US1638864A

US1638864A - Ore concentrator

Info

Publication number: US1638864A
Application number: US27000A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mathe Kennedy Monthferd; Mathe John Monthferd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1925-04-30
Filing date: 1925-04-30
Publication date: 1927-08-16
Anticipated expiration: 1944-08-16

Description

Aug. 16,1927.

K- M. MATHE ET AL ORE CONCENTRATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet l w 5 1... r5 NW D,

on mu Filed ril 30,

WITNESSES Aug. 16, 1927. 1,638,864

K. M. MATHE ET AL v ORE CONCENTRATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 KMMaZfie dMMaZhe INVENTO LS- WITNESSES ATTORNEY Aug. 16,1927.

K.M. MATHE ET AL ORE CONCENTRATOR Filed April so, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS zfllllafiw WITNESSES (SWKM ATTO RN EY Patented Aug. 16, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KENNEDY MONTHFERD MATHE AND JOHN MONTHFERD MATHE, OF HAMMOND,

INDIANA.

ORE CONCENTRATORI Application filed April 30, 1925. Serial No. 27,000.

This invention relates to an ore concentrator operated by mechanical means, and especially useful in placer mining for separating the concentrate containing free gold,

or other precious metals from the sand,

gravel. and other material in which they occur.

The general object of the invent-ion is to provide a mechanism adapted to be driven from any suitable source of power, and arifii anism with respect thereto.

The detailed construction of the invention and its advantages will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodi- :i nient thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof with the ill) p an removed.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a section taken on the 11116 66 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a section taken on the line 7"? of Figure 2. v p

The device which comprises our invention includes asuitable stationary frame 10, on which is supported an adjustable frame 12 connected thereto at one side by hinges 13. ihis adjustable frame supports all of the operating mechanism,including an internal combustion motor 14, or any other source of power by which the mechanism .may be driven.

A suitable number ofbrackets 15 are secured in overhanging relation to the frame 12 on the side opposite the hinges 13, and

each of these brackets is formed with a hole e 16 for receiving a threaded spindle 17 the lower end of which is -,l1inged, as at 18, to

the frame 10. Aworm gear 19 is threaded on the spindle 17, and provided on its upper face with ball bearings 20 on which the bracket 15 rests. A longitudinal shaft 21, journaled in the frame 12, has worms 22 secured thereon, which engage the respective worm gears 19. A miter gear 23, secured to the shaft 21, meshes with a miter gear 24, which is secured to a stub shaft 25 journaled on the frame 12, and provided with a hand crank 26, or other suitable device by means of which the shaft 21 may be rotated to drive the worm gear 19 to swing the frame 12, and all of the mechanism carried thereby upwardly or downwardly about the hinges 13,

The frame 12 includes a pair of longitudinal spaced bars 27, located near the longitudinal center thereof, and having a pair of spaced uprights 28 secured theretoin the upper ends of which is mounted a pivot pin 29, whichconstitutes a fulcrum for a lever 30. This leve 1 is normally in substantially a vertical position, and its upper end is formed with arms 31 having inclined apertures 32, which are in alinement, and in which is secured a laterally extending, in clined spindle or shaft 33. The pan 34 has a reinforcing plate 35 secured to its bottom, and provided with bearings 36 which are journaled on the projecting ends of the spindle 33. Thus, it will be seen that the pan 34 is laterally inclined, as shown in Figure 6, and that by rotating the shaft 2]., the inclination of the pan may be adjusted, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 6, along with the operating mechanism which is sup ported by the frame 12, and which will presentlv be described.

The lower end of the lever 30 is formed with spaced ears 37, pivotally connected to one end of a connecting rod 38, the other end of which is connected to a crank 39 secured to a crank shaft 40 journaled transversely of the frame 12. A spur gear 41, secured tothe shaft 40,1nesheswith a spur gear 42 journaled on a transverse shaft 43,

which constitutes the main drive shaft. A. clutch 44 keyed to the shaft 43 may be operated by means of a lever 45 pivoted to the frame 12 to clutch the gear 42 to the shaft, thereby rotating the crank shaft 40 and rocking the lever 30 about its fulcrum, and oscillating the pan 34 longitudinally. T he shaft 43 may be driven by any suitable means, that shown consistingof a pulley 46 secured to the shaft, and connected by a belt 17 to a pulley 48 on the motor 141-.

A sprocket wheel 19 is also journaled on the shaft 6L3 on the opposite side of the clutch n, and the latter may be moved in the opposite direction to clutch the wheel l9 to the shaft. Thus, the wheel 49 may be driven to impart a rocking motion to the pan 3% by means of mechanism which will now be described.

I The sprocket wheel 49 is connected by a sprocket chain 50 to the sprocket wheel 51 secured to a jack shaft 52, which is journaled transversely of the frame 12 beneath 'and substantially in the same vertical plane with the pivot pin 29 on which the lever 30 is fulcruiied. tr pair of brackets 53 are sup ported for oscillation on the shaft 52, and to the upper ends of these brackets are secured longitudinal bars l, the ones of which e resiliently connected. to the frame 12 by springs 55. A pair of shafts 56 and 57 are journaled on th bars near opposite ends thereof, and sprocket wheels 58 and 59, cured to these shafts, are connected by

sprocket chains

60 and 61 to sprocket wheels (32 and 63. respectively, which are secured to the jack shaft 52. lilccentrics (i4 and 65 are secured to the respective shafts 56 and 57, and each of these eccentrics, as shown in Figure 5, is adapted to engage a roller 66 mounted in a bracket 67, which is secured to the bottom of the pan 3d. The eccentrics 6d and 65 are secured to their respective shafts in opposite relation to each other. Thatis, the largest portion of the eccentric G l is vertically above the shaft 56 when the largest portion of the eccentric 65 is vertically below the shaft 57 and vice versa, so that as the eccentrics are both rotated in the same direction, one end of the pan 34: will be raised, and then the other end will be lowered, thus causing the pan to rock aboutthe spindle as an axis.

in theoperation of the invention, the base frame 10 is anchored to the ground in any suitable manner, and the inclination of the frame 12 is adjusted by the rotation of the shaft 21, thus adjusting the inclination of the pan 3%, so as to give the best results for the character of material which is being separated. As the material is placed in the pan, the clutch l7 is moved so as to clutch the gear l2 to the drive shaft 43, thus rocking the lever 30 about its fulcrum. The spindle 33, on which the pan is centrally pivoted will then be oscillated back and forth in a short are, the length of which bears the same ratio to the throw of the crank 39 as the upper arm of the lever bears to the lower arm. As the pan is thus oscillated, the rollers 66 ride back and forth over the arcuate edges of the eccentrics 64 and 65. It is preferred to operate the mechanism at a speed which will oscillate the pan about two hundred and sixty times a minute. This agitates the material sufliciently, so that the san gravel and the like are washed over the low side of the pan by water which is constantly supplied, leaving the concentrate in the bottom of the pan. llhen suilicient concentrate has thus collected, the clutch is shifted to engage the sprocket wheel 49. The bodily oscillation of the pan then ceases, and it is then r cked or tipped to and fro about the spindle as an axis. The gearing is so proportioned that this rocking or tipping motion from one end to the other takes place about twenty-four times per minute, thus washing off the surplus material from the concentrate, and leaving the latter ready to be sent to the refiners.

in order to secure the best results, quicksilver should be used in the bottom of the pan. This will collect the tiny particles of free gold, and prevent it from being washed away di. the final concentration. A drain cock Go is rovided at the lowest point in the bottom of the pan, so that the surplus quicksilver may be drawn off at the conclusion of the operation.

ll hile we have shown and described in detail the construction and operation of the invention in one form in which it may be embodied, it is apparent that various modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various elements without departing rem the salient features of the invention, or sacrificing any of its advantages. It is our intention, therefore, to

include all such modifications within the' scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an ore concentrator, a frame. a lever fulcrumed on the frame, a pan pivotally connected to the lever, eccentrics mounted on substantially horizontal axes and supporting the pan near the ends thereof, and means for swinging the lever to move the. pan in an arcuate path while it is guided on said eccentrics.

2. In an ore concentrator, a frame, a lever intermediately fulcrumed on the frame so as to swing in a substantially vertical plane, a pan pivotally connected to the upper end of tee lever, eccentrics mounted on substantially horizontal axes and supporting the pan near the ends thereof, the axes of said eccentrics being resiliently supported on the frame, and means for swinging the lever to move the pan in an arcuate path while it is guided on said eccentrics.

3. In an ore concentrator, a frame, a lever fulerumed on the frame, a pan pivotally connected to the lever, eccentrics mounted on substantially horizontal aXes and supporting the pan near the ends thereof, and means selectively operable to swing the lever to move the pan in an arcuate path while it is guided on said eccentrics, which remain idle, or for rotating the eccentrics to rock the pan while the lever remains idle.

l. In an ore concentrator, a frame, a lever fulcrumed on the frame and extending upwardly, a pan pivotally connected to the upper end of the lever, eccentrics mounted on substantially horizontal axes and supporting the pan near the ends thereof, the axes of said eccentrics being resiliently supported on the frame, and means selectively operable to swing the lever to move the pan in an arcuate path while it is guided on said eccentrics as the latter rem' stationary with res tiect to their axes, or forrotating the eccentrics to roclr the pan while the lever remains idle. i

In an ore concentrator, a frame, a pan pivotally supported above the frame, two oppositely disposed eccentrics rotatably supported on parallel transverse axes beneath the pan and supporting thebottom thereof on opposite sides of its pivot, thus controlling the position of the pan with respect to said pivot, and means for selecti ely rotating the eccentrics to rock the pan about its pivot, or for moving the pivot longitudinally the frame.

(5. In an ore concentrator, the combination of a frame, a transverse spindle supported above the frame, a pan mounted on said spindle and clutch controlled means for selectively moving the spindle and pan longi tudinally of the frame or for rocking the pan about the spindle as an axis.

7. In an ore concentrator, the combination of a frame, a transversely disposed inclined spindle supported above the frame, a laterally inclined pan mounted on said spindle, and clutch controlled means for selectively moving the spindle and pan longitudinally of the frame or for rocking the pan about the spin he as an axis.

In an ore concentrator, the combination of a frame, a lever pivoted thereto, a pa n pivotally connected to thelever and clutch controlled means for selectively swinging the lever about its pivot to move the pan loi .dinally of the frame without changpan mounted on said spindle, clutch controlled means for selectively moving the spindle and pan longitudinally of the frame or for rocking the pan about the spindle an axis, and means for tilting said frame laterally to vary the inclination of said pan.

it). In an ore concentrator, the combination of a frame, a lever intermediately pivoted on the frame so as to swing in a substantially vertical plane, a pan pivot-ally,

c-nnected to the upper end of the lever, a rod connected to the lower end of the lever and clutch controlled means for selectively reciprocating the rod to swing said lever about its pivot and oscillate the pan longitudinally of the frame or for rocking said pan about of the frame or for rocking the pan about the spindle as an axis, and means for adj usting the second frame about its hinged con nection to the stationary frame to vary the inclination of the pan.

12. In an ore concentrator, the combination of a stationary base frame, a second frame hinged thereto at one side so as to tilt laterally, a lever intermediately pivoted to the second frame to swing in a substantiallyvertical plane, a laterally inclined pan pivotally connected to the upper end of the lever, selectively operable means for swinging the lever about its pivot to move the pan longitudinally of the second frame without changing its angular relation there to or for rocking said pan about its pivotal connection with the lever, and means for adjusting the second frame about its hinged connection to the stationary frame to vary theinclination of the pan without changing the relative position of the lever andits actuating means with respect to the pan.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto affixed our signatures.

KENNEDY MONTHFERD MATHE. JOHN MONTHFERD MATHE.