Slab cutting apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10864656-B2
Application number	US-201715411843-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2017
Priority date	Jan 20, 2017
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for finishing slabs. In an exemplary embodiment, a stone-cutting miter saw includes a support fixture that is configured to support a stone slab, a guide rail, and cutting and grinding heads movably supported on the guide rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for cutting and grinding a stone slab using a stone-cutting miter saw, comprising:
securing the stone slab to a support fixture;
advancing, in a single pass, a cutting blade and a grinding blade in series along a length of the stone slab while the cutting blade and grinding blade rotate to cut and grind, respectively, an edge of the stone slab;
wherein during the single pass advancing step, the cutting blade rotates about a cutting blade axis of rotation to cut the edge of the stone slab and the grinding blade rotates about a grinding blade axis of rotation to grind the cut edge of the stone slab, and the cutting blade axis of rotation is maintained in a fixed position relative to the grinding blade axis of rotation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein during the advancing step, the cutting blade axis of rotation is parallel to the grinding blade axis of rotation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutting blade axis of rotation is positionable between about 30 to about 60 relative to a major surface of the stone slab.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutting blade comprises a radial cutting surface.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the grind blade comprises an axial grinding surface.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutting head is supported on a guide rail by a first carriage and the grinding head is supported on the guide rail by a second carriage.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein advancing the cutting blade and the grinding blade in series comprises independently moving the first and second carriages on the guide rail.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein securing the stone slab to a support fixture comprises clamping the stone slab to the support fixture.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein movement of the cutting head and grinding head along the guide rail is controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC).

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising positioning the cutting blade at a first angle relative to a major surface of the stone slab, and positioning the grinding blade at a second angle relative to the major surface of the stone slab.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first and second angles are identical.

12. A method for cutting and grinding a stone slab using a stone-cutting miter saw, comprising:
securing the stone slab to a support fixture;
advancing a cutting blade and a grinding blade in series along a length of the stone slab while the cutting blade and grinding blade rotate to simultaneously operate on an edge of the stone slab in a single pass, the cutting blade cutting an edge to generate a cut surface and the grinding blade grinding the cut surface during the single pass.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein during the advancing step, the cutting blade rotates about a cutting blade axis of rotation and the grinding blade rotates about a grinding blade axis of rotation, and the cutting blade axis of rotation is maintained in a fixed position relative to the grinding blade axis of rotation.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein during the advancing step, the cutting blade axis of rotation is parallel to the grinding blade axis of rotation.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising positioning the cutting blade at a first angle relative to a major surface of the stone slab, and positioning the grinding blade at a second angle relative to the major surface of the stone slab.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first and second angles are identical.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the grind blade comprises an axial grinding surface.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the cutting blade comprises a radial cutting surface.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cutting head is supported on a guide rail by a first carriage and the grinding head is supported on the guide rail by a second carriage.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein advancing the cutting blade and the grinding blade in series comprises independently moving the first and second carriages on the guide rail.

Assignees

• Cambria Co Llc

Inventors

• Tolzman Craig
• Scoggin Brian R

Classifications

• B24B7/22

  for grinding inorganic material, e.g. stone, ceramics, porcelain · CPC title

• B28D1/044 Primary

  the saw blade being movable on slide ways (B28D1/043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B28D7/005

  Devices for the automatic drive or the program control of the machines · CPC title

• B24B9/00

  Machines or devices designed for grinding edges or bevels on work or for removing burrs; Accessories therefor (B24B21/00 takes precedence; for sharpening cutting edges on tools B24B3/00; removing burrs by loose abrasive material B24B31/00) · CPC title

• B28D1/003

  Multipurpose machines; Equipment therefor · CPC title