Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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INLAID STONE COMPOSITE
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field
The present invention relates generally to man-made stone structures. More
specifically, embodiments of the present invention concern an inlaid stone
composite having a
body stone and an inlay stone secured to the body stone.
[0002] 2. Discussion of Prior Art
[0003] The use of various stone materials, such as granite, marble, or quartz,
for
residential or commercial installations, e.g, for kitchen countertops, is well
known in the art.
Natural granite is desirable for such applications because of several
attributes, e.g, its resistance
to scratching, resistance to damage from extreme heat, and its luxurious
appearance.
Furthermore, it is also known in the art to use engineered stone type
materials, which include
finely ground stone particles or dust, for such applications. Whether natural
or man-made, stone
is commonly machined and polished by powered machines to provide the stone
with polished
and flat surfaces while also providing a desired edge shape.
[0004] Prior art stone building products and associated manufacturing methods
are
problematic and suffer from various undesirable limitations. For instance,
prior art methods are
deficient when it comes to combining stone layers to present an attractive
stone composite panel.
In particular, prior art methods require the use of backing material to form a
panel with thin
layers or veneers of stone while avoiding breakage of the stone layers.
Furthermore, prior art
machining methods cause excessive and undesirable chipping of stone,
particularly when very
thin stone layers are being machined.
SUMMARY
[0005] The present invention provides an inlaid stone composite that does not
suffer
from the problems and limitations of the prior art products and methods set
forth above.
[0006] A first aspect of the present invention concerns a method of
manufacturing an
inlaid stone composite having at least two stone layers. The method broadly
includes the steps
of forming an elongated groove in a first one of the stone layers, with the
groove extending
inwardly from a first edge surface of the first stone layer; securing a second
one of the stone
layers within the elongated groove to form an inlaid margin that includes the
layers, with the
second layer presenting a second edge surface positioned adjacent the first
edge surface; and
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machining the layers at the same time to remove part of the margin and thereby
form a finished
layered edge surface.
[00071 A second aspect of the present invention concerns an inlaid stone
composite
having an elongated inlaid margin configured to be finished by a machine. The
inlaid stone
composite broadly includes a stone body, an elongated stone inlay, and
adhesive. The stone
body presents an elongated body edge surface and a longitudinally extending
groove that
intersects and extends inwardly from the surface. The body presents opposed
longitudinally
extending groove interior side surfaces that at least partly define the
groove. The elongated
stone inlay is positioned within the groove and presents an inlay edge surface
and longitudinally
extending opposite side surfaces, with the edge surfaces cooperatively forming
a finished layered
edge surface. The adhesive is positioned between and bonds abutting pairs of
side surfaces to
one another to thereby secure the inlay to the body. The abutting pairs of
side surfaces are in
frictional engagement with one another so that the stone inlay and the groove
are substantially
complementally shaped, with the finished layered edge surface being formed by
the machine
after the inlay is secured in the body by removing part of the inlaid margin.
[00081 A third aspect of the present invention concerns a circular stone-
cutting tool
configured to be attached to a powered mandrel, and thereby rotatable by the
mandrel to
machine a rectangular-shaped groove having a groove width. The stone-cutting
tool broadly
includes a rotatable diamond-tipped blade assembly. The blade assembly
presents an arcuate
outermost blade perimeter with a number of notches spaced substantially
uniformly along the
perimeter, with the blade assembly defining edge segments spaced between
respective pairs of
adjacent notches. The blade assembly has a width that is configured to
substantially correspond
to the groove width. The edge segments have a substantially common segment
length. The
notches have a substantially common notch length, with each segment length
being longer than
the notch length and with the notch length being shorter than the blade
assembly width.
[00091 Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent
from the
following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the
accompanying drawing
figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
100101 Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in detail below
with
reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
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[00111 FIG. 1 is a right side perspective view of a stone machining tool
constructed in
accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a left side perspective view of the stone machining tool
shown in FIG.
1;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary right side perspective view of the stone
machining tool
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, showing a machine chassis, a calibrating assembly, a
chamfering
assembly, a shaping assembly, and a polishing assembly;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary left side perspective view of the stone
machining tool
shown in FIGS. 1-3;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top view ofthe stone machining tool shown in
FIGS. 1-4;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of the stone machining tool
shown in
FIGS. 1-5;
[0017] FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary front perspective view of the stone
machining
tool shown in FIGS. 1-6, showing the calibrating assembly;
[0018] FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary rear perspective view of the stone
machining
tool shown in FIGS. 1-6, showing the calibrating assembly;
[0019] FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary front perspective view of the stone
machining
tool shown in FIGS. 1-6, showing the shaping assembly with a blade assembly
mounted thereon,
with the shaping assembly machining a groove in a stone body;
[0020] FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary rear perspective view of the stone
machining
tool shown in FIGS. 1-6 and 9, showing the shaping assembly machining the
groove;
[0021] FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the shaping assembly shown in FIGS. 9
and 10;
[0022] FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view of the stone
machining
tool shown in FIGS. 1-6, 9, and 10, showing the shaping assembly as it
machines the groove;
[0023] FIG. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view ofthe stone shown in FIG. 12,
showing
a stone inlay secured within the stone to form an inlaid stone composite, with
an excess portion
of the inlay being cut away by a bridge saw;
[0024] FIG. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary front perspective view ofthe stone
machining
tool shown in FIGS. 1-6, showing the inlaid stone composite being polished by
the polishing
assembly to form a flat polish profile;
[0025] FIG. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary rear perspective view of the stone
machining
tool shown in FIG. 14;
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[0026] FIG. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view of the stone
machining
tool shown in FIGS. 14 and 15;
[0027] FIG. 17 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the stone
machining tool
shown in FIGS. 1-6, showing an inlaid stone composite being machined by the
chamfering
assembly to form a chamfered profile;
[0028] FIG. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view of the stone
machining
tool shown in FIG. 17;
[0029] FIG. 19 is an enlarged fragmentary front perspective view of the stone
machining
tool shown in FIGS. 1-6, showing an inlaid stone composite being machined by
the shaping
assembly to form a bullnose profile;
[0030] FIG. 20 is an enlarged fragmentary rear perspective view of the stone
machining
tool shown in FIG. 19;
[0031] FIG. 21 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view of the stone
machining
tool shown in FIGS. 19 and 20;
[0032] FIG. 22 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view ofthe stone
machining tool
shown in FIGS. 1-6, showing the polishing assembly polishing the bullnose
profile of the stone;
[0033] FIG. 23 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view of the stone
machining
tool shown in FIG. 22;
[0034] FIG. 24 is a fragmentary perspective view of an inlaid stone composite
constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention,
with the inlaid
stone composite including a stone body, a stone inlay, and adhesive, and
showing the inlaid
stone composite prior to the stone inlay being adhered within a groove of the
stone body;
[0035] FIG. 25 is a fragmentary perspective view of the inlaid stone composite
shown
in FIG. 24, showing the stone inlay adhered within the groove, prior to an
excess portion of the
inlay being removed;
[0036] FIG. 26 is a fragmentary perspective view of the inlaid stone composite
shown
in FIGS. 24 and 25, showing the excess portion of the stone inlay being
removed and the inlaid
stone composite polished to form a flat polish profile;
[0037] FIG. 27 is a fragmentary perspective view of an inlaid stone composite
constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention,
with the inlaid
stone composite having a chamfered profile;
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[0038] FIG. 28 is a fragmentary perspective view of an inlaid stone composite
constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention,
with the inlaid
stone composite having a bullnose profile;
[0039] FIG. 29 is a fragmentary end view of an inlaid stone composite
constructed in
accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention, with the inlaid
stone composite
including a stone body, a first stone inlay adhered within a groove of the
body, and a second
stone inlay adhered within a groove of the first stone inlay;
[0040] FIG. 30 is a fragmentary end view of an inlaid stone composite
constructed in
accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention, with the inlaid
stone composite
including a stone body, a first stone inlay adhered within a first groove of
the body, and a second
stone inlay adhered within a second groove of the body;
[0041] FIG. 31 is a fragmentary end view of an inlaid stone composite
constructed in
accordance with a sixth embodiment of the present invention, with the inlaid
stone composite
including a stone body with first and second body portions, and a stone inlay
received within a
groove of the body;
[0042] FIG. 32 is a fragmentary end view of an inlaid stone composite
constructed in
accordance with a seventh embodiment of the present invention, with the inlaid
stone composite
having a triple-pencil profile;
[0043] FIG. 33 is an elevational view of the blade assembly shown in FIGS. 9-
12;
[0044] FIG. 34 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the blade assembly
shown in
FIG. 33;
[0045] FIG. 34a is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a blade assembly
constructed
in accordance with an eighth embodiment of the present invention;
[0046] FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a blade assembly constructed in
accordance with
a ninth embodiment of the present invention; and
[0047] FIG. 36 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the blade assembly
shown in
FIG. 35.
[0048] The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific
embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily
to scale,
emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the
preferred
embodiment.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0049] Turning initially to FIGS. 1, 2 and 26, a stone machining tool 40 is
operable to
machine a stone panel 42 including a body stone 44 and an inlay stone 46. As
will be discussed
in greater detail, the body stone 44 presents a groove 48 that is configured
to receive the inlay
stone 46. Preferably, the stone panel 42 is made from natural granite, with
the body stone 44
comprising one type of granite and the inlay stone 46 comprising another type
of granite.
However, the principles of the present invention are equally applicable where
other types of
natural or man-made stone materials are used. For instance, the stone panel 42
may include one
or more of various natural stone materials such as marble, quartz, slate,
limestone, sandstone,
or onyx that are quarried and pre-cut into stone sheets. Such naturally-
occurring stones typically
exhibit anisotropic physical properties, but these materials generally have a
density in the range
of about 100 pounds/foot to about 200 pounds/foot, a compressive strength in
the range of about
2000 to about 60,000 psi, and a shear strength of about 300 to about 7000 psi.
Natural stones
also typically have very low tensile strength. Various man-made stone
materials that include
stone particles mixed with another material such as a thermoplastic material
may also be
included in the stone panel 42. Examples of such man-made stone materials
include Silestone ,
Zodiaq , Cambria , Caesarstone , and AvoniteTM.
[00501 While the stone panel 42 is preferablyused in the illustrated whole
form, it is also
within the ambit of the present invention where the panel 42 is subsequently
trimmed, e.g., to
use only a portion of the panel 42 in a given application. Furthermore, the
stone panel 42 is
configured for use in various kitchen or furniture applications, e.g., as a
countertop, a door,
cabinet structure, trim, chair rail, or crown molding. Also, the illustrated
body stone 44 is
preferably unitary and preferably includes a substantially constant thickness,
but it is also
consistent with the principles of the present invention where the body stone
44 includes multiple
pieces or components. The stone panel 42 preferably presents a panel thickness
in the range of
about one (1) centimeter to about one (1) foot, but it is within the scope of
the present invention
to have a panel thickness outside of this range.
[00511 Turning to FIGS. 1-6, the preferred machining tool 40 is designated as
Automatic
Vertical Edge Polishing Machine, Model LCT 522 CAI, manufactured by Marmo
Meccanica
SPA of Jesi, Italy. However, it is within the ambit of the present invention
where other types
of stone machining tools are used to machine the stone panel 42. For instance,
a computer
controlled multi-axis machine could be used to machine the stone panel 42 and
additionally
would be suitable for machining multiple non-coaxial edges on a single stone
piece or a panel
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edge that is not straight, e.g., the endless edge of a rounded tabletop. The
illustrated machining
tool 40 is preferably used to shape and polish the stone panel 42. The stone
machining tool 40
broadly includes a chassis 50, a controller 52, a polishing assembly 54, a
shaping assembly 56,
a chamfering assembly 58, and a calibrating assembly 60.
[0052] The chassis 50 is operable to support the remainder of the machining
tool 40 and
to support the stone panel 42 during operation. The chassis 50 includes a
frame 62, sheet metal
covers 64 removably attached to the frame 62, and a panel conveying assembly
66. The frame
62 is substantially rigid and includes upright bulkheads 68 and a lateral
support 70 that are
interconnected with one another. The frame 62 also includes feet 72 for
bolting the machining
tool 40 to a floor (not shown).
[0053] As will be discussed further, the chassis 50 presents a longitudinal
trough 74 that
is operable to receive the stone panel 42 for machining. The frame 62 and
covers 64
cooperatively present a number ofbays 76,78,80,82 spaced along the
longitudinal trough 74 for
respectively receiving the polishing assembly 54, the shaping assembly 56, the
chamfering
assembly 58, and the calibrating assembly 60.
[0054] The frame 62 further includes fixed lateral roller assemblies 84 and
fixed upright
roller assemblies 86 for supporting the panel 42 during machine operation. The
lateral roller
assemblies 84 are spaced along and cooperatively define a lowermost margin of
the trough 74.
The upright roller assemblies 86 are spaced along and cooperatively define a
side margin of the
trough 74. The assemblies 84,86 each include a bracket 88 and a roller 90 that
is pivotally
attached to the bracket 88 by a fastener. The bracket 88 is attached to the
frame 62 with
additional fasteners.
[0055] The frame 62 also includes shiftable roller assemblies 92 for
supporting the panel
42 during machine operation. Each roller assembly 92 includes a U-shaped
roller bracket 94 and
a roller 96 pivotally attached to the bracket 94. Each roller assembly 92 also
includes inner and
outer telescopic tubes 98,100, with the inner tube 98 being fixed to the
bracket 94 and the outer
tube 100 being fixed to the support 70. The tubes 98,100 are interconnected by
a spring (not
shown) to urge the inner tube 98 in a direction outwardly from the outer tube
100. The shiftable
roller assemblies 92 are spaced along a side of the trough 74 opposite the
conveying assembly
66 and urge the panel 42 into contact with the conveying assembly 66. In this
manner, the roller
assemblies 92 cooperate with the conveying assembly 66 to preferably maintain
the panel 42 in
an upright position during operation.
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[00561 The panel conveying assembly 66 includes a conveyor frame 102 that
pivotally
supports opposite drums 104,106, with the drums 104,106 receiving an endless
conveyor belt
108 thereon. The panel conveying assembly 66 also includes a conveyor drive
110 mounted on
the conveyor frame 102 and drivingly connected to the drum 104, with the drum
104 being
operable to power the endless conveyor belt 108. Preferably, the belt 108 is
configured to be
rotated at a speed that ranges from about six (6) meters per hour to about
thirty (30) meters per
hour. More preferably, the belt 108 is rotated at a speed of about eight (8)
meters per hour. The
belt 108 is powered to normally move the panel 42 from an entry end 112 of the
trough 74 to
an exit end 114 of the trough 74. The belt 108 and the upright roller
assemblies 86
cooperatively define an upright plane along which the belt 108 and upright
roller assemblies 86
support the panel 42. In other words, the conveying assembly 66 serves to keep
the panel 42
aligned along the upright plane. Furthermore, the upright plane serves as a
datum for setting the
position of the various machining assemblies 54,56,58,60 relative to the
chassis 50.
100571 The controller 52 is positioned adjacent the exit end 114 of the
chassis 50 and
serves to control operation of the machining tool 40. The controller 52
includes, among other
things, a console 116 that provides an interface for controlling the conveying
assembly 66, as
well as the polishing assembly 54, the shaping assembly 56, the chamfering
assembly 58, and
the calibrating assembly 60.
[00581 Turning to FIGS. 5-8, the calibrating assembly 60 is positioned
adjacent the entry
end 112 and within bay 82. The calibrating assembly 60 includes a motor 118
and a calibrating
wheel 120 drivingly attached to a mandrel of the motor 118. The motor 118 is
shiftably attached
to the frame 62 by a bracket assembly 122 and is thereby operable to be
selectively positioned
relative to the trough 74. More particularly, the bracket assembly 122
includes a fixed bracket
124 and a movable bracket 126 that pivots relative to the fixed bracket 124
about a pivot axis
(not shown) through an angle of about ninety degrees. Thus, the calibrating
wheel 120 can be
positioned with a rotational axis thereof extending laterally as illustrated,
with the rotational axis
being substantially perpendicular to the upright datum plane. But the
calibrating wheel 120 can
also be pivoted about the pivot axis so that the rotational axis is
substantially parallel to or in
another non-perpendicular position relative to the datum plane. The bracket
assembly 122
includes linear bearings (not shown) that permit lateral movement of the
movable bracket 126
along an axis normal to the upright datum plane and vertical movement along a
vertical axis that
is parallel to the upright datum plane. Thus, the calibrating wheel 122 can
also be shifted
laterally and vertically into and out of the trough 74. The calibrating wheel
122 preferably has
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a diameter of about 25 cm, but could be larger or smaller. Preferably, the
motor 118 is operable
to rotate the calibrating wheel 122 at a speed of about 1400 rpm, but an
alternative speed can
be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0059] Turning to FIGS. 6, 17, and 18, the chamfering assembly 58 is
positioned within
bay 80 and includes a pair of motors 128 and a pair of chamfering wheels 130
drivingly attached
to respective motors 128. The motors 128 are attached to the frame 62 by a
bracket assembly
132. The wheels 130 are preferably positioned so that the rotational axes of
the wheels 130 are
substantially perpendicular to one another. Furthermore, the wheels 130 are
preferably
positioned so that the rotational axes are angularly offset from the upright
datum plane at an
angle of about 45 degrees when measured about a lateral axis extending
parallel to the datum
plane. However, the wheels 130 could be alternatively positioned relative to
one another or
relative to the upright datum plane without departing from the scope of the
present invention.
The chamfering wheels 130 are positionable along a vertical direction for
movement into and
out of the trough 74 by a pneumatic actuator (not shown).
[0060] Turning to FIGS. 14-16, 22, and 23, the polishing assembly 54 is
positioned
within bay 76 and includes motors 134 and polishing wheels 136 each drivingly
attached to a
mandrel of the respective motor 134. The motors 134 are mounted in a shiftable
mounting block
138 so as to be fixed relative to one another. The shiftable mounting block
138 is attached to
the frame 62 by a pivotal linkage 140 and by bearings 142. As will be
discussed further, the
linkage 140 permits the mounting block 138 to rotate through an angle of about
172 degrees.
[0061] Turning to FIGS. 19-21, the shaping assembly 56 is positioned within
bay 78 and
includes a motor 144 and a shaping wheel 146 drivingly attached to the motor
144. The motor
144 includes a motor body 148, a rotatable mandrel 150, and a nut 152. The
shaping wheel 146
is secured onto the mandrel 150 by the nut 152. The motor 144 is attached to
the frame 62 by
a bracket assembly 154. The bracket assembly 154 includes a fixed bracket 156
that is attached
to the frame 62, a shiftable bracket 158 that is connected to the fixed
bracket 156 by a pair of
rods 160 and linear bearings 162, and a flange 164 that is connected to the
shiftable bracket 158
by upright posts 166. The flange 164 is secured to the motor body 148 by
fasteners.
[0062] The shaping wheel 146 is shiftable laterally and vertically relative to
the upright
datum plane. In particular, the linear bearings 162 permit lateral movement
into and out of the
trough 74 in a direction normal to the upright datum plane. The illustrated
bracket assembly 154
also permits vertical movement of the shaping wheel 146 into and out of the
trough 74. The
shaping wheel 146 is preferably positioned so that the rotational axis of the
mandrel 150 is
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perpendicular to the upright datum plane. The motor 144 preferably rotates at
about 1400 rpm,
but could rotate faster or slower without departing from the scope of the
present invention. The
illustrated shaping wheel 146 is a segmented bullnose wheel. But the
principles of the present
invention are applicable where other types of wheels are used for shaping the
stone 42, as will
be discussed. Additional preferred details of the illustrated machining tool
40 are disclosed in
a manual entitled INSTRUCTION BOOKLET, prepared by Marmo Meccanica SPA, dated
January 2007; in a manual entitled CATOLOGO RICAMBI, prepared by Marmo
Meccanica
SPA, dated November 1998; and in a marketing brochure entitled LCT - EDGE
POLISHING
MACHINE, prepared by Marmo Meccanica SPA, all of which are hereby incorporated
by
reference in their entirety herein.
100631 Turning to FIGS. 9-12, 33, and 34, a groove-cutting blade assembly 168
is
operable to be installed on the mandrel 150 for cutting the groove 48. The
illustrated blade
assembly 168 includes three (3) blades 170 arranged side-by-side and secured
onto the mandrel
150 with opposite plates 172, bushing 174, and washer 176. Each blade 170 is
preferably a
segmented ten (10) inch diameter diamond-tipped saw blade. More preferably,
the illustrated
blade 170 is designated Segmented Blade for Granite, Stock No. 118494,
manufactured by
Diarex and supplied by GranQuartz of Tucker, Georgia. The blade 170 is
unitary and
includes a blade body, with an outermost arcuate blade perimeter 178, and a
diamond layer 180
extending along the perimeter 178. The blade 170 presents uniformly spaced
apart notches 182
and further includes blade edge segments 184 spaced between respective pairs
of adjacent
notches 182. The blade 170 presents a blade width 186 along the perimeter 178,
the notches 182
each present a notch length 188, and the segments 184 each present a segment
length 190.
Preferably, the segment length 190 is longer than the notch length 188. Also,
the blades 170
cooperatively define a blade assembly width 192. Preferably, the blade
assembly width 192 is
longer than the notch length 188. Each of the blades 170 are preferably formed
with an arbor
hole with a diameter of about 50 millimeters, with the arbor hole receiving
the bushing 174. The
bushing 174 preferably includes an outermost diameter of about 50 millimeters
and an innermost
diameter of about 35 millimeters, but the bushing 174 could be alternatively
sized. The bushing
174 is preferably made of brass, but could be made of other materials. The
bushing 174 is
snugly received within each of the blades 170 when the blade assembly 168 is
installed.
[00641 Turning to FIGS. 24-26, the stone panel 42 includes the body stone 44
and inlay
stone 46 as described above. The groove 48 preferably presents opposite
interior side surfaces
194 and an interior bottom surface 196 to form a substantially rectangular
groove profile, with
CA 02670324 2009-06-26
the body stone 44 also presenting a finished exterior top surface 198. The
groove 48 also
presents a width defined as the distance from one interior side surface 194 to
the other, and a
depth defined along one of the side surfaces 194 from the interior bottom
surface 196 to the
exterior top surface 198. But the principles of the present invention are
equally applicable where
the groove 48 presents the side surfaces 194 while having an alternative
profile shape, e.g. a
trapezoid shape or a rectangular shape with a rounded bottom surface. While
each of the
illustrated side surfaces 194 are preferably substantially flat, it is also
within the scope of the
present invention for the side surfaces 194 to be arcuate or to have another
non-flat shape.
Furthermore, the groove profile preferably remains substantially constant
along an edge axis of
the stone panel 42.
[00651 The inlay stone 46 presents a substantially rectangular profile, with
the inlay
stone 46 including a finished exterior top inlay surface 200, opposite
interior side surfaces 202,
and an interior bottom surface 204 to form the substantially rectangular inlay
profile. The inlay
stone 46 also presents a width defined as the distance from one interior side
surface 202 to the
other, and a depth defined along one of the side surfaces 202 from the
interior bottom surface
204 to the exterior top inlay surface 202. However, the principles of the
present invention are
equally applicable where the inlay stone 46 presents the side surfaces 202
while having an
alternative profile shape, e.g. a trapezoid shape or a rectangular shape with
a rounded bottom
surface. While each of the illustrated side surfaces 202 are preferably
substantially flat, it is also
within the scope of the present invention for the side surfaces 202 to be
arcuate or to have
another non-flat shape. Furthermore, the inlay profile preferably remains
substantially constant
along an inlay axis of the inlay stone 46. The illustrated inlay stone 46
includes a very thin
width that is preferably about one-quarter of an inch, but the principles of
the present invention
are applicable where the inlay width is thinner or thicker.
[00661 With the stones 44,46 being assembled and finished to provide the stone
panel
42, the inlay stone 46 is inserted within the groove 48, with the body stone
44 and inlay stone
46 cooperatively forming an inlaid margin of the stone panel 42. Furthermore,
the exterior
surfaces 198,200 cooperatively present a finished layered edge surface with a
flat polish profile.
As will be described in subsequent embodiments, it is entirely within the
scope of the present
invention where the stone panel 42 has an alternative profile that presents
one or more shapes.
For instance, the profile may include traditional architectural shapes such as
cavetto, ovolo,
cyma, ogee, or combinations thereof.
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[0067] Preferably, the inlay stone 46 exhibits a frictional fit within the
body stone 44,
i.e., abutting, frictional engagement occurs between the mating pairs of side
surfaces 194,202
as the inlay stone 46 is fully inserted into the groove 48, with the inlay
stone 46 and groove 48
having substantially complementally shaped profiles. Preferably, the inlay
width and the
corresponding width of the groove 48 are both machined to their final
dimensions, with a
tolerance preferably of less than about 0.010 inches. Furthermore, each of the
mating pairs of
side surfaces 194,202 preferably present a gap that is less than about 0.050
inches thick. It has
been observed that the close tolerances of inlay width and groove width
discussed above permit
the stones 44,46 to be made so that this frictional fit is possible.
Unexpectedly, it has also been
observed that such a close fit limits chipping of the stones 44,46 as the
finished layered edge
surface is formed. In particular, the relatively thin inlay stone 46, like
other thin stone layers or
veneers, is often subject to substantial chipping when machined. But the
illustrated combination
of stones 44,46 has been found to unexpectedly reduce the instances of
chipping.
[0068] It has also been determined that surface roughness also contributes to
the desired
fit between the stones 44,46. Preferably, the interior side surfaces 194,202
also include an RMS
average surface roughness of 32 microinches or rougher. However, the
principles of the present
invention are applicable where side surfaces 194,202 present an RMS average
surface roughness
that is smoother than 32 microinches. Preferably, the inlay stone 46 of the
finished panel is
finished so that the depth is longer than the width to provide the desired
frictional fit. However,
the depth could be shorter than the width without departing from the scope of
the present
invention.
[0069] An adhesive 206 resides between the stones 44,46 and interconnects side
surfaces
194,202 and bottom surfaces 196,204 (see FIG. 24). Preferably, the adhesive
206 is an epoxy
adhesive that is suitable for bonding stone surfaces to one another and that
cures quickly. More
preferably, the adhesive 206 includes a two-part, polyester-based epoxy
designated "Marble
Filler 1000," which is manufactured by AKEMI GmbH of Nurembourg, Germany.
However,
it is within the scope ofthe present invention to use other adhesives, e.g., a
UV curable adhesive
or a heat-activated adhesive. The illustrated adhesive 206 also preferably
includes a colored
paste for giving the adhesive 206 a predetermined color.
[0070] While the illustrated panel 42 preferably only includes the inlay stone
46 and
adhesive 206 positioned within the groove 48, the principles of the present
invention are
applicable where other materials are secured in the groove 48. Also, the
finished layered edge
surface preferably presents a flat polish profile with the profile extending
along a substantially
12
CA 02670324 2009-06-26
straight edge of the edge surface. However, the principles of the present
invention are applicable
where the profile extends along a non-linear edge, e.g., the arcuate edge of
an oval shaped
tabletop.
[00711 Turning again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the stone panel 42 is manufactured by
initially
machining the body stone 44 and the inlay stone 46. The body stone 44 and
inlay stone 46 are
normally cut from slabs or panels, whether the material is natural or man-
made, using a bridge
saw 208 (see FIG. 13). However, it is also within the ambit of the present
invention for the
stones 44,46 to be formed using other devices. For instance, another preferred
device to trim
the inlay stone 46 to the desired thickness, i.e., the distance from one side
surface 202 to the
other, is a drum grinder. The illustrated bridge saw 208 is conventional and
includes a powered
saw 210 slidably mounted on a beam 212 for making substantially straight cuts.
100721 Turning to FIGS. 9 and 10, the body stone 44 is then further machined
to form
the groove 48. One of a pair of roller tables 214 serve to support the body
stone 44 as it enters
the machining tool 40 (see FIG. 2). The stone panel 42 presents opposite
finished and
unfinished sides 216,218, where the finished side 216 is substantially planar.
However, the
principles of the present invention are applicable where both sides 216,218
are finished or
unfinished. As the body stone 44 is fed into the machining tool 40, the
finished side 216 is
positioned in contact with the endless belt 108 so that the belt 108 grabs the
finished side 216
and pulls the body stone 44 through the trough 74 from the entry end 112 to
the exit end 114
(see FIG. 12). As the body stone 44 is fed through the trough 74, roller
assemblies 84 and 86
provide vertical and lateral support, respectively. The shiftable roller
assemblies 92 also urge
the stone panel 42 into engagement with the endless belt 108.
[00731 Turning to FIGS. 7 and 8, the calibrating assembly 60 is preferably
operated to
remove some material from the unfinished side 218. In this manner, any
variations in thickness
of the body stone 44 adjacent the panel edge can be removed by machining away
a thin layer of
material. But the principles of the present invention are also applicable
where the calibrating
assembly 60 is not used to machine the body stone 44, e.g., where any
thickness variations are
negligible.
[0074] Turning again to FIGS. 9-12, the groove 48 is machined into the body
stone 44
by first installing the blade assembly 168 onto the mandrel 150 and then by
turning on the
shaping assembly 56 and simultaneously feeding the body stone 44 through the
trough 74. The
illustrated blade assembly 168 is operable to cut the rectangular groove
profile along an
unfinished exterior edge surface 220, with the groove 48 substantially
bisecting the edge surface
13
CA 02670324 2009-06-26
220 (see FIG. 24). While the groove 48 is preferably cut in a single cutting
pass with the
machine 40, the groove 48 could be cut in multiple cutting passes without
departing from the
scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the blade assembly 168 could be
configured to cut
an alternatively shaped groove or more than one groove.
[00751 The inlay stone 46 presents the side surfaces 194, the bottom surface
196, and,
initially, the unfinished exterior edge surface 220. Prior to assembling the
stones 44,46, water
and other impurities are removed from the unfinished exterior edge surface 220
and from within
the groove 48. To assemble the stones 44,46, the adhesive 206 is applied to
the interior surfaces
194,196 (see FIG. 24). With the inlay stone 46 fully received within the
groove 48, the bottom
surfaces 196,204 are preferably positioned adjacent to one another, with
adhesive 206 being
received therebetween (see FIG. 25). Adhesive 206 is also received between
each pair of mating
side surfaces 194,202. Before any machining of the adhered stones 44,46, the
depth of the inlay
stone 46 is greater than the groove depth so that an excess part 222 of the
inlay stone 46 projects
outwardly from the unfinished exterior edge surface 192. In this manner, the
disclosed structure
and method does not require precise matching of inlay depth and groove depth
prior to assembly
of the stones 44,46, although the depths could be substantially matched with
one another so that
substantially no excess part 222 is formed.
[00761 Turning to FIG. 13, the combined stones 44,46 are positioned on the
bridge saw
208 so that the excess part 222 can be cut from the inlaid margin of the
stones 44,46. Although
part of only the inlay stone 46 is removed in the illustrated embodiment, it
is within the scope
of the present invention to remove part of both stones 44,46 from the inlaid
margin in order to
leave a substantially flat edge surface of the panel 42. It has been
determined that removal of
the excess part 222 unexpectedly serves to limit any chipping of the stones
44,46 during
subsequent shaping or polishing operations as will be discussed below. In
particular, it has been
found that instances of chipping of the stone panel 42 are reduced by removing
any excess part
222 prior to subsequent machining. Such chipping is difficult to avoid,
particularly with natural
stones, but the disclosed method results in lower than normal incidences of
chipping. While the
bridge saw 208 is preferred for removing the excess part 222, the principles
of the present
invention are applicable where another machine, such as a drum grinder, is
used to remove the
excess part 222.
[00771 Turning to FIGS. 14-16, the stones 44,46 are polished by the polishing
assembly
54 to provide the finished layered edge surface of the stone panel 42.
Preferably, the polishing
assembly 54 operates to pivot the block 138 slightly through an oscillating
pivotal movement
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CA 02670324 2009-06-26
as the wheels 136 rotate and the stone panel 42 is fed through the machine 40.
It has been
determined that such oscillation results in a desirable polished finish.
[0078] Turning to FIGS. 27-36, alternative preferred embodiments of the
present
invention are depicted. For the purpose of brevity, the remaining description
will focus
primarily on the differences of these alternative embodiments from the
preferred embodiment
described above.
[0079] Turning to FIG. 27, an alternative stone panel 300 is constructed in
accordance
with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. The alternative
stone panel 300
presents a chamfered edge profile and includes a body stone 302 and an inlay
stone 304. The
body stone 302 includes a groove 306 and presents finished and unfinished
sides 308,310. The
groove 306 preferably presents opposite interior side surfaces 312 and an
interior bottom surface
314 to form a substantially rectangular groove profile, with the body stone
302 also presenting
a finished exterior top surface 316. The finished exterior top surface 316
includes a flat portion
318 that is about perpendicular to the sides 308,310 and chamfered portions
320 that are spaced
between the flat portion 318 and respective ones of the sides 308,310. Each of
the chamfered
portions 320 are angled relative to the flat portion 318 to form an exterior
angle therebetween,
i.e., an angle formed exteriorly between two adjacent sides, of about 225
degrees. However, it
is within the ambit of the present invention where the chamfered portions 320
are oriented at a
different angle relative to the flat portion 318.
[0080] The stone panel 300 is machined using manufacturing steps similar to
those
depicted for the stone panel 42. Once the inlay stone 304 is adhered within
the groove 306 and
an excess portion (not shown) of the inlay stone 304 is removed, the stone
panel 300 is
machined to produce the chamfered surface portions 320. In particular, the
chamfering assembly
58 is configured to chamfer the stone panel 300 (see FIGS. 17 and 18). The
stone panel 300 is
then polished with the polishing assembly 54 to provide a finished layered
edge surface.
[0081] Turning to FIG. 28, an alternative stone panel 400 is constructed in
accordance
with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. The alternative
stone panel 400
presents a bullnose edge profile and includes a body stone 402 and an inlay
stone 404. The body
stone 402 includes a groove 406 and presents finished and unfinished sides
408,410. The
groove 406 preferably presents opposite interior side surfaces 412 and an
interior bottom surface
414 to form a substantially rectangular groove profile, with the body stone
402 also presenting
a finished exterior top surface 416. The inlay stone 404 also presents a
finished exterior top
CA 02670324 2009-06-26
inlay surface 418. The surfaces 416,418 are machined to cooperatively present
a finished
layered edge surface with the bullnose profile.
[00821 The stone panel 400 is machined using manufacturing steps similar to
those
depicted for the stone panel 42. Once the inlay stone 404 is adhered within
the groove 406 and
an excess portion (not shown) of the inlay stone 404 is removed, the stone
panel 400 is
preferably chamfered similarly to the stone panel 300. However, the principles
of the present
invention are applicable where the stone panel 400 is not chamfered. Then, the
chamfered panel
edge is machined to produce the bullnose profile. In particular, the shaping
assembly 56 is
configured to use the shaping wheel 146 to cut the bullnose shape along the
edge of the stone
panel 400 (see FIGS. 19-21). Also, a single pass of the stone panel 400 along
the shaping wheel
146 is preferred for forming the bullnose shape, but additional passes along
the shaping wheel
146 can be performed. The stone panel 400 is then polished with the polishing
assembly 54 to
provide the finished layered edge surface (see FIGS. 22 and 23).
[00831 Turning to FIG. 29, an alternative stone panel 500 is constructed in
accordance
with a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. The alternative
stone panel 500
presents a flat polish edge profile similar to stone panel 42 and includes a
body stone 502, a first
inlay stone 504, and a second inlay stone 506. The body stone 502 includes a
groove 508 with
a substantially rectangular groove profile. The first inlay stone 504 includes
an inlay groove
510. The groove 508 receives the first inlay stone 504 and the inlay groove
510 receives the
second inlay stone 506, with the inlay stones 504,506 preferably extending
substantially parallel
to one another. In this manner, the stone panel 500 presents a finished
layered edge surface that
includes five layers.
[00841 Turning to FIG. 30, an alternative stone panel 600 is constructed in
accordance
with a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention. The alternative
stone panel 600
presents a flat polish edge profile similar to stone panel 42, but with
rounded corner edges. The
stone panel 600 includes a body stone 602, a first inlay stone 604, and a
second inlay stone 606,
with the inlay stones 604,606 being spaced apart from one another. The body
stone 602 includes
a pair of grooves 608 with each having a substantially rectangular groove
profile. The grooves
608 preferably extend substantially parallel to one another. Each groove 608
receives a
respective one of the inlay stones 604,606. In this manner, the stone panel
600 presents a
finished layered edge surface that includes five layers.
[00851 Turning to FIG. 31, an alternative stone panel 700 is constructed in
accordance
with a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention. The alternative
stone panel 700
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CA 02670324 2009-06-26
presents a chamfered edge profile similar to stone panel 300. The stone panel
700 includes a
body stone 702 and an inlay stone 704. The body stone 702 includes first and
second body
portions 706,708. The body stone 702 includes a groove 710 that extends
completely through
the second body portion 708 and into the first body portion 706, with the
groove 710 receiving
the inlay stone 704.
[0086] Turning to FIG, 32, an alternative stone panel 800 is constructed in
accordance
with a seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention. The alternative
stone panel 800
presents a triple-pencil edge profile. The stone panel 800 includes a body
stone 802 and an inlay
stone 804. The body stone 802 includes a groove 806 that receives the inlay
stone 804. The
stones 802,804 cooperatively present a finished layered edge surface with the
triple-pencil
profile.
[0087] Turning to FIG. 34a, an alternative blade assembly 900 is constructed
in
accordance with an eighth preferred embodiment of the present invention. The
alternative blade
assembly 900 includes blades 902 that each include an outermost perimeter 904
and a central
uncoated portion 906, with a diamond coating (not shown) extending along the
perimeter 904.
The blades 902 are constructed so that each uncoated portion 906 is in contact
with respective
adjacent portions 906.
[0088] Turning to FIGS. 35 and 36, an alternative blade assembly 1000 is
constructed
in accordance with a ninth preferred embodiment of the present invention. The
alternative blade
assembly 1000 includes a single blade 1002 and a bushing 1004. The single
blade 1002 has an
outermost perimeter 1006 and a central uncoated portion 1008 with an arbor
hole 1010. The
bushing is received within the hole 1010.
[0089] The preferred forms of the invention described above are to be used as
illustration
only, and should not be utilized in a limiting sense in interpreting the scope
of the present
invention. Obvious modifications to the exemplary embodiments, as hereinabove
set forth,
could be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the
spirit of the present
invention.
[0090] The inventor hereby states his intent to rely on the Doctrine of
Equivalents to
determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of the present invention as
pertains to any
apparatus not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the
invention as set forth
in the following claims.
17
