DESC:FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)

AND

THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10; rule 13)

AUTOMATIC GEMSTONE PROCESSING MACHINE AND METHOD

Sahajanand Technologies Private Limited, a company organized and existing under the laws of India, of A1, Sahajanand Estate, Vakhariawadi, Near Dabholi Char Rasta, Ved Road, Surat- 395004, Gujarat, India

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention in general relates to the field of processing a rough gemstone to obtain a finished gemstone and more particularly relates to an automatic slicing device and a method for performing automatic slicing of a gemstone in a single time setting.
BACKGROUND
A finished gemstone is obtained after performing many operations on a rough gemstone. A rough gemstone may be obtained naturally, or maybe a lab grown gemstone. For both types of rough gemstones, the number of operations performed for obtaining a finished gemstone are more or less the same. Also, the sequence of performing various operations is same. For example, the steps for processing a naturally obtained gemstone comprise but are not limited to:
1. Gemstone mapping: In this step, a rough gemstone is mapped in a 3D mapping machine to determine the number of gemstones that can be obtained from the rough gemstone mined from the gem mine.
2. Gemstone marking: In this step, the rough gemstone is marked according to the mapping obtained from a 3D mapping machine.
3. Laser cutting: In this step, the rough gemstone is cut into smaller pieces by a laser. Depending on the type of cut, the laser cutting can be categorized as cross cutting, vertical sawing, and pie sawing.
The steps for processing a lab grown gemstone comprise but are not limited to:
1. Coring: In this step, the extra part of the lab grown gemstone is removed. The extra part is generally carbon which gets accumulated on the sides of the gemstone while the gemstone is being grown in the lab. Coring is usually performed by using a laser. The lab grown gemstone is fixed to a gemstone holder and processed under the laser for removing the extra carbon.
2. Sawing: In this step, the top surface of the lab grown gemstone is sawed by the laser.
In subsequent steps, the lab grown gemstone is mapped, marked and cut to obtain a finished gemstone in a similar manner as a naturally obtained gemstone.
A lab grown gemstone may also undergo slicing process. Slicing is a process of cutting and converting a lab grown gemstone into thin slices. The slices of the gemstone obtained after the slicing process may be used as seeds for converting them into a full-grown gemstone.
Slicing is a paralleled cutting process. In this process, different sizes of gemstones are processed. The main goal of this process is to get required size of slice without any tapper, i.e., each side thickness of slice is almost same and within around thirty microns taper error. However, the conventional methods of slicing gemstones lead to the following possibilities:
(a) In the conventional methods, slice setting time is more: In this process, the user have to perform slice setting to get a single slice. For an example, if three slices can be obtained from a single cube, then the user must perform setting thrice to achieve three slices.
(b) Measuring slice thickness manually while setting: It is important to obtain the desired thickness of the slices while performing the slicing operation on gemstones. For this, a user has to calculate slice thickness manually during the setting operation. However, manual measuring is prone to error. Moreover, the time in measuring the slices by manual method is more time taking.
(c) Rotate slice manually: After processing a slice to get equal size of slice thickness in the next slice, a user has to manually rotate the slice cube in 180° and stick the cube again on the fixture. In this case, there are chances of error while rotating the slice cube.
Therefore, the conventional methods as described above are time consuming and hence, affect efficiency of the conventional systems of processing gemstones. Further, the conventional methods require extra effort of positioning gemstones in different orientations for slicing in different orientations, which makes the system labor oriented and hence, increasing the overall cost of gemstone slicing operation. As the conventional methods employ laser cutting tools, sometimes the operator comes in direct contact of the laser while changing the orientation of gemstone by rotating the gemstone. This may lead to health hazard.
Further, in conventional gemstone processing methods, separate apparatuses are employed for all the stages of gemstone processing. For example, a coring cassette may be used for coring the lab grown gemstone, a separate fixture may be used for slicing the lab grown diamond, two or more apparatuses may be used for cross cutting process, and so on. Therefore, the users are required to change the apparatus every time to carry out different operations. Moreover, in all the conventional apparatuses, the gemstone holder or gemstone holding die is of different design, so the gemstones are mounted and demounted several times. This leads to inefficient processing of gemstones.
Therefore, the conventional systems and methods as described above are time consuming and hence, affect efficiency of the conventional gemstone processing machines. Further, the conventional systems and methods require a large area for installing various apparatuses / fixtures. The use of multiple apparatuses / fixtures makes the system bulky and also makes the processing of gemstone expensive. More manpower is required to operate more machines, which also leads to an increase in the cost of processing the gemstones while using the conventional methods.
In view of the above, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.
SUMMARY
It is an object of the present subject matter to perform automatic slicing of a gemstone in a single time setting.
It is another object of the present subject matter to obtain desired thickness of the slices of a gemstone.
It is yet another object of the present subject matter to eliminate manual rotation of slice cube during slicing operation.
It is yet another object of the present subject matter to provide a faster gemstone slicing operation.
It is yet another object of the present subject matter to provide an efficient gemstone slicing operation.
It is yet another object of the present subject matter to provide a compact fixture for a gemstone slicing machine.
It is yet another object of the present subject matter to eliminate repositioning of gemstones in different orientations for slicing the gemstones in different orientations.
It is yet another object of the present subject matter to provide an economical gemstone slicing method and machine.
It is yet another object of the present subject matter to substantially reduce health hazard to the operator of a gemstone slicing machine.
It is yet another object of the present subject matter to eliminate the need for gemstone holder or gemstone die for gemstone slicing operation.
It is yet another object of the present subject matter to substantially reduce human interaction for gemstone slicing operation.
The present invention provides an automatic gemstone slicing machine for parallel slicing of one or more gemstones, the automatic gemstone slicing machine comprising: a rotatable elongated member configured to rotate about its longitudinal axis and for supporting the one or more gemstones; and a processing means configured to rotate the rotatable elongated member alternately in a first position and in a second position for slicing one or more slices from the one or more gemstones.
In an embodiment, the automatic gemstone slicing machine further comprises a gemstone holding member attached to the rotatable elongated member and configured to hold one or more gemstones.
In another embodiment, the gemstone holding member is attached to the rotatable elongated member by magnetic force and the one or more gemstones are glued to the gemstone holding member.
In another embodiment, the rotatable elongated member comprises a central shaft supported at the opposite ends by a first and second holding members.
In another embodiment, the automatic gemstone slicing machine as claimed in any one of previous claims further comprising a motor to rotate the rotatable elongated member.
In another embodiment, the processing means comprises a processor and is configured to calculate number of slices to be cut from the one or more gemstones based on the pre-defined parameters comprising cutting height and slice thickness.
In another embodiment, the processing means is configured to tilt the rotatable elongated member by a pre-determined angle in the first position and the second position before slicing the one or more slices from the one or more gemstones.
In another embodiment, the processing means is configured to operate a laser cutting tool for obtaining slices from the one or more gemstones.
A method for parallel slicing one or more gemstones is provided herein, the method comprising: (a) positioning a rotatable elongated member in a first position for slicing a first slice from a first gemstone of the one or more gemstones; (b) cutting the first slice from the first gemstone of the one or more gemstones; (c) rotating the rotatable elongated member to position the rotatable elongated member to a second position for slicing a second slice from a first gemstone of the one or more gemstones; (d) cutting the second slice from the first gemstone of the one or more gemstones; (e) repeating steps (a) to (d) alternately to cut all the desired slices from the first gemstone; and (f) repeating steps (a) to (e) to cut all the desired slices from all the desired gemstones
In another embodiment, the step of positioning the rotatable elongated member in the first position and in the second position comprises tilting the rotatable elongated member by a pre-determined angle before cutting the one or more slices from the one or more gemstones.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The figures mentioned in this section are intended to disclose exemplary embodiments of the claimed system and method. Further, the components/modules and steps of a process are assigned reference numerals that are used throughout the description to indicate the respective components and steps. Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a fixture of an automatic machine for slicing a plurality of gemstone in a single time setting in accordance with first embodiment of the present subject matter.
Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of the fixture of the automatic machine in the first working position of its rotating member for performing the slicing operation in accordance with the first embodiment of the present subject matter.
Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of the fixture of the automatic machine in the second working position after 180 degree rotation of the rotating member in accordance with the first embodiment of the present subject matter.
Figure 4a to 4c illustrates different tilting positions of the gemstone for slicing in accordance with the first embodiment of the present subject matter.
Figure 5 illustrates a flow diagram depicting method of slicing gemstones by a processing means in accordance with the first embodiment of the present subject matter.
The figures depict a simplified structure only showing some elements and functional entities, all being logical units whose implementation may differ from what is shown.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following presents a detailed description of various embodiments of the present subject matter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The embodiments of the present subject matter are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present subject matter is not limited to these embodiments which are only provided to explain more clearly the present subject matter to a person skilled in the art of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals are used to indicate like components.
The specification may refer to “an”, “one”, “different” or “some” embodiment(s) in several locations. This does not necessarily imply that each such reference is to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature only applies to a single embodiment. Single features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.
As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes”, “comprises”, “including” and/or “comprising” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “attached” or “connected” or “coupled” or “mounted” to another element, it can be directly attached or connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations and arrangements of one or more of the associated listed items.
In present invention, an automatic device and a method for performing slicing operation on one or more gemstones in a single time setting is described. The present invention overcomes the challenges faced by the conventional methods and systems for slicing gemstones.
The automatic slicing machine according to the present invention comprises a fixture for holding a plurality of gemstones for performing slicing operation on said plurality of gemstones. The fixture is also configured to rotate by 180° for performing slicing operation from opposite sides of each gemstone..
In an embodiment, the major components of the fixture of the automatic machine comprises a central shaft, a rotating member, and a gemstone holding member. In an embodiment, the gemstones are mounted on the gemstone holding member by using glue. In an embodiment, more than one gemstone can be mounted on the gemstone holding member and more than one gemstone holding members may be mounted on the rotating member. The rotating member circumscribes the central shaft in such a way that with the rotation of the central shaft, the rotating member also rotates. In an embodiment, with rotation of the central shaft, the rotating member is configured to rotate by 360° in the axis of rotation of the central shaft for facilitating slicing to the plurality of gemstones mounted on the gemstone holding member. In an embodiment, a motor such as a servo motor is employed to impart rotation to the central shaft.
According to the present invention, the automatic slicing machine employs the fixture and algorithms to carry out slicing operation on the plurality of gemstones in a single setting.
In an embodiment, various processes like coring, slicing, straight sawing, cross cutting (sawing), pie sawing can be performed by the present machine on one or more gemstones in a single time setting. In an embodiment, the slicing operation can be performed on up to ten gemstones in a single setting in the present automatic slicing machine.
Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a fixture 100 of an automatic gemstone slicing machine for performing slicing operation on one or more of gemstones in a single time setting in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The fixture 100 automatic gemstone slicing machine is configured to orient a plurality of gemstones in multiple positions for performing slicing operation on the said plurality of gemstones 102. In an embodiment, slicing operation can be performed on the gemstones 102 in a single time setting by virtue of the fixture 100 of the automatic gemstone slicing machine.
In an embodiment, the major components of the fixture 100 of the automatic gemstone slicing machine comprise but are not limited to a gemstone holding member 104 having a slot 106, a rotating member 108, an elongated central shaft 110, at least one motor 112. In an embodiment, the gemstone holding member 104 is an elongated member, such as a rectangular plate having a pre-determined thickness and length substantially equal to the length of the elongated central shaft 110. In an embodiment, the pre-determined thickness of the gemstone holding member 104 comprises a thickness, which ensures that the gemstone holding member 104 has sufficient strength to hold on to the rotating shaft and to carry a plurality of gemstones on the gemstone holding member 104 during operation of the machine. In another embodiment, the gemstone holding member 104 may comprise any other cross-section. In a preferred embodiment, one or more gemstones 102 are mounted on the gemstone holding member 104 and the gemstone holding member 104 in turn is mounted on the rotating member 108. The attachment of the gemstones 102 on the gemstone holding member 104 is performed by gluing one side of each gemstone 102 and sticking the gemstone 102 on the gemstone holding member 104. In a preferred embodiment, the gemstones are synthetic gemstones. In yet another embodiment, the gemstones are chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamonds. In yet another embodiment, the gemstones may be natural gemstones, which may be glued to the gemstone holding member 104 directly or may be mounted on respective gemstone holders and said respective gemstone holders in turn may be glued to the gemstone holding member 104. In another embodiment, the gemstones may be mounted or fixed to the gemstone holding member 104 by any other means.
The rotating member 108 on which the gemstone holding member 104 is mounted, circumscribes a central shaft 110 in such a way that with the rotation of the central shaft 110, the rotating member 108 also rotates. With the rotation of the central shaft 110, the rotating member 108 rotates by up to 360° in the axis of rotation of the central shaft 110 for facilitating the slicing operation on the plurality of gemstones 102 mounted on the gemstone holding member 104.
The motor 112 provides the desired rotation to the central shaft 110. In an embodiment, the motor 112 may include a servo motor to provide rotation to the central shaft 110. However, in another embodiment, any type of motor or other mechanism may be provided to rotate the central shaft 110. In an embodiment, the central shaft 110 is configured to rotate in either clockwise or anticlockwise direction about its axis of rotation. In an embodiment, the motor 112 for rotating the central shaft 110 is placed in the motor box for protection against foreign particles.
For the purpose of the present description, only one gemstone holding member 104 is depicted as an exemplary embodiment. However, for efficiently performing the slicing operation, at least two gemstone holding member 104 located diametrically opposite on the rotating member 108 may be provided. In yet another embodiment, more than one additional gemstone holding members may be mounted on different side on the rotating member 108. In an embodiment, the rotating member 108 may comprise four sides and on each side, one gemstone holding member may be mounted. Further, in a preferred embodiment, the surface of the holding member for mounting the gemstones is a flat surface.
In an embodiment of the present invention, once the slicing operation on one side of gemstone is complete, the central shaft 110 rotates by 180 degrees, thereby rotating the rotating member 108 to position the gemstone holding member 104 on diametrically opposite side for performing the slicing operation on the other side of the gemstone.
The automatic device 100 for processing slicing operation on gemstones further comprises a base member 114, one or more power switches (not shown) and a first holding member 116, such as a vertical plate. In an embodiment, the fixture 100 may be mounted on an X-Y axis assembly to provide translation motion to the fixture 100 in X direction and Y direction respectively during slicing operation. For providing movement in X and Y directions one or more motors (not shown) may be employed. In an embodiment, the power switches are configured to provide electric power to the fixture 100. The first holding member 116 is configured to hold one end of the central shaft 110 while the other end of the central shaft 108 is held by a second holding member 118, such as a vertical plate, affixed to the motor box. In an embodiment, the central shaft 108 is a horizontal shaft. However, in another, the shaft may be inclined in an angle from the horizontal.
In an embodiment, the present invention employes a conventional single laser cutting tool (not shown) for performing the slicing operation on the plurality of gemstones 102. In a further embodiment, an image capturing member (not shown) may be installed adjacent to the laser cutting tool and a display member (not shown) may be employed to provide one or more inputs or input parameters to the gemstone slicing machine and to display the in-processing gemstone 102. In an embodiment, the input parameters may include size of each slice to be cut from each gemstone. In an embodiment, slices of same size or different sizes may be desired. The input parameters to the display member may be provided accordingly. In a preferred embodiment, slices having parallel sides are desired. The image capturing device and the display member could be any known image capturing device and display member used for gemstone processing. In an embodiment, the image capturing member is configured to capture the live images of the gemstones under processing. The image capturing member is also configured to send the captured images to the display member. The display member is configured to display the in-processing gemstone 102. The inputs to the gemstone slicing machine are provided by the operator through the display member. In an embodiment, an air nozzle (not shown) may be provided adjacent to the laser cutting tool. The air nozzle is configured to blow air at the time of gemstone processing for keeping the gemstone cool and maintaining the temperature of the gemstone during gemstone slicing. The display member for providing an input parameter by a user for gemstone processing.
The gemstone slicing machine of the present invention also employs a processing means for automatically controlling various operations of the machine based on the inputs provided by the user.
In an embodiment, the processing means employed in the gemstone slicing machine comprises a processor. The processor, amongst other capabilities, may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory. The processor may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. The functions of the various elements shown in the figure, including any functional blocks labelled as “processor(s)”, may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. Examples of the processing member include but are not limited to a tablet, computer, mobile phone and so on.
During operation, the gemstone holding member 104 is attached to the rotating member 108. In an embodiment, the gemstone holding member 104 is secured to the rotating member 108 by magnetic force. In particular, in a preferred embodiment both the gemstone holding member 104 and the rotating member 108 may include magnetic material so that a strong magnetic force is generated to securely hold the gemstone holding member 104 in relation to the rotating member 108 during the slicing operation. In another embodiment, an attachment means, such as clamps, fastening mechanism and the like may be employed to securely hold the gemstone holding member 104 in relation to the rotating member 108. In an embodiment, the slot 106 on at least one surface of the gemstone holding member 104 may be provided to provide a grip to the user for placing or removing the gemstone holding member 104 on the rotating member 108.
Once the gemstone holding member 104 is secured to the rotating member 108, one or more gemstones 102 are manually stuck on the gemstone holding member 104 with the help of glue in an embodiment. In another embodiment, the gemstones may be stuck on the gemstone holding member 104 automatically by a mechanism, such as a robotic arm. The power plug of the machine are connected to the power supply source for starting the machine.
Initially, the central shaft 110 is at 0° rotation as shown in Figure 1. This position can also be referred to as home position. In the home position, the gemstones 102 are attached to the gemstone holding member 104. The laser cutting tool (not shown) is placed above the fixture 100 for performing the slicing operation in an embodiment. The fixture 100 is configured to move in X – axis and Y – axis at the time of slicing. For slicing process, the central shaft 108 rotates by 90° as shown in Figure 2 and hence, the gemstones 102 mounted on the gemstone holding member 104 are aligned below the laser cutting tool.
The fixture 100 first aligns the first gemstone 102 below the laser cutting tool by moving along X – axis and Y – axis and is slightly titled in the clockwise direction by a pre-determined angle ø, as shown in Figure 4a. This angle ø may be referred to as the ‘laser angle’, which is a minor degree. In this degree movement, the gemstone is tilted in such a way that parallel slice cutting takes place. This tilting of the fixture to align the gemstone may also be referred to as setting of the gemstone. In a preferred embodiment, this setting of gemstone is performed by the processing means. As shown in Figure 4a, since the laser is V-shaped, the first slice removed from the first gemstone will not have a parallel cut. Then the processing means sends instructions to the laser cutting tool to initiate the laser slicing process. The laser from the laser cutting tool then impinges the surface of the gemstone to slice a portion of the gemstone therefrom. After slicing of the first slice from the first gemstone from one side, the fixture 100 is rotated by an angle of 180° in the anti-clockwise direction, as shown in Figure 3, in such a way that the opposite side of the gemstone 102 comes below the laser cutting tool. In this position too, the fixture 100 is tilted by the angle ø in the clockwise direction to cut the second slice from the first gemstone, as shown in Figure 4b. However, in this case, the second slice of the gemstone has a parallel cut, as can be seen in Figure 4b. The laser cutting tool then slices the gemstone from this side. Similarly, the fixture 100 is rotated in the clockwise direction and tilted by the angle ø to cut the third slice from the first gemstone. This process is repeated till all the slices from the first gemstone are cut. Once all the slices from the first gemstone are cut, the fixture 100 translates in X and / or Y direction, as desired, to align the second gemstone 102 on the gemstone holding member 104 below the laser cutting tool. The process is repeated until the last gemstone 102 of the row of gemstones on the gemstone holding member 104 is processed. According to the present invention, after the slicing operation is complete, thickness of all slices is the same within around 30 microns taper error.
In an embodiment, the wavelength of the laser of the laser tool may be altered for performing the slicing or any other operation.
Therefore, the present invention provides automatic slicing of a plurality of gemstones in a single setting in an embodiment.
The flow diagram depicting a method of slicing by the processing means in an embodiment of the present subject matter is illustrated in Figure 5. As shown herein, once the gemstone holding member 104 is mounted on the rotating member 108 and the gemstones 102 are stuck to the gemstone holding member 104 at step 502, gemstone is set at step 504. Thereafter, the focal-1, Y-stroke and gemstone length is set at zero degrees at steps 506, 508 and 510 respectively, and the focal-2 at 180 degrees at step 512. Once the above parameters are set, the cutting height and the desired thickness of each slice are set at steps 514 and 516 respectively. After setting of these parameters, the processing means calculates the number of slices to be cut from the gemstone at step 518. Thereafter, the processing means initiates the slicing operation at step 520. At step 522, the processing means first moves the fixture 100 at zero degree to a position shown in Figure 2. Thereafter, the processing means tilts the fixture by a pre-determined angle ø based on the input received from the user setting at step 524. Then, the processing means sends instructions to the laser cutting tool to initiate the laser slicing at step 530. After slicing the first slice from the first gemstone, the processing means sends instructions to the laser cutting tool to stop the laser. Thereafter, the processing means sends instructions to the motor 112 to rotate the shaft 110 by 180 degrees at step 526. Simultaneously or subsequently, the processing means translates the fixture 100 in X and / or Y direction, as required, to bring the first gemstone in the 180 degree position of the shaft 110 under the laser cutting tool for cutting the second slice from the first gemstone. Then, the fixture is tilted again by the pre-determined angle ø based on the input received from the user setting at step 528. In this position, the processing means sends instructions to the laser cutting tool to cut the second slice from the first gemstone at step 530. In view of the V-shape of the laser, the slice cut in this position has parallel sides, as shown in Figure 4b. The parallel slicing is shown as 532 in Figure 5. This process is repeated by the processing means till all the slices are cut from the first gemstone. Once all the slices are cut from the first gemstone, the processing means operates one or more motors to provide translation motion to the fixture 100 to move the second gemstone under the laser cutting tool for performing slicing operation on the second gemstone. In a similar fashion, all the gemstones 102 mounted on the gemstone holding member 104 can be sliced one by one.
The gemstone slicing machine of the present invention is configured to provide the fixture for gemstones slicing process. The present gemstone slicing machine eliminates the need of repeated sticking of the gemstones by the user, thereby saving time and effort of the user. Also, the present invention ensures that the productivity of the gemstone slicing process is increased. Moreover, the gemstone slicing machine provides accurate slicing of gemstones and the slices obtained after the process are accurate as per the desired thickness. Moreover, the sides of the slices obtained from the present slicing machine are substantially parallel.
While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described hereinabove, it should be understood that various changes, adaptations, and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. ,CLAIMS:I/We claim
1. An automatic gemstone slicing machine for parallel slicing of one or more gemstones, the automatic gemstone slicing machine comprising:
a rotatable elongated member configured to rotate about its longitudinal axis and for supporting the one or more gemstones; and
a processing means configured to rotate the rotatable elongated member alternately in a first position and in a second position for slicing one or more slices from the one or more gemstones.
2. The automatic gemstone slicing machine as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a gemstone holding member attached to the rotatable elongated member and configured to hold one or more gemstones.
3. The automatic gemstone slicing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gemstone holding member is attached to the rotatable elongated member by magnetic force and the one or more gemstones are glued to the gemstone holding member.
4. The automatic gemstone slicing machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rotatable elongated member comprises a central shaft supported at the opposite ends by a first and second holding members.
5. The automatic gemstone slicing machine as claimed in any one of previous claims further comprising a motor to rotate the rotatable elongated member.
6. The automatic gemstone slicing machine as claimed in any one of previous claims, wherein the processing means comprises a processor and is configured to calculate number of slices to be cut from the one or more gemstones based on the pre-defined parameters comprising cutting height and slice thickness.
7. The automatic gemstone slicing machine as claimed in any one of previous claims, wherein the processing means is configured to tilt the rotatable elongated member by a pre-determined angle in the first position and the second position before slicing the one or more slices from the one or more gemstones.
8. The automatic gemstone slicing machine as claimed in any one of previous claims, wherein the processing means is configured to operate a laser cutting tool for obtaining slices from the one or more gemstones.
9. A method for parallel slicing one or more gemstones, the method comprising:
(a) positioning a rotatable elongated member in a first position for slicing a first slice from a first gemstone of the one or more gemstones;
(b) cutting the first slice from the first gemstone of the one or more gemstones;
(c) rotating the rotatable elongated member to position the rotatable elongated member to a second position for slicing a second slice from a first gemstone of the one or more gemstones;
(d) cutting the second slice from the first gemstone of the one or more gemstones;
(e) repeating steps (a) to (d) alternately to cut all the desired slices from the first gemstone; and
(f) repeating steps (a) to (e) to cut all the desired slices from all the desired gemstones.
10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of positioning the rotatable elongated member in the first position and in the second position comprises tilting the rotatable elongated member by a pre-determined angle before cutting the one or more slices from the one or more gemstones.

dated this 29th day of September 2023

ABHISHEK MAGOTRA
IN/PA No. – 1517
of MS LAW PARTNERS
Agent for the Applicant