material substantially impermeable to the resin R.

[0067] Conveniently, during step e) of creating the vacuum, the depression inside the container 5 can exert a compression force on the reinforcing belt 11 directed towards the inside, so as to make it adhere to the external surface areas of block 1 free from the spacer elements 4.

[0068] In this way, during the introduction phase f), the resin R will be able to enter the gap 6 formed between the belt 11 and the block 1 provided with the spacer elements 4.

[0069] Furthermore, in the second embodiment in which the spacer elements 4 are applied only in correspondence with the defects D, the resin R retained by the reinforcing belt 11, will be able to insert only in correspondence with the defects D, without altering or interacting with the parts of block 1 free of defects D, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0070] Conveniently, after applying the spacer elements 4 to the side walls of block 1 in step b), the initial portion of the belt 11 can be fixed to the block 1 by gluing with silicone or an equivalent adhesive and the rest of the belt 11 can be wound in a helical form to the side panel of block 1

[0071] It is evident that the particular combination of characteristics of the reinforcing belt 11 and of the reinforced resin method according to the invention allows the overall quantity of resin R to be reduced, regardless of the shape and size of the block to be resinated 1 [0072] Furthermore, the method according to the invention avoids using additional draining layers.

[0073] From the foregoing, it is evident that the reinforced resin method of a block made of stone material achieves the intended purposes and in particular allows the method of resin coating of the blocks to be simplified and made more effective, as well as reducing the time required for making and the amount of resin used.

[0074] The method for resining blocks in stone material according to the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept expressed in the attached claims.

[0075] Even if the method has been described with particular reference to the attached figures, the reference numbers used in the description and in the claims are used to improve the intelligence of the invention and do not constitute any limitation to the scope of protection claimed.

Reference throughout the description to "an embodiment" or "the embodiment" or "some embodiment" indicates that a particular feature, structure or element described is included in at least one embodiment of the object of the present invention.

Further, the particular features, structures or elements can be combined in any suitable way in one or more embodiments.

Industrial applicability

[0078] The present invention is industrially applicable as it can be carried out on an industrial scale by industries belonging to the sector of processing stone or similar materials.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS 1. A method of reinforced resin coating of a block (1) in stone material, having cracks (D) and / or superficial or deep defects, which method includes the following steps: a) deposition of a sheet (2) of waterproof flexible plastic material on a base (3) resting on the ground and positioning of a block (1) to be resin-coated on said sheet (2); b) application of a plurality of spacer elements (4) on one or more walls of the block (1); c) folding of said sheet (2) on the walls of the block (1) so as to form a container (5) with a gap (6) with respect to the external surface of the block (1) formed by said spacer elements (4); d) hermetic closure of said container (5) and application on its external surface of at least one first connector (7); e) connecting said at least one first connector (7) to a vacuum pump (12) by means of first pipes (8) to create a vacuum inside said container (5); f) introduction of a resin (R) in the liquid or pasty state into the container (5) by means of second pipes (9) connected to it by means of a second connector (10) different from the first (7) to fill said cavity (6); g) maintaining the vacuum inside the container (5) for a predetermined time (t) until at least partial hardening of the resin (R); h) disconnection of said first (8) and second pipes (9) from the container (5) and extraction of the resin block (1) from said container (5); characterized in that after the application on one or more walls of the block (1) of said spacer elements (4) in said step b), a reinforcing belt (11) of flexible laminar material is wound on top of said spacer elements ( 4), said reinforcement belt (11) being subjected to traction so as to exert a compression force directed radially towards the inside on the block (1). 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said spacer elements (4) are strips or bars of a material selected from the group comprising wood, plastic, iron or linear thicknesses of rigid or partially rigid material. 3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said belt (11) is made of synthetic fiber fabric, leather, or other material substantially impermeable to the resin. 4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said resin (R) is selected from the group which includes epoxy, polyurethane, polyester resins or a combination thereof. 5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said step b) of application of said spacer elements (4) is carried out by gluing said elements (4) with silicone or with an equivalent adhesive. 6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that after the application on the walls of the block (1) of said spacer elements (4) in said step b), the initial portion of said belt (11) is fixed to the block ( 1) by gluing with silicone or with an equivalent adhesive, the rest of the belt (11) being wound in a helical shape to the walls of the block (1). 7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the block (1) is subjected to washing, drying and possibly pre-heating before being positioned on said sheet of plastic material (2). 8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said sheet of plastic material (2) is positioned on said base (3) with the interposition of a buffer layer (3 ') to avoid the breaking of said sheet (2) while positioning the block (1). Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said sheet (2) of flexible and impermeable plastic material is selected from the group which includes plastic polymers, nylon, polyethylene, silicone or siliconized fabric. 10. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said flexible and waterproof sheet (2) is made of silicone or silicone-coated fabric to facilitate its reuse for other blocks (1) made of stone material, said sheet (2) being shaped bag with a removable or reclosable lid by means of a hermetic zip closure (5 ') to form said container (5) in said closing step d).