Dual Rotor Ride-on Surface Polisher

Abstract

A dedicated concrete surface polisher comprises a frame and powered chassis substantially resembling a twin rotor riding trowel, equipped with a plurality of diamond polishing pucks, and mounting apparatus for maintaining flat puck contact with the lower concrete surface. Each rotor supports an intermediate drive plate driven by a hydraulic motor. The intermediate drive plate comprises a circular ring plate that is reinforced by a substantially rigid, winged drive collar. Each drive plate supports a plurality of radially spaced apart polishing rotors that project into contact with the concrete surface being treated. Each polishing rotor is secured to the ring plate. The polishing rotors support a plurality of radially spaced apart, downwardly projecting, diamond-equipped pucks that frictionally bear against the concrete surface for polishing and abrading in response to rotor rotation.

Claims

1. A self-propelled polisher for treating concrete surfaces, the polisher comprising: a chassis adapted to be propelled over a concrete surface; at least one downwardly projecting, rotatable rotor; a motor for actuating the rotor; the rotor comprising an intermediate drive plate; the intermediate drive plate comprising a ringed base plate and a winged drive collar for reinforcing the winged base plate; a plurality of planetary abrasion rotors supported by said intermediate drive plate that contact and finish the concrete surface.

2. The polisher as defined in claim 1 wherein the ringed base plate comprises an inner, circular orifice, a ring portion concentric with said inner, circular orifice, and a plurality of integral, radially, spaced-apart spokes facilitating flexure.

3. The polisher as defined in claim 2 further comprising a plurality of voids bordered by said spokes and said ring portion.

4. The polisher as defined in claim 3 wherein said drive collar is flushly secured to said drive plate.

5. A self-propelled dedicated polisher for treating concrete surfaces, the polisher comprising: a chassis adapted to be propelled over a concrete surface; at least one downwardly projecting, rotatable rotor; a motor for actuating the rotor; the rotor comprising a generally circular intermediate drive plate; the intermediate drive plate comprising a circular base plate with a peripheral ring and a flushly mounted winged drive collar for reinforcing the base plate; the base plate plate comprising a peripheral ring and a plurality of spokes; the drive collar comprising a plurality of arms overlying the spokes in assembly; a plurality of planetary abrasion rotors supported by said intermediate drive plate that contact and finish the concrete surface, said abrasion rotors supporting puck rotors for contacting and finishing concrete.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] In the following drawings, which form a part of the specification and which are to be construed in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals have been employed throughout wherever practicable to indicate like parts in the various views:

[0040] FIG. 1 is a frontal, isometric view of a twin-rotor riding polisher for treating concrete surfaces, constructed in accordance with the invention;

[0041] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, frontal isometric view of the polisher, with the driver's seat, neighboring shrouds and supportive frame structure removed for clarity;

[0042] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, isometric view of the polisher, with upper substructure removed for clarity;

[0043] FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, isometric view similar to FIG. 3, but with shrouds and other parts removed to expose the rotating disk assemblies and various pucks;

[0044] FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary isometric view of the rotating disk assemblies;

[0045] FIG. 6 is an exploded, isometric assembly view of the disk assemblies;

[0046] FIG. 7 is an enlarged, plan view of the drive plate, taken generally along line 7-7 of FIG. 6, with portions thereof broken away or shown in section for clarity;

[0047] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the preferred drive plate; and,

[0048] FIG. 9 is an exploded isometric view of the drive plate, showing the reinforcing collar in better detail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] In the accompanying drawings, the reference numeral 20 generally denotes a high-power, twin-engine, hydraulic riding polisher that is designed specifically for concrete surface abrading and polishing. The Allen Engineering Corporation patents discussed previously above, including specifically U.S. Pat. No. 7,690,864 issued Apr. 6, 2010 entitled Hydraulic Riding Trowel With Automatic Load Sensing System, are hereby jointly incorporated by reference, as if fully set forth herein, for purposes of disclosure.

[0050] Troweling ideally begins over exposed concrete surfaces, such as floor surface 21 (FIG. 1) with panning as known in the art when the concrete is plastic. Pan troweling graduates to blading as concrete cures during the subsequent hardening stages. However, as this technology has evolved over the years, it has become increasingly desirable to further treat the concrete surface beyond mere blading, by polishing it to a very fine, smooth surface. It is therefore desirable, particularly with large, demanding jobs, to employ a machine specifically designed for polishing and fine finishing, without using retrofitted gadgets and the like.

[0051] Referencing FIG. 1-4, the polisher 20 utilizes a chassis and frame similar to those described in the aforementioned Allen Engineering Corporation riding trowel patents. A polisher operator (not shown) comfortably seated within seat assembly 23 (FIG. 1) can operate polisher 20 with a pair of easy-to-use joysticks 26, 27 respectively disposed at the operator's left and right side. Details for the joystick controls are illustrated profusely in one or more of the above-referenced Allen patents. Throttle control is provided by a mechanical, foot-operated pedal 30 that is accessible from seat assembly 23 located atop the frame assembly 34. Pedal 30 controls rotor speed. A pair of spaced-apart rotor assemblies, that are hidden behind ventilation panels 25 and other shroud-like structure are dynamically coupled to the frame assembly 34, and extend downwardly into the proximity of concrete surface 21 (FIG. 1) as is well known in the riding trowel art. Each rotor assembly is independently, pivotally suspended from the polisher 20 with tilting structure detailed in several of the above-mentioned Allen Engineering Corporation patents that is enabled by cross-head 39 (FIG. 6.). Preferably, the twin rotors are each driven by a hydraulic motor 47 (FIG. 6) known in the art, that may be cooled with a conventional heat exchanger disposed to the right (as viewed in FIG. 1) of a seated driver within a compartment 37. The hydraulic drive pump is driven by a gas (i.e., propane) motor 32 (FIG. 2).

[0052] Propane gas is stored within tank 36. An air cleaner 38 admits air into the propane motor 32, and engine cooling is provided by radiator 50 (FIG. 2). A substantially rigid front deck 24 is disposed below the polisher operators position. As operation progresses, dust and slurry generated by concrete dust and particles and water is substantially confined below the polisher 20 by a lower, circumferential shroud 43, that minimizes dust and confines the resultant slurry to prevent it from splashing adjacent walls and workmen.

[0053] Preferably, each end of the polisher 20 is provided with a removable dolly attachment 40 comprising a bracket 42 for removably pinning it to the main frame. With handles 45 suitably rotated, dolly wheels 46 can be deployed, extending downwardly into contact with surface 21 for elevating the polisher 20 so it can thereafter be conveniently moved to desired locations without running the motor(s), and without scratching or marring traversed surfaces. Preferably the polisher 20 is provided with a water spray system of the type used previously with Allen Engineering Corporation trowel designs. Water for spraying is stored withing a water tank 54 (FIG. 3) which may be conventionally plumbed as in previously cited Allen Engineering Corporation patents.

[0054] Unlike conventional riding trowels, that use multiple rotating blades for finishing, there is no blade system used with polisher 20. Therefore there is no need for a blade pitch control system, with all of the attendant accessories and components and wiring that such systems utilize.

[0055] The self propelled riding polisher 20 is thus able to quickly and reliably traverse and finish extremely large areas of concrete surface 21, with the suitable abrading devices explained below.

[0056] Referring now to FIGS. 5-6, an abrasion assembly has been generally designated by the reference numeral 60. Assembly 60 is suspended from the lower polisher chassis 62 (FIG. 4) by a cross-head 39 that enables rotor tilting for steering and control, as explained in detail in the previously cited Allen riding trowel patents mentioned above. Cross-head 39 is mechanically secured to a generally cubicle hydraulic motor casing 63 that protectively shrouds a hydraulic motor 47 that turns the abrasion assembly. Motor 47 comprises a rigid flange 65 that is attached with suitable fasteners 66 (FIG. 6) to a generally circular, intermediate drive plate 67 that supports a plurality of rotatable, radially spaced apart planetary abrasion rotors 70. Each of the planetary abrasion rotors 70 may be constructed in accordance with the abrasion rotors of my prior U.S. Pat. No. 11,326,359, issued May 10, 2022 that is assigned to Allen Engineering Corporation and herein incorporated by reference. The latter reference discloses an adaptor for retrofitting to a conventional riding trowel, enabling the conversion of prior art riding or walk-behind trowels to function as a polisher.

[0057] Each circular abrasion rotor 70 supports a plurality of smaller, radially spaced-apart, rotary abrasion tools 74 (i.e., pucks) comprising abrasive diamond material that directly contacts the concrete surface. Each abrasion tool 74 may take the form of a puck constructed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 11,326,359, but a variety of commercially available grinding and polishing pucks known in the art may be employed. For example, a variety of abrasion and surface treatment tools, including pads and pucks, are available from the Runyon Surface Prep Company, www.runyonsurfaceprep.com, and these are adapted for surface removal, grinding, honing, polishing and burnishing. As used herein the term puck means any of the latter surface-contacting abrasive elements, or any other polishing disk either in the general form of a truncated cylinder, or having a flat surface to which abrasive components or elements such as diamonds or other hard substances or minerals may be affixed.

[0058] Each abrasion rotor 70 (FIG. 6) comprises a circular disk portion 77 supporting an upper flange 78 concentrically disposed beneath a bearing 79. Each flange 78 is compressively sandwiched between disk portion 77 and bearing 79 by a plurality of fasteners. Each of the bearings 79, and thus each of the abrasion rotors 70, are fastened to the intermediate drive plate 67 at radially spaced apart locations about the periphery.

[0059] The intermediate drive plate 67 (i.e., FIGS. 7-9) is generally circular, and its configuration enables enough mechanical compensation during rigorous operation to ultimately maintain the grinding pucks and the abrasion rotors generally substantially flat against concrete surface 21. The intermediate drive plate 67 comprises two major components, namely a ringed base plate 80 and a companion reinforcing collar 81 that are coaxially secured and flushly pancaked together with suitable fasteners. The outermost, circular ring portion 82 of ringed base plate 80 is concentric with an inner, circular orifice 84. There are a plurality of integral, radially, spaced-apart connecting segments 83 forming the ring portion 82. Segments 83 extend generally peripherally between integral spokes 85. Voids 87 are bordered by spokes 85, peripheral segments 83, and center orifice 84. Voids 87, which facilitate flexing and reduce weight, are generally in the shape of ovals. Each abrasion rotor 70 is secured to the intermediate drive plate 67 by elongated fasteners 90 (FIG. 6) that penetrate an abrasion rotor 70 and a bearing 79, being seated within and threadably secured to a suitable bung 93 (FIGS. 8, 9) formed in the radial periphery of drive plate 67.

[0060] The rigid collar 81 reinforces the intermediate drive plate 67, and it provides a mechanical connection point for the hydraulic motor 47 (FIG. 6). The reinforcing collar 81 has a central circular base portion 91 concentric with internal orifice 92. Base portion 91 is penetrated and secured by suitable fasteners (i.e., bolts) that secure hydraulic motor 47. A plurality of integral, radially spaced apart arms 95 extend from the central orifice 92 and, in assembly, overlie the spokes 85 of ringed base plate 80, facilitating limited flexure without drive plate deformation.

[0061] From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to obtain all the ends and objects herein set forth, together with other advantages which are inherent to the structure.

[0062] It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations.

[0063] As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.