WO2009090551A1

WO2009090551A1 - 'head for the treatment of stone and ceramic material

Info

Publication number: WO2009090551A1
Application number: PCT/IB2009/000094
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roberto Signorini
Original assignee: Co.Me.S S.R.L.
Priority date: 2008-01-18
Filing date: 2009-01-15
Publication date: 2009-07-23
Also published as: ITFI20080008A1

Abstract

Head for the treatment of stone and ceramic material, characterized in that it comprises a main casing (3), at least a first tool (36) able to rotate, at least a second tool (37) able to oscillate, first transmission means (38) to drive said first tool (36) into rotation about a vertical axis (x) and second transmission means (39) to drive said second tool (37) into an alternating oscillation motion with respect to an axis (w).

Description

^λ*Head for the treatment of stone and ceramic material" Technical field of the invention

The object of the present invention is a head for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials of a type to be used, in particular, in polishing, lapping and/or gauging machines .

Background art

Heads are known for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials, which heads have one or more tools operating on one end of the same heads.

Heads for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials exist of various types and in different number of tools driven by said heads. In general, the tools mounted on the heads may be of the following type: rotating about a vertical axis, such as a grinding wheel, or oscillating relative to a horizontal axis, for example of an abrasive brush or other abrasive/diamong tool. The known heads generally comprise a rotary shaft connected by one end to a respective mover and by the other end to a case to drive the latter into rotation.

Disposed between the case and the mover, from which the shaft receive the motion, is a fixed flange supported by the case by means of bearings having axis parallel to that of the shaft.

The case also carries the toolholder supports to which the corresponding lapping or polishing tools are engageable and driven into rotation or oscillation motion (according to the type of head) about the respective axes via a mechanical transmission leading -to said driving shaft.

The known heads for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials exhibit however some drawbacks.

A major drawback lies in the fact that the known heads for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials do not allow using, on a same head, different types of tools, for example, one o more brushes or one or more grinding wheels. Such drawback brings about significant difficulties whenever conditions occur in which different machine works are necessary on the same work plane.

Moreover, said drawback implies that, in order to carry out machine works with different types of tools, for example brushes and grinding wheels, a change of the head results necessary, with conseguent increase of work times and costs.

Disclosure of the invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome the said drawbacks by providing a head for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials, allowing to carry out different machine works by means of different tools.

In particular, the object of the invention is to propose a head for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials able to combine different machine works carried out also by different tools at the same time. A further object of the present invention is to provide a head for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials allowing to reduce times and costs for machine works with respect to the known heads. These and other objects, which will appear more clearly by a reading of the detailed description that follows, are achieved, according to the present invention, by a head for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials, having structural and operational characteristics as disclosed in the attached independent claims. Further embodiments of the same invention being set forth in the corresponding dependent claims.

The invention is illustrated herebelow in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment thereof. In the drawings: - Fig. 1 is a first side view in section of a head for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials according to the present invention;

- Fig. 2 is a top view partially in section of the head of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is perspective top view of a head for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials according to the present invention.

Described herebelow with reference to the attached drawings is a head for the treatment of stone and ceramic material comprising a main casing 3 which has a first stationary portion 3a and a second rotary portion 3b.

Supported by the casing 3 are also a first tool 36 and a second tool 37. The first tool 36 is able to freely rotate about a vertical axis ^vx", whereas the second tool 37 is able to oscillate with respect to a horizontal axis "w".

The head further comprises first transmission means 38 to drive the first tool 36 into rotation about the respective axis "x", and second transmission means 39 to cause the second tool 37 to oscillate about the horizontal axis "w" with alternate motion.

More specifically, the first 38 and second 39 transmission means are both connected operatively to a main driving shaft 1.

As both the said transmission means are connected to the same driving shaft 1, it is possible to synchronize the rotary motion of the first tool 36 with the oscillatory motion of the second tool 37. In particular, the first rotary tool 36 is supported by the casing 3 through a respective toolholder shaft 8 having vertical axis "x" and being kept in position by bearings

18, 19, for example of the type with opposed conical rollers. The toolholder shaft 8 comprises, in correspondence of a lower end thereof, a portion 32 able to fix the first tool 36 for the treatment of stone and ceramic material. In correspondence of the toolholder shafts 8, the seal is assured by respective oil-retainer rings or O-rings, 23, 34.

The tool 36 can be, for example, a grinding disk-shaped wheel or a wheel of any other geometric shape, fixed to the portion 32 and provided with an abrasive surface, for example of diamond, or having any other suitable texture. The second tool 37 is supported inside the casing 3 through a respective support element 15 connected to a dragging shaft 14 having axis ^Mz" parallel to the axis "w" in respect of which the second tool 37 oscillates. Also in this portion of the head the seal is assured by oil-retainer rings and/or O-rings 17.

By way of example, the second tool 37 may be a brush made of abrasive material.

Advantageously, the main driving shaft 1 comprises a flange 2 formed on one end Ia thereof for the attachment of an external spindle of a respective mover (not shown) .

The main driving shaft 1 is advantageously kept in position on the casing 3 by bearings 4, 5, for example of ball type. Advantageously, the driving shaft 1 comprises, in proximity of the upper end Ia, a protecting bush 26 and at least one seal ring with dust-cover lip 31.

Moreover, preferably, a head according to the present invention comprises a spring system 44 which has the function of compensating possible misalignments of the work plane . More specifically, the spring system 44 is mounted at a lower end Ib of the driving shaft 1 and comprises one or more elastic springs 28 and at least one elastic ring 24, for example made of rubber, operatively connected to each other by a rigid, retaining ring 21. A preferred embodiment of a head according to the invention comprises three rotary tools 36 and three oscillatory tools which are combined and synchronized with each other. It is understood that several combinations can be made without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

By way of example only, and without changing the main idea of the invention, it is possible to make heads, for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials, comprising:

- two rotary tools and two, three or four oscillatory tools;

- three rotary tools and two, three or four oscillatory tools;

- four rotary tools and two, three or four oscillatory tools . Upon operation, the driving shaft 1 transmits the motion to a first main gear 9 to which it is connected by a key 6 inserted into a respective seat 7 formed on the same driving shaft 1.

The main gear 9 is made to mesh with the teeth 40 of a first bell 10 which, in turn, comprises an internal toothing 41 to mesh with the external toothing 42 of a second bell 12.

In particular, the first bell 10 is mounted eccentrically with respect of the^" vertical axis ^My" of the driving shaft 1 and is able to lower the number of revolutions of the second bell 12.

The first bell 10 is supported by a respective roller cage

11.

The second bell 12 further comprises a second external toothing 43 able to transmit the motion from the main driving shaft 1 to the second transmission means 39 to drive the second tool 37 into oscillation.

In particular, the second transmission means 39 comprise a support element 15 that can be fixed, for example by means of a spanner 45 and bolts 46, to a dragging shaft 14 having axis "z" parallel to the axis "w" of the second tool 37. The dragging shaft 14 is driven into alternate oscillatory motion about the horizontal axis "z", through an element 35 disposed on the same dragging shaft 14, and comprises a gear 13 able to mesh with the toothing 43 of the second bell 12.

In greater detail, to move the dragging shaft 14 into oscillation, at least one toothing, between the toothing 43 of bell 12 and the gear 13 of element 35, comprises at least a variation of inclination along its development

(herebelow being defined as "special" toothing) .

With reference to Fig. 4 a preferred exemplary embodiment has the toothing 43 being of special configuration, that is, it comprises a plurality of straight portion alternated to inclined portion.

In particular, considering a 3βO° development, there may be two straight teeth, that is, two spaces between teeth, in correspondence of the initial point {0° coinciding with 360") and of the middle point (180°). In the portion from 0° to 90°, indicated in the figure by 43a, the teeth become oblique, by reaching the maximum inclination in correspondence of 90°. From this point, the inclination is reduced as far as to zero at 180°, as indicated in the figure by numeral 43b. From 180° to 270° (Fig. 43c) the teeth are again oblique, but exhibit a counter-inclination with respect to that exhibited in the portions 0° to 180°, that is, 43a and 43b. In correspondence of 210° , the inclination is the highest, and then diminishes from 270° to 360° as far as zero, as indicated by numeral 43d in the figure.

This type of toothing is disclosed in the Patent No. EP0908271 granted to the same Applicant.

The dragging shaft 14 and the support element 15 oscillate on respective, suitably designed bushes 16 on which the oil-retainer elements and O-rings 17 are fitted. Moreover, the main driving shaft 1 transmits the motion to the whole rotary portion 3b of the casing 3 through the retaining ring 21 which is directly mounted on the same rotary portion 3b. From the latter, the motion is transmitted to the toolholder shaft 8 and, via a ring gear 22, to the portion 3a of the casing 3.

Provided in correspondence of the lower end Ib of the driving shaft I₁ as shown in Fig. 1, is a self-locking ring nut 30 which has the function of tightening the devices connected to the same driving shaft 1. The invention achieves major advantages.

A significant advantage lies in the fact that by using a head for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials, according to the present invention, it is possible to carry out different machine works at the same time, as necessary, by means of respective tools.

The invention, by not requiring to change the head to perform different machine works, makes it possible also to reduce times and costs of production thereby improving also the obtainable surface quality.

The present industrial invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, but it will appreciated that equivalent- modifications may be made without departing from the scope of protection granted thereto.

Claims

CIAIMS

1. Head for the treatment of stone and ceramic material, characterized in that it comprises: a main casing (3) , at least a first tool (36) able to rotate about a vertical axis (x) and supported by said casing (3) , at least a second tool (37) able to oscillate with respect to a horizontal axis (w) and supported by said casing (3) , first transmission means (3) to drive said first tool

(36) into rotation about a vertical axis (x) and second transmission means (39) to drive said second tool

(37) into an alternating oscillation motion with respect to an axis (w) .

2. Head according to claim 1, wherein the rotary motion of said first tool (36) and the oscillatory motion of said second tool (37) are combined.

3. Head according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotary motion of said first tool (36) and the oscillatory motion of said second tool (37) are synchronized.

4. Head according to any of the preceding claims, comprising three said first rotary tools (36) and three said second oscillatory tools (37) .

5. Head according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said first transmission means (38) allowing the rotation of said first tool (36) comprise a main driving shaft (1) and one or more reducing elements (22) .

6. Head according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said first tool (36) is supported by a respective toolholder shaft (8) having vertical axis (x) .

7. Head according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said second tool (37) is supported by a respective support element (15) connected to the dragging shaft (14) having axis (z) .

8. Head according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said main driving shaft (1) is supported by the casing (3) and operatively connected both to said first (38)^' and second (39) transmission means.

9. Head according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said toolholder shaft (8) is kept in position by bearings

(18), (19).

10. Head according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said main driving shaft (1) comprises a flange (2), formed on one end (Ia) thereof for fixing said driving shaft (1) to a spindle (1) .

11. Head according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a spring system (44) to compensate misalignments, if any, of the work plane.

12. Head according to claim 10, wherein said spring system (44) comprises an elastic spring (28) and an elastic ring

(24) operatively connected to each other by a rigid, retaining ring (21) .

13. Head according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said casing (3) comprises a first portion (3a) fixed to said main driving shaft (1) and a second rotary portion (3b) operatively connected to said driving shaft (1) .

14. Head according to any of the preceding claims, v/herein said first tool (36) comprises a grinding wheel.

15. Head according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said second tool (37) comprises an abrasive tool, such as a brush.