System of modular elements for machining marble, stone and the like

An apparatus for machining a generally continuous profile in brittle-fracturing material comprising:

• a drive spindle;
• a plurality of disc elements assembled proximate to one another on the drive spindle wherein adjacent disc elements define spaces therebetween, each disc element having a thickness and an outer diameter independent of the thicknesses and the outer diameters, respectively, of adjacent disc elements, at least one of the disc elements having a diameter different from another one of the disc elements, the outer diameters of the plurality of disc elements forming a broken line that corresponds substantially to the profile to be machined, and each disc element having a diamond outer ring for cutting grooves in the brittle-fracturing material by abrasive action, each diamond outer ring having a thickness, an internal circumference, and an external circumference independent of the thicknesses, the internal circumferences, and the external circumferences respectively, of the diamond outer rings of adjacent disc elements;
• fragmenting means provided in the spaces between the adjacent disc elements for mechanically fragmenting projections of the brittle-fracturing material extending into the spaces by impact and by brittle fracture.