Patent Grant
11584038
The present invention relates to material processing systems, methods and apparatus, and more particularly to systems, methods and apparatus for processing materials and collecting a resulting detritus.
Concrete has been used as a versatile and durable construction material for thousands of years. Over this time many important improvements have been made to compositions, apparatus and techniques for the use of concrete. One might think that such an extended development time would have allowed the technology to reach stasis. Nevertheless, the application of creativity and diligent effort continues to yield beneficial improvements such as those presented in the present application.
Having examined and understood a range of previously available devices, the inventors of the present invention have developed a new and important understanding of the problems associated with the prior art and, out of this novel understanding, have developed new and useful solutions and improved devices, including solutions and devices yielding surprising and beneficial results.
The invention encompassing these new and useful solutions and improved devices is described below in its various aspects with reference to several exemplary embodiments, including a preferred embodiment.
In particular, the inventors have observed that despite long-standing efforts to provide effective concrete cutting apparatus, the available technology includes only equipment that is heavy, difficult to transport and to operate, and that releases copious quantities of silica-based concrete dust, representing a significant problem of industrial hygiene and a risk to the health of equipment operators and others in the vicinity of cutting operations. In addition, the concrete dust produced and released by existing cutting apparatus and methods is highly abrasive and, consequently, damaging to equipment including the cutting apparatus and other equipment in the vicinity.
The risk to health and equipment is particularly acute during the actual cutting operation, but persists afterwards if the concrete dust is not removed from the vicinity of the cut. Consequently, significant effort must be devoted to clean-up after any conventional concrete cutting operation. This is especially true, when the cutting operation is conducted within an enclosed facility such as, for example, a manufacturing facility, a residential facility, a medical facility, an office building, a warehouse or any other location where dust produced by a cutting operation will be localized and retained for a long period of time, potentially affecting the health of occupants and any machines or goods produced or stored in the facility.
Based on careful observation and analysis, and creative synthesis, the inventors have now invented equipment that addresses these disadvantages, including equipment that is lighter and more readily transported than equipment having comparable capabilities and which is, moreover, easier to operate and capable of capturing a substantial portion or substantially all of the pulverized concrete dust produced by a sawing operation.
In the instant case, solving the problem of readily providing consistent and easily executed cuts in concrete without releasing large amounts of dust was more difficult than might have been anticipated. As noted above, a variety of equipment has previously been available to cut concrete, and certain approaches have been proposed for collecting the dust produced. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,215, issued to Harding, Jr. Dec. 1, 1992, describes a concrete saw with a dust removal apparatus that includes a blade guard partially surrounding a circular blade mounted for rotation on the side of the wheel housing and a pivotally mounted funnel mounted on the blade guard; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,619, issued to Miller et al. Oct. 13, 1998, describes a dust collection and diversion system for a device having a cutting tool. As a practical matter, however, these previous proposals are deficient in their ability to consistently and effectively collect a substantial portion of the concrete dust produced.
It should be noted that, while the various figures show respective aspects of the invention, no one figure is intended to show the entire invention. Rather, the figures together illustrate the invention in its various aspects and principles. As such, it should not be presumed that any particular figure is exclusively related to a discrete aspect or species of the invention. To the contrary, one of skill in the art would appreciate that the figures taken together reflect various embodiments exemplifying the invention.
Correspondingly, references throughout the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
In describing embodiments of the present invention, specific terminology is used for the sake of clarity. For the purpose of description, specific terms are intended to at least include technical and functional equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar result. Additionally, in some instances where a particular embodiment of the invention includes a plurality of system elements or method steps, those elements or steps may be replaced with a single element or step; likewise, a single element or step may be replaced with a plurality of elements or steps that serve the same purpose.
Further, where parameters for various properties are specified herein for embodiments of the invention, those parameters can be adjusted up or down by 1/100, 1/50, 1/20, 1/10, ⅕, ⅓, ½, ¾, etc. (or up by a factor of 2, 5, 10, etc.), or by rounded-off approximations thereof, unless otherwise specified. Moreover, while this invention has been shown and described with references to particular embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will understand that various substitutions and alterations in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention. Further still, other aspects, functions and advantages are also within the scope of the invention; and all embodiments of the invention need not necessarily achieve all of the advantages or possess all of the characteristics described herein.
Additionally, steps, elements and features discussed herein in connection with one embodiment can likewise be used in conjunction with other embodiments. The contents of references, including reference texts, journal articles, patents, patent applications, etc., cited throughout the text are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety; and appropriate components, steps, and characterizations from these references optionally may or may not be included in embodiments of this invention.
Still further, the components and steps identified in the Background section are integral to this disclosure and can be used in conjunction with or substituted for components and steps described elsewhere in the disclosure within the scope of the invention. In method claims, where stages are recited in a particular order—with or without sequenced prefacing characters added for ease of reference—the stages are not to be interpreted as being temporally limited to the order in which they are recited unless otherwise specified or implied by the terms and phrasing.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of various aspects of the invention(s) will be apparent from the following, more-particular description of various concepts and specific embodiments within the broader bounds of the invention(s). Various aspects of the subject matter introduced above and discussed in greater detail below may be implemented in any of numerous ways, as the subject matter is not limited to any particular manner of implementation. Examples of specific implementations and applications are provided primarily for illustrative purposes.
Unless otherwise defined, used or characterized herein, terms that are used herein (including technical and scientific terms) are to be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their accepted meaning in the context of the relevant art and are not to be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. For example, if a particular composition is referenced, the composition may be substantially, though not perfectly pure, as practical and imperfect realities may apply; e.g., the potential presence of at least trace impurities (e.g., at less than 0.1%, 1% or 2% by weight or volume) can be understood as being within the scope of the description; likewise, if a particular shape is referenced, the shape is intended to include imperfect variations from ideal shapes, e.g., due to machining and/or customary tolerances.
Although the terms, first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements are not to be limited by these terms. These terms are simply used to distinguish one element from another. Thus, a first element, discussed below, could be termed a second element without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as “above,” “upper,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of one element to another element, as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the apparatus in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the apparatus in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term, “above,” may encompass both an orientation of above and below. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
Further still, in this disclosure, when an element is referred to as being “on,” “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly on, connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present unless otherwise specified.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to be limiting of exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms, “a,” “an” and “the,” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Additionally, the terms, “includes,” “including,” “comprises” and “comprising,” specify the presence of the stated elements or steps but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements or steps.
The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the disclosed inventions and sets forth the best modes presently contemplated by the inventors of carrying out their inventions. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices may be shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the substance disclosed. These and other advantages and features of the invention will be more readily understood in relation to the following detailed description of the invention, which is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
While the present disclosure refers to the substrate as concrete, it should be understood that the invention in its various embodiments and aspects is applicable to a wide variety of substrates including, without limitation, asphalt, masonry, stone (including, without limitation, marble, granite, sandstone and fieldstone), ceramics and glasses, natural and synthetic polymeric materials including reinforced polymeric materials, metals and alloys thereof, and organic materials including, for example, wood and wood-based materials, and leather.
The chassis 102 supports saw portion 114 including a motor and power transmission apparatus. As illustrated, the saw portion 114 includes an electric motor, but one of skill in the art will appreciate that a wide variety of other motors will be applied in appropriate circumstances including, for example, pneumatic motors, hydraulic motors, internal combustion engines such as gasoline engines and diesel engines, and external combustion engine such as, for example, steam engines, and Stirling cycle engines, among others.
The saw portion 114 includes an arbor 116 supporting a circular saw blade 118. One of skill in the art will appreciate that the saw blade 118 will be chosen to embody characteristics appropriate for cutting a particular substrate material. Accordingly, where the substrate is concrete, the saw blade may be chosen to include a diamond saw blade or other abrasive saw blade, for example. As will be explained in further detail below, while the present invention is compatible with the use of a saw blade lubricated and cooled by water or other lubricant, the present invention exhibits particular advantages in supporting the use of un-lubricated (i.e., dry) sawing with, for example a dry diamond blade, silicon carbide blade or dry abrasive blade since dry-sawing using conventional apparatus is particularly apt to generate and release undesirable levels of dust and detritus.
In the illustrated embodiment, the blade 118 is adjustably disposed within an aperture 120 through the chassis 102. As will be further discussed below, an adjustment mechanism 122 is provided to control a pivotal orientation of the saw portion 114 with respect to the upper surface 104 and consequently to adjustably control a depth of cut of a particular saw blade. The illustrated adjustment mechanism 122 includes a manual detent lever 124, but one of skill in the art will appreciate that a wide variety of mechanisms may be implemented to control depth of cut including, without limitation, mechanisms having rotary and/or linear actuator portions.
The aperture 120 is defined in part by a longitudinal portion 126 of the chassis 102. The longitudinal portion 126 aids in supporting (provides support to) a vacuum manifold portion 128 that, particularly in combination with other features of the saw 100, is effective for capturing concrete dust or other detritus and conveying the same away from the saw blade 118. The vacuum manifold portion 128 will be described in additional detail below.
In the illustrated embodiment, the longitudinal portion 126 also supports a cam follower 130. The cam follower 130 serves to adjustably actuate a blade guard 132 in response to operation of the adjustment mechanism 122. One of skill in the art will appreciate that while a cam follower 130 is illustrated, a variety of other devices of various shapes and configurations could also be employed to effect the same function including, for example, a stud of metallic or polymeric material.
The apparatus of
Desirably, this arrangement provides operational stability and allows the operator to maintain a proper balance effecting the desirable direction and advancement of the saw blade through the substrate with a minimum of effort and from an upright walking position. In particular, the entire configuration is arranged to be relatively insensitive to minor operator errors and variations in pressure applied by the operator to the handle 134, and to maintain a particular direction of motion, so as to produce a desirably linear kerf.
In further advancement of this objective, the chassis 102 is provided with a plurality of removable counterweight portions 136, 138, 140, etc., arranged, as illustrated, in a desirable spatial relationship with respect to the saw blade 118, it's supporting arbor 116, handle 134 and a front axle (disposed between front wheels 106 and 108).
The counterweight portions serve to stabilize the chassis and assist in maintaining stability in the depth and direction of the kerf produced by the saw blade 118. The advantages of this stability, as they relate to the production of a superior linear kerf and a minimum of dust production, will be further discussed below. It should be noted that, while three individual weights are illustrated in
Other notable features of the illustrated apparatus include a fixturing device 142 arranged and adapted to support an electrical power coupler 144 and a convenient lifting handle 146.
Consequently, the illustrated placement of vacuum manifold 128 about saw blade 118 and adjacent to leading edge 204 is optimized for the capture of particulate, dust and other detritus produced by the cutting operation. As will be discussed in additional detail below, this optimization of saw blade alignment, vacuum manifold placement and other features of the vacuum manifold and the apparatus as a whole, combine to produce a novel apparatus uniquely effective in its cutting and dust-capturing abilities.
It should be noted that an outer circumferential edge 208 of saw blade 118 passes through a slot 210 of vacuum manifold 128 as the saw blade rotates in direction 202. The features of slot 210, according to certain exemplary embodiments, are further illustrated and discussed below.
Also shown in
Finally, it should be noted that the coupling feature 212, of the illustrated embodiment, includes one or more tool receptacle cavities, e.g., 228, ideally suited for holding various adjustment tools provided in certain embodiments of the invention. While the illustrated tool receptacles are prepared as drilled holes within the coupling feature 212, one of skill in the art will appreciate that a variety of other tool holders will provide a similar benefit such as, a molded tool holder, a magnetic tool holder, and/or a spring clip tool, among others.
An upper surface 314 of the vacuum manifold includes a further slot 316 arranged to dynamically receive a portion of the saw blade 304. Slot 316 opens into a chamber 318 that is partially divided by the saw blade 304. Slot 316 has a width 320 prepared according to the thickness of a particular blade and/or application, taking into consideration and appropriate tolerance on either side of the blade.
It will be understood that in certain embodiments, slot 316 is configured as an adjustable slot with a sliding or rotating shutter providing adjustability to accommodate blades of various thicknesses and diameters. In additional embodiments, a bristle brush feature is provided to effectively close the slot around the saw blade such that at least some of the ends of the bristles touch the blade, and occlude much of the otherwise open space around the blade, without causing undue resistance or friction. In other embodiments, a particular vacuum manifold having a slot 316 of a particular size may be exchanged with a plurality of vacuum manifolds having slots of other sizes respectively. In certain embodiments of the invention, such a plurality of manifolds is provided as a kit, with or without the saw apparatus.
Likewise, the slot has a length 322 sufficient to accommodate the saw blade when set for its deepest penetration, along with an additional tolerance sufficient to avoid accidental mechanical interference between the circumferential edge of the blade and the end 324 of the slot, while allowing proper clearance for the capture of particles of detritus.
Also indicated is a thickness 326 of an upper region of the vacuum manifold between upper surface 314 and a corresponding internal surface 328. As will be discussed below, this thickness will differ in various embodiments of the invention according to the requirements of a particular application (e.g., the substrate to be cut, the thickness of the saw blade, etc.).
A manifold flange portion 330 is arranged between surface 306 and a further generally planar surface 332. Generally planar surface 332 is configured to be placed adjacent to a corresponding generally planar surface 334 of a hose coupling flange portion 338. In the illustrated example, threaded fasteners, e.g., 340, 342 are provided to securely couple surface 334 of the hose coupling flange in intimate contact with surface to surface 332 of the vacuum manifold flange. In addition, in certain embodiments, further holes and fasteners, not shown here, are provided for coupling the vacuum manifold assembly 300 through the longitudinal member 312 of chassis 302 to (and, in certain embodiments, into) generally planar surface 308.
As will be further described below, the hose coupling flange 338 supports a generally cylindrical hose coupling tube 344. The hose coupling tube 344 has an outside diameter sized to be received within a corresponding inside diameter of, for example a vacuum hose. One of skill in the art will appreciate that, beyond the here-described male/female coupling, other coupling arrangements between hoses and vacuum manifolds are contemplated within the scope of the invention.
Also shown in
In certain embodiments, the holes 418 and 420 are countersunk, counter-bored, or otherwise recessed to receive the heads of respective cap screws, for example. In some embodiments, the cap screws pass through un-threaded holes in the longitudinal member portion 430 of chassis 422 and threadingly engage with further internally threaded holes in surface 432 on the first portion of the manifold 408.
Consequently, when the cap screws are tightened, internal surface 434 of blade box flange 416 is drawn towards surface 432 so as to capture and frictionally engage corresponding surface regions of longitudinal member 430. Also shown are the holes, e.g., 424, 426 provided to receive the threaded fasteners that, in the illustrated embodiment, couple the blade box flange to the vacuum hose coupling flange (e.g.,
Finally, in this view, a generally cylindrical internal surface 428, defining a longitudinal passage through the vacuum box flange is visible. It should be understood that the configuration of this internal surface will differ according to the requirements of a particular application and that while the illustrated passage is generally circularly cylindrical, other passages will embody a variety of different geometries including, without limitation, triangular, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, elliptical, irregular, etc.
It should also be understood that while edges 512, 514 and 516 are shown as substantially linear, in other embodiments, one or more of these edges will be curved, crenellated, scalloped, or otherwise configured according to the requirements of a particular application. Further, in certain applications, two or more of edges 512, 514 and 516 will be configured as a single more or less smooth curve. More generally the edges defining aperture 504 will correspond to at least a portion of any one of a circle, an ellipse, a regular polygon, an irregular polygon, a regular curve, an irregular curve, and combinations thereof.
In the illustrated embodiment, aperture 504 is defined by a proximal edge 512, a distal edge 514 and a lateral edge 516. The location of the saw within this aperture will depend on the configuration of a particular application of the invention. Thus, for example, in one preferred embodiment, the circumferential surface 518 of blade 520 is disposed with a distance between surface 522 of blade 520 and proximal edge 512 such that this distance is approximately one half as far as the corresponding distance between the opposite surface 524 of blade 520 and distal edge 514. In other words, the blade 520 is disposed about two thirds of the way across the aperture from the distal edge 514 to the proximal edge 512. This configuration is referred to by the present inventors as a blade location ratio of two thirds, or 66%.
The blade location ratio will be chosen to have any variety of values according to the requirements of a particular application and according to factors such as the type and dimensions of the blade to be employed. Thus, in an alternative embodiment, the circumferential surface 518 of blade 520 is disposed such that a distance between surface 522 of blade 520 and proximal edge 512 is approximately one third as far as the corresponding distance between the opposite surface 524 of blade 520 and distal edge 514. In other words, the blade 520 is disposed about three quarters of the way across the aperture from the distal edge 514 to the proximal edge 512. This configuration is referred to as a blade location ratio of three quarters, or 75%. It should be understood that these blade location ratios are merely exemplary and that, in various embodiments, it will be desirable to provide a vacuum manifold device having a blade location ratio within the range from at least about 20% to at least about 80% corresponding to alternative uses of the saw and alternative materials and conditions of the substrate to be cut.
Of similar importance, the overall width 502 of aperture 504 and the corresponding overall length 526 have particular values selected according to the requirements of a specific embodiment and application of the saw. Moreover, the ratio between width 502 and length 526 will be, in various embodiments of the invention, between at least about 20% and at least about 500%. This ratio is referred to by the inventors as the “aperture ratio.” In certain embodiments, the aperture ratio will be in a range between at least about 50% and at least about 200%.
It will also be understood that the wheels and chassis are arranged, in conjunction with dimensions of the vacuum manifold, to result in an assembly that maintains a lower surface region 550 of the blade box portion of the vacuum manifold at a finite distance (referred to by the inventors as manifold clearance) above a corresponding surface region of an underlying substrate. That is to say that lower surface region 550 is disposed and maintained in substantially parallel spaced relation with respect to an underlying surface region of a substrate to be cut.
In various embodiments, manifold clearance is adjustable by a variable mechanism arranged to displace the manifold with respect to the chassis. In other embodiments, manifold clearance is adjustable by exchanging one manifold for another. In still further embodiments, manifold clearance is adjustable by a variable mechanism arranged to displace the entire chassis with respect to the underlying substrate, e.g., by displacing one or both axles with respect to the chassis. In various embodiments, manifold clearance is adjustable within a range from 0 (i.e., in contact with the underlying substrate) to at least about 1 inch. In certain embodiments, manifold clearance will be adjustable from a range of about 0.20 inches above the underlying substrate to at least about 0.50 inches above the underlying substrate.
The present figure also shows, in some detail, additional holes, 530, 532 and 534 through the lower surface 550 of the blade box portion. Holes 530, 532 and 534 are provided to accommodate fasteners, such as, for example, threaded fasteners, which serve to further reinforce the attachment of the vacuum manifold 510 to the chassis 536. Of course it will be understood that these fasteners are merely exemplary of a wide variety of fastening technologies which may be applied to fixedly and permanently or removably couple the vacuum manifold 510 to the chassis 536.
In the illustrated embodiment, curved internal surface 614 defines a portion of a substantially circular cylindrical surface. One of skill in the art will appreciate, however, that a wide variety of other geometries are possible and desirable according to the requirements of a particular embodiment of the invention. Accordingly, internal surface 614 will, in respective embodiments, define a portion of a generally elliptical cylindrical surface, a portion of a generally triangular cylindrical surface, a portion of a generally rectangular cylindrical surface, or a portion of a higher order polygonal cylindrical surface. In addition, while the foregoing examples correspond to cylinders of projection, other forms for the internal surface 614 are also contemplated including, for example, an ellipsoidal surface and a spherical surface, among others.
Finally, it should be noted that the present illustration offers a clear view of an internal surface 624 defining, in this case, a generally circular cylindrical passage through blade box flange 628. As will be further illustrated below, this generally circular cylindrical passage is adapted to join a further circular cylindrical passage within the hose coupling portion of a vacuum manifold for a corresponding embodiment.
In the illustrated embodiment, a portion of longitudinal member 716 of chassis 718 is visible at 720, and forms a partial obstruction of passage 722 defined, in part, by internal surface 702. In other embodiments, however, this partial obstruction is minimized or eliminated. Again, the transverse 723 and longitudinal 724 dimensions of aperture 726 are identified.
Without meaning to be bound to a particular theory of operation, the inventors note that depending on aperture size and aperture ratio, saw blade angular velocity and manifold absolute and differential pressure, as compared to local atmospheric pressure, the passage of air in through aperture 726 past the spinning saw blade and out through passage 722 tends to induce a desirable pattern of air flow. According to certain embodiments of the invention, this air flow includes airflow distributed in one or more vortices, that are well suited to elevate and convey dust, particulate matter and other detritus away from a leading-edge of the saw/substrate interface and out through passage 722.
In particular, in certain embodiments, the passage of the edges of the discrete saw teeth found on some saw blades through the lateral flow of air across the saw blade caused by the applied vacuum will induce individual vortices on either side of the saw teeth. Where the dimensions and arrangement of the vacuum manifold are properly configured, these vortices will be shed from the saw teeth into the overall flow of air into the vacuum hose. Correspondingly, dust and particulate matter will become trapped by the individual vortices and subsequently shed into the lateral air flow so as to provide the effective removal of dust from both sides of an operating blade in a way that is surprisingly effective, and in no way matched by any previously available technology. Consequently, this residual material will be effectively and advantageously collected at, for example, a filtering vacuum system remote from the saw blade.
In addition, with reference to
Depending on particular parameters of operation, the form of fluid flow produced may include any of a Lamb-Oseen form vortex, a tornadic form vortex, a spheroidal form vortex, a Tollmien-Schlichting form vortex, a Blasius form vortex, a Navier-Stokes form vortex, a Chorin form vortex, as well as any other turbulent or laminar flow pattern, and combinations thereof. Once having the benefit of the present disclosure, one of skill in the art will appreciate that particular configurations of vacuum manifold and applied pressure differentials will produce desirable results and, therefore, all of the indicated fluid flows described above, and others that may be discovered and applied in the present context, are considered to be within the scope of the invention.
It is contemplated that in certain embodiments, blade angular velocity and airflow velocity through passage 722 will operate open loop and, accordingly, may vary in absolute terms and with respect to one another during operation of the saw. In other embodiments, mechanical and/or pneumatic and/or electrical and/or electronic controls will be applied to regulate the absolute and relative values of blade angular velocity and air velocity.
An intersection of axes 810 and 812 at vertex 814 defines a passage angle 816. In various embodiments of the invention, passage angle 816 will have a value within the range between at least about 0° and at least about 90°. In other embodiments, passage angle 816 will have a range between at least about 0° and at least about 20°. In still further embodiments, passage angle 816 will have a range between at least about 30° and at least about 60°.
It should be understood that longitudinal axes 810 and 812 are not necessarily pure centroid axes of the corresponding cavities. While in some embodiments these axes will be pure centroids, in others they will be only approximate, and any intersection of these axes may also be approximate. That is, they may not actually intersect but only approximately intersect, such that the passage within the blade box portion 802 and the passage within the hose coupling portion 804 are arranged generally at the above-indicated passage angle with respect to one another. It will also be understood that in certain embodiments, axes 810 and 812 are not strictly linear but one or both will incorporate a curve of any form appropriate to the requirements of a particular application.
Axes 810 and 812 further define a passage plane such that both axes 810, 812 and vertex 814 are disposed in the passage plane. In operation, passage plane 816 is disposed at an oblique angle with respect to a plane corresponding to an upper surface of the underlying substrate (referred to by the inventors as the ground plane).
This relationship is further illuminated by
As shown, triangle ABC defines a first plane 852. During operation of the saw, plane 852 is disposed in generally parallel spaced relation to a plane defined by an average local surface of the underlying substrate—the ground plane. Angle 854 is defined azimuthally towards the rear of the saw (i.e. in a negative direction) and indicates a first component of angle 816 in three space.
Angle 856 indicates an elevation of longitudinal axis 812 (i.e. upwardly away from the underlying substrate, and indicates a second component of angle 816 in three space. One with adequate mathematical background will appreciate that angles 854 and 856 may be treated as vector arguments and added vectorially to produce angle 816.
In light of the foregoing, the practitioner of skill in the art will appreciate that various apparatus will be constructed, all within the scope of the present invention, in which angle 854 will fall anywhere within a range from at least about 0° to at least about 90°. In like fashion, angle 856 will, in various embodiments, fall anywhere within a range from at least about 0° to at least about 90°.
In certain embodiments, angle 854 will be prepared within a range from at least about 0° to at least about 10° and angle 856 will be provided within a range from at least about 0° to at least about 10° so as to desirably support a proximal end of a vacuum hose while optimizing the resulting forces. In certain embodiments, angle 854 will be prepared to have a value of 7.11° back and angle 856 will be prepared to have angle of 7.11° up. In certain embodiments of the invention, angle 816 will be prepared to have a value of approximately 7°. In other embodiments, angle 816 will be prepared to have a value of approximately 7.07°.
This optimization will be performed according to the requirements of a particular application in order to control the degree to which a resulting weight and drag of the vacuum hose tends to impress a deviation on a direction of the saw away from the production of a substantially linear kerf. As discussed above, the weights, shown for example as 136, 138 and 140 in
For one exemplary freestanding vacuum dust collector apparatus having a standard 2½ inch hose, with a longitudinal length in a range from at least about 10 feet to at least about 100 feet, depending on the weight, materials, construction, diameter and wall-thickness of the hose, angle 816 will be prepared within a range from at least about 6° to at least about 8°. In one embodiment, angle 816 will be prepared to have an angle of approximately 7.1°.
One of skill in the art will appreciate that the linear weight, materials and supporting arrangement of the vacuum hose will affect the selection of angles 854 and 856. For example,
Because any drag conveyed by the hose to the saw is applied to one side 918 of the saw and not the other 920, reducing or eliminating hose drag reduces a tendency of the saw to diverge from a straight path during operation.
In light of the present disclosure, one of skill in the art will recognize that other arrangements and configurations will also be possible. For example, a backpack-mounted vacuum apparatus will be included in one combination apparatus according to principles of the invention. In a further embodiment, an automated mobile device will support a vacuum apparatus and automatically maintain an appropriate range to the saw so as to optimize a degree of hose drag experienced by the saw during operation.
Referring again to
The illustrated embodiment includes an aperture 1114 through the body of the fixturing device 142 defined by, in the illustrated case, a substantially circular cylindrical internal surface region 1116. It should be noted that, while the illustrated internal surface region 1116 is circularly cylindrical, a wide variety of other alternatives are possible including triangular, rectangular (including square), pentagonal, hexagonal, and any other regular or irregular shape appropriate to hold a particular electrical coupling device.
As apparent from
For example, in the illustrated embodiment, a threaded fastener (such as a cap screw, machine screw or bolt) 1156 is tightened to deform size 1152 at 1154 inwardly. As a result, respective portions of internal surface region 1116 frictionally engage with a corresponding outer surface region of electrical coupler 144 to secure the electrical coupler in substantially fixed relation to the fixturing device 142. Again, one of skill in the art will appreciate that other clamping mechanisms and devices, such as are known or may become known in the art, may be applied in combination with the balance of the saw assembly as described above to form the new and improved apparatus described herewith.
A further view of the pointer is available in
One of skill in the art will appreciate that while using the saw, an operator will sight past a point of the pointer to, for example, a chalk line placed in advance on an upper surface of the substrate to be cut. By maintaining the point of the pointer aligned with the chalk line, the operator is able to maintain a straight cut across the substrate. Of course, one of skill in the art will understand that alternative means of directing the saw are possible including, for example, providing an apparent line on the substrate using a laser.
It will be understood that the groove and bearing blocks, according to certain embodiments, exhibit a desirable tolerance so that the angle and location of the axle 1306 with respect to the chassis 3008 and within the groove can be modified. As illustrated, this modification is achieved by adjusting the respective settings of two adjusting screws—a vertical adjusting screw 1314 and a horizontal adjusting screw 1316. While the illustrated embodiment shows adjusting screws only on the left side of the rear axle, in other embodiments, adjusting screws will be provided on the right side of the rear axle or on both sides of the rear axle. In addition, in other embodiments, adjusting screws will be provided for the front axle.
In other embodiments, the grooves and bearing blocks will be provided with negligible tolerance and no adjustment of the axle will be provided or necessary, or adjustment may be made by physical distortion of the chassis. In such an embodiment, cap screw 1316 may nevertheless be retained and used as a rear pointer for alignment with a chalk line or with a previously cut kerf, and to maintain a desired direction of the saw during operation.
The above-described adjustment of the axle 1306 allows for a desirable alignment of a longitudinal axis of the rear axle with a corresponding longitudinal axis of a front axle. That is, in a desirable configuration according to one embodiment of the invention, the respective longitudinal axes of the front axle and rear axle 1306 are disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation to one another once the adjustment process is complete. This configuration is helpful in maintaining a saw apparatus that readily cuts a straight line through a substrate such as concrete without deviating and with a minimum of guidance from an operator. Moreover, by maintaining this alignment, it is possible to ensure that the bulk of the cutting that occurs takes place at a leading edge of the saw blade where the saw blade first contacts the concrete and where the vacuum manifold described above is well positioned to capture any dust produced.
At the same time, contact between any other portion of the blade, and particularly its trailing edge, with the substrate is avoided, thus minimizing the generation of concrete dust at any location remote from the vacuum manifold. In light of the present teaching, it will thus be apparent to one skilled in the art that, quite surprisingly, an effective mechanism for securing a desirable alignment relationship between the front and rear axles of the saw provides a remarkable benefit in terms of improving the capture of saw dust produced by other apparatus provided for that purpose.
At a front end of the fixing member 1356 is a support pillar 1362. The support pillar is substantially fixedly coupled at a lower end 1364 to an upper surface of chassis 1308. In certain embodiments, a lower end of the support pillar 1362 is disposed within a recess of the upper surface of chassis 1308. In particular embodiments, this recess will have a depth of 190 thousandths of an inch. In certain embodiments, a particular pillar will be replaceable by another pillar of different dimensions to accommodate a different saw assembly. It should be noted that various pillars (i.e. saw mounting supports, and handle stanchions will be sold as replacement kits appropriate to the application of a particular saw assembly.
A through hole is arranged at an upper end 1366 of the pillar 1362. Disposed within the through hole is, for example, a shaft or bolt with a fixing device 1368 at one end. In the illustrated embodiment, the fixing device is shown as a cap nut (otherwise known as an acorn nut) and washer combination. One of skill in the art, having been provided with the present disclosure will appreciate, however, that a wide variety of other devices may be used in place of the shaft, nut and washer combination.
A tightening lever 1370 is provided such that the tightening lever is also supported by the shaft or bolt and arranged so that rotating the lever 1372 in a first direction and a second direction will, respectively, tighten and loosen the adjustment mechanism 1350. Presented with
The projections and recesses together serve to provide preferred locations for coupling the fixing member 1356 to a corresponding external surface region of the bolt or shaft described above. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the angle of the handle 1352 will be readily set at a finite number of preferred values, corresponding to the recesses 1388, and will be retained at these preferred values with substantially greater strength than would otherwise be possible (i.e., if upper surface region 1384 were linear rather than scalloped).
Also visible is an expanded region, or head 1390, of the bolt or shaft that serves to retain the bolt within the slot 1380 and draws the fixing member 1356 towards an external surface region of the pillar 1362 to effect a frictional fixation when the lever 1370 described with respect to
Finally, it should be noted, that a pin 1392 is coupled radially to the bolt at an intermediate position thereof, and is disposed within a slot 1394 of the pillar 1362. The slot communicates between an upper surface 1396 of the pillar 1392 and an internal surface of the pillar, which internal surface defines the hole or bore within which the bolt is disposed. The pin 1392 serves to capture the bolt so as to prevent rotation when the lever 1370 is actuated. This results in an effective interference between the internal threads of the lever and the external threats of the bolt, so that the bolt can be readily tightened by actuating the lever without otherwise grasping the bolt to prevent rotation.
In the illustrated embodiment, the pin 1392 is shown as a roll pin or spring pin, but one of skill in the art will appreciate that a wide variety of other devices will be used in corresponding embodiments of the invention. For example, the bolt may include the pin as an integrated feature, welded for example to an external circumferential surface of the bolt. In light of the present disclosure, the value of using the above described arrangement will be readily apparent to one of skill in the art.
In light of the foregoing description, the blade depth adjustment mechanism, shown as 122 in
Referring again to
In describing above various embodiments of the invention, the Applicants have made reference to a saw including four wheels. The reader will appreciate that other arrangements of wheels including arrangement having one, two or three wheels and arrangements having more than four wheels will also fall within the scope of the invention. Also, apparatus using alternatives to wheels such as, for example, sliding support mechanisms, air bearing support mechanisms, caterpillar tracks, walking beam and articulated legs, among others are also contemplated as being within the scope of the invention.
In various embodiments, the wheels will include bearings such as are known in the art including, for example, sealed bearings. The bearings may be of any form such as is known or may become known in the art including, for example, ball bearings, roller bearings, sintered bushings, polymer bushings, and fluid bearings, among others. Bearings including one or more of ceramic material, polymer material, and metallic material, among others are contemplated. Also, in various embodiments, the wheels will include tires of form and composition appropriate to a particular application. In certain embodiments, the tires will include a natural or synthetic polymer material such as, for example, an elastomeric polymer such as, for example, polyurethane.
While the illustrated embodiments have primarily discussed the placement of a vacuum manifold at a leading-edge of a circular saw blade, it will be understood that other arrangements and configurations fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, a vacuum manifold can also be placed adjacent to a trailing edge of the saw blade (i.e., adjacent to a point where the rotating saw blade departs the kerf, moving upward) instead of at a leading-edge.
It will be appreciated that the various aspects of the apparatus and method described above, taken individually, in sub-combinations, and in totality, will, in various embodiments, provide a system and apparatus that is highly effective at capturing dust and particulate matter, while being lighter, more transportable, readily operated, and in many ways superior to the technology previously available. These advantages are seen both in the immediate operation of the system and apparatus, and in the savings resulting from the ability to reduce or eliminate secondary cleanup operations.
In still further embodiments, two separate vacuum manifolds are disposed at the leading-edge and the trailing edge respectively. In yet another arrangement within the scope of the invention, a single distributed manifold is arranged to collect dust at both the leading-edge and the trailing edge and in a region in between the leading and trailing edges. In still another embodiment of the invention, additional evacuation of material is performed by capturing dust from within a shield between the leading and trailing edges and above a top edge of the saw blade (i.e. an edge diametrically opposite from the portion of the saw blade disposed within the kerf).
Accordingly, one of skill in the art will readily understand from the figures presented that the vacuum manifold 2402 is coupled to a chassis 2404 of the concrete saw 2400. A circular saw blade 2406 passes through an aperture (not shown) of the chassis 2404 and through a further slot in a blade box of the vacuum manifold 2402. This arrangement is thoroughly described above in relation, and with reference to
Consistent with the description provided above in relation to
In still other embodiments, as will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the hose coupling 2414 will be nonlinear, being curved, reflexed, or serpentine or otherwise configured to avoid contact between surface region 2420 and surface region 2422.
In certain embodiments, as illustrated in
In certain embodiments, as illustrated, a support bracket 2428 includes an aperture 2430. A further outer surface region 2432 of hose coupling 2414 is disposed within the aperture, such that the bracket 2428 provides support for hose coupling 2414 and maintains angle 2418 at a substantially fixed value while the concrete saw is in use.
As will be well understood in light of the disclosure above, one end of a hose of a vacuum system will be readily received around a still further surface portion 2434 of the hose coupling 2414. This will allow the desirable withdrawal of air and detritus through the hose coupling in a manner consistent with the entire foregoing disclosure.
In certain embodiments, the bracket 2428 will be fastened to the chassis 2404 with a fastener such as a the illustrated machine screw 2440. One of skill in the art will appreciate, however, that any of a wide variety of fastening methods will be advantageously employed, as appropriate, in respective embodiments and applications of the invention. In certain embodiments, the fastener (e.g. 2440) or other fastening method will be readily detachable, and to the hose coupling flange portion will include a pivotal mechanism, so as to allow the hose coupling 2414 to be pivoted 2442 about the longitudinal axis of the blade box, thereby allowing easier access to the circular saw blade 2406 (
In addition, in certain embodiments, the bracket 2428, will include a relieved edge region 2444. The relieved edge region will prevent interference between a lower surface region of the bracket and a corresponding upper surface region of the wheel 2422. As will be understood by one of skill in the art, the relieved edge region 2444 will be linear, angular or arcuate in form, in any fashion appropriate to a particular embodiment and applications of the invention.
While the exemplary embodiments described above have been chosen primarily from the field of linear concrete sawing, one of skill in the art will appreciate that the principles of the invention are equally well applied, and that the benefits of the present invention are equally well realized in a wide variety of other material processing applications including, for example, asphalt processing, wood processing, plastic processing, masonry processing, glass processing, ceramic processing, and metal processing, among others. Further, while the invention has been described in detail in connection with the presently preferred embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions, or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/466,741, filed on Mar. 22, 2017, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/853,852, filed on Sep. 14, 2015, which in turn is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/500,052 filed on Sep. 29, 2014 (now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,156,188), which in turn is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/829,170 filed on Mar. 14, 2013 (now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,027,542), which in turn claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/765,003 filed on Feb. 14, 2013, the disclosures of all of which are herewith incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
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| Entry |
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| File History for U.S. Appl. No. 15/466,741 as accessed from U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200276732 A1 | Sep 2020 | US | |
| 20210402647 A9 | Dec 2021 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62311643 | Mar 2016 | US | |
| 61765003 | Feb 2013 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Parent | 15466741 | Mar 2017 | US |
| Child | 16877393 | US | |
| Parent | 14500052 | Sep 2014 | US |
| Child | 14853852 | US | |
| Parent | 13829170 | Mar 2013 | US |
| Child | 14500052 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14853852 | Sep 2015 | US |
| Child | 15466741 | US |
