Mining or in situ disintegration of hard material – Hard material disintegrating machines – Floor-working
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-05
2001-12-11
Bagnell, David (Department: 3673)
Mining or in situ disintegration of hard material
Hard material disintegrating machines
Floor-working
C299S036100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328387
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for removing floor covering including floor surfaces fabricated from hard materials such as concrete, epoxy and stone. More particularly, this invention describes a compact, hydraulicly powered rotary milling device specially housed and propelled for use inside residential and commercial buildings having narrow doorways.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is often necessary to remove floor covering, as for example in order to refinish floor surfaces when restoring or renovating a building. Floor coverings are composed of materials such as linoleum, tile, concrete, stone and epoxy, the latter of which are among the hardest construction materials. In order to remove hard floor coverings, the apparatus to be employed must be powerful and have cutting heads fabricated from even harder materials.
Apparatus for removing floor coverings are well known and understood, and often take the form of cutting heads and milling devices that are powered separately from the machines that propel them. U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,299, for example, describes a rotary cutting attachment for removing linoleum, tile, and other materials from floors that are attached to and pushed by an operator or small energized vehicle. Also known and understood are self-propelled vehicles, such as the ones described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,082,330 and 5,197,783, to which cutting blades or attachments are secured.
Equipment powerful enough to remove hard floor surfaces are normally large and heavy. Floor surface in open areas and large industrial buildings can often accommodate large floor removal apparatus. Smaller industrial buildings, commercial and residential structures, however, have narrow doorways that do not permit the use of heavy equipment without opening a wall. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,082,330 and 5,197,783 describes small energized vehicles, sufficiently narrow to pass through a 36″ doorway. These energized vehicles sometimes employ a structurally independent power source that attaches to the vehicle but remains outside the building.
Rotomills are rotary cutting apparatus well known in the field of removing and resurfacing of asphalt roadways. Rotomill apparatus can employ a variety of cutting heads or tips including tips made of material hard enough to mill hard floor surfaces. Prior art rotomills are not designed for use inside closed structures, and commercially available rotomills are too large to fit through standard doorways.
3. Objects of the Invention
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for removing floor surfaces composed of hard materials such as stone, concrete, and epoxy.
It is a further primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for removing floor surfaces that are sufficiently compact and narrow to be able to pass through doorways of residential and commercial buildings.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for removing floor surfaces that is easy to use, maneuver and operate, that can utilize commercially available cutting heads, power sources and propelling vehicles, and that is inexpensive to build and efficient to use.
It is a still further object of the present invention to adopt a rotomill for use in removing hard floor surfaces inside light industrial, commercial and residential buildings, such that the resulting apparatus is less than 36″ wide and is powered and propelled by commercially available power sources and vehicles.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
These and other objects are accomplished in the present invention, an apparatus for removing floor covering comprising a rotomill-type rotary milling device encased in a frame or bell housing. The housing is supported by hydraulicly powered lateral elevating legs with wheels mounted thereon. Fixed legs, fore and aft, also having wheels, can be manually adjusted prior to use.
The rotomill apparatus is attached to and propelled by commercially available energized vehicles having a built in, or alternatively an independent, power supply. A swivel coupling assembly extends from the bottom rear of the bell housing to connect the apparatus to the energized vehicle that propels it. The coupling assembly serves to transfer the force of the vehicle to the rotomill apparatus, while the swivel aspect allows the bell housing to be raised and lowered relative to the vehicle without changing the apparatus' orientation to the floor or the direction of the pushing force upon it.
Hydraulic conduits connect from a hydraulic power source to hydraulic cylinders which comprise the lateral elevating legs, and to the motor which drives the rotary milling device. The hydraulic power source may be contained on the propelling vehicle or the source may be external to both the apparatus and vehicle.
Prior to use, the height of fixed fore and aft legs are adjusted up or down to determine the depth of floor to be removed. Hydraulic pressure applied to the lateral elevating legs raise the bell housing with the milling device enclosed therein. Hydraulic pressure applied to the milling device motor causes the milling drum to rotate. Hydraulic pressure is released from the lateral leg cylinders to lower the bell housing and engage the milling device with the floor surface and begin the cutting phase.
The device continues to cut down into the floor covering until the wheels mounted on the fore and aft legs rest on the floor surface. The propelling vehicle pushes the rotomill apparatus causing floor covering to be removed in a forward direction leaving a cutting path the diameter of the milling device. The bell housing is raised, through the application of hydraulic pressure to the lateral elevating legs, to end the cutting phase or when turning or otherwise maneuvering the apparatus.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
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Cooper Lyle Aldon
Hunter Randy Dean
Bagnell David
Kreck John
Lisa Cooper
Reiss Seth M.
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