A rock-cutting apparatus for diamond wire rock-cutting, and a method for blind-cutting rock

A method for blind-cutting rock with a diamond wire to obtain a mass of rock substantially forming a parallelepiped, the method comprising the steps of:

• i) cutting a first straight section of the rock, the first straight section being substantially perpendicular to a ground plane, and down to a predefined depth,
• ii) cutting a second straight section of the rock, the second straight section being parallel to and having the same extension as the first straight section, and down to the predefined depth,
• iii) cutting a third straight section of the rock, the third straight section being substantially perpendicular to the same ground plane, being perpendicular to the first and second straight sections, and connecting two edges of the first and second straight sections which are closer to one another, and down to the predefined depth,
• iv) starting from an edge position of the third straight section at the predefined depth, cutting the rock along a plane substantially parallel to the ground plane and formed by the first, second and third sections at the predefined depth, until a line which connects two edges of the first and second straight sections which are closer to one another, at the predefined depth, is reached,
• v) from the position of the line reached in step iv) cutting a fourth straight section of the rock, the fourth straight section being parallel to the third straight section, thereby being perpendicular to the first and second straight sections, and connecting two edges of the first and second straight sections which are closer to one another, until the ground plane is reached,
• thereby obtaining the mass of rock substantially forming a parallelepiped,
• wherein the method is implemented by
• a rock-cutting apparatus for diamond wire rock-cutting which comprises:
• two parallel and spaced apart arms, each of the arms being suitable to be provided in a substantially perpendicular manner to the ground, when in a cutting position, and each arm being movable along a direction which is parallel to the arm itself,
• two edge pulleys, each being suitable to run a diamond wire and each being rotatably coupled to one of said arms in an edge of each corresponding arm, and
• tensioning means, the tensioning means being configured to, when one diamond wire is provided through the tensioning means, through the two edge pulleys and thereby along the arms and again back to the tensioning means, thus forming a closed loop, provide a tension in such diamond wire such that the wire, when in motion, is able to cut rock,
• wherein the two edge pulleys are arranged such that a closed-loop diamond wire is directly providable between the two edge pulleys, forming a cutting section between the two edge pulleys, and such that, when in motion, the cutting section of the diamond wire is able to cut rock,
• wherein each of the edge pulleys is further freely rotatable along an axis which is parallel to the respective arm, such that portions of the cutting section of the diamond wire running through each edge pulley follow the direction of the respective edge pulley,
• and wherein the edge pulleys are provided at the extremity of the arm, such that no other element is provided after, the diamond wire, when provided forming a closed loop, thereby running at the extremity of the arm.