DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a machine for cutting slabs of stone or stone-like material.

In particular, the present invention relates to a machine suitable for cutting slabs of rigid material, such as natural stone, composite stone, glass and ceramic material.

These machines generally comprise one or more machining units which move within a working volume.

The machining unit is moved inside the working space in various ways including, most frequently, it has a structure provided with two lateral support structures which may be made of brickwork and above which a beam moves, said beam resting with its ends on top of the lateral support structures.

The machine also comprises a carriage which is movable along the beam and is provided with a sleeve designed to be moved along a third axis, perpendicular to the first two axes, i.e. in a vertical direction.

The end of the sleeve is provided with a so-called machining head which may have a diamond-disk, diamond-chain or water-jet tool. In some applications a combination of two different cutting technologies, for example diamond-disk cutting and water-jet cutting, is also used.

These machines are equipped with systems for moving the slabs or parts thereof inside the working volume or also externally for example in order to unload finished slabs into a store.

A first type of movement system has a second beam which moves on the same lateral support structures as the first beam and which has a shuttle provided with sucker means which may be lowered towards the support surface. In order to displace a slab or a portion thereof, the sucker means are lowered opposite the surface so that they come into contact with the slab or a portion thereof, a vacuum circuit is activated so as to perform gripping and then the raising or displacement operation is performed.

A second type of movement system has sucker means which are provided directly on the machining head and which can be moved with respect thereto via a pneumatic piston, so as to be able to be lowered towards the support surface, grip the part to be displaced and then raise the part and move it.

A third type of movement system has sucker means which are positioned on a support structure arranged alongside and which are designed to be engaged by the machining head and positioned above the element to be displaced, move downwards and grip the part and then raise the part and displace it. A fourth solution has sucker means which are directly incorporated in the protection cowl of the cutting blade. In this solution the suction surface is substantially parallel to the plane in which the blade lies. In order to perform displacement of a slab or a portion thereof, it is required to rotate the machining head through 90° so that the suction surface is parallel to the surface of the slab. Then the machining head is lowered until the suction surface makes contact with the surface of the slab and a vacuum circuit is activated in order perform the gripping action. Using the means for moving the machining head the slab is raised and displaced.

International patent application WO 2012/131567 describes a machine for cutting slabs in which a suction manipulator is directly mounted on the carriage. The manipulator is provided with an actuator which allows the vertical movement of the manipulator with respect to the carriage. In this technical solution, the manipulator is displaceable in the vertical direction independently of the head on which the cutting disk is mounted.

Italian patent IT 1409412 describes a machine for cutting slabs which comprises a cutting head and a suction manipulator. In this case, the suction manipulator is mounted on the end of the shaft which moves the cutting head and then performs, together therewith, the displacements in a Cartesian space and the rotation about the vertical axis.

Although these movement systems are widely used and liked, there exist a number of problems.

Firstly, these systems are difficult to incorporate in and adapt to machines which are not fitted with them. Essentially, it is difficult to equip a simple cutting machine with a movement system if the latter has not been fitted beforehand.

In the solutions where movement devices are incorporated in the cutting head there is a marked increase in the complexity of the cutting head. One consequence is the large dimensions of the cutting head due to the systems for connection to the vacuum circuit or to the sucker movement system, making some machining operations difficult to perform, for example, when complex articles are involved.

Moreover, the technical solutions which exclude completely the means which allow displacement of the cutting head are not particularly effective since complex and bulky systems for moving the suction manipulator must be provided.

The object of the present invention is therefore to overcome at least partially the drawbacks of the prior art.

A first task of the present invention is to provide a system for moving slabs or portions thereof, which may be easily implemented in machines which do not have them.

A second task of the present invention is to provide a machine in which the movement system does not complicate the machining head, therefore limiting the aforementioned drawbacks. The object and tasks are achieved with a machine according to Claim 1. The advantages and characteristic features of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the detailed description below of a number of examples of embodiment provided by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic front view of a machine according to the present invention; Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a portion of the machine according to Figure 1;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic front view of a portion of the machine according to the present invention during a first step of a slab movement operation;

Fig. 4 shows a schematic front view of a portion of the machine according to the present invention during a second step of a slab movement operation;

Fig. 5 shows a schematic front view of a portion of the machine according to the present invention during a third step of a slab movement operation;

Fig. 6 shows a schematic front view of a portion of the machine according to the present invention during a further step of a slab movement operation;

Fig. 7 shows a schematic front view, from below, of the movement device according to the present invention;

Figs. 8 and 9 show a schematic, perspective, front view of a portion of machine according to the present invention, during two separate working steps.

Figure 1 shows a machine 12 for cutting slabs 1 of stone or stone-like material.

In the description which follows the term "slab" will be used to indicate slabs as well as portions of slabs which have already been cut.

The machine according to the present invention comprises movement means 16 for at least one cutting head 18 which are designed to move the cutting head 18 in a working volume.

The movement means 16 may comprises two lateral support structures 26, 28 and at least one cross-beam 30 designed to slide above the lateral support structures 26, 28. The cross-beam 30 has, mounted on it, at least one carriage 32 which is designed to slide along it. A sleeve 20 is mounted on the carriage 32 and is designed to be moved in a vertical direction towards or away from a working surface 34.

The systems used to move these components will not be described in detail, since they are known per se to the person skilled in the art.

The cutting head 18 is arranged at the bottom end 22 of the sleeve 20.

In the continuation of the description reference will be made to this embodiment of the movement means, it being understood that the principles of the present invention may be applied in the same manner to other types of movement means. Examples of other types of movement system may be anthropomorphic arms, movable gantry structures, etc.

Moreover other types of machine, substantially of the same category as that described above, are possible, whereby these may comprise several cross-beams which move above the said lateral support structures and/or cross-beams provided with several carriage/sleeve systems for moving a plurality of machining heads.

Advantageously machines provided with two cross-beams and two machining heads per cross-beam are possible.

The cutting head 18 may comprise diamond-disk cutting means 54.

In accordance with a possible embodiment of the present invention, the cutting head may comprise water-jet cutting means (not shown in the attached figures).

In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, the cutting head 18 may comprise diamond-chain cutting means (not shown in the attached figures),

Moreover, the cutting head may comprise a combination of different cutting technologies. For example the cutting head 18 may be equipped with diamond-disk cutting means and with water-jet cutting means.

Advantageously the machine may be of the type with five axes: the machining tool may be moved along three Cartesian axes in a working volume and may rotate about two axes 56, 58. With reference to Figure 2, the two axes 56, 58 about which the rotations of the tool occur may be a first substantially vertical axis 56 perpendicular to the working surface and a second axis 58 perpendicular to the first axis and substantially parallel to the working surface.

The machine may comprise a programmable control unit (not shown) for managing the movements and the operating sequences of the machining tool.

The machine comprises at least one movement device 24 for slabs 14 which is mounted directly on the sleeve 20.

With reference to Figures 2 to 6, the movement device 24 may comprise a support 36 projecting radially from the sleeve 20 and an arm 38 mounted on the support 36.

Sucker means 40 may be provided at the bottom end of the arm 38.

As can be seen in Figures 8 and 9, where the cover of the arm 38 has been partially removed, the movement device may comprise actuator means 42 designed to move the sucker means 40 between a retracted position, where they are closer to the support 36, and an extracted position, where they are in the position further away from the support 36.

Advantageously, the actuator means may be a pneumatic cylinder.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 8 and 9, the pneumatic cylinder has a top end connected to the support, while the bottom end is connected to the arm.

In accordance with a possible embodiment of the present invention, the arm 38 is designed to slide relative to the support 36 via the actuator means 42. The arm may therefore be provided with sliding shoes 39,41 able to slide for example on guides 43, 45 provided on the support 36. Advantageously, there may be two sliding shoes 39, 41 for each guide.

Advantageously, the actuator means 42 may be chosen from among: pneumatic actuators, oil-hydraulic pistons and screw systems.

The sucker means 40 may comprise at least one support element 44 provided with a suction surface 46 comprising at least one suction element 48.

In accordance with a possible embodiment of the present invention, the sucker means 40 may rotate about an axis perpendicular to the plane in which the suction surface 46 lies. This axis is indicated by the reference number 60 in Figures 3 to 6. This rotation may be obtained by means of a drive unit 62 provided at the opposite end of the arm 38.

In accordance with a possible embodiment (not shown in the attached drawings) the arm 38 may rotate relative to the support structure 36 about an axis substantially parallel to the working surface. In this way it is possible to move the suction surface so as to change from a configuration substantially parallel to the working surface to a configuration substantially perpendicular thereto.

This configuration may be used to remove the slabs from a store in which they are arranged substantially vertically or to position them in such a configuration on a support alongside the machine.

In accordance with a possible embodiment of the present invention, the arm may be moved relative to the support also in a direction perpendicular to the preceding direction so as to arrange the arm at a distance from the cutting tool. In this connection movement means which may be easily imagined by the person skilled in the art may be provided.

With particular reference to Figure 7, the suction elements 48 may comprise a closed perimetral seal 50 in which the internal area is in fluid communication with vacuum means via at least one hole 52.

With reference to Figures 3 to 6, possible working steps of a machine according to the present invention will be described.

Figure 3 shows a sleeve provided with a machining head 18 and a movement device

24. The movement device 24 is in the retracted configuration, i.e. the sucker means are completely retracted in the position closer to the support 36.

In order to remove a slab, the sleeve 20 is lowered, as shown in Figure 4, towards the working surface 34 and the sucker means are extracted so that they reach the slab 14 provided on the working surface 34.

Alternatively, the sucker means may reach the slab without any movement of the sleeve, but only via the movement of the sucker means relative to the support.

Once the sucker means 40 are in contact with the slab the vacuum circuit (not shown in the attached figures, but known per se to the person skilled in the art) is activated so that gripping between the sucker means and slab occurs. During the next step, shown in Figure 5, the slab is raised from the working surface. The raising movement may occur by means of raising of the sleeve 20, or via the actuator means which move the sucker means towards the support, or by means of a combination of the two movements.

The possibility of rotating the sucker means about their axis may be used to direct the sucker means before removing a slab, depending on its size and position.

Moreover, the possibility of rotating the sucker means about their axis may be used also to redirect the sucker means after removing a slab, in order to displace it to a location and in the manner desired.

Figure 6 shows a step where the sucker means with the raised slab are rotated through

90 degrees following a rotation of the sucker means about their axis.

The advantages which may be achieved with a machine according to the present invention are therefore now evident.

Firstly the slab movement system may be easily implemented in machines not fitted with such a system. It is in fact sufficient to arrange a support on the sleeve of the already existing machines, together with electrical and, if necessary, pneumatic connections which may be easily provided.

Moreover, the movement system does not complicate the machining head and leaves it free from the usual structures used to move slabs.

Finally, for displacement of the movement device it is possible to use also means which allows the displacement of the head in a Cartesian space, such that actuators which are smaller and therefore occupy less space may be mounted. This advantage is achieved keeping the rotations of the cutting head completely independent of the movement device.

The person skilled in the art, in order to satisfy specific requirements, may make modifications to the embodiments described above and/ or replace the parts described with equivalent parts, without thereby departing from the scope of the accompanying claims.

For example, alternative gripping means, such as grippers or other known systems, may be used instead of sucker means.