Patent Application
20190063011
This invention relates generally to saws and sawing equipment of the type used for cutting grooves into material such as concrete pavement and the like. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved concrete cutting system that has extra ability to remove concrete cutting debris/slurry at the same time.
Equipment for cutting grooves into material such as concrete pavement and the like is known in the prior art. More specifically, by way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,412 to Bertrand discloses a powered truck-like vehicle having a support base at the back and an apparatus for cutting street or road pavement. A length-wise-extensible boom is mounted at one end on the base so that it can extend laterally from the vehicle. An elongated rail structure is mounted on the other end of the boom in a manner such that it can be moved alongside the boom. A saw carrier, mounted on the rail structure so that it can be displaced along it, is provided with a rotary pavement cutting saw that can be displaced relative to the rail structure to cut pavement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,147 to Swisher, Jr. discloses a pulverizing machine with a cutter assembly adapted to be towed when the machine is moving either forward or in reverse. The machine includes a frame, a plurality of wheels supporting the frame, a cutter assembly carried by the frame and a pair of elevation cylinders for raising and lowering the cutter assembly. The cutter assembly has a cutter housing a cutter drum rotatably mounted within the cutter housing. The cutter housing is pivotally suspended from the frame by a pair of chain cases, one on each side. Each chain case contains a chain drive assembly connected to the cutter drum to drive the rotation of the cutter drum. Cutter teeth extend from the cutter drum to pulverize material as the cutter drum is lowered and rotated into the material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,956 to Ketterhagen discloses a rideable power saw for cutting concrete. The saw includes a seat for supporting the rider and a mechanical steering assembly for manipulating the position of a rear drive wheel which is powered by a hydraulic motor. The saw also includes a blade drive mechanism for supporting and rotating the rotary saw blade. The saw blade is powered for rotation by a hydraulic motor and the blade drive mechanism includes a hydraulic cylinder for raising and lowering the position of the cutting blade without altering the position of the main platform of the saw.
None of the aforementioned inventions recognize and/or address the problem of reducing the temperature of the cutting equipment during use. None of the aforementioned inventions provide a solution for removing the concrete debris/slurry created during cutting. In accordance with one currently practiced process, the concrete debris/slurry is manually removed by construction personnel. One technique for removing the debris/slurry is through the use of an air compressor which is towed by another truck following behind the cutting equipment to blow away the cement debris.
The currently used process, involving two trucks and at least two operators, is cumbersome and expensive. Hence, it is desirable to have a system that simplifies this process by combining two trucks into one truck and eliminates the need for two separate operators. According to one embodiment, the same truck can carry both the cutting equipment and a water supply and can tow a large air compressor behind it. According to another embodiment, the same truck can carry a water supply and a large air compressor and tow the cutting equipment behind it. According to another embodiment, the same truck can carry a water supply and a large air compressor, which is driven behind a separately operated riding or push concrete saw. According to yet another embodiment, the same truck can carry a water supply and tow the cutting equipment behind it. Overall, a system that eliminates the need for two trucks and two operators to both cut the concrete and remove the concrete debris/slurry would be desirable.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a concrete pavement cutting system and/or device, which comprises a concrete cutting assembly including a saw blade and motor connected to the saw blade for supporting and rotating the saw blade; a water supply assembly that sends water to the saw blade including a water tank; and a water tube having its upper end adapted to connect to the water tank and having its lower end disposed in the proximity of the saw blade for releasing water to cool the saw blade during cutting; and a cutting debris/slurry removing assembly to remove the concrete debris/slurry created by the concrete cutting assembly.
The cutting debris/slurry removing system and/or device may include an air compressor and/or a motorized pressure washer assembly; an air and/or water tube having its upper end adapted to connect to the air compressor and/or motorized pressure washer assembly; a secondary pressure building device connected to the downstream of the air tube and controlled by a valve to create higher air pressure; and an air/water pressure release tube having its upper end connected to the downstream of the secondary pressure building device and having its lower end disposed in the proximity of and behind the saw blade for releasing high pressure air/water to blow away the cuttings created by the saw blade.
In another embodiment, instead of blowing out air using the air compressor and secondary pressure building device, the system utilizes high vacuum suction device to draw in the left-over surface cutting debris/slurry.
In another embodiment, the cutting debris/slurry removing system and/or device may be used in combination with the high vacuum suction device to remove debris/slurry from the groove and draw in the left-over surface cutting debris/slurry.
The system and/or device may be mounted on a wheeled support frame and towed by a motor vehicle which carries the water tank and air compressor or high vacuum suction device in one embodiment.
In another embodiment, the system and/or device may be mounted on a truck-like vehicle and is able to extend laterally from the truck. The water tank and or air compressor or high vacuum suction device may be mounted on the same truck-like vehicle or carried in a trailer and towed by the truck-like vehicle equipped with the cutting assembly.
In another embodiment, the hose supplying the cooling water can be split by a diverter and/or a pressure washer motor assembly can be provided so that some of the cooling water can be used to assist in the debris/slurry removal. Alternatively, a separate hose can be supplied to spray water or even pressurized air at an angle onto the concrete to remove the debris/slurry.
In yet another embodiment, the system and/device can be mounted to a motor vehicle to remove debris/slurry. A water hose, supplying water, may attach to the system and/or device.
It can be appreciated that the slurry removing system, including the air compressor and/or a motorized pressure washer assembly; air and/or water tube, secondary pressure building device, and the air and/or water pressure release tube can be retrofitted to an existing concrete cutting device. It can also be appreciated that the pressure washer motor assembly or an additional pressurized air assembly can be retrofitted to an existing concrete cutting device.
The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the preferred feature of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that such other structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference numerals.
Referring to
In order to keep the saw blade 1 cool during cutting, the system 100 further comprises a water supply assembly that sends water to the saw blade 1. The water supply assembly comprises a water tank 3 and a water hose 4. One end 5 of the water hose 4 is associated with the water tank 3 and the other or opposite end 6 is associated with the hose attachment 23 connected to the housing 22. In a stowed position, the water tank 3 and water hose 4 are detached from the cutting assembly. In operation, the water hose 4 is attached to the water tank 3 and to the hose attachment 23 for releasing water to keep the saw blade 1 cool and to decrease dust during cutting. The system 100 further comprises an assembly to remove concrete debris and slurry created during cutting.
In one embodiment, the assembly used to remove concrete debris and slurry is an air supply assembly which provides air pressure to blow away the concrete debris and slurry created by the wet cutting. The air supply assembly comprises an air compressor 7 and an air tube 8 having one end 9 adapted to connect to the air compressor 7 and another or opposite end 10 adapted to connect to a secondary pressure building device 11. The secondary pressure building device 11 is used to direct air pressure and/or create higher air pressure to blow away the concrete debris and slurry created by the saw blade through an air pressure release tube 12 which is connected downstream of the secondary pressure building device 11 via upper end 13. The secondary pressure building device 11 allows for an increase in the PSI or build-up of pressure from the air tube 8 that starts from the air compressor 7. The air pressure release tube 12 has a lower end 14 that is disposed in the proximity of and behind the saw blade 1 so that it can release high pressure air to immediately blow away the concrete debris and slurry during cutting.
The system 100 further comprises a wheeled support frame 16 to support the cutting assembly. The saw blade 1 may be located on one of the sides of the wheeled support frame as shown in
The detailed construction and operation of the cutting assembly is known in the art. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,147 to Swisher, Jr. is incorporated herein for reference.
With continuing reference to
The system further comprises a motor vehicle generally indicated as 18, such as a truck, to carry water tank 3 and the air compressor 7 as shown in
It can be appreciated that, the air compressor 7 may be carried by a trailer or be towed by the truck 18.
Referring now to
The system utilizes a truck 18 to tow the wheeled support frame 16 which equipped with the cutting assembly to engage cutting. Meanwhile, the same motor vehicle 18 carries the water tank 3 and the air compressor 7. The water hose 4 hooked to the wheeled support frame 16 is connected to the water tank 3 to spray water to cool the saw blade and the air tube 8 hooked to the wheeled support frame 16 is connected to the air compressor 7 to remove the debris/slurry created by the saw blade during cutting.
With continuing reference to
Reference is now made to
Referring to
Further, a plurality of mounting brackets 208 are located on the rail structure 205 for securing water hose 210 and air tube 212 which will be discussed below.
Further, a water supply assembly including a water tank 209 and the water hose 210 may be mounted on the truck-like vehicle 201 that is equipped with the cutting assembly as shown in
The system further comprises an air supply assembly including a large air compressor 211 and an air tube 212. In operation, the large air compressor 211 may be carried in the same truck-like vehicle 201 as shown in
Reference is now made to
In a further embodiment, a pressurized air tube and/or air source could be provided to assist the air compressor 1, air tube 8, and secondary pressure building device 11 in the debris/slurry removal. This pressurized air tube/source can be powered in the same way as the pressure washing assembly 30, discussed above, i.e. self-powered by the saw motor or externally powered by the various systems set forth above and well-known in the art.
Alternatively, a splitter or diverter, generally indicated as 50, as shown in
In the designs set forth above that include a pressure washer assembly 30, a pressurized air/water source, or a splitter/diverter 50 on the water hose 4, a flap (not shown) can be provided inside the housing 22 of the saw blade 1. This flap can be located in front of the jet stream, which is being used to assist in the removal of debris/slurry, and behind the saw blade 1 to isolate the cooling water.
Reference is now made to
It can be appreciated that any or all of the embodiments disclosed above can be used to retrofit an existing or current pavement cutting system so as to convert these two truck systems into a single or combination, all-in-one device for cutting and removing the debris/slurry.
While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention and not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are entitled.
This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/548,535 filed on Aug. 22, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62548535 | Aug 2017 | US |
