Title of Invention

AN APPARATUS FOR SPLITTING AND FINISHING THE SURFACE OF ROUGH SLABS OF LIME STONE AND THE LIKE MATERIAL

Abstract

This invention relates to an apparatus for finishing (splitting) the surface of uneven and rough surfaced lime stone slabs: Uneven shaped and even sized rough lime stone slabs extracted from quarries often have higher thickness. If these slabs are directly fed to the conventional "High Polishing Machines" for polishing the surface there is an unnecessary increase in surface finishing costs and decrease in output besides being not easily acceptable by customers. The apparatus for finishing (splitting) the surface of rough and uneven shaped and even sized lime stone slabs, described herein splits and simultaneously finishes its surface by making it thinner and to desired thickness. This process is very economical, due to the use of small diamond segmented saw irrespective of the size of the slabs, thus the material processed through this apparatus have better look and finish in comparison to that processed through conventional 'High Polishing Machines.'

Full Text

This invention relates to an apparatus for finishing and splitting the surface of lime stone slabs and like material using a rotating circular saw for cutting off predetermined strips of uneven material from the surface of the said slabs attached to and fixed on a trolley, the said trolley moving from one end tp the other of the said stationery saw in linear direction, the said saw moving into the surface of the slabs at the end of every stroke through a predetermined depth, to cut of the strips of uneven surface. Lime stones especially in sixes above 2"x11/2", are mined extensively in India, generally being surface finished or polished by grinding the rough and uneven surface in order to obtain slabs for flooring and other uses. The rough surfaced slabs of lime stones and like material exploited from quarries are regular in size but irregular in thickness. Conventionally the rough lime stone slabs extracted from quarries are transferred to the processing factory where said slabs undergo the process of finishing (polishing) the rough surface by grinding the same with the help of most commonly used manually operated machines by name generally called "High Polishing Machines." In such processing factory there is provided a work bed on which the lime stone slab is laid, onto which a rotator grinding plate or disk having a peripheral portion fixed with emery bits of different type and quality or embedded with finely divided particles such as diamond, is manually pressed downwards, fonwards and backwards. When the grinding plate or disk has been advanced along the lime stone slab length to the opposite side with having grinded it by some depth, then it is retracted to the initial position for repeating the advanced grinding works. During the repeated reciprocal travels of the rotary gnnding plate or disk along the length and breadth of the slab, the grinding depth is gradually deepened to complete the finishing or polishing work. Such method is still being adopted widely despite that the retractive travels of the grinding disk obviously inefficient for the grinding work. Further it is almost not recommended to grind the rough surface up to a depth of 10 to 20mm in case of thicker slabs on an established simple principle of "higher the depth of the grinding more will be the processing cost" Apart from this the feeding rate of the grinding disk is considerably slowed down in view of Incrementally increased resistance. For example if a 40 mm thick slab Is to be grinded in order to get 20 mm thick slab, one has to grind the slab up to 20mm, which Is almost impracticable. Where as, in the present Invention one has to remove in the surface portion a material of 3 to 4 mm thick in the form of slurry by sawing process, irrespective of the thickness of the rough surface portion to be split or removed. Further the prime defects of such High Polishing Machines are as follows: - (1) There will be every possibility of pinholes being left while finishing or polishing the rough and uneven surface. (2) If one were to polish the surface of rough and uneven lime stone slabs, time consumption will be more. (3) If the slabs In thickness range of 30mm to 40mm will be polished, as they are, distant customers will not accept them easily. (4) If one were to polish the thick slabs of say 40mm it is highly impossible and impracticable to remove around 15 to 20 mm rough surface. (5) The polished surface of each slab will be left with ups and downs. (6) After laying of these slabs on floor, buffing is generally not advisable. But without buffing the floor doesn"t appear good. (7) After the laying of slabs on floor is over the ups and downs at joints cannot be minimized or disappear without buffing is done. In other words buffing operation Is must after laying of surface finished or polished slabs are over. (8) After laying of these slabs on floor, if one were to buff the floor, the chipping of slabs is a common characteristic. Even a small percentage of slabs were mined and mixed, it will spoil the whole flooring. (9) After finishing or polishing the surface, one will not get desired thickness slabs. The only advantage of manually operated "High Polishing Machine" is that it can be applied on stone slabs of below 1" thickness because of their limitation to grind the surface up to a depth of 3 to 4 mm. Distant customers can easily accept these slabs. But the problems arise with thicker slabs of more than 28 mm but below 40 mm, which are very good in colour and quality. But are very difficult to be acceptable by customers if they are polished with conventional High Polishing Machines. This invention envisages a novel process not only to finish the surface of thicker lime stone slabs but also to split extra burden of un-required material successively and effectively by sawing process. Though the process costs dearly to the processor the finished slabs thus processed will have following characteristics, which will definitely give good marketing prices besides easily being acceptable by customers. (1) The finished slabs will be 100% free from pinholes. (2) The surface finish will have a look and characteristic, like that of sliced or split lime stone slabs. (3) The surface tolerances will be nil. (i.e. ups and downs will be nil). (4) One can get the finished slabs of not only in even thickness but also to the desired thickness. (5) After laying of these slabs on floor, one will get better finish after buffing the floor. (6) After buffing the floor the chipping problems will not arise in the surface finished slabs using this technique. This invention makes use of one rotating circular saw moving in upward and downward direction, the size of the circular saw being independent of the size of lime stone slab(s) to be split or finished. According to this invention, there is provided an apparatus for finishing uneven surface of lime stone slab or like material using a moving circular saw for splitting or removing of predetermined strips of uneven surface, the said saw either moves from one edge to another edge of the material (lime stone slabs) or the material from one end to another end fixed on a trolley. At the end of every stroke the said saw move stepwise through a predetermined depth. From time to time the un-required strips can easily be stripped off by the operator (labour) in such a way that the flange can never touch to the strip. According to this invention, there is provided an apparatus for carrying out the aforesaid process, which consists of a circular saw mounted on a flange by means of counter sunk screws. This leaves the front face of the saw free to move flush with the finished surface of the slabs irrespective of the size of the slabs. The cutter or said circular saw along with flange is attached to the spindle, which further being mounted on a slide. Yet another feature of this invention is that the slab"s surface can be finished or split by means of automatic step cutting. When the saw has cut up to a depth of just below the flange, the operator can easily chip off the cut portion. This allows the cutter ready to take next cuts. The machine consists of small diameter circular saw, preferably with diamond-impregnated tips, The saw is mounted on a spindle, which is attached to a slide, which is capable of moving in the vertical direction. A prime mover is provided for circular saw. There is another prime mover to control the up and down movement of said circular saw. There will be provision of saw being brought nearer to or farther from the job (i.e. the slabs to be finished) either by manual or automatic movement. A trolley is provided on which the slabs (whose surface are to be finished and split) are fixed to a side plate by clamping means, so as to leave the finishing face being exposed to the cutter. The height of the saw is adjusted according to the height of the slab or slabs. As the circular saw starts rotating from one comer, the slab"s surface is cut to a predetermined depth in vertical direction. The trolley during the process of surface finishing of slabs travel to and fro in a linear direction continuously, maintaining the surface of lime stones being exposed to rotating circular saw. At each end the slide prime mover press the saw further into the material with the help of a timer. Eventually the material is finished through and the operator can easily chip off the cut strip from time to time. This process of finishing of surface of slabs continues until the extreme lower portion is cut or finished. In another embodiment of the invention, the cutter (circular saw) can be moved either on a beam or the whole column assembly on another beam, while the job remaining stationary. This invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example one of it"s various possible embodiments, wherein: — Fig. 1. Illustrates the embodiment in front elevation. Fig. 2 Illustrates the side view of the slab carrier i.e. trolley from one end and the operating circular saw. Fig. 3. Illustrates side view of the slab carrier i.e. trolley from the other end and operating circular saw with counter sunk screws. Fig. 4. Illustrates a portion of embodiment in front elevation in which it clearly appears that how the circular saw flush deeper and deeper into job i.e. lime stone slabs. Fig. 5. Illustrates another possible embodiment in which it is shown that the cutter "CS" moves to and fro on beam "B". The beam B can be rendered up and down by means of screw rod "SR", and columns "CM". Fig. 6. Illustrates yet another possible embodiment and modification wherein circular saw (cutter) "CS" rotates horizontally. The limestone slab carrier i.e. trolley "T" is intended for receiving the stone slabs "LS" therein. The trolley T is provided with means for clamping the slabs in place. One of possible forms of such means comprise side plate "SP" to which are attached clamping means "FC1" to clamp the slabs firmly. Clamps FC1 can have removable and rotatable handle bar "H", so that after tightening slabs is over, they can be removed in order not to come in contact with circular saw "CS" while the machine is in operation. The clamps "FC2" are positioned in such a way that they should serve dual purpose. That the slabs should not fall for any reason while the surface finishing (split) work is in progress and their height be kept in such a way that they should not touch the flange "F" even if the last cut is being taken. One power driven circular saw is mounted on a flange "F" with counter sunk screws, so that the front portion of circular saw be free to flush deeper and deeper into the slabs. In the embodiment illustrated, the column "CM" comprise the machine housing "M" can be brought nearer to or away from the job. i.e. stone slabs by rotating the screw rod "SR2". The machine housing "M" along with slide is attached to column "CM" by means of screw rod "SRI". The screw rod "SR1" can be rotated by gearbox "GB" and prime mover "PM2" assembly so that the machine housing "M" can move up and down. As the machine housing "M" goes down, the circular saw "CS" flush deeper and deeper into the slabs stepwise until the last cut is over, thus removing the un-required material in chips. As the circular saw has taken one or two cuts the operator can easily remove chips off, so that the flange should never touch the chips during the whole process is over. The floor of the trolley "T" is provided with a groove "G" for allowing the circular saw "CS" to flush there through and split the chips of the slabs up to the bottom. If the slabs be kept on a wooden plank, then the providing of groove is not necessary. Either the trolley "T" or the said column are movable, horizontally, in a linear direction so that there is a relative movement between the circular saw and the slabs, necessary for the surface splitting operation. Whenever the trolley is to be rendered moveable it will be made in the fomi of table movable on wheels "W", which will be manually operable or power driven by means such as a winch and cable drawing the trolley on a track "TR". Similarly, when the machine housing "M" is to be rendered moveable, such means will have a base resting on a beam (as shown in fig.5) in which the machine housing "M" can be manually operable or power driven to be rendered moveable along track "TR". The circular saw "CS" is mounted on a flange "F" by means of counter sunk screws, so that the front face of the saw will be free to move flush with the finished surface of the slabs. The effect of rotating circular saw, during the relative movement between the trolley "T" and machine housing "M" will be to split or cut the un-required portion of surface of slabs. "D" is halved dome for spraying coolant e.g. water on circular saw "CS". The dome "D" "s arrangement and fixing will be made in such a way that it should not touch the finishing (split) surface at any point of time during the operation. The spindle "S" is hollow so that water can be flown from the other end whose effect will be to spray coolant at the cutting point to increase the life of circular saw "CS". A modification came to mind, which does not deviate from the basic nature and scope of this invention. Instead of circular saw being pressed vertically, it can be pressed horizontally as shown in fig.6. In this system the circular saw always being pressed into the surface of the slab stepwise while the job i.e. slab-carrying trolley duly clamped will move to and fro. The rotating circular saw can be brought nearer to or farther from the slabs to get the desired thickness. The most of the remaining features are of course same as described, but it is understood that various other embodiments of the machine proposed herein are possible without departing from the scope and ambit of this invention. I CLAIM: 1. An apparatus for finishing and splitting the surface of lime stone slabs and like material using a rotating circular saw for cutting off predetermined strips of uneven material from the surface of the said slabs attached to and fixed on a trolley, the said trolley moving from one end to the other of the said stationary saw in linear direction, the said saw moving into the surface of the slabs at the end of every stroke through a predetermined depth, to cut off the strips of uneven surface. 2. An apparatus for finishing and splitting the surface of lime stone slabs and like material using rotating circular saw for cutting off predetermined strips of uneven material from the surface of the slabs which are attached and fixed to a trolley, the said saw moving from one end to the other of the said slabs which are stationary in linear direction, the said saw moving into the surface of the slab at the end of every stroke through a predetermined depth, to cut off the strips of uneven surface. 3. An apparatus for carrying out the process as claimed in claim 1 which consists of circular saw mounted on a spindle, said spindle being fixed on another slide which moves up and down on a column, a trolley on which the slabs fixed travels to and fro in such a way that the surface of the stone slabs exposed to the rotating circular saw so that the effect of which would be to cut off the strips of uneven surface of lime stone slabs. 4. An apparatus for carrying out the process as claimed in claim 2 which consists of circular saw mounted on a spindle which slides to and fro on a beam, the said beam moves up and down so that the combined effect of which would be to cut off the strips of uneven surface of lime stone slabs. 5. An apparatus as claimed in claims 1 to 3, wherein the trolley, whenever moveable, is in the form of a manually operable trolley. 6. An apparatus as claimed in claims 1 to 3 and 5, wherein the trolley whenever moveable, is in the form of a power driven trolley. 7. An apparatus as claimed in claims 1 and 2, wherein the trolley has a groove allowing the circular saw to cut there through even the strips of bottom of the slabs. 8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the machine housing rests on a beam, through rack and pinion or screw rod for to and fro movement of said machine housing. 9. An apparatus as claimed In claim 3, wherein the machine housing attached to a column, whenever the said housing moveable up and down through manually operable or power driven screw rod. 10. An apparatus as claimed in claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 7, wherein the means for clamping or fixing the slabs comprise one side plate to which are attached clamps to accommodate the slabs on the trolley and clamp them in place. 11. An apparatus as claimed in claims 1 to 3 and 5 to 7, wherein the means for clamping (fixing) the slabs comprise clamps of minimum height attached to the table of trolley so as to allow the circular saw to cut off strips at the extreme bottom of slabs without touching the flange. 12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 and 4, wherein the circular saw is moveable towards, or away from the job i.e. stone slabs by manually or power driven rotatable screw rod. 13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the said side plate is moveable towards, or away from the said circular saw. 14. An apparatus as claimed in claims 3 to 6, wherein the circular saw together with trolley or trolleys are disposed on either side or on both sides of the machine. 15. An apparatus as claimed in claims 1 to 4,7,12 and 14, wherein the circular saw is mounted on a flange by means of counter sunk screws. 16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the said column whenever rendered moveable in a linear direction, attached to another beam on which it slides. 17. An apparatus as claimed in claims 1 to 4,7,12, 14 and 15, wherein the dome is halved, so that it should not touch the split surface of slabs. 18. An apparatus as claimed and described herein above with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

0367-mas-1999 abstract.pdf

0367-mas-1999 claims-duplicate.pdf

0367-mas-1999 claims.pdf

0367-mas-1999 correspondence-others.pdf

0367-mas-1999 correspondence-po.pdf

0367-mas-1999 description (complete)-duplicate.pdf

0367-mas-1999 description (complete).pdf

0367-mas-1999 drawings-duplicate.pdf

0367-mas-1999 drawings.pdf

0367-mas-1999 form-1.pdf

0367-mas-1999 form-13.pdf

0367-mas-1999 form-19.pdf

0367-mas-1999 form-4.pdf

0367-mas-1999 form-6.pdf