Patent Abstract:
The invention relates to a finishing device for floors made of hardenable material which comprises a frame, at least one rotating tool ( 2 ) connected thereto and provided with at least two arms ( 12 ) upon each of which a blade ( 13 ) is fixed, and a driving mechanism, provided on the frame, for driving the tool ( 2 ). The blade ( 13 ) is fixed to an arm ( 12 ) of the tool ( 2 ) by means of a connection ( 14 ) with at least two parts ( 23,24 ) which can be adjusted in respect to each other in the longitudinal direction of the arm ( 12 ), the first part ( 23 ) of which is mounted on the blade ( 13 ) and the second part (24) is connected to the arm ( 12 ) by means of connecting means ( 25, 33 - 34 ) and can be fixedly clamped onto this first part ( 23 ).

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to a finishing device for floors made of hardenable material, in particular concrete or mortar, which device comprises a frame, at least one rotating tool connected thereto and provided with at least two arms upon each of which a blade is fixed, and a driving mechanism, provided on the frame, for driving the tool.  
           [0003]    2. Discussion of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Such finishing devices are applied for processing particles, such as quartz particles, into poured and still soft hardenable material, for leveling the hardenable material previous to the complete hardening thereof, or for polishing the material during hardening.  
           [0005]    In known finishing devices of this kind, a beam is attached to the upper side of each blade, mostly riveted into place, and the blade is fixed to an arm of the tool by means of screws or bolts which are screwed through the arm into the beam.  
           [0006]    In order to replace or exchange a blade, the screws or bolts must be completely screwed off the beam, which is time-consuming.  
           [0007]    Mostly, three openings are provided in the beam, of which only two are used for fixation to an arm, whereby these openings can be different, depending on whether the arm is short or long.  
           [0008]    Especially in the case of a short arm, there are openings which remain free and into which cement and other dirt may penetrate.  
           [0009]    For a short arm, in fact, bolts are screwed into the central and one of the two outer openings. Into the third opening, cement or other dirt may penetrate, such that, when one wants to attach the blade to the arm in another position, to wit in the position in which said third opening of the beam is situated the most outward, it will become difficult to screw a bolt into this dirty third opening and, therefore, the fixation of the beam at the arm is difficult or impossible.  
           [0010]    Moreover, the position of the beam, and therefore also of the blade, is fixed in respect to the arm.  
           [0011]    For finishing the borders, mostly another finishing device is used than for finishing the central surfaces, and up to now, two different finishing devices are used to this end.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    The invention aims at a finishing device for floors made of hardenable material which does not have these disadvantages and whereby the blades can be replaced or exchanged in a fast and simple manner and the blades can be fixed in an adjustable manner in respect to the arms, such that it is also possible to provide different types of blades in the same tool and the position of the blades can be chosen such that it is possible to perform the finishing very close to the walls, such that a special border-finishing device no longer is necessary.  
           [0013]    According to the invention, this aim is achieved in that the blade is fixed to an arm of the tool by means of a connection with at least two parts which can be adjusted in respect to each other in the longitudinal direction of the arm, the first part of which is mounted on the blade and the second part is connected to the arm by means of connecting means and can be fixedly clamped onto this first part.  
           [0014]    Preferably, the first part of the connection is an open-box profile extending parallel to the arm, whereas the second part is situated with at least a portion within the open-box profile.  
           [0015]    An open-box profile is a profile with a C-shaped cross-section which is open at both extremities.  
           [0016]    In a form of embodiment, the second part can be clamped onto the first part by means of the connecting means by which the second part is connected to the arm.  
           [0017]    These connecting means may comprise at least one screw or bolt which protrudes through the arm and is screwed into said second part, or may comprise at least one bolt which extends through the arm and through the second part and onto which a nut is screwed.  
           [0018]    The second part may be a beam fitting, with a play and in a movable manner, into the open-box profile, whereby, thus, parts of the open-box profile can be clamped between the beam and the arm by the connecting means.  
           [0019]    In another form of embodiment, this second part is formed by a portion of the connecting means themselves, and these connecting means consist, for example, of at least one bolt with a nut, whereby the bolt extends through the arm and through the slot into the open-box profile and either the head of the bolt, or the nut is situated within the open-box profile and forms the aforementioned second part.  
           [0020]    In the last case, this second part can be clamped on the first in that parts of the open-box profile are clamped between the beam and the head of the bolt, the nut, respectively, by screwing the nut onto the bolt.  
           [0021]    The invention also relates to a blade obviously destined for being used in the finishing device according to the invention described in the aforegoing and which is characterized in that a hollow profile, in particular an open-box profile, is attached thereupon. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]    With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, hereafter, as an example without any limiting character, a preferred form of embodiment of a finishing device and a blade used therewith according to the invention are represented, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a finishing device according to the invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 represents a portion of a tool from the finishing device of FIG. 1, drawn with the parts in exploded view;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3, at a larger scale, represents a cross-section according to line III-III in FIG. 2, but with the parts in mounted condition;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 4 represents a side view of an extremity of an arm with blade of the finishing device of the preceding figures;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 5 represents a cross-section analogous to that of FIG. 3, however, relating to another form of embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0028]    As represented in FIG. 1, the finishing device according to the invention substantially consists of a frame  1 , one or more, in the example two, rotating tools  2  provided thereupon, and a driving mechanism  3  for synchronously driving said tools  2 .  
         [0029]    The driving mechanism  3  consists of a driving motor  4  driving a pump  5  with a variable flow rate which forms part of a hydraulic circuit  6  in which a liquid reservoir  7  is provided as well as a hydromotor  8  which drives the two tools  2  by means of two reduction boxes  9 , each having a vertical shaft and coupled to each other by means of a mechanical universal coupling.  
         [0030]    The liquid reservoir  7  is fixed to the frame  1  which below comprises a bordering  10 .  
         [0031]    Each tool  2  substantially consists of a hub  11 , four radial arms  12  positioned in cross-shape, and on each arm  12  a blade  13  which is connected to the arm  12  by means of connection  14  in a continuously adjustable manner. The hub  11  is fixed at the shaft of a reduction box  9 .  
         [0032]    As represented in FIG. 2, each arm  12  is attached to the hub  11  adjustable around its longitudinal direction, as it fits with a round extremity in a tubular portion  11 A of the hub  11 .  
         [0033]    This arm  12  is retained in this portion  11 A by means of a bolt  15  which protrudes through this portion into a groove  15 A in the arm  12 .  
         [0034]    A ring  16 , which, by means of a bolt  17  and a locking nut  18  screwed thereupon, can be locked against a hexagonal portion of the arm  12 , is provided with an arm  19  situated next to the tubular portion  11 A.  
         [0035]    By means of this arm  19 , the arm  12  can be adjusted around its longitudinal axis and, therefore, the angle of the blade  13  attached thereto can be adjusted by means of a mechanism, not represented in the figures and provided between the hub  11  and the reduction box on the shaft of this latter.  
         [0036]    A bolt  21  which is screwed through this arm  19  and can be locked by means of a locking nut  20  allows for a fine adjustment of the aforementioned angle.  
         [0037]    Between the ring  16  and the tubular portion  11 A, an O-ring  22  is provided around arm  12  in order to prevent dirt from penetrating into the portion  11 A.  
         [0038]    The portion of the arm  12  which is turned away from the hub  11  is hexagonal.  
         [0039]    The connection  14  substantially consists of an open-box profile  23  which is attached to the upper side of the blade  13 , for example, welded thereto, and a beam  24  fitting with a play into the open-box profile  23  and being connected to the arm  12  by means of fixation means, to wit two screws or bolts  25 .  
         [0040]    These bolts  25  loosely extend through openings  26  through the hexagonal extremity of the arm  12  and are screwed into openings  27 , provided with screw thread, in the beam  24 .  
         [0041]    The open-box profile  23  in fact is a profile, open at the extremities, with a C-shaped cross-section or, in other words, a rectangular or square tubular profile, in the upper side of which, over the entire length, there is a slot  28  in the center through which the bolts  25  may pass loosely.  
         [0042]    Next to the outermost-situated extremity of the beam  24 , this beam is passed by one or more, in the represented example, three, openings  29 ,  30  and  31  directed perpendicular to the arm  12  and parallel to the blade  13 .  
         [0043]    A lockable pin  32 , which is wider than the beam  24 , can be put through one of the openings  29 ,  30  or  31  in order to allow a fast adjustment of preferred positions of the blade  13 , as will be explained in the following.  
         [0044]    Connecting a blade  13  and an arm  12  takes place as follows:  
         [0045]    If necessary, the bolts  25 , with which the beam  24  is fixed to the arm  12 , are unscrewed, without completely releasing the beam  24 .  
         [0046]    The open-box profile  23 , which is fixed onto the blade  13 , is slid over the beam  24 , whereby the hexagonal portion of the arm  12  remains outside the open-box profile  23  and the two bolts  25  with a portion thereof extend through the slot  28 .  
         [0047]    The blade  13  is placed in radial direction into the desired position, after which the bolts  25  are screwed in as far as possible.  
         [0048]    As a result thereof, the portions of the open-box profile  23  which are situated at opposite sides of the slot  28  are clamped between the beam  24  and the arm  12 , as a result of which the blade  13  is fixed to the arm  12 .  
         [0049]    The beam  24  which is clamped against the open-box profile  23  reduces or prevents the bending of this open-box profile  23 .  
         [0050]    In this manner, the position of the blade  13  is continuously adjustable in radial direction, within limits.  
         [0051]    So, the blades  13  of one or both tools  2  can be adjusted such that they can finish a surface close to the upright walls. As a result of this, the necessary manual finishing along the walls is reduced.  
         [0052]    Then, a usual finishing device can be used a as an edge-finishing device, such that no separate device is necessary for finishing the borders.  
         [0053]    The fixation of the blade  13  on the arm  12  can be performed rapidly, in consideration of the fact that the bolts  25  only have to be screwed in by several turns in order to fixedly clamp the open-box profile  23 .  
         [0054]    The loosening of the blade  13  from the arm  12  can also be performed in a rapid manner. It suffices to unscrew the bolts  25  a little and to shift the open-box profile  23  off the beam  24 .  
         [0055]    In this manner, a blade  13 , for example, for the normal polishing finish of a surface, can be replaced by another blade  13 A, for example, for a pre-processing, or a blade  13 B.  
         [0056]    When a blade  13  is worn out, it is thrown away together with the open-box profile  23 . The mostly longer and heavier and therefore also more expensive beam  24  remains with the arm  12  and, therefore, with the device.  
         [0057]    Polishing blades, such as the represented blade  13 , mostly can be used double-sided, such that, when the side situated foremost in turning direction is worn, the blade  13  can be turned over 180° and can be fixed to the arm  12  again, with the other edge to the front.  
         [0058]    Although a blade  13  is continuously adjustable in respect to the arm  12 , the openings  29 ,  30  and  31  determine three standard positions thereof.  
         [0059]    To this end, the open-box profile  23  is slid over the beam  24  in such a manner that the extremity of the beam  24  protrudes, such that the opening  29 ,  30  or  31  corresponding to the desired standard position is situated out of the open-box profile  23 , after which the pin  32  is put through said opening and the open-box profile  23  is moved back up to against the extremities of the pin  32  which protrude from the beam  24  and therefore form a stop, and finally the bolts  25  are tightened.  
         [0060]    In FIG. 4, a portion of an arm  12  is represented to which a blade  13  in such standard position is attached. The pin  32  is provided, for example, through the central opening  30 .  
         [0061]    It is obvious that a stop, such as a pin  32 , is not really necessary for the determination of standard positions.  
         [0062]    Instead of one or more openings  29 ,  30  and  31  and a pin  32 , one or more marks can be provided on the beam  24 , such that the user can see how far one has to shift the open-box profile  23  over the beam  24 .  
         [0063]    Instead of being welded to the blade  13 , the open-box profile  23  can be attached thereto by means of rivets or similar. Of course, the play in the vertical direction of the beam  24  in the open-box profile  23  must be sufficiently large in order to allow the presence of the heads of these rivets or similar on the bottom of the open-box profile  23 .  
         [0064]    The connecting means connecting the beam  24  to an arm  12  do not necessarily have to be screws or bolts screwed into this beam  24 .  
         [0065]    In a variant, these connecting means can be bolts which do not only fit loosely through the arm  12 , but also fit loosely through the beam  24  and onto which nuts are screwed. Due to the open-box profile  23 , the turning of the nut can be prevented, and preferably it is also prevented that the nut can be screwed completely off the bolt.  
         [0066]    The clamping of the beam  24  in respect to the open-box profile  23  by means of these connecting means then takes place by means of screwing-in or turning the bolt in respect to the nut.  
         [0067]    The second part of the connection  14  does not necessarily have to be a beam  24 . The beam  24  can be replaced by one portion of the connecting means themselves.  
         [0068]    These connecting means can be formed by bolts  33  onto which nuts  34  are screwed, as represented in FIG. 5.  
         [0069]    The bolts  33  extend loosely through the arm  12  and through the slot  28  and are situated with their head  33 A, which forms the movable and clampable second part  24  of the connection  14 , in the open-box profile  23 .  
         [0070]    This head  33 A is sufficiently large and preferably of such a shape that a rotation thereof in the open-box profile  23  is restricted or impossible.  
         [0071]    It is obvious that by the tightening of the nut  34  which is situated on top of the arm  12 , the open-box profile  23  and the arm  12  are drawn towards each other and that, thus, the portions of the open-box profile  23  situated between the head  33 A and the arm  12  are fixedly clamped.  
         [0072]    By tightening the nuts  34  on both bolts  33 , thus the bolts  33  and the arm  12  are fixedly clamped on the open-box profile  23 .  
         [0073]    By unscrewing the bolts  33 , the open-box profile  23  can be adjusted in its longitudinal direction in respect to the arm  12 .  
         [0074]    In particular, this form of embodiment can be applied with finishing devices with long arms  12 .  
         [0075]    In the last-mentioned form of embodiment, the bolts  33  can be reversed such that their head  33 A is situated at the upper side of the arm  12  and the nuts  34  are situated in the open-box profile  23  and have such a shape that they are prevented from turning, but keep their clamping function during the tightening of the bolts  33 .  
         [0076]    The number of arms  12  does not necessarily have to be four. For example, there may be three, five or six arms  12  per tool  2 .  
         [0077]    The invention is in no way limited to the form of embodiment described heretofore and represented in the figures, however, such finishing device can be realized in different variants without leaving the scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4