Saw wire, including diamond cutting elements for cutting stony materials

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a diamond wire (2), including improved coupling means for coupling to said wire diamond pellets (3), for cutting stony materials, which comprises a steel cable supporting a plurality of diamond tools.
The main feature of the invention is that it further comprises restraining means (5) suitable to restrain at a target position each individual diamond tool.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to diamond wire, including improved coupling means for coupling diamond pellets for cutting stony materials, such as marble, stones, granite, concrete and the like.

[0002] As is known, in stoping quarries and cutting stone materials in general, a diamond wire comprising essentially cutting tools in the form of diamond pellets, which are mounted on a high strength steel cable, is conventionally used.

[0003] At present, for coupling the diamond pellets to the steel cable two solutions are used, the first of which provides to attach the diamond pellets, as evenly spaced from one another, depending on the working conditions, by partially embedding said diamond pellets into a plastic or rubber material sheath.

[0004] This solution has the drawback that it does not affords the removed material to be easily discharged.

[0005] Thus, it is necessary to reduce the operating speed of the diamond wire, with a consequent decreased yield.

[0006] The other solution provides to thread the diamond pellets on the cable, said diamond pellets being spaced from one another by spring and spacer elements, operating to absorb working vibrations and holding the diamond pellets, which practically constitute a series of cutting tools, spaced from one another.

[0007] This second type of assembling is preferred as soft materials such as marbles, limestones, and the like must be cut through or processed, since it allows to optimally discharge the cutting waste materials, with a consequent high working speed, much greater than that of the above mentioned plastic or rubber affixing or attaching methods.

[0008] In such an embodiment, the diamond pellets and spring elements, and related spacer elements, are not made rigid with the steel cable thereby, if the steel cable breaks, the components supported thereon are projected, because of the comparatively high peripheral working speed, with a corresponding high speed.

[0009] Thus, this represents a serious dangers for the operators working in the environment encompassing the cutting wire, even if suitable protective devices are used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks, by providing a diamond wire including improved means for fixing diamond pellets to said wire, adapted to prevent materials from being projected through the working environment, even if the steel cable is broken.

[0011] Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a diamond wire which can operate with a very high operating speed, thereby greatly reducing the stony material cutting time.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide such a diamond wire which is suitable to allow an optimum discharging of the removed material, as well as to also provide a dry type of cutting, without the need of necessarily using a wet cutting, as it occurs at present.

[0013] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a diamond wire which, owing to its specifically designed constructional features, is very reliable and safe in operation.

[0014] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a diamond wire, including improved coupling or attaching means for attaching the diamond pellets to said wire, for cutting stony materials, which can be easily made starting from easily available elements and materials.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a diamond wire including improved coupling means for coupling to said wire a plurality of diamond pellets, for cutting stony materials, comprising a steel cable supporting a plurality of diamond tools, characterized in that said wire further comprises restraining means for restraining at respective set positions each said diamond tool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of some preferred, though not exclusive, embodiments of a diamond wire including improved coupling or attaching means for coupling a plurality of diamond pellets to said wire, for cutting stony materials, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative, example, in the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a schematic view illustrating a diamond wire the cutting tools of which are restrained by locking ring elements;

Figure 2 shows the subject diamond wire, with the cutting tools being restrained by a welding process; and

Figure 3 shows yet another diamond wire the cutting tools of which are restrained by using glue materials, structural adhesives or non-structural adhesives, elastomeric, thermoplastic, and so on materials.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMODIMENTS

[0017] With reference to the number references of the above mentioned figures and, more specifically, to figure 1, the diamond wire including improved coupling or attachment means for coupling to said diamond wire a plurality of diamond pellets, specifically designed for cutting stony materials, according to the present invention, which has been generally indicated by the reference number 1, comprises a steel strand or cable 2, supporting a plurality of diamond cutting tools 3, constituted by cylindric cutting elements, the so-called diamond pellets, which are made of a diamond material, suitable for providing an abrading operation.

[0018] Advantageously, each said diamond pellet is supported by a supporting bush element 4, arranged about the cable 2.

[0019] To restrain the diamond pellet at a set or target position, restraining means are provided for restraining at said position each said individual diamond tool or pellet, which restraining means are formed, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, by locking ring elements 5 which are made rigid with said steel cable 2 by a crimping operation, thereby axially restrain each individual cutting diamond pellet or tool.

[0020] As shown in figure 2, the mentioned restraining means comprise a weldment 10, locking said bush element 4 on said steel cable thereby fixedly restraining each said cutting tool, or cutting pellet 3, in said preset or target position.

[0021] With reference to figure 3, the locking of the cutting tools is herein performed by using a glue material 20, affixing each bush element 4 to the steel cable.

[0022] In particular, the glueing material operates as a structural element to make said bush element rigid with said steel cable and, accordingly, it can comprise an adhesive or any desired plastic materials, such as elastomeric materials, polyurethane, thermoplastic materials having a property of making each individual bush element rigid with said steel cable 2.

[0023] To allow the cutting diamond pellets to evenly wear, the steel cable 2 is advantageously preloaded by a twisting of 1, 2 turns for each length linear meter, to cause the individual cutting diamond pellets to be subjected, as they are operated, to a rotary movement about the axis of the wire.

[0024] Thus, each individual diamond pellet is evenly worn through the overall surface thereof, since each said pellet is subjected to a continuous rotary action, during the cutting operation.

[0025] With the above disclosed arrangement, each cutting tool, constituted by said diamond pellets, is affixed to the cable without using spacer spring elements or other spacing elements, thereby, if the cable is broken, no material will be projected to the outside environment.

[0026] Moreover, the above disclosed coupling means allow to provide a size reduction between a cutting tool and an adjoining cutting tool, exclusively due to the presence of the cable, thereby greatly facilitating the discharging of the removed materials.

[0027] Moreover, the above disclosed approach allows to use, as stated, a dry type of cutting operation with any desired types of materials and, to that end, it is possible to provide a suitable sucking device adapted to immediately remove powder deriving from cutting residues or waste materials, thereby providing a fully ecologic and non polluting operation.

[0028] From the above disclosure it should be apparent that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.

[0029] In particular, the fact is to be pointed out that the diamond wire according to the invention provides a plurality of comparatively large free regions between each individual cutting tools, thereby facilitating the ejection of the processing waste materials, while allowing to achieve very high cutting speeds, i.e. a high m²/h ratio.

[0030] Moreover, the provision of a plurality of cutting tools which are individually made rigid with the steel cable, prevent the diamond pellets from operating as projectiles, if the cable is broken, since said diamond pellets cannot be freely released from the cable.

[0031] The invention, as disclosed, is susceptible to several modifications and variations, all of which will come within the scope of the invention.

[0032] Moreover, all the constructional details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

[0033] In practicing the invention, the used materials, as well as the contingent size and shapes, can be any, depending on requirements.

Claims

1. A diamond wire including improved coupling means for coupling to said wire a plurality of diamond pellets, for cutting stony materials, comprising a steel cable supporting a plurality of diamond tools, characterized in that said wire further comprises restraining means for restraining at respective set positions each said diamond tool.

2. A diamond wire, according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said restraining means comprise a pair of ring elements which are mechanically coupled to said cable at respective axial end portions of a plurality of bush elements.

3. A diamond wire, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said restraining means comprise a weldment between each said bush element and said steel cable.

4. A diamond wire, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said restraining means comprise a glueing material or a plastics material arranged between each said bush element and said steel cable.

5. A diamond wire, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said diamond wire can be used in a dry cutting operation.

6. A diamond wire, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said wire is used in cooperation with a sucking arrangement for removing cutting waste materials.

7. A diamond wire, including improved coupling means for coupling a plurality of diamond pellets to said diamond wire, particularly for cutting stony materials, according to one or more of the preceding claims, and substantially as broadly disclosed and illustrated, for the intended aim and objects.

Drawing