WO2010106389A1

WO2010106389A1 - Head for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials

Info

Publication number: WO2010106389A1
Application number: PCT/IB2009/000571
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roberto Signorini
Original assignee: Co.Me.S. S.R.L.
Priority date: 2009-03-18
Filing date: 2009-03-18
Publication date: 2010-09-23

Abstract

Head for the treatment of stone and ceramic material, comprising a main casing (3), at least one toolholder shaft (8) of (x) axis supported by the casing (3) and capable of rotating and reciprocating with respect to said axis (x), first transmission means (31) for driving said at least one toolholder shaft (8) into rotation about said axis (x), and second transmission means (32) for driving said at least one toolholder shaft (8) into a reciprocating motion along said axis (x).

Description

"Head for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials"

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, having a plurality of tools rotating about a relevant axis .

The heads of known type generally comprise a driving shaft connected, by one end, to a respective mover and, by the other, to a case for driving the latter into rotation.

Disposed between the case and the mover, from which the shaft receives 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 supports the toolholders to which the corresponding lapping/polishing tools can be engaged and driven into rotation about respective axes via a mechanical transmission leading to said driving shaft.

In practice, each tool is provided with a motion about the axis of the relevant toolholder and, at the same time, with rotary motion about the axis of the 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 are generally unable to work surfaces according to a given shaping as they can work only flat surfaces.

This restriction implies a difficulty in the use of products having, for example, an antiskid function, or when a surface corrugation is necessary, or a particular appearance is required. 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, which allows, in operation, a combined and synchronized motion of rotation and translation of the toolholder shafts with respect to the surface to be worked.

These and other objects, which will be better understood 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 details 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 partially in section of a head for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials according to the present invention;

- Fig. 2 is a top view of the head shown in Fig. 1; - Fig. 3 is a second side view partially in section of the head shown in the previous figures;

- Fig. 4 shows a first enlarged detail of the head shown in Fig. 1;

- Fig. 5 shows a second enlarged detail of the head shown in Fig. 3;

- Fig. 6 is a top perspective view of a polishing head according to the present invention; and

- Fig. 7 shows a bottom perspective view of the head shown in Fig. 4. Described herebelow with reference to the attached drawings is a head for the treatment of stone and ceramic material comprising a main casing 3 divided into two portions 3a, 3b joined to each other by respective fastening elements 22 such as threaded couplings, for example, and centred by respective pins 25.

The head comprises at least one toolholder shaft 8 having axis "x", supported by the casing 3 via roller bearings 17, for example, whose arrangement allow them to support radial loads. The toolholder shafts 8 are so disposed as to result free to rotate and translate with reciprocating motion, with respect to its axis "x", inside the casing 3. The toolholder shafts 8 comprise a portion 24, in correspondence of a lower end thereof, allowing the attachment of a tool for working stone and ceramic materials.

The tool, which may be in the form of a disc, for example, or any other geometric shape, is fixed to the portion 24 and is provided with an abrasive surface, for example being diamond-coated, or having any suitable structural composition .

In particular, the toolholder shaft 8 is driven into rotary and translatory motion by suitable kinematic connections 31, 32 driven by a mover shaft 1 also disposed inside the casing 3 and preferably sliding therein by means of taper roller bearings 4, 5 opposite to each other and having longitudinal axis "z".

More particularly, and reference being made to Fig. 1, the first kinematic connections 31 comprise a first main gear 7 solid to the mover shaft 1, for example by means of a key 6 received into a respective seat 26 and operatively connected with a gear 27 solid to the toolholder shaft 8. In the solution shown in the figures, the main gear 7 is disposed on the same axis "z" of the mover shaft 1 which results, in turn, parallel to the axis "x" of the toolholder shaft 8.

With reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, the second kinematic connections 32 for translating the toolholder shaft 8 along their axis "x" comprise at least one helical gear 10 operatively connected with the same shaft 8.

The connection between the helical gear 10 and toolholder 8 takes place via an auxiliary shaft 11 which is eccentric relative to its axis "y" by the extent ^Xλe".

The auxiliary shaft 11 is made solid to the helical gear 10 by means of a retaining key 23.

The helical gear 10 is driven into motion by causing it to mesh with a toothing 9 solid to a portion of the mover shaft 1.

Advantageously, the toothing 9 may be either formed directly on the mover shaft 1 or built-up thereon.

To allow for a continual translation of the toolholder 8 along the axis ^ΛΛx", the toothing 9 of the mover shaft 1 is advantageously of worm screw type.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 4, the toolholder shaft 8 is disposed inside a bush 13 with a pair of bearings 15 and

16, preferably of taper roller type.

The auxiliary shaft 11 results therefore connected to the bush 13 which is in turn solid to the shaft 8.

In particular, in the preferred embodiment, the bush 13 slides within a respective seat 18, the latter being made solid to the casing 3 by threaded bolts 19.

This solution also provides for the use of suitable elastic elements 20, 21 disposed between the toolholder shaft 8 and bush 13, and between the latter and its seat 18. Advantageously, the axial sliding of shaft 8-bush 13 assembly is facilitated by the fact that it takes place in oil bath whose seal is ensured by suitable elastic gaskets, such as 0-rings 21 and oil retainers 20.

As can be observed in Figs. 4 e 5, the kinematic connections 32 act upon the toolholder shaft 8. The auxiliary shaft 11, solid to the helical gear 10, is supported by respective bearings, for example of one-row ball type 12 for the casing 3, and of double-row ball type

14 for the bush 13. The axial displacement of the toolholder shaft 8 is therefore made possible by the eccentricity ^Λλe", with respect to axis ^vy", of the seats provided for the rotation of the bearings mounted on the auxiliary shaft 11.

The eccentricity "e" makes allows displacing the shaft 8 with reciprocating motion by a total extent equal to twice the dimension "e", as indicated in Fig. 4 with ^λΛe+e".

In operation, when the toolholder shaft 8 is at a raised position with respect to the casing 3, a clearance 30 is formed below the bush 13. A head according to the present invention further comprises a flange 2 formed on, or anyway solid to the upper end Ia, of the mover shaft 1 and able to fix the latter with a spindle of a driving member.

A preferred embodiment of a head for the treatment of stone and ceramic materials, according to the present invention, provides for the use of four toolholder shafts 8 driven in pairs by two helical gears 10 and relevant auxiliary shafts

11 and by an individual main gear 7.

In operation, the mover shaft 1 is driven into rotation by respective driving member (not shown) .

The gear 7 and the portion with worm screw toothing 9 rotate at the same angular velocity as that of mover shaft

1, inasmuch as they are solid to the latter.

The toolholder shafts 8 are thus driven into rotation by the main gear 7 meshing with the gear 17 formed close to the upper end of same shafts 8.

As far the axial displacement of the toolholder shafts 8 is concerned, this is done by using a pair of helical gears 10 that mesh with the worm screw 9. Figs. 2 and 3 show in detail the system for the axial displacement of a pair of toolholder shafts 8. In particular, the helical gear 10 is made solid to the auxiliary shaft 11 by means of a key 23, the auxiliary shaft 11 having two ends operatively connected with two respective bushes 13.

Described below in details, with reference in particular to Fig. 4, is the toolholder shaft 8-bush 13-seat 18 assembly. Fitted on the bush 13 with the provision of a seeger ring 28 are two taper roller bearings 15, 16, opposite to each other, which support the toolholder shaft 8.

Between the bush 13 and the portion 24 a spacer 29 may be disposed of a height proportional to the clearance 30 and thus to the eccentricity "e" of the auxiliary shaft 11. The invention achieves important advantages. A major 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 obtain a combined and synchronized motion of rotation and translation of the toolholder shafts 8 with respect to the surface to be worked.

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

Claims

1. Head for the treatment of stone and ceramic material, characterized in that it comprises: a main casing (3) ; at least a toolholder shaft (8) of axis (x) supported by- said casing (3) , said shaft (8) being capable of rotating and reciprocating with respect to said axis (x) ; first transmission means (31) to drive said at least one toolholder shaft (8) into rotation about said axis (x) ; and second transmission means (32) to drive said one toolholder shaft (8) into a reciprocating motion along said axis (x) .

2. Head according to claim 1, wherein said rotary motion and said reciprocating motion of shaft (8) are combined.

3. Head according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a mover shaft (1) supported by the casing (3) and operatively connected to both said first (31) and said second (32) transmission means.

4. Head according to any of the preceding claims wherein said first transmission means (31) comprise a first main gear (7) solid to said mover shaft (1) and engaged with a gear (27) solid to said toolholder shaft (8).

5. Head according to any of the preceding claims wherein said second transmission means (32) comprise at least one helical gear (10) connected to said at least one toolholder shaft (8) by means of an auxiliary shaft (11), said helical gear (10) meshing with a toothing (9) solid to a portion of said mover shaft (1) for translating said toolholder shaft (8) with reciprocating motion along said axis (x) .

6. Head according to any of the preceding claims wherein said at least one toolholder shaft (8) is disposed inside one bush (13) , and said auxiliary shaft (11) is connected to said bush (13) eccentrically with respect to an axis (y) to cause same bush to translate with reciprocating motion along said axis (x) of said toolholder shaft (8).

7. Head according to the previous claim, wherein said at least one bush (13) is able to slide within a respective seat (18).

8. Head according to the previous claim, wherein said sliding of said bush (13) within the respective seat (18) takes place in oil bath.

9. Head according to any of the preceding claims wherein said toolholder shaft (8) is kept in place by means of bearings (17), (15) and (16).

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

11. Head according to any of the preceding claims wherein said auxiliary shaft (11) has the two ends thereof operatively connected to two respective bushes (13) .

12. Head according to any of the preceding claims wherein said toolholder shaft (8) further comprises a portion (24) onto which a tool is fixed.

13. Head according to any of the preceding claims, comprising four toolholder shafts (8) movable in pairs via two respective auxiliary shafts (11) .