WO1999033622A1

WO1999033622A1 - Process, equipment and stone-processing line for the production of tiles of artificial or natural stone - especially marble _____

Info

Publication number: WO1999033622A1
Application number: PCT/HU1997/000087
Authority: WO
Inventors: András GAJDÓ
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-12-23
Filing date: 1997-12-23
Publication date: 1999-07-08
Anticipated expiration: 2000-06-23
Also published as: AU5571298A

Abstract

The invention deals with a solution for producing extra thin, in a given case surface treated tiles where the quarry spoil, the so called amorphous blocks can also be used as raw material. The present invention solves this task by using a cutting disc for cutting where the diameter of the disc is at least the threefold of the body to be cut and the cut-off tile is lifted from the plane of the disc inside the segment circle and before the inactive arc of the cutting disc following the cutting of the body. The equipment in accordance with the present invention comprises a cutting unit (1-5) equipped with a lifting device (9), fork (19) or suction-grip disc (22) which can be moved in relation to the cutting disc (1). At the stone-processing-line, the cutting disc (1) slabbing unit is equipped with at least one lifting device (9), in a given case placed behind the surface treating unit (23) with respect to the sequence of the technological operations and at least one slabbing is intended for amorphous blocks.

Description

PROCESS, EQUIPMENT AND STONE-PROCESSING -LINE R THE PRODUCTION OF TILES OF ARTIFICIAL- OR NATURAL STONE

- ESPECIALLY MARBLE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The pesent invention relates to the process for the production of tiles of artificial or natural stone, especially marble in the course of witch the raw material in its main segment is formed into bodies of the size scho- sen according to the final size of the tiles to be produced practically in the shape of a parallelepipedon in the case of artificial stone respectively out in the case of natural stone finally the tiles out from the bodi- es and in given cases surface-treatod tiles are calibrated, further equipment and stone-processing-line for executing the process.

BACKGROUND ART

From the history of architecture it has been known for thousands of years that in case of particular buildings the floors and/or the walls were covered with some kind of stone-, mostly marble panelling in order to emphasise the taste, power, vanities or financial position of the builder.

This tendency is valid even in our days. In compliance with the unwritten rules of the given branch of profession, blocks of huge proportions, with an edge length of at least 1.000 mm with quadratic or oblong profile, generally with a length of 2.000-5.000 mm are being quarried.

This breaking method applied for ages has the disadvantageous consequence that the bulk of the quarriable quantity of stone lands on the spoil in smaller, irregu- lar, so called amorphous blocks. These cannot be utilized with the well-known technologies.

In the course of processing the quarried blocks are sliced into 15-30 mm thick slabs then surfaced on one side. Surfacing means grinding or grinding and polishing. Finally the slabe are calibrated. This process involves on the one hand the adjustment of the required exact size of the tile, on the other hand the smooth cutting off of the edges of the upper surface usually to the size of 0.5 mm x 45 ". If tiles of the shape and size according to connercial standard or the customer s demand prior to calibration.

In the course of process the slicing of the blocks is carried out by three well-known methods.

Originally the tool of slicing was the frame saw with several blades, the so-called gatter. Such a solution is presented by Patent No.PCT WO 91/08092. In variant "A" of the well-known process the gatter slices the block into slabs of 15-30 mm thickness. The slabs are surface- treated on both sides then out in two in their main plane by a diamond dented endless belt-saw. By repeating these two operations semi-finished panels of the size of 2500 x 1400 x 2.7 mm are obtained which are stuckon carrying panels conside stability.

According to the theoretical example taking into consi- deration a 20 mm thick slab, the surface treatment removes material of 3 mm, then the 17 mm thick slab surfaced on both sides is sawn in two by a saw of 1.5 mm. From the raw side of the 7.7 mm thick slabs so obtained 0.8 mm material has to be removed by repeated surface treat- ment. By sawing the slabs into two a second time, four smi-finished panels of 2.7 mm thickness are obtained and these are etuck on the carrying panels.

For the expert of the branch it is obvious that in the first place a panel with the thickness of 7.7 mm will not bear the deflecting force of the surfacing tools, in the second place y slab of 6.9 mm thickness, more exac- tily the two semi-finished panels of 2.7 mm thickness to be produced will be broken in pieces by the crosswide vibratory motion of the saw, even if the greatest effort is made.

In variant "B" of the well-known process the surface treatment is carried out on the main plane of the block, the a semi-finished slab of 2.7 mm thickness is sawn _ ₄ _

off. There is no problem with surface treatment here, but when sawing the above occurrence may take place.

Both variant "A" and "B" have the main disadvantage the- refore, that they are not realisable in practice.

The second tool for slabbing to appear is an endless steel wire or cable aperated by a high speed. A solution operating with such a slabbing tool is desceribed in Pa- tent No. US 5 241 960. Here a carrying panel is stuck to each side parallel to the main segment of the raw slab production of which is not described more closely, then the raw slab is out in two by the wire-cutter. Surface treatment is not mentioned, but it can reasonably only follow after cutting. Lacking the data concering panel thickness, tiles with the size of 3.36 x 1.81 m can be produced according to the description.

The disadvantage of the well-known process is, that af- ter a difficult clamping the wire-cutter proceeds with a sinuous movement in the layers of inhomogeneous structure of the slab, therefore the tiles obtained are of an extremely uneven surface, thus the surface treatment involves many tools, much energy and loss os stone materi- al.

At the third variant the blocks are out by an indented disc. This tool is well-known from the leaflets and maintenance booklets of the manufacturers of our days. Ra- dius of the cutting disc exceeds the thickness of the block to be out, perpheral speed is 30-120 m/sec pushing speed is 02.-3.0 m/min. Thickness to be out is the block size at right angles to the pushing movement. Peripheral resp. pushing speed is to be decided according to the characteristics of the given stone to be out.

The disadvantage of outting by discs lies in the minimum thickness of the tiles which may be put to 10-25 mm depending on the solidity or more exactly on the brittle- ness of the given stone.

The cause of this the fact, that the inactive are of the cutting disc i.e. the part of the disc not being involved in the cutting process makes a vibratory motion at right angles to the surface of the disc and this vibration breaks thinner tiles intos pieces when being pushed.

Surface treatment is done by discs similar to the pot- stones known in machine building technology. These elements, having generally a diameter of 250 mm and being driven by 300-600 RPM are put on the tiles to be treated with a foot pressure of 60-120 kg. It is easy to understand that 10 mm thick tiles or even thinner ones break to pieces when surface treated.

DISCLOSURE OS THE INVENTION

The task of the invention is to elaborate a solution su- itable for producing extra thin, in a given case surface treated tiles where the quarry spoil, the so called amorphous blocks can also be used as raw material. According to the invention this task is solved by using a cutting disc for cutting where the diameter of the disc is at least the threefold of the size of the body to be out and the out-off tile is lifted from the plane of the disc inside the segment circle and before the inactive are of the cutting disc following the cutting of the body.

At one execution method of the procress at least one side prallel to the main segment of the body/bodies is surface treated prior to the cutting.

At two other execution methods of the process the cutting or surfacing and cutting is done continually on at least two, practically more blocks put in series one after the other, respectively the blocks put in series for cutting or for surfacing and cutting are fixed to a mo- bile suspension device.

At a further execution method of the process the hight at right angles to the main segment of the block/s/ is calibrated prior to cutting.

At the execution method for processing extremely hard material the block/s/ are out by several grips practically with a cutting depth of 20 mm/grip. _ _η _

The essential character of the equipment as per present invention is that the cutting unit is equipped with a lifting device fork or suction-grip disc of which can be moved in relation to the cutting disc.

At the stone-processing-line according to the present invention the cutting disc slabbing unit is equipment with at least one lifting device, in a given case placed behind the surface, treating unit wit-h

to the se- quence of the technological oparations and at least one slabbing unit is intended for amorphous blocks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings

- Figure 1. illustrates the technological sequence;

- Figure 2. illustrates the schema of the simplest vari- ety with upper pushing;

- Figure 3. illustrates the schema of the simplest variety with lower pushing;

- Figure 4. illustrates the schema of further variety;

- Figure 5. illustrates the sketch of operation concer- ning solution as per Figures 3. and 4. with the view from above;

- Figure 6. illustrates the sketch of the mechanical lifting device;

- Figure 7. illustrates the sketch of the pneumatic li- fiting device; _ g _

- Figure 8. illustrates solution as per Figure 2. completed with one surface treating unit;

- Figure 9. illustrates solution as per Figure 2. completed with two surface treating units; - Figure 10. illustrates view from above of the solution as per Figure 8. with one workplace, veriety with revolving table;

- Figure 11. illustrates view from above of the solution as per figure 8. with several workplaces, variety with revolving table.

For the sake of better perspicuity following simplifications have been applied on the drawing:

- elements considered well-known in the point of view of patent law and forming part of the engineer s everyday planning work have been illustrated symbolically only.

- cablos operating and/or automatizing the elements in question have been illustrated by "saw-toothed" lines markod according to their characteristics by "E"-e- lectronic, "P"-pneumatic or "H"-hydraulic.

Similar details on the drawings have been indicated by identical reference numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1. illustrates the technological course of the process in accordance with the present invention. In the _ _g _

process the block and/or the spoil, the amorphous blocks obtained from the quarry are worked up. In the cryptogram of the quarry the well-known machinery of quarrying is also supposed to be included s in the widest sense of the present invention these belong to it as well. By "blocks" parallelepiped shaped blocks size according to the quarryman s "club rule¹' min. 1000 x min 1000 x app- rox. 5000 mm while by "amorphous blocks" smaller size rubble blocks deviating in shape from above are to be understood.

As first step of the process according to the present invention the raw material is out into bodies most suitably with a parallel-epiped form, of a size regarding main section chosen according to the finished size of the tiles to be produced, with the cutting units of the known stone processing machinery.

In the present description the expression "sizo regar- ding main section chosen according to the finished size of the tiles to be produced" means, that the tile in question shall comply in this main section with the commercial prescriptions or special demands of the customer after having been calibrated as a last step of the tech- nology to be accomplished.

In the case of blocks there can be no worry to meet this condition. As to the amorphous blocks coming from the quarry or the spoil of same, these can be utilized if at least one body can be out from then. As a matter of co- - 10 -

urse this means that the quarried blocks or those on the spoil have to be selected, blocks not meeting this requirement are in any case to land on the spoil or stay there.

With respect to our process the working up of amorphous blocks means that at least one of the cutting units is intended for the preparatory works for these, i.e. for forming some kind of block with plane sides.

Coming back to the sphere of the blocks being out into bodies, it has to be remarked that the bodies can have other forms than parallelepiped. Therefore in a giben case - in order to meet the demand of the customer - in their main segment they can be formed as rhombus - rhom- bohedron-, deltiod,- trapeze-, regular or irregular polygon-shape layers or shafts during the cutting.

In the following step of the process the hoght of the bodies wiil be calibrated which means they will be out to equal sizes. Namely as to height of the bodies there may be differences that ningh damage the tools for surface treatment. Calibration is done by a mill consisting of cutting discs mounted closely to one another on a cammon spindle.

In the third step of the process - in a given case according to the individual demand of the customer - the bodies are ground or ground and polished on the side pa- rallel to the main section in the well known way. In the following step of the process tiles are out from the bodies. Thickness of the tiles 2.5-25 mm measured from the upper, surface treated side.

Cutting and prior to it surface treatment is done separately on each body but suitably continually on bodies put in a serial line. The bodies in the serial line are put on one of their - practically smaller - side panels and are pushed on rollers or conveyors, but they can be fixed in mobile clamping apparatus as well. Latter is advisable if the bodies are to be pushed. With alternating or circular movement or on an O-shaped course.

In case of material which is hard to be processed e.g. granite, cutting is done with several grips, practically with out-depth of 20 mm per grip. Such a cutting unit is equipped with several cutting discs mounted in V-shape, narrowing in the direction of pushing.

In the fifth - final - step the tiles are calibrated in the well known way. With the calibration the shape and size of the finished tile is exactly adjusted on the one hand, and on the other the upper edges are carefully removed or rounded. In the wider sense calibration is a finishing step that involves washing, drying and waxing of the tiles as well.

Figure 2. illustrates the schema of the simplest variety with upper pushing of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention. The apparatur itself is already known, its cutting disc 1 is operated by electric engine 2.

The electric engine 2 is connected with cable marked "E". Depending on the characteristics of the material to be cut, cutting desc 1 is driven by a peripheral speed of 30-120 m/sec, pushing speed 0.2-0.3 m/min according to the "white arrow" .

The electronic engine 2 is fixed on the cross-slide 3. Cross slide3 is peopelled on rails 4 and is solidly connected to the adjusting device 5 which has the task to adjust the thickness of the tiles to be produced. Adjusting device 5 can equally be a pneumatic workcylinder or a hydraulic workcylinder or as a mechanical appliance a threaded spindle, accordingly it is operated by cable marked "P/H/E"

Rails 4 and adjusting device 5 are fixed on longitudinal slide 6 is propelled on rails 7 and is solidly connected to pushing device 8 which has the task to run cutting disc 1 according to the "white arrow" with the necessary push-forward, then with fast return, or in both directions with the necessary push-forward. Execution of the pushing device 8 is in principle and in operation identical with the solutions enumerated in connection with adjusting device 5.

Complex of the parts marked with numbers 1-8 is called cutting unit. 33622 - 13 -

Lifting device 9 to cutting disc 1 is a unit operated by cable marked "P/H/E" which can be pushed in at least to directions.

In the stable, table formed clamping apparatus 10 the blocks to be out 11 are fixed in exact position either one by one or put in a serial line.

Rails 7, pushing device 8, suitably lifting device 9 and clamping apparatus are mounted on the frame of the equipment not figuring on the drawing.

Figure 3. illustrates the schema of the other simplest variety of the equipment according to the present inven- tion, variety with lower pushing. This differs from the solution presented in Figure 2. as the mobile clamping apparatus 10 with wheels 12 is mounted on slide 14 propelled on rails 13 and the lifting device 9 is mounted on slide 14.

Here pushing device 8 has the task to run clapming apparatus 10 by intercalating slide 14 according to the "white arrow" with the necessary push-forward, then with fast return, or in both directions with the necessary push-forward.

Rails 4 adjusting device 5 pushing device 8 and rails 13 are mounted on the frame of the equipment not figuring in the drawing. 3622 _- -1.4,

Complex of the parts marked with numbers 1-5 is called cutting unit.

Figure 4. illustrates the schema of the realized varl- ety, tested under working conditions of the equipment in accordance with the present invention. Here the bodies 11 are put on the conveyor 34 without being clamped and are propelled on rails not figuring in the drawing. Cutting device whieh is built identically with the former mentioned ones, and bridge 35 of lifting device 9 are mounted on the frame of the machine.

Lifting device 9 is propelled by electric engines 37 and 38 with the aid of roller slide 36 in vertical direction parallel to conveyor 34. Electric engines 37 and 38 propel the device by the mechanical connection of chain-we- els mounted on the shaft and fixed roller chains.

Figure 5. illustrates the sketch of operation concerning solution as per Figures 3. and 4. with the view from above. Cutting disc 1 is driven according to black arrow and the "white arrow" shows the direction of forward pushing of the bodies 11. The bodies 11 to be out are surface treated on their upper plane and are put in se- ries lines in the illustration.

Denting of cutting disc 1 the segment circle shows two parts when working, the so-called cutting edge means the part which is just cutting the given body 11. This part is influenced by the cut stone material so it moves wit- hout vibration including its close surroundings on two sides, while the other part of cutting disc 1 the so called inactive cutting edge has a vibratory motion at right angles to the rotation plane. Amplitude of the al- ready out tiles in pieces if they got near to the inactive cutting edge.

The solution in accordance with the present invention totally exlcudes this disadvantageous phenomenon by lif- ting the tile 15 from the plane of the cutting disc 1 after cutting the body 11 inside the segment circle of the cutting disc 1 prior to the course of the inactive cutting edge in the neighbourhood of the tile 15.

By securing the above condition the process in accordance with the present invention can be realized with the required result, quite apart from the fact whether one separate body 11 or bodies 11 put in a series line are being out, further whether the cutting disc 1 and tho body or bodies are pushed with a straight or circular motion in relation to each other.

Figure 6. illustrates the sketch of the mechanical lifting device. The dial surface 16 of the cutting disc 1 is demostrated by two dots between the lines and the cutting surface 17 respectively 18 of same are demonstrated by three dots between the lines.

Fork 19 of the mechanical lifting device is placed bet- ween the dial surface 16 and on the scketch upper cut- „ _Λ

— 16 —

ting surface 17 of the cutting disc 1. Fork 19 is suspended on the mechanism 21 with the insertion of arm 20.

Figure 6. shows the position where the tile 15 out off from body 11 is already lying on the fork 19.

Figure 7. illustrates the sketch of the pneumatic lifting device. This has a suction-grip disc 22 made of le- astic material which is suspended on mechanism 21.

The mechanism consists of the connection of roller slide, variant as per Figure 4., electric engine 37 and 38 as well as chain wheels and roller chains not figuring in the drawing.

Figure 8. illustrates solution as per Figure 2. completed with one surface treating unit 23.

Part elements of this grinding unit 23 are electric en- gines 27, 28 and 29 fixed on lingitudinal slide 6 and suspended on adjusting devices 24, 25 and 26 as well as discs 30, 31 and 32 mounted on the shaft of the electric engine.

Figure 9. illustrates a variety os solution as per Figure 2. completed with two grinding units 23.

This differs from the form of execution shown in Figure

8. only in the fact, that the part of the sketch to be found right to the spindle of the cutting disc has symetrically been reflected onto the left of the spindle as well.

In the following the oparation of the two variants are detailed. According to the "white arrow" the lingitudinal slide 6 is pushed forward. The discs 30-32 of the surface treating unit 23 pass over the body 11 and do the remarked that if the surface has to be ground only it is enough to work with disc 30, the two other discs are kept lifted.

The surface treating unit 23 having passed, the cutting unit begins to operate. The cutting disc 1, more exactly the cutting surface 17 has to be lowered under the sur- face of the already surface treated body 11 at a distance according to the required thickness of the tile 15 prior to the beginning of the oparation.

After the lifting out logitudinal slide 6 is brought with fast reverse to the starting point. Adjusting discs 30-32 to the actual surface of the body 11 and lowering cutting disc 1 under it, the work can be continued.

Figure 9. illustrates a variant which differs from above in the following: instead of fast reverse, after adjusting surface treating unit on the left and cutting unit 1 the work can be continued by pushing forward in the opposite direction to "white arrow".

Figure 10. resp. 11. illustrates the variant of the so- - 18 -

lution as per Figure 8. with one respectively several workplaces, mounted on a revolving table 33. The machine part to run the revolving table is not shown on the drawing. Operation of this differs from that of variant as per Figure 8. that it operates without pushing back and in case of automatizing the adjustment, work can be done continually.

The advantage of the solution in accordance with the present invention lies in the faet that firstly from a given quantity of raw material we can produce a quantity of tiles enought to cover at least the double of the surface in the case of extremely thin tiles, while we have the possibility of producing tiles of traditional thickness ass well; secondly we have the possiobility to utilize a part of the rubble landing or being on the spoil up to now; finally with a slight alteration of the cutting unit the well known and available machines are suitable for accomplishing the process.

Claims

- 19 -

1/ Process for the procuction of tiles of artificial or natural stone, especially marble in the course on which the raw material in its main segment is formed into bodies of the size chosen according to the final size of the tiles to be produced practionally in the shape of a parallelepiped in the case finally the tiles out from the bodies and in given cases surface-treated tiles are calibrated, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that a cutting disc is used for cutting where the diameter of the disc is at least the threefold of the size of the body to be out and the out-off tile is lifted from the plane of the disc inside the segment circle and before the inactive arc of the cutting disc following the cutting.

2/ Process in accordance with claim 1/ c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that at least one side parallel to the main segment of the body/bodies is surface treated prior to the cutting.

3/ Process in accordance with claim 2/ c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the cutting or surfacing and cutting is done continually on at least two, practically more blocks put in series one after the other.

4/ Process in accordance with either of claims 1/-3/ c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the blocks put in series for cutting or surfacing and cutting are fixed to a mo- bile clamping device or clamping devices. - 20 -

5/ Process in accordance with either of claims 2/-4/ c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the height at right angles to the main segment of the block/s/ is calibrated prior to cutting.

6/ Process in accordance with wither of claims 1/-5/ c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the block/s/ is/are out by several grips practically with a cutting depth of 20 mm/grip.

7/ Equipment for the execution of process in accordance with claim 1/ c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the cutting unit /1-5/ is equipped with a lifting device /9/ fork /19/ or suctiion-grip disc /22/ of which can be mo- ved in relation to the cutting disc.

8/ Stone-processing-line for the execution of the process in accordance with wither of claims 1/-6/ consisting of cutting unit/s/, slabbing unit/s/ and finishing unit/s/ belonging to each other in the technical sense, further completed by at least one surface treating unit c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the cutting disc /l/ slabbing unit is equipped with at least one lifting device /9/.

9/ Stone-processing-line in accordance with claim 7./ c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that considering the sequence of the technologlgal operations the slabbing unit/s/ is/are placed behind the surface treating unit/s/ /23/. 10/ Stone-processing-line in accordance with claims 7./ or 8. / c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that at least one the cutting units known in whemselves is intended for amorphous blocks.