Belt-configured saw for cutting slots into stones having a polycrystalline diamond cutting surface

A stone cutting belt comprising:

• a flexible and continuous main body with length and lateral width, said main body having a top surface across said lateral width and an opposite bottom surface, said bottom surface having a drive portion adapted to be drivenly engaged by a sheave;
• a plurality of stone cutting elements, each of said elements having a width substantially less than the lateral width of said main body;
• and
• means for mounting each of said plurality of stone cutting elements in said main body such that said plurality of elements are spaced along the length thereof and such that at least a portion of each of said cutting elements projects above said top surface of said main body, wherein said stone cutting elements are staggered across the lateral width of said top surface of said main body in a pattern to form a continuous cutting width at least equal to the lateral width of said main body;
• wherein said main body is of a resilient material;
• said means for mounting each of said plurality of stone cutting elements includes a plurality of rigid blocks embedded in said resilient material and spaced along the length of said main body;
• said stone cutting elements each include a cutting tooth mounted in each of said rigid blocks such that at least a portion of said tooth projects above said top surface of said main body;
• and further wherein said main body includes laterally opposite sides;
• and said pattern includes;
• a first group of stone cutting teeth converging alternately from each of said opposite sides wherein the lateral distance between pairs of alternate cutting teeth is less than the width of a cutting tooth;
• and
• a second group of said stone cutting teeth converging alternately from each of said opposite sides and lengthwise overlapping each of said lateral distances between each of said pairs of alternate cutting teeth in said first group.

A stone cutting belt comprising:

• a flexible and continuous main body with length and lateral width, said main body having a top surface across said lateral width and an opposite bottom surface, said bottom surface having a drive portion adapted to be drivenly engaged by a sheave, wherein said main body is of a resilient material;
• a plurality of stone cutting teeth, each of said teeth having a width substantially less than the lateral width of said main body;
• and
• means for mounting each of said plurality of stone cutting teeth in said main body including a plurality of rigid blocks embedded in said resilient material along the length of said main body, each of said plurality of rigid blocks carrying one of said plurality of cutting teeth and having at least one bore therethrough, said at least one bore having ends opening in said rigid blocks along the length of said main body and further having at least one interior wall;
• and
• at least one flexible elongated member extending along the length of said main body through said main body and each of said at least one bore, wherein each of said at least one flexible elongated member is entirely embedded in said resilient material and is insulated from said at least one interior wall of said at least one bore by said resilient material.

A stone cutting belt comprising:

• a flexible and continuous main body with length and lateral width, said main body having a top surface across said lateral width and an opposite bottom surface, said bottom surface having a drive portion adapted to be drivenly engaged by a sheave;
• a plurality of stone cutting elements, each of said elements having a width substantially less than the lateral width of said main body;
• and
• means for mounting each of said plurality of stone cutting elements in said main body such that said plurality of elements are spaced along the length thereof and such that at least a portion of each of said cutting elements projects above said top surface of said main body, wherein said stone cutting elements are staggered across the lateral width of said top surface of said main body in a pattern to form a continuous cutting width at least equal to the lateral width of said main body,
• wherein each of said stone cutting elements includes a number of cutting teeth projecting above said top surface;
• and
• said pattern includes an overlapping relationship between at least one of said number of cutting teeth of one of said stone cutting elements and at least one of said number of cutting teeth of at least one other of said stone cutting elements spaced along the longitudinal length of said main body from said one of said stone cutting elements.