US1482607A

US1482607A - Agitation separator

Info

Publication number: US1482607A
Application number: US424777A
Authority: US
Inventors: American
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1920-11-17
Filing date: 1920-11-17
Publication date: 1924-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 1941-02-05

Description

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annxammn m. eow, or DULUTH, mnnnso'ra; AMERICAN axe 3B or-roumu'rn mac-"Urea cream ALEXANDER in. eow, nnc'aasnp.

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.To all whom it may'cohcem': y

- Be 'it'known that I, ALEXA DER .Gow,

a citizen of the. United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. -Louis and 5 State of Minnesota,' have invented certain.

new and useful Improvements in Agitation" Separators, of which the following is a specification. My invention comprises .means whereby .m material composed of small particles may be subjected to agitation to facilitate the separation from each other of particles of dif-- 'fering characteristics. The means is adapted to be used in connection with material wherein the particles may differ in size,

shape, specific gravity ormagnetic permeability and is adapted to efi'ect the separation of unlike articles. In securing such separation it isighlydesirahle thata mass to or layer. of the material be shaken or agi-' tated. This idea of agitation has been heretofore used in a large number of devices, particulaihiiy inthose used for concentration of ore. y apparatus is particularly well adapted for such use, but I do not desire to limit its application to such material as ores 'as it is obviously adapted broadly for use in producing agitation among particles of any mass of material for any purpose,- as

so well as for use in separators adapted to separate material of. various kinds. I have found in the use of electro-mag nets energized byalternatin'g currents, that if a sheet of steel be movably supported within the magnetic field, the fluctuation in the strength of that field will cause the sheet of steel to vibrate and that this vibration. may be varied in rapidity by a change in frequency of the alterations and in in- 40 tensity by variation in the strength of the magnetic field. If upon such a sheet-of steel particles of material are placed, they will respond to the vibration and will bethrown lnto a state of intense agitation and, if a thin stream of water he allowed to fiow over the sheet, the water may be agitated to such an extent that drops are thrown upward from the surface. By the use of this electro-magnetic means the frequency of vibration may be varied within wide limits and theintensity of vibration may also be greatly varied. In the use of mechanical means such as'cams, knockers, shakers, or other devices of like'character for produc- 5e ing vibration or agitation the intensity and Application filed November-.17, 1920. Serial No. 424,777.

rapidity of vibration are reatly limited for It is an (ifject of the present invention to provide'means adapted to separate material comprising particles, ofvarying characteristics and to'accomplish'that' separation with great rapidity and ease'of operation. It is I also an object to. provide means'of the character described which is subject to ready adjustment its operation through variation inrapidity and intensity of the vibration.-

It isfan additional object toprovide a device which is relatively simple in construcvery subject to wear an un rronar.

.mechanical reasons and t e parts undergo. such strains as to be and breaka tion, durable in use, and relatively inexpensive of installation. Gther and further objects will appear as the descriptlon proceeds.

p I. have illustrated certain preferred embodiments of my invention inthe accompanying-drawings in which- Figure -1 is a diagrammatic view illustrat- 7 ing one 'form of'myadevice';

Figure 2 shows a somewhat modified form of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3- shows a form of-devi'ce utilizing In Figure 2 a plate 14 formed with a plurality of transverse corrugations issupported upon the columns 15 and springs 16, the

plate being tilted to slope both transversely and longitudinally. The hopper 17 is shown adjacent the upper most corner of plate 14 and the electro-magnet 18 is shown adjacent the center of the underside of'the plate.

In Figl'ire 3 the belt conveyer 20 is car ried by'the rollers 21 and 22. The plate 23 is located adjacent the underside of the upper portion of the belt, the .plate being supported by the spring 24 from the electro-magnet 25. The hopper 26 is placed adjacent the point where the upper portion of the belt starts its movement. As bestshown in Figure 4, the second conveyer belt 28 is carried by the

rollers

29 and 30, the lower travel'of the belt being adjacent the upper surface of the belt 20. The electro-

magnets

31 and 32 are placed near the upper side of the lower portion of the belt 28.. The receiving hopper 33 is located at the right slde of the belt 20.

In Figure 5 the plate 34 is supported from the sprin s 35 and columns 36, the plate sloping (Iownwardly to the right. The feed hopper 37 is located adjacent the upper end of the plate and the discharge hopper. 38 below the low end of the plate. The electro magnet 39 is located under the central portion of the plate 34: and a rotary exahust fan 40 has its intake 41 located above the central portion of the plate 34: and thus above the electro-magnet 39.

In the form of the device shown in Figure 1 the frequency of the alternations in the current supplied to the magnet 9 is varied by changing the speed of the motor 7 which consequently varies the speed of the dynamo ,8. The intensity of the magnetic field is varied by means of the rheostat 10 which varies the amount of current passing from the dynamo to the magnet.

I have shown the plate 11 as supported upon springs 12. I .have found, however, in practice that any .thin sheet of steel, even if rigidly held at its corners, will have enough elasticity and freedom of movement to be thrown into a state of intense vibration by a properly placed and proportioned electro-magnet or series of such magnets; Consetipently the springs 12 are not essential alt ough their use may be desirable to increase the intensity of the vibration with a given magnetic force.

\ If the layer of commiiiuted material or use of a plate of material composed of small particles be placed on the plate 11 and the magnet 9 be energized, the vibration of the plate will cause movement of -the particles. This movement may create Stratification of the particles according to their physical characteristics, or the frequency and amplitudeof the vibrations may be such that the particular material. is simply kept in a state of intense vibration.

In the form of the device shown in Figure 2 material is passed from the hopper 17 to the upper corne n -of plate 14. In the this 'character placed within the magnetic field and sloping in two directions, parallel to the line of corrugations or riflles, and at right angles thereto, a marked separation of the material occurs. The hghter particles tend to gather at the bottom o the grooves and to flow lengthwise of the grooves, while theheavier particles will tend to flow o'ver the tops of the corrugations and thus to move from rifile to riflle and in a now in use, a tablehaving rillles is supplied with line material andwater and is placed upon an incline and caused to shake backwardly and forwardly, this action causing the heads to travel in the direction of the riflies and the heads to separate therefrom. In the application of my invention to tables of this general character I cause the table to vibrate in a substantially vertical direction by means of magnets placed below the table.

The amplitude of the vibration would be a slight and the rapidity very high, their exact adjustment depending somewhat upon the nature of the material, but in any case it gives the particles a much better opportunity to flow and to separate than they have with the present to and fro movingtables.

, In Figures 3 and 4 is shown a form of apparatus wherein the material to be sep-' arated is notcarried directly by a vibrating plate. The material is carried upon the belt conveyer 20 which is preferably formed of non-magnetic material, the belt being carried for a portion of its travel in contact with the vibrating plate 23. The vibration of the plate is thus transmitted to the particles as they are carried past the plate upon the conveyer. This form of the device is of course susceptibleto use in connection with any form of separation which is facilitated by agitation. In the particular 'form shown in the figures -I have shown it in connection with a device adapted for the separation of magnetic metallic ores or for the separation, of material of varying magnetic permeability. The second belt 28 travels at right angles across the path of the belt 20 adjacent the vibrating portion of that belt. The series of electro-magnets 31 and- 32 are placed above the lower portion of the belt 28 and serve to attract the metallic particles contained in the comminuted or pulverized ore passing on the belt 20. Theseametallimparticles are held by themagnets 31and 32 in contact with the belt 28 and are thus carried by the movement of the belt and dropped into the hopper 33 a't the endofthe magnetic field created by the series of magnets. The attraction of the metallic particles by the

magnets

31 and 32 is very greatly facilitated by the vibration set up in the particles by the movement of the plate 23.

In the form of the device shown in Figure 5, the material dropsfromthe hopper 37 and passes down the slope of the plate 34 due to gravity and assisted by the' vibration caused by the ma et 39. Theexhaust intake 41 located ad acent the portion of most intense vibration draws oil the lighter particle sfwhile the heavier particles-i pass downward and are deposited in the hopper 38. Obviously the exhaust it made sufficiently strong will draw off all of the material. By, careful adjustment of the amplitude and rapidity of the vibration and of the strength of the exhaust, practically any desired separation may be effected.

It'i's to be understood that all of the showings in the drawings are diagrammatic in character and that the number of magnets parts and. substitution ofequivalents as cir cumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, instead of an alternating current, an interrupted or fluctuating direct current may be used to energize the magnets.

I claim:

1. Separation apparatus comprising a plate, means located adjacent one face of the plate adapted to" produce amagnetic field,

and means adapted to fluctuatethe strength of the field, the variation in strength serving to vibrate the plate and a conveyor adapted to move in contact with the plate, the conveyer being adapted to carry the material to be separated,

2. Separation apparatus comprising a plate, means located-adjacent one face of the plate adapted. to'produce a magnetic field, and means adapted to fluctuate the strength. ofthe field,v the variation in strength serving to vibrate the plate, and

a non-magnetic conveyer belt adapted to ..1nove in contact with the plate, the conveyer being adapted to carry the material to be separated.

w 4 3. Separatmn' apparatus comprlsing a conveyer adapted to carry the material to be separated, a plate located in "contact with a portion of the conveyer, and means adapted to vibrate the plate, a second-conveyer traveling adjacent the first conveyer aud means adapted to selectively transfer material from the first to the second conveyer.

o 4. Separation apparatus comprising. a

conveyer adapted to carry material to be separated, a plate located incontact: with ,a portion of the conveyer, means'located adjacent the' plate" adapted -to produce a strength-serving to" vibrate theplat'e'ga'nd thereby to vibrate the conveyer, a second conveyer traveling adjacent thefi'rst conveyer and means, adapted to selectively transfer material from the first to the sec ond conveyer.

5. Separation apparatus comprising. a

con \eyer adapted to carry the material to be separated. a plate located in contact with a portion of the conveyer, means located adjacent the plate adapted to produce amagmagneticfield, means adapted to fluctuate the strength of the field, the fluctuation in strength serving to vibrate the p ate and thereby to vibrate the conveyer, and means adapted to vary the rapidity 'and the amplitude of the fluctuations, a second conveyer traveling adjacent the first conveyer.

and means adapted 'to selectively transfer material from the first to the second conve er.

Separator apparatus comprising a nonmagnetic belt conveyer adapted. to carry the material 'to be separated, a plate located in contact-With the under side of a portion of the conveyer, electro-magnetic means located adjacent the plate,- means adapted to fluctuate the strength of the magnetic means, the fluetuationg serving to vibrate the plate and thereby to vibrate the conveyer and the material thereon, a second conveyer traveling in spaced relation to the upper face of the first conveyer, electro-magnetic means located above a portion'of the second conveyer and adapted to attract v magnetic particles from the maing hopper located adjacent vthe end of the magnetic field of the upper conveyer and adapted to receive material released therefrom.

I si day of November, 1920.

. ALEXANDER M. GOW.

gned atDuluth, Minnesota, this 11th