Abstract:
The present invention provides a cutting machine for stone materials having a power head part, a bedplate, a frame for supporting the bedplate and a basin disposed under the frame. The present invention may also have an expanded basin disposed outside of the basin and a water-retaining device with an upward slope angle may be arranged on the expanded basin to block splashed muddy water in a multi-directional manner during a cutting operation.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to CN 201020150067.0, filed Mar. 26, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a cutting machine, more specifically to a cutting machine for cutting stone materials. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Typically, a cutting machine for stone materials comprises a power head part, a bedplate, a frame for supporting the bedplate and a basin disposed under the frame. The frame is equipped with a guide rail for the bedplate to slide on. When performing a cutting operation, a work piece to be cut is placed on the bedplate and the bedplate is then moved toward the power head part to perform the cutting operation. The basin has a bottom surface and an upright wall around the periphery of the bottom surface, and receives water therein such that dust and noise pollution during the cutting operation is decreased and is therefore beneficial in protecting the environment and the workers&#39; health. At the same time, the water in the basin also is used to lubricate, cool and decontaminate the saw blade of the power head part to increase the usable life of the cutting tool. In order to further maintain the cleanliness of the environment while not increasing the surface area of the basin, an expanded basin may be provided at a separate position out of the basin. The expanded basin of the cutting machine for stone materials in the prior art extends horizontally in a certain direction or around the circumference of the main basin for receiving water drops or water fog that is splattered out of the main basin. Generally, the orientation of the expanded basin is in accordance with that of the bedplate and is immovable relative to the bedplate. Due to the limitation of assembled angle and size of the expanded basin, the ability to receive the splashed polluted water is poor, which results in pollution of the working environment. To reduce the splashed water, it is generally desired to have a larger expanded basin or to add other devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In an effort to address the deficiencies identified above in the prior art, the present invention provides a cutting machine for stone materials with an expanded basin. The improved expanded basin has a small surface area and can block the splashed polluted water in a multi-directional and tridimensional manner during the cutting operation to keep the working environment clean. The present invention provides a cutting machine for stone materials having a power head part, a bedplate, a frame for supporting the bedplate and a basin disposed under the frame. The cutting machine also may have an expanded basin disposed outside of the basin and a water-retaining device with an upward slope angle arranged on the expanded basin. The expanded basin may have a first connection part connected to one of the frame and the basin. And the expanded basin may also have second connection part which may be substantially perpendicular to the first connection part and may be connected to the other of the frame and the basin when the first connection part is connected to one of them. 
     Also, either the second connection part or the first connection part may be moveable between a first position and a second position and the first connection part or the second connection part may be located on the frame or the basin connected therewith. The water-retaining device may have a water-retaining plate of which a first end may be movably connected with the expanded basin and the water-retaining device may also have an elastic element acting on the water-retaining plate which may enable a second end of the water-retaining plate be positioned upward and away from the expanded basin. 
     The water-retaining device of the present invention may further have a central axle for connecting the first end of the water-retaining plate and the elastic element to the expanded basin. It may also have a bend portion which is substantially perpendicular to the body of the central axle arranged on one end of the central axle for locking, and a groove receiving the bend portion arranged in the expanded basin. A hollow portion may also be formed on the expanded basin by removing a portion from the expanded basin and may be located within an area of orthographic projection of the water-retaining plate on the expanded basin. 
     Incorporating the above elements, the present invention may result in a water-retaining device with an upward slope angle arranged on the expanded basin, which can block splashed muddy water in a multi-directional manner during cutting operation, and at the same time does not influence the operation for cutting workpiece since the workpiece can automatically keep a distance when it touches the water-retaining device. It may also provide a first connection part and a second connection part arranged on the expanded basin which can be used for connecting with one of the frame and the basin respectively, such that the expanded basin is mounted fixedly and firmly. The first connection part may be substantially perpendicular to the second connection part, so that the frame and the basin respectively bear forces from the different directions of the expanded basin and the forces are uniform. Further, the second connection part or the first connection part may be moveable between the first position and the second position, and correspondingly the first connection part or the second connection part may be located on the frame or the basin connected therewith, which can block the splashed muddy water in multiple directions during a cutting operation. Finally, a hollow portion may be formed on the expanded basin by removing a portion of the material of the expanded basin and may be located within an area of orthographic projection of the water-retaining plate on the expanded basin, which can decrease weight of the expanded basin, reduce the materials used and diminish cost. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a cutting machine for stone materials according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial view of the basin of the cutting machine for stone materials of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial view of the frame of the cutting machine for stone materials of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial enlarged view showing the connection between the expanded basin and the frame of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic exploded view showing the expanded basin equipped with the water-retaining device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the sliding bar sleeve mounted on the guide rail of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view showing the refilling device arranged on the sliding bar sleeve. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , it is a schematic view of the cutting machine for stone materials according to the present invention. The cutting machine  10  comprises a bedplate  11 , a guide rail  14 , a frame  15 , a basin  16 , an expanded basin  17  and a cutting device  20 . The basin  16  is disposed under the frame  15  and serves as a support for the frame  15 . Two sides of the frame  15  are respectively equipped with guide rails  14  parallel with each other. The bedplate  11  for supporting the work piece to be cut is disposed on the frame  15  and supported thereon. The bedplate  11  is mounted on the guide rails  14  so as to be slidable along the guide rails. The sliding direction thereof is shown as a double-headed arrow D in  FIG. 1 . The cutting device  20  is fixed to the guide rail on one side of the frame  15  via a supporting arm, and comprises a motor  23 , a saw blade  21  and a saw blade protection device  22 . The cutting function of the saw blade  21  can be implemented with the rotation of the saw blade  21  driven by the rotation of the motor  23 . The cutting direction of the saw blade  21  is parallel to the sliding direction of the bedplate  11  on the guide rails  14 . The expanded basin  17  is mounted outside of the basin  16  for blocking and receiving muddy water displaced from the basin  16  during cutting operation so as to keep the environment clean. A water-retaining device  30  is arranged on the expanded basin  17  and has an upward slope angle α with respect to the workbench surface of the bedplate  11 . During the operation of the cutting machine  10 , the upward water-retaining device  30  blocks the muddy water displaced by the rotation of the saw blade  21  of the machine. When the bedplate  11  moves towards the cutting device  20  and towards the upward position of the water-retaining device  30 , the bedplate  11  can automatically pull and press the upward water-retaining device  30  downward so as not to influence the operation of the cutting machine  10 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the expanded basin  17  according to the present invention has a first connection part  171  which is a protruding straight pin extending from the side of the expanded basin and connected to the frame  15 . The frame  15  is arranged with a hole  151  to engage with the protruding straight pin. Certainly, a person skilled in the art can readily realize that the structure engaged with the protruding straight pin can also be a groove arranged in the frame  15  instead of the above hole  151 . Additionally, the first connection part  171  can also be connected with the basin  16  so as to be mounted in place. To assemble and position the expanded basin  17  and to ensure the reliable actual cutting operation of the machine, the expanded basin  17  according to the present invention further comprises a second connection part  172  that is a projection protruding from the bottom of the expanded basin  17  and is substantially perpendicular to the above first connection part  171 . The basin  16  is arranged with a groove  161  to mate with the projection. Certainly, it can be readily realized for a person skilled in the art that the structure mated with the projection can also be a hole arranged in the basin  16  instead of the above groove  161 . Additionally, the second connection part  172  can also be connected with the frame  15  or the basin  16  separately so as to be mounted in place. In short, when the first connection part  171  is connected to one of the frame  15  and the basin  16 , the second connection part  172  is connected to the other of the frame  15  and basin  16 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the same installation mode of the expanded basin  17  according to the present invention has multiple installation positions so as to ensure the best position and retaining qualities. The implementation method thereof is that two or several groups of locating holes  151  or grooves for mating with the straight pin on the expanded basin  17  are located on the main frame  15 . The groove  161  or hole in the basin  16  for fixing the expanded basin  17  is an elongated waist groove or waist hole, and the groove  161  has a certain length such that the projection is moveable between a first position  162  and a second position  163  of the groove  161 . Therefore, it is provided that the projection on the expanded basin  17  always falls within the groove  161  of the basin when the expanded basin  17  is located in the different groups of holes  151  on the frame  15 , so that the function of the expanded basin for moving forth and back is still efficient. The expanded basin can be made smaller by adjusting the installation positions thereof. 
     It will be known from the above contents by combining with common knowledge in this art that the connection structures for connecting the expanded basin  17  to the frame  15  and the basin  16  can be interchanged so as to obtain the same function with multiple installation positions. Thus, it can be said that the second connection part  172  or the first connection part  171  can be moveable between the first position and the second position, and correspondingly, the first connection part  171  or the second connection part  172  is located on the frame  15  or the basin  16  connected therewith. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , it is a schematic exploded view showing the expanded basin equipped with the water-retaining device of the cutting machine for stone materials. The water-retaining device  30  comprises a water-retaining plate  31  having a first end  311  and a second end  312 , an elastic element  32  and a central axle  33 , wherein the central axle  33  passes through a mounting hole in the expanded basin  17 , a central hole of the elastic element and a hole in the first end  311  one by one to connect the first end  311  of the water-retaining plate and the elastic element  32  to the expanded basin  17 . At the same time, under the action of the elastic element, the second end  312  of the water-retaining plate tends upwardly away from the expanded basin  17 . 
     A bend portion  331  used for locking is arranged at one end of the central axle  33  of the present invention and is substantially perpendicular to the body of the central axle. At the same time, a groove  174  for receiving the bend portion is arranged on the expanded basin. After assembling the central axle, the central axle can rotate 90° to be latched in the corresponding groove  174  of the expanded basin  17  so that locking of the central axle can be obtained without requirement of nut, clamp spring or other fastening means. In so doing, it simplifies assembly and reduces parts. 
     The expanded basin  17  of the present invention is configured to form a hollow portion  173  by removing a portion of the material from the expanded basin disposed within the orthographic projection area of the water-retaining plate  31  on the expanded basin  17 . This can decrease the weight of the expanded basin, save materials and reduce costs. 
     The present invention also discloses a fill loading system for lubricating the guide rails of a cutting machine for stone materials. Generally, the types of the guide rails of the cutting machine for stone materials are classified as rolling and sliding. The sliding type usually utilizes the engagement between sliding axle and bearing, and a large amount of pollution will enter into the bearing without protection, which causes the movement of the bearing to be blocked or the cutting operation of the machine to be failed. It can also cause the resistance of movement to be increased and the cutting operation to be difficult even for the bearing with protection because of the consuming of lubricant. Therefore, it becomes essential to refill the guide rails. On the one hand, it removes existing pollution, and on the other hand, it increases lubrication so as to enable the cutting operation to be smooth. Currently, a device composed of a screw and an auxiliary knob can be used for refilling the guide rails of cutting machine. When refilling the cutting machine, the knob is rotated to be opened firstly and then engine oil is injected so as to finish the refilling. Finally the knob is rotated to be closed. However, the knob is easily lost and the operation steps thereof are complicated. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the sliding bar sleeve  13  is mounted around the guide rails via a central sliding hole  18  thereof, and a filling device  12  comprising an oil cup and an oil can with a sharp nose is arranged on the sliding bar sleeve. The structure of the oil cup comprises a spring  123  arranged within the shell  121  of the oil cup and a steel ball  122  placed on the spring  123 . When filling, the sharp nose of the oil can abuts against the steel ball of the oil cup, then the oil can is inserted by exerting a little force and the suitable amount of the oil is squeezed thereinto, and finally the oil can is pulled out after finishing the filling. 
     The embodiments described above are only explanatory for the concepts and principles of the invention without limitation to the contents of the invention. Various changes and modifications of the embodiments should be considered within the scope of the present application will obviously occur to a person skilled in the art.