Apparatus for cutting cylindrical blocks of stone

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING SLABS OF STONE INTO CYLINDRICAL BLOCKS BY MEANS OF A DRIVEN ENDLESS FLEXIBLE SAWING WIRE HAVING A HORIZONTAL CUTTING STRETCH, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) A CARRIAGE MOUNTED FOR HORIZONTAL MOTION IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TRANSVERSE TO SAID CUTTING STRETCH OF THE WIRE; (B) A PAIR OF OPPOSITE UPRIGHT SIDE MEMBER ON SAID CARRIAGE DISPOSED IN SPACED APART PLANES NORMAL TO SAID CUTTING STRETCH, SAID SIDE MEMBERS HAVING THEIR UPPER EDGES INCLINED FORWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY AND SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE CUTTING STRETCH AT THE REAR OF THE CARRIAGE AND BELOW SAID LEVEL AT THE FRONT OF THE CARRIAGE; (C) A PAIR OF RAILS CARRIED BY AND SPANNING SAID SIDE MEMBERS NEAR THEIR UPPER EDGES AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE CUTTING STRETCH OF THE WIRE, ONE OF SAID RAILS BEING NEAR THE FRONT OF THE CARRIAGE AND THE OTHER NEAR ITS REAR; (D) A TAILSTOCK CARRIER; (E) MEANS MOUNTING SAID TAILSTOCK CARRIER ON THE RAILS FOR TRANSLATORY MOTION ALONG THE RAILS; (F) A DRIVING HEAD ON ONE OF SAID PAIR OF SIDE MEMBER, AT THE SIDE THEREOF FAVING THE TAILSTOCK CARRIER, SAID DRIVING HEAD BEING ROTATABLE ON A FIXED AXIS INTERMEDIATE THE RAILS AND PARALLEL TO THEM; (G) POWER DRIVE MEANS ON THE CARRIAGE FOR ROTATABLY DRIVING SAID DRIVING HEAD; (H) A TAILSTOCK MOUNTED ON THE TAILSTOCK CARRIER, AT THE SIDE THEREOF FACING THE DRIVING HEAD, AND CONSTRAINED TO TRANSLATORY MOTION WITH THE TAILSTOCK CARRIER AND TO ROTATION ON AN AXIS COINCIDING WITH THAT OF THE DRIVING HEAD; AND (I) FORCE EXERTING MEANS REACTING BETWEEN THE OTHER SIDE MEMBER AND THE TAILSTOCK CARRIER FOR EXERTING FORCE AGAINST THE TAILSTOCK CARRIER IN THE DIRECTION TO URGE IT TOWARD THE DRIVING HEAD, SO THAT A SLAB OF STONE TO BE CUT CAN BE CLAMPINGLY CONFINED BETWEEN THE DRIVING HEAD AND THE TAILSTOCK FOR ROTATION WITH THE DRIVING HEAD.