WO2013108279A1

WO2013108279A1 - Improved roller for working materials, particularly tiles

Info

Publication number: WO2013108279A1
Application number: PCT/IT2013/000010
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ruggero Garbin
Original assignee: Premier S.R.L.
Priority date: 2012-01-19
Filing date: 2013-01-15
Publication date: 2013-07-25
Also published as: ITVI20120013A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an improved roller (100) for working materials, particularly tiles, comprising, one after another, a first flange (4), a base ring (1), at least one intermediate ring (2), an end ring (3) and a second flange (4). At least two tie-beams (7), extending from said first flange (4) to said second flange (4), and means for fastening and drawing said tie-beams (7) between said two flanges (4, 4), so as to keep assembled and tightened said rings (1, 2, 3), are also provided. Said rings (1, 2, 3) have also external diamond inserts (6).

Description

IMPROVED ROLLER FOR WORKING MATERIALS,

PARTICULARLY TILES

The present invention relates to an improved roller for working materials, in particular for working tiles.

More specifically, the invention relates to a roller of the above mentioned type that can be made in an extremely simple manner, and with a smaller number of components with respect to the traditional rollers used for working tiles.

The following description will refer to the working of tiles, but the roller with the technical features according to the invention can also be used for different processes, always remaining within the scope of protection of the appended claims of the present invention.

In the field of the smoothed tiles, it is well known that when the tiles exit from the ovens they need a preliminary processing according to which they are subjected to a roughing and/or a shallow calibrating phase so as to be mirror polished.

Said calibrating step, which is carried out before the smoothing step, is currently carried out by using rollers made in different sectors, with a diamond sector which have dimensions that are proportional to the size of the tile to be processed.

In particular, it is known to use rollers having dimensions that are proportional to the dimensions of the tile to be polished; said rollers are also provided with a diamond coating which is proportional to the width of the tile.

In particular, there are known two types of rollers adapted to this type of processing, i.e. the spiral rollers and the disks-pack rollers.

The improvement proposed according to the present invention is particularly directed to the latter type of rollers.

The disks-pack rollers that are currently available on the market have a smooth cylindrical body, on which are threaded rings which, in turn, are connected with diamond sectors that are externally welded.

However, this technical solution has many drawbacks, which make the use of said type of rollers not always convenient.

Firstly, the central body, which is made of steel, is very heavy.

Moreover, the machines which perform the automatic welding of the sectors on the rings are able to carry out said automatic welding only on sectors having prefixed dimensions, therefore, when rings of greater dimensions are used, it is necessary to carry out a manual welding of the diamond sectors.

However, without using rings, it is also necessary to weld the diamond sectors directly on the roller's body with many technical problems.

Furthermore, the structure of the known rollers, which is made by compacting a series of rings threaded on a steel pipe, entails problems of shipping to the end user due to the considerable total weight.

Again, if you want to try to reuse the main body of the roller after having run out the rings with diamond sector (in order to save on transport costs), for example by ordering only new rings, you should remove the rings, for example with a hammer or similar, thus subjecting the roller's body to a mechanical deformation which would make practically impossible to insert new rings.

Additionally, a direct welding on the cylindrical steel body of the roller (rather than a welding of the rings, that are then threaded onto the roller's body) of a plurality of sectors involves an excessive heating of the roller due to the welding operation; therefore, the roller deforms and its surfaces must finally be rectified to be suitable for processing.

Considering all the above, the Applicant has realized and developed an improved roller for working (calibrating) tiles that solves the above mentioned drawbacks.

These and other results are obtained, according to the present invention, by providing a roller that does not include a central body and that is constituted by a plurality of self-centering rings, comprising a first ring and a last ring, with a plurality of intermediate rings that are interposed between said self-centering rings, two closing flanges at the ends and at least two tie rods, arranged between said flanges, which are provided for assembling the roller according to the invention.

The roller according to the invention is described in the appended independent claim 1.

Further characteristics of the roller according to the invention are described in the dependent claims.

The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, with particular reference to preferred embodiments and with reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, in which:

- figure 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment of a roller according to the invention; - figure 1a shows a first detail of the roller of figure 1 ;

- figure 1 b shows a second detail of the roller of figure 1 ;

- figure 2 shows a sectional view of an assembled roller according to the invention;

- figure 3 is a sectional view of a first ring of the roller according to the invention;

- figure 3a shows a detail of the ring of figure 3;

- figure 4 is a sectional view of an intermediate ring of the roller according to the invention;

- figure 4a shows a detail of the ring of figure 4;

- figure 5 is a sectional view of a last ring of the roller according to the invention;

- figure 5a shows a detail of the ring of figure 5;

- figure 6 is a front view of a flange for a roller according to the invention; - figure 6a is a sectional view of the flange of figure 6;

- figure 7 is a sectional view of a tie rod of the roller according to the invention;

- figure 8 is a front view of a flange during the roller mounting, and

- figure 9 is a front view of a closed flange.

Referring to the figures of the enclosed drawings, an embodiment of a roller according to the invention is shown; the roller is generally indicated with the reference number 100 and is used, in particular, for working tiles and the like, in order to obtain a roughing and/or calibration of the tiles (not shown in the enclosed drawings) exiting from the ovens.

With particular reference to the figures 1, 1a and 1b, the roller 100 according to the invention comprises a first or base ring 1 (see also figures 3 and 3a), a plurality of intermediate rings 2 (see also figures 4 and 4a) and a last or end ring 3 (see also figures 5 and 5a).

Two flanges 4 are provided externally to the first ring 1 and the last ring 3. As shown in figures 3a, 4a and 5a, the rings 1 , 2 and 3 have a shaped circumferential profile, so as to create a mechanical stop 5, which abuts on the surface of the adjacent ring, so that the pack of rings 1 , 2, 3 is a self- supporting structure.

In particular, the rings 1 and 3 are provided with a single mechanical stop 5, while the intermediate rings are provided with two opposite mechanical stops 5, because each intermediate ring 2 is adjacent to at least two further rings 1 or 2 or 3. This type of coupling is shown in detail in figures 1a and 1b.

Said rings 1 , 2 and 3 have peripheral diamond inserts 6 for working the product and in particular for working the tile.

The roller 100 according to the present invention also provides a plurality of tie-beams 7 (there are four tie rods in the preferred embodiment shown in the enclosed figures, but said tie rods can also be provided in a different number and in any case more than two), which act on the two flanges 4 in order to hold the assembled roller 100.

With reference to the enclosed figure 2, the method for assembling the roller 100 according to the invention is the following.

Firstly, it is necessary to place a first flange 4 with the tie beams 7, then it is possible to place the rings, with the relative welded external diamond inserts 6, starting with a first ring 1 , which is followed by a plurality of intermediate rings 2 in order to make a roller of the desired size; finally, it is necessary to place a last ring 3, followed by a second flange 4.

The screws 8 are provided through the holes 9 of the flanges 4 so that said screws 8 are coupled with the respective tie-beams 7, then the surfaces 5 of the rings 1 , 2, 3 are placed in abutment, so as to assemble the whole roller 100 according to the invention, thus without having to provide for a central body (which is an element of the known rollers).

When the diamond inserts are exhausted, it is possible to replace the rings 1, 2, 3, possibly reusing the flanges 4, the tie-beams 7 and the screws 8. It is also clear that in case the rings 1 , 2, 3 are not replaced and the roller is simply replaced, the only wasted parts are the flanges 4 and the tie- beams 7.

Moreover, if you want to make a wider or narrower roller, you simply need to choose the tie-beams 7 of the suitable size, also by providing a suitable number of intermediate rings 2.

If the total length of the roller is not equal to the whole surface covered by the diamond sectors, for example a roller 600 mm long with an abrasive surface disposed on a length of 400 mm, it is possible to insert thick rings (not shown), without diamond sectors, respectively between the first ring 1 and the first intermediate ring 2 and between the last intermediate ring 2 and the last ring 3, so as to obtain further flexibility of the roller 100 according to the invention.

The present invention has been described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that variations and/or modifications may be made by the skilled men, without departing from the relevant scope of protection, as described in the appended claims.

Claims

1. Roller (100) for working materials, particularly tiles, comprising, one after another, a first flange (4), a base ring (1), at least one intermediate ring (2), an end ring (3) and a second flange (4), characterized in that said

5 roller (100) further comprises at least two tie-beams (7), extending from said first flange (4) to said second flange (4), and means for fastening and drawing said tie-beams (7) between said two flanges (4, 4), so as to keep assembled and tightened said rings (1 , 2, 3), said intermediate rings (2) having, along their inner circumference, two coupling profiles with a0 mechanical stop (5), which stood against the profile with a mechanical stop (5) of at least one adjacent ring (1 , 2 or 3).

2. Roller (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that said rings (1 , 2, 3) have external diamond inserts (6).

3. Roller (100) according to at least one of the preceding claims,5 characterized in that said base ring (1) and said end ring (3) have, along their inner circumference, a coupling profile with a mechanical stop (5).

4. Roller (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that further thick rings without diamond inserts are also provided.

5. Roller (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in o that four tie-beams (7) are provided.

6. Roller (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means for fastening and drawing said tie-beams (7) between said two flanges (4, 4) are constituted by screws (8).

7. Roller (100) according to at least one of the preceding claims,5 characterized in that said screws (8) are inserted into holes which are made on the surface of the flanges (4) and which are screwed on said tie- beams (7).