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EP-4735224-A1 - SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING SLABS AND WORKBENCH COMPRISING SUCH SUPPORT STRUCTURE, AND ALSO MACHINE FOR CUTTING SLABS

EP4735224A1EP 4735224 A1EP4735224 A1EP 4735224A1EP-4735224-A1

Abstract

Support structure (1) for supporting slabs of stone or stone-like, glass or ceramic material, intended to be positioned on a workbench (30) of a machine (100) provided with disc cutting means (104) and means (106) for cutting the slabs with a high- pressure water jet which may contain a suspended abrasive. The support structure (1 ) comprises a peripheral frame (2) and a plurality of profiles (4) removably supported on the peripheral frame (2) and designed to define an upper surface (IT) for supporting the slabs, each of the profiles (4) comprising a sacrificial element (6) designed to undergo the action of the cutting means (104, 106) and prevent contact between the profiles (4) and the disc cutting means (104) of the machine (100). Each of the profiles (4) also comprises a pair of rigid lamellae (10) and an insert (6) arranged between the lamellae (10) and defining the sacrificial element; each of the inserts (6) comprises at least one portion (6A) which projects from the top of the lamellae (10) and is designed to define the upper support surface (IT). The invention also relates to a workbench (30) comprising the aforementioned support structure (1) and a machine (100) for cutting the slabs.

Inventors

  • TONCELLI, DARIO

Assignees

  • Toncelli, Dario

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240618

Claims (14)

  1. 1. Support structure (1) for supporting slabs of stone or stone-like, glass or ceramic material, said support structure (1 ) being intended to be positioned on a workbench (30) of a machine (100) provided with means (104) for cutting the slabs by means of a disc and means (106) for cutting the slabs with a high-pressure water jet which may contain suspended abrasive, said support structure (1 ) comprising a peripheral frame (2) and a plurality of profiles (4) removably supported on the peripheral frame (2) and designed to define an upper support surface (IT) for the slabs; wherein each of said profiles (4) comprises a sacrificial element (6) designed to undergo the action of the cutting means (104, 106) of the machine (100) and prevent contact between the profiles (4) and the disc cutting means (104) of the machine (100); characterized in that each of the profiles (4) also comprises a pair of rigid lamellae (10) and an insert (6) arranged between the lamellae (10) and defining the sacrificial element, each of the inserts (6) comprising at least one portion (6A) which projects from the top of the lamellae (10) and is designed to define said upper support surface (IT).
  2. 2. Support structure (1 ) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that each of said inserts (6) is removably inserted in an interspace (12) delimited by each pair of rigid lamellae (10).
  3. 3. Support structure (1 ) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the rigid lamellae (10) of each pair form part of a single-piece sheet (14) folded in a U shape and are connected together by a bottom wall (16).
  4. 4. Support structure (1 ) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the bottom wall (16) of said single-piece sheet (14) has one or more openings (18).
  5. 5. Support structure (1 ) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the rigid lamellae (10) of each pair are coupled together by means of spacer elements.
  6. 6. Support structure (1 ) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the rigid lamellae (10) of each pair are coupled together by means of the arrangement in between, at regular intervals, of flat elements (19) fixed to the lamellae (10).
  7. 7. Support structure (1) according to any one of Claims 2-6, characterized in that each insert (6) has a T-shaped cross-section with a widened transverse portion (6A) which forms a portion projecting at the top from the rigid lamellae (10).
  8. 8. Support structure (1 ) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that each of said inserts (6) is stably coupled to the lamellae (10) of the corresponding pair.
  9. 9. Support structure (1 ) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that each of said inserts (6) has a first portion (7) and a second portion (9) projecting on opposite sides from the ends of the lamellae (10), said first portion (7) and said second portion (9) being designed to define alternately said portion (6A) projecting at the top following the removal and repositioning of the respective profiles (4) from/on the peripheral frame (2) in the overturned position.
  10. 10. Support structure (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said inserts (6) are made of rubber or elastomeric material or plastic material.
  11. 11 . Support structure (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lamellae (10) are made of steel.
  12. 12. Support structure (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said profiles (4) have an undulating or curvilinear form with respect an axis of longitudinal extension.
  13. 13. Workbench (30) for supporting slabs of stone or stone-like, glass or ceramic material, intended to be positioned in a machine (100) provided with means for cutting the slabs, in particular disc cutting means (104) and means (106) for performing cutting with a high-pressure water jet which may contain suspended abrasive, the workbench (30) comprising: - a tank (32) filled with water for damping the high-pressure waterjets used to cut the slabs, said tank (32) comprising a base which rests on the ground, and an upper opening; - a support structure (1 ) arranged above said tank (32) and designed to close the upper opening of the tank (32); characterized in that said support structure (1 ) is of the type according to any one of the preceding claims.
  14. 14. Machine (100) for cutting slabs of stone or stone-like, glass or ceramic material, comprising: - at least one machining unit (102) comprising disc cutting means (104) and means (106) for performing cutting with a high-pressure water jet which may contain a suspended abrasive; - a workbench (30) with a support structure (1 ) for supporting the slabs to be cut; - movement means (108) for moving the machining unit (102) above the workbench (30); characterized in that said workbench (30) is of the type according to Claim 13.

Description

“Support structure for supporting slabs and workbench comprising such support structure, and also machine for cutting slabs” ***** The present invention refers to the technical field for the machining, in particular the cutting, of slabs of stone or stone-like, glass or ceramic material. In particular, the present invention relates to a support structure for supporting the slabs during cutting and a workbench comprising such a support structure. The present invention also relates to a machine, preferably a numerical-control machine, for cutting slabs, comprising the aforementioned workbench. Interpolated-axis numerical-control machines for cutting slabs of stone or stone-like, or glass or ceramic material into sub-elements along straight or curved trajectories, are known from the prior art. As shown in Figure 1 , such known machines 100 generally comprise a gantry structure in which an upper beam 109 is slidably supported by a pair of side shoulders 111 so as to be displaced above a workbench 30 on which the slabs being machined are arranged. The beam 109 has, slidably mounted thereon, a support carriage 113 which in turn supports a machining unit 102 movable along the vertical direction towards or away from the workbench 30 by means of a sleeve 115. The beam 109, the shoulders 111 , the carriage 113 and the sleeve 115 form the means 108 for moving the machining unit 102 above the workbench 30. Such machines also comprise a unit for controlling the various movements of the components described above. Examples of the aforementioned cutting machines are described in particular in Italian patent No. 1416944 and in Italian utility model No. 0000261163. With reference to the aforementioned embodiments, the machining unit 102 has a spindle on the end of which a cutting disc 104 is mounted and which also has, mounted thereon, a nozzle 106 for performing cutting with a high-pressure water jet which may contain suspended abrasive powder. The nozzle 106 may be movable vertically between a raised non-operating position, in which it is in the rest position, a lowered operating position, where it is instead operative. Alternatively, the machines for cutting slabs may also have an anthropomorphic configuration, namely they may comprise anthropomorphic robotic arms as means for moving the machining unit above the workbench. The workbench 30 comprises a tank 32 filled with water for damping the high- pressure water jets and an interchangeable structure S for supporting the slabs, which is located above the tank 32. The workbench 30 may also comprise a surface which is tilting and movable so as to pass from an initial horizontal position, parallel to the ground, into a final position inclined with respect to the horizontal, and vice versa. The slabs are loaded onto the surface located in the inclined position and then the surface is brought back into the horizontal position. This latter embodiment is described in Italian patent No. 102019000010041. The unloading of the slabs involves picking up the cut portions of the slabs from the surface kept in a horizontal position by means of suction cups. The support structure S known from the prior art is formed by a peripheral frame F and by a plurality of metal - preferably steel - profiles or blades P, which are supported by the peripheral frame F and arranged alongside each other so as to form a metal grid. The profiles P generally have a thickness of about 3-5 mm and height of about 80-120 mm. Such a support structure S is shown by way of example in Figures 2 and 3, in which it can be seen that the profiles P have an undulating or curvilinear form with respect to their longitudinal axis of extension. In this connection, it is pointed out that the support structure S also comprises a longitudinal member T, as shown in Figure 3, or a pair of longitudinal members T, as shown in Figure 2, intended to support the profiles P and to give them their undulating or curvilinear form. The configuration described above provides the support structure S with a greater rigidity and allows more stable supporting of the slabs which are normally cut into quadrangular elements with sides parallel to the edges of the tank. The aforementioned configuration helps increase the working life of the profiles P, which must therefore be replaced less frequently. In fact, if the profiles P were to have a straight form, they would tend to wear more quickly, in particular in the case of cuts parallel to the extension of the profiles P. One or more sacrificial elements are also provided, these being positioned on top of the support structure S and being designed to prevent contact between the cutting disc 104 and the profiles P of the support structure S. The sacrificial elements may consist instead of a single panel M made of wood, elastomeric or fibre-cement material (as shown in Figure 1 ) or a plurality of plastic or rubber elements C - known technically as “caps” - which are inserted on top of the pro