A synthetic quartz glass substrate is prepared by furnishing a synthetic quartz glass block, coating an arbitrary surface and an opposite surface of the block with a liquid having a transmittance of at least 99.0%/mm at the wavelength of birefringence measurement, measuring the birefringence of the block by letting light enter one coated surface and exit the other coated surface, and sorting the block to an acceptable or unacceptable group, based on the measured birefringence value.

The present invention is a hydraulically operated splitting device with a piston cylinder unit comprising an extending chamber and a retracting chamber in which a piston is supported, displaceable in an extending direction and a retracting direction, allowing the extending chamber and the retracting chamber to be impinged with pressurized hydraulic medium for moving the piston at a displacement speed, a cylinder housing at which a plurality of pressure pads is supported, displaceable perpendicular to the extending direction and the retracting direction, a wedged lance connected to a piston rod of the piston and mobile with said piston, which engages wedge-shaped pressure areas of the pressure pads complementary to the wedged lance, and moves the pressure pads perpendicular to the extending direction and the retracting direction, a lubrication unit by which lubricant can be inserted from a lubricant reservoir to an area between the wedged lance and the pressure pads, with the splitting device comprising a protective unit by which the displacement speed can be reduced depending on the fill level of the lubricant in the lubricant reservoir.

The present invention is a hydraulically operated splitting device with a piston cylinder unit comprising an extending chamber and a retracting chamber in which a piston is supported, displaceable in an extending direction and a retracting direction, allowing the extending chamber and the retracting chamber to be impinged with pressurized hydraulic medium for moving the piston at a displacement speed, a cylinder housing at which a plurality of pressure pads is supported, displaceable perpendicular to the extending direction and the retracting direction, a wedged lance connected to a piston rod of the piston and mobile with said piston, which engages wedge-shaped pressure areas of the pressure pads complementary to the wedged lance, and moves the pressure pads perpendicular to the extending direction and the retracting direction, a lubrication unit by which lubricant can be inserted from a lubricant reservoir to an area between the wedged lance and the pressure pads, with the splitting device comprising a protective unit by which the displacement speed can be reduced depending on the fill level of the lubricant in the lubricant reservoir.

A material trimming system used with a table saw having a rotationally driven arbor, a table with a specialized tray to retain an article to be trimmed, the system including a core structure with a core rotational axis that attaches to the arbor that has an arbor rotational axis. The system also includes a peripheral ring that is about a ring rotational axis, wherein the peripheral ring removably engages the core structure, wherein the peripheral ring includes an outer peripheral element that is operational to trim a material of the article to a selected configuration. In addition, included in the system has a cover having a cover rotational axis, the cover having a mechanism to be removably attachable to the core structure that is operational to removably retain the peripheral ring to the core structure, wherein the arbor, core, ring, and cover rotational axes are all coincident to one another.

A decontamination apparatus for decontaminating an external surface is provided. The decontamination apparatus has a moveable platform and a containment structure mounted on the moveable platform. The containment structure has at least one aperture and a respective contact surface arranged around the perimeter of the aperture. The contact surface is arranged to make contact with the external surface to define a working volume, when the containment structure is positioned proximal to the external surface. The decontamination apparatus includes a decontamination device arranged to decontaminate the external surface. The decontamination device is arranged within the working volume and arranged to access the external surface through the at least one aperture. There is also a vacuum system for generating a partial vacuum in the containment structure to apply a suction force to the external surface.

A numeric-control work center can be used for carrying out cutting operations or grinding and/or milling operations on plates of stone, marble, or, in general, natural or synthetic stone material, or ceramic material. The work center comprises at least one working head movable along at least two mutually orthogonal horizontal axes on a work surface. The work surface includes a rigid supporting board, which defines a first planar supporting surface, and a series of sacrificial elements rigidly connected to the rigid supporting board. The sacrificial elements are arranged in positions spaced apart from each other and define a second supporting surface located at a higher level than the first planar supporting surface, so that a cutting tool coupled to the working head engraves the sacrificial elements, without interfering with the supporting board during a cutting operation on a plate resting on the sacrificial elements, whichever is the path followed by the cutting tool. Between the sacrificial elements there remain free portions of the planar surface of the supporting board, so that they can be removably engaged by one or more blocks for supporting and holding the plate. These blocks project above the sacrificial elements and are adapted to define a third supporting surface, located at a higher level than the second supporting surface, for supporting and holding a plate during a milling or grinding operation on the plate.

A self-contained truck-mounted brick laying machine (2) is described. A truck (1) supports the brick laying machine (2) which is mounted on a frame (3) on the truck chassis. The frame (3) supports packs or pallets of bricks (52, 53) placed on a platform (51). A transfer robot can then pick up an individual brick and move it to, or between either a saw (46) or a router (47) or a carousel (48). The carousel is located coaxially with a tower (10), at the base of the tower (10). The carousel (48) transfers the brick via the tower (10) to an articulated (folding about horizontal axis (16)) telescoping boom comprising first boom element in the form of telescopic boom (12, 14) and second boom element in the form of telescopic stick (15, 17, 18, 19, 20). The bricks are moved along the folding telescoping boom by linearly moving shuttles, to reach a brick laying and adhesive applying head (32). The brick laying and adhesive applying head (32) mounts to element (20) of the stick, about an axis (33) which is disposed horizontally. The poise of the brick laying and adhesive applying head (32) about the axis (33) is adjusted and is set in use so that the base (811) of a clevis (813) of the robotic arm (36) mounts about a horizontal axis, and the tracker component (130) is disposed uppermost on the brick laying and 110,111 adhesive applying head (32). The brick laying and adhesive applying head (32) applies adhesive to the brick and has a robot that lays the brick. Vision and laser scanning and tracking systems are provided to allow the measurement of as-built slabs, bricks, the monitoring and adjustment of the process and the monitoring of safety zones. The first, or any course of bricks can have the bricks pre machined by the router module (47) so that the top of the course is level once laid.

Methods for controlling the surface profiles of wafers sliced from an ingot with a wire saw include measuring an amount of displacement of a sidewall of a frame of the wire saw. The sidewall is connected to a bearing of a wire guide supporting a wire web in the wire saw. Based on the measured amount of displacement of the sidewall, a pressure profile for adjusting a position of the sidewall is determined by a computing device. Pressure is applied to the sidewall using a displacement device according to the determined pressure profile to control the position of the sidewall.

Methods for controlling the surface profiles of wafers sliced from an ingot with a wire saw include measuring an amount of displacement of a sidewall of a frame of the wire saw. The sidewall is connected to a bearing of a wire guide supporting a wire web in the wire saw. The measured amount of displacement of the sidewall is stored as displacement data. Based on the stored data, a pressure profile for adjusting a position of the sidewall is determined by a computing device. Pressure is applied to the sidewall using a displacement device according to the determined pressure profile to control the position of the sidewall.

Computer aided design software for designing a building or other structure of brick construction, where in addition to the usual three dimensional modelling and rendering typical of CAD software, tabular data describing the spatial location and orientation of each brick is provided, including information regarding which bricks are cut to length so as to be shortened, and where they are located along each course, and which bricks are machined, drilled or routed for services or other special fittings. Data pertaining to this is compiled in a database for access by control software to control a brick laying machine to build a building or other structure from bricks. The database may receive via interface with a scanner data being a measure of the elevation of the footings and/or concrete pad that has been constructed according to the building plan and for each brick of the first course, to determine how much material must be machined off the bottom of each brick so that when the first course is laid, the tops of the bricks of the first course are at the same level. This machining data is stored for each brick with the tabular data produced by computer aided design software, so that the control software can control the brick laying machine to machine and cut each brick as per the stored data, and convey each brick to the stored position on the footing, pad or previously laid course of bricks, with application of adhesive prior to positioning of the brick.