Rock cutting and polishing device

Claim 1

An apparatus for preparing rock specimens for microscopic study comprising: support structure; a first rock cutting site at the top of the support structure comprising: first rock cutting means having as least one blade, spanning a vertical distance between first and second elevations, for cutting a planar surface in a sample rock; first carriage means mounted for linear reciprocable movement along first track means horizontally adjacent the first rock cutting means, the first track means being juxtaposed and essentially parallel to the cutting blade, the first carriage means defining a rock receiving site at an intermediate elevation between the first and second elevations; first specimen securing means, carried by the carriage means at the rock receiving site, for anchoring a sample rock in a secure position at the rock receiving site at said intermediate elevation with the rock sample being markedly cantilevered out from the first carriage means into cutting alignment with the blade whereby displacement of the carriage means along the track means will cause the blade to cut a planar surface in the cantilevered portion of the sample rock and ultimately a relatively thin specimen is obtained; a second rock cutting site at the top of the support structure comprising: second rock cutting means having at least one blade spanning a vertical distance between spaced elevations for cutting planar surfaces in a rock specimen; second carriage means mounted upon and linearly reciprocable along second track means horizontally adjacent the second rock cutting means, the second track means being juxtaposed and essentially parallel to the cutting blade of the second rock cutting means the second carriage means defining a second rock receiving site located at an elevation between the spaced elevations; second specimen securing means, carried by the carriage means at the second rock receiving site, for holding a rock specimen in a stable position at the second rock receiving site at said between elevation accommodating cantilevering of the rock specimen out from the second carriage means into cutting alignment with the blade of the second rock cutting means whereby displacement of the second carriage means along the second track means will cause the last-mentioned blade to cut a planar surface in the cantilevered portion of the rock specimen and ultimately a trimmed specimen for miscroscopic examination is obtained; at least one lap table at the top of the support structure disposed in sink structure comprising a vertical shaft and a grinding disc non-rotatably secured to the shaft for rotation in a generally horizontal plane within the sink structure whereby polishing of cut surfaces of a rock specimen is accomplished; and power means for rotating said blades and disc upon command.

Claim 2

An apparatus for preparing rock specimens for microscopic study comprising: support structure; a first rock cutting site at the top of the support structure comprising: first rock cutting means having as least one blade, spanning a vertical distance between first and second elevations, for cutting a planar surface in a sample rock; first carriage means mounted for linear reciprocable movement along first track means horizontally adjacent the first rock cutting means, the first track means being juxtaposed and essentially parallel to the cutting blade, the first carriage means defining a rock receiving site at an intermediate elevation between the first and second elevations; first specimen securing means, carried by the carriage means at the rock receiving site, for anchoring a sample rock in a secure position at the rock receiving site at said intermediate elevation with the rock sample being markedly cantilevered out from the first carriage means into cutting alignment with the blade whereby displacement of the carriage means along the track means will cause the blade to cut a planar surface in the cantilevered portion of the sample rock and ultimately a relatively thin specimen is obtained; a second rock cutting site at the top of the support structure comprising: second rock cutting means having at least one blade spanning a vertical distance between spaced elevations for cutting planar surfaces in a rock specimen; second carriage means mounted upon and linearly reciprocable along second track means horizontally adjacent the second rock cutting means, the second track means being juxtaposed and essentially parallel to the cutting blade of the second rock cutting means the second carriage means defining a second rock receiving site located at an elevation between the spaced elevations; second specimen securing means, carried by the carriage means at the second rock receiving site, for holding a rock specimen in a stable position at the second rock receiving site at said between elevation accommodating cantilevering of the rock specimen out from the second carriage means into cutting alignment with the blade of the second rock cutting means whereby displacement of the second carriage means along the second track means will cause the last-mentioned blade to cut a planar surface in the cantilevered portion of the rock specimen and ultimately a trimmed specimen for miscroscopic examination is obtained; at least one lap table at the top of the support structure disposed in sink structure comprising a vertical shaft and a grinding disc non-rotatably secured to the shaft for rotation in a generally horizontal plane within the sink structure whereby polishing of cut surfaces of a rock specimen is accomplished; and power means for rotating said blades and disc upon command.