Self-Propelled Machine for Slicing Rocks by means of Diamond Wire for the Transformation of hewn slabs into blocks

Brief introduction to the invention

In recent years, there has been considerable development and adaptation of new technologies in quarries, which has contributed to cost reductions, mitigation of environmental impacts and improved safety- Nevertheless, various functions and phases of the process lack innovations that enable safety requirements, the mitigation of environmental impacts and the competitiveness of the industry to be reconciled.

Quarrying operations involve:

a) Drilling: This consists of making horizontal and vertical holes to delimit the mass to be quarried and through which the diamond wire will pass (in the case of diamond wire cutting machines) . This phase may not be executed where phase b) is directly executed, in the case of a cutting machine equipped with a mechanical saw,

b) Cutting: Execution of longitudinal, cross-sectional, horizontal and vertical cuts, turning the rock masses into individual slabs (blocks) with diamond wire or mechanical saw cutting machines;

c) Toppling: Once the rock masses have been cut into . individual pieces, they are toppled in slabs;

d) Cutting: Once the hewn slabs, or large masses of rock, have been removed from the front of the cut, they are formed into individual blocks of a size suitable for transport by means of stationary diamond wire cutting machines or stationary pneumatic or hydraulic drilling machines .

The objective of this invention . is to develop a new solution in one aspect of quarrying operations that enables current needs to be satisfied using appropriate technology and greater productivity, i.e. in operation d) above.

State of the art of the invention

During research into the state of the art of the invention, which was undertaken with the goal of determining whether it had already been conceived or executed by other inventors, the following patent documents were identified, from which we may conclude that this invention is distinct:

• EP 1142680 A2 - describes a piece of equipment that sections the rock mass with diamond wire, but which moves along the rock mass by means of tracks. Adjusting the level of the cut is difficult using this system due to the uneven ground surface and position of the rock mass in relation to the machine. The present invention eliminates this problem, as the machine operates over the rock mass (1), with the cutting structure being easily levelled with the cut by means of the device (9);

• WO 2008/092840 A2 - describes a system for adjusting the diamond wire in which a traction wheel moves on the same plane as two free mobile wheels, which move away from the traction wheel. The inconvenience of this system lies in having to move the motor that powers the traction wheel along the same plane, which creates constructive problems. Furthermore, in order to make large cuts and maximise production, the movement between these wheels would have to be considerable. In the present invention, the adjustment and tensioning wheels (.4) move away from the fixed wheel (12), with the advantage of increased safety, as the wheel are enclosed inside a protective cover;

• IT 1180793 - describes a piece of diamond wire cutting equipment for making vertical cuts in faces by sectioning where holes have been previously opened (6 - IT1180793) for the guide wheels to pass through (8 - IT1180793) . Given that these guide wheels normally have a diameter of 400mm, this causes a great waste of raw material. It also depends on another machine for positioning. The present invention is self-propelling by means of tracks, which allows it to move over the rock mass without causing waste of the rock mass, as the wheels (6) guide the cut made by the diamond wire laterally to the rock mass.

Description of the invention

This invention relates to a self-propelled machine for slicing rocks by means . of diamond wire for the transformation of hewn slabs into blocks, which allows consecutive cutting, given that it is placed above the rock mass (1) to be cut, whereby after cutting, all that is required is to move the machine rearwards by means of its tracks to begin another cut.

The present invention has a structure (2) with tracks, which serve as support for the remaining components thereof. Within this same structure (2), there is a power unit for activating and controlling the machine. Locomotion via tracks enables the machine to be moved along the rock, mass, thereby facilitating its positioning for cutting. Another structure (3) is appended to the structure (2), which forms . the base for the cutting, mechanism. The extendable structure (3) enables the angle to be adjusted perpendicular to the rock mass by means of a mechanical or hydraulic device (9).

The extendable structure (3) may consist of one or more parts, a horizontally extendable boom (13) and a depth extendable boom (10) by means of a motor/reducer with linear guidance, an endless spindle or similar, thereby enabling its adaptation tailored to the rock mass to be cut by means of a motor/reducer with linear guidance, an endless spindle or similar.

The wheels (4) of the extendable structure (3), which move away from the fixed wheels (12) (14), are responsible for tensioning and adjusting the diamond wire. The diamond wire (5) is activated by the central traction wheel (7), which is in turn activated directly by the electric motor. Thereafter, the diamond wire (5) is guided by the remaining guide wheels (6) (11) . The guide wheels (11) are joined to the structure (13) . The guide wheels (6) are joined to the extendable boom (10), which moves downwards or upwards during the cut in relation to the structure (13) .

The extendable boom (10) also includes a support wheel (15) to delimit how far it can bend and to support the boom on the rock mass (1) during the cut, if necessary. The machine can be controlled by the operator directly on the machine, via an electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic system, a combination thereof, by cabled remote control or even by wireless remote control. It may be operated in manual or automatic mode.. In manual mode, the operator controls all the machine's movements. In automatic mode, cutting is performed during the entire cut. This position control is performed by means of mechanical, inductive or other sensors.

Additionally, the present invention has a levelling system (8), which enables the machine to be levelled vertically on the rock mass, as well as fixing it against the rock mass to prevent slippage.

Industrial application

This invention refers to an autonomous machine for application in phase d) above. Normally, great quantities of rock are cut at quarries (1) . These great quantities have to be sectioned (several times) in order to be optimised and transported.

The conventional method consists of using diamond wire cutting machines placed on the zero point. This method is inconvenient as the machine has to work perpendicularly to the block to be cut, which implies having to move and align the machine between each separate cut.

This new machine allows consecutive cutting, as it is placed above the rock mass to be cut, whereby after cutting, all that is required is t.o move the machine rearwards by means of its hydraulically controlled tracks to begin another cut.

Leiria, 23 June 2014