CA1111809A

CA1111809A - Centrifugal separator

Info

Publication number: CA1111809A
Application number: CA358,697A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Benjamin V. Knelson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-08-20
Filing date: 1980-08-20
Publication date: 1981-11-03

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

The centrifugal separator of this invention has an open top metal cylinder that spins about a vertical axis. It has a hollow rotating shaft, an upper floor and a lower floor, an outer wall and an inner wall. Fluid is pumped through the hollow shaft into a space between the floors, thence into a space between the walls and out through multiple jet holes in the inner wall. This inner wall also has a series of horizontal rings on its inner surface. The jet holes are circumferentially spaced between the rings.
As materials are fed into the cylinder through a central feed pipe they are separated into denser materials and lighter weight materials through the turbulence created by the fluid jets. In rotation, then, the lighter weight materials are spun off at the top of the cylinder and the denser materials collect between the rings. After rotation is stopped, the collected materials are flushed out through a hole in the bottom of the cylinder.

Description

1' 11118~9 This invention relates to a centrifugal gold separator that recovers nuggets to one quarter inch, flake, flour and microscopic gold particles from the sands and other ore in which they are contained. This is done through centrifugal force and the turbulence created by ~ultiple fluid jets in a rotating cylinder.

The main components of the invention are a metal cylinder that spins ona vertical axis and a centrally disposed feed pipe that extends into the cylinder from a stationary overhead structure.

The cylinder has spaced inner and outer walls and spaced upper and lower floors. Rotatably supporting the cylinder at its base portion is a hollow shaft through which fluid is pumped. Communication is provided between the hollow shaft and the floor space and thence between the floor space and the wall space.

The inner wall of the cylinder is provided with a series of vertically spaced horizontal rings that have a limited inward extension. The inner wall is also provide~ with circumferentially spaced holes of small diameter that allow fluid passage from the wall space to the inside of the cylinder in the form of jets. The vertical spacing of the holes is such that there is a double row of holes between each pair of rings in a preferred embodiment.

Fluid flow from the hollow shaft to the floor space i, Ihrough radial ports in a collar at the upper end of the shaft. The outer circumference of the floor space is ported to the wall space. The critical stage of the fluid flow is from the wall space to the inside of the cylinder through the jet holes. It should be noted that the wall space is closed off at the top of the cylinder.

In operation, the hollow shaft is ro~ated at 300 to 450 R.P.M., fluid is nllmnc~ ;n ih~ nh a c~ 7 ;n;ni ~i th~ hn+inm nf ih~ ch;~fi ~n~l c~r,Ar;lh1,~

~1118~9 As the fluid jets in the inner wall of the cylinder encounter the slurry they create a turbulence and separation of the denser material from the lighter weight material so that the lighter weight material moves upwardly to be spun off at the top of the cylinder and the denser material is retained between the rings.

As a final stage in the operation, rotation is stopped and the collected material is flushed out from between the rings through a hole in the floor of the cylinder. It should be noted that this hole is kept plugged during the rotation process~

In further description of the invention, reference is made to the accompany-ing drawing wherein, Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus, partly in section.

As shown in Figure 1, a vertical cylinder 1 is open at its top and is supported for rotation by a hollow shaft 2. A shaft drive pulley is shown at 3. A swivel joint 4 carries the pumped fluid into the hollow shaft.
The cylinder has an inner wall 5 and an outer wall 6. It has an upper floor 7 and a lower floor 8. Spaces between the floors and between the walls provide fluid passages. Communication between the hollow shaft and the floor space is through radial ports 9 in a collar 10. The outer circumference of the floor space is ported to the wall space at 11. Fluid flow from the wall space to the inside of the cylinder is through multiple jet holes 12. Sufficient of the jet holes are shown to indicate their locations vertically and circumferentially.

A flush out hole through the floors is shown at 13 This hole is plugged during rotation and is used in the final stage of the operation. A spaced outer housing 14 gives overhead support to a central feed pipe 15~ An inclined curved ramp 16 carries off the materials that are spun off at the top of the cylinder. Housing 14 is supported on a stand 17. This stand also supports the cylinder in its rotdtion.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A centrifugal separator comprising an open top cylinder mounted on a hollow shaft and rotatable about a vertical axis, said cylinder having spaced inner and outer walls and spaced upper and lower floors defining fluid passages, further fluid passages through the inner wall in the form of multiple jet holes, the inner wall having a series of vertically spaced horizontal rings on its inner surface, said jet holes being located between the rings in a plurality of rows with uniform circumferential spacing, means to feed into the cylinder separable materials and means to supply fluid through said passages as the cylinder is rotated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the hollow shaft has a coupling at its lower end for fluid intake and radial ports at its upper end to the space between the floors.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the space between the floors is ported to the space between the walls with the latter space sealed off at the top of the cylinder.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the feed means to the cylinder is a central feed pipe supported by an overhead structure.