Stone polishing apparatus and method

A machine for wet polishing stone floors comprising:

• a frame;
• a solution tank carried by said frame, for holding a liquid lubricant;
• a head assembly carried by said frame, said head assembly including a disc motor having a rotatable shaft;
• a disc pad detachably carried by said head assembly and coupled to said shaft for rotation therewith, said disc pad having a stone abrading surface on one side adapted to be in contact with the floor for rotating thereon and effecting abrading thereof, said solution tank being in fluid communication with said disc pad and being adapted to supply the liquid lubricant between said floor and said disc pad to create a slurry when said disc pad is effecting abrading of the floor;
• a squeegee assembly carried by said frame for wiping the slurry from the floor;
• a recovery tank in fluid communication with said squeegee assembly;
• and
• a pump in communication with said recovery tank and said squeegee assembly for transferring the slurry from said squeegee assembly to said recovery tank.

A self-propelled stone polishing machine comprising:

• a frame;
• a housing carried by said frame, said housing defining a first tank, a second tank, and an interior chamber;
• a battery disposed within said interior chamber;
• a drive assembly including a motor and a wheel drivingly coupled to said motor, said drive assembly coupled to said battery for obtaining electrical energy therefrom and adapted to propel said frame;
• a pad driver assembly carried by said frame, said pad driver assembly including a disc pad rotatably coupled to a driver motor, said disc pad having a stone abrading surface on one side thereof adapted to rotatably contact the floor, said driver motor coupled to said battery for obtaining electrical energy therefrom;
• a conduit in communication with said first tank and said disc pad, said first tank containing a liquid lubricant and said conduit adapted to deliver the liquid lubricant between the disc pad and the floor such that the rotating contact action of said stone abrading surface of said disc pad with the floor creates a slurry with the liquid lubricant;
• and
• a vacuum assembly in fluid communication with said second tank, said vacuum assembly including a squeegee carried by said frame and adapted to abut for wiping said slurry from the floor, and a vacuum pump in communication with said second tank and said squeegee for vacuuming the slurry contacted by said squeegee on the floor and depositing the slurry into said second tank for later disposal.