US1660362A - Process and apparatus for magnetic separation - Google Patents

Description

FeB. 28, 1928. 1,660,362

F. M. SIMONDS PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAGNETIC SEPARATION Filed Oct. 5, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 33 .34 36 l |il| I W 2 20 W 25 Feb. 28, 1928.

F. M. SIMONDS PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAGNETIC SEPARATION 7 Filed Oct. 5, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 im u) /1 X u/o Quoemtoz Feb. 28, 1928.

F. M. slmpNps PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAGNETIC SEPARATION Filed 001:.5, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l/flIIlllfllllllf/IIIIAilllllI/f/l anon W01 FebQZS, 1928. 1,660,362 F. M. SIMONDS PROCESS AND APPARATUS MAGNETIC SEPARATION Filed Oct. 5, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 .33 4 5 F l I I Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

UNITED" STATES FRANCIS M. SIMONDS, F NEWYORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF CITE-HALF TO A. FILLMOIRJ! 1,660,362 PATENT OFFICE.-

I-IYDE, OF NEVI YORK, N. Y.

rnocnss AND APPARATUS non MAGNETIC SEPARATION. V

Application filed October 3, 1925. se ial no. 60,151.,

The present invention has relation 'toa process and apparatus for separating fine magnetic particles from their admixture with non-magnetic particles, and is particu- 3 larly intended for the removal of iron or of its magnetic oxide from other substances as a step in the concentration of ores of various kinds- My invention finds its bestgembodlment in the treatment of finely ground material.

In the process of separation of magnetlc particles from non-magnetic material, as hitherto practiced, it has beenproposed to cause the mixed materials to 'move past a series of magnets whose influence is intended to divert the magnetic particles only from the common path of movement. In orderto give adequate time for action by themag' nets, it has also been proposed to let the ma terial acted on move slowly pastthe magnets through or with water or other retarding liquid.

Where this last mentioned expedient is resorted to, it is found in practice (particularly with very fine material) that groups of magnetic particles, becoming, magnetized,

form clusters which imprison or entangle among them a considerable quantityof the non-magnetic material, which, in' consequence, is carried over with the magnetic material and causes very imperfect separa tion. Another disadvantage is found in the creation of cross currents of various kinds in the liquid, whose influence is decidedly detrimental to efficient separation.

My improved process and apparatus have for their principal object the removal of these objections. In'carrying out my invention, the mixed particles are carried past the separating magnets at a substantially constant and controllable speed, without the formationeofdetrimental cross currentsor eddies, and any clusters of magnetic particles that may befound are promptly and efi'ec tively broken up, so that thenon-magnetic material isnot carried over with the magnetic material to an appreciable extent.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings,

wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of apparatus for carrying out my improved process, Figure 2, is a partial sectional View of the same, the plane of section being parallel to the side seen in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a partial vertical sectional view" taken "at rightangles to Figure 2, Figure/l is a partial face view of thepushing plate,

Figure 5 is an edge view of the same, and Figure 6 isa partial face View of a modified form of perforated, plate, form in Figure 3. '1

shown in another:

The separator has an'outer casing 10 made V of wood," hard rubber orfother suitable nonmagnetic material; and against, and outside of one wall, 11, of this casing are mounted a series of magnets, preferably electro-magnets 12, as shown. These magnets Y, may have either constant or intermittent polarization 1 Y as desired, and their poles may remain the same (as where excited by continuous electric current) or may be reversed v I (as where excited by alternating current).

I prefer to p y & crosspartition '13 near the top of the casing for a purposedescr bedhereinafter, and at the bottom the casing is dividedby a partition 14 into two chambers 15 and 16 for receiving the non magnetic and the magnetic particles, respectlvely. (See Figure 2.)

At the back of the partition 13 (that is on the s defaway from the magnets 12) the mixed'powdered material is fed continuously in any suitable manneiythe' same being sus-- pended ina' current of water. Clear water, moving, at ne'arlythe same rate is caused to flow downwardin front of'the partition 13. Any overflow may be discharged at one side asthrough the opening 1'2 (Figure The 1 feed preferably takes place on opposite sides and outsideofthetwo fore-and-aft parti-' eccentric cams 21, 22 ,on a shaft 23, said cams playing in slots 24; in the respective plates 20. In each pair of cams, when one of apair islifting its plate 20, the other is lowering its plate. Alternate plates are thus kept moving vertically in opposite d1- rections,'so long as the shaft 23 is made to revolve. This revolution maybe accomplished by the pulley 25 and belt 26 or otherwiser Means for steadying and guiding the plates can be provided as desired, and are not shown as the inventlon can be more clearly exhibited by the diagrams used,

: 28 (see Figure 6). In either case openings areafforded throughwhich the fine material attracted by'the magnets 12 may move.

Nexttothe front wall 11 is a pushing plate 29 mounted forslow up and. down -movement, and equipped to push downwardthe magnetic particles which find their way againsttheinner surface of said wall under the influence of the magnets 12. In this way the gathering particles are conveyed to the receiving chamber 16, and the wall 11 is kept clear for the accommodation of more magnetic particles. The openings 30 in the plate 29 permit the particles to pass through to the front'wall. i v

The pushing means for the attracted particles may be given a variety of forms, an example of which is shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5. Upon the forward face ofthe pushing plate 29 there are pivotally mounted a number ofswinging scrapers 31, having lugs 32 which limit their upward movement sothat they assumethe position shown in dotted lines in Figures 2 and 5.. r

The plate 29 is mountedupon an eccentric cam 33 on a slow moving shaft 34, turning 1 Figure 5. Whenthe plate 29 moves .downward agaln, the water resistance lifts the within a suitable slot or cam opening 35 in the plate. Revolution of the shaft 34 by the pulley 36 and belt 37, or otherwise, causes a slow'up and down movement of the plate 29. As the plate moves upward gravity together with the water resistance causes the scrapers 31 to take the full line position in scrapers into dotted line position with their edges against the wall 11 ,so thatthey push down the particles adhering to the wall. Instead of mechanicaluneans of pushing down the magnetic particles jets of water could be used.

The mode of operationof my apparatus will now be clear. The mass ofmingled particles suspended water moves clownwardbehind the partition 13 and. into the space below, between the plates 20. The attractive force of the magnets 12 causes the magnetic particles in the mixture to travel toward the front wall 11, the greater part of these moving in groups entangling certain quantities of non-magnetic material.

As these groups passthrough the openings in the plates 20 they are subjected to a re peated chopping action which breaks the.

groups up again and again, .thus allowing the nonmagnetic particles to escape and move unimpeded down into the chamber 15.

A substantially purely magnetic mass of particles is thus finally brought to the wall 11 whence it is scraped into the chamber 16 as already described.

removed in any convenient manner, but I prefer to accomplish this continuously by the means illustrated. They include a screw i conveyer in each chamber, shown at 38 and 39, which are rotated by pulleys 40 and 41 respectively.

In order to. obtain a better seal and a more complete control of thedischarge, I prefer to provide a downward passage 42 at the exit end of each conveyer 38, 39, and to place'another screw conveyer 43 therein (see Figure This latter conveyer in each case maybe driven by bevel gears 44, 45, driven from the driving pulley of theeorresponding'horizontal conveyer, as shown in Figure his to scription sets forth merely an exemplification of my invention, the scope of which is be understood that the above denot intended to be limited to the details shown and described.

What I claim is: e t

1. The process of separating magnetic from non-magnetic particles which consists in causing the mixed particles to move across amagnetic field of force and subjecting the groups formed by said field to disintegrating blows as they move toward the sourcefof t-he magnetic attraction.

2. The process of separating magnetic from nonmagnetic particles which consists in causing the mixed particles to move through narrow transverse slices in a magnetic field and breaking up the groups formed by magnetic attraction as they pass from one slice of the field to the next. 3. The process of separating magnetic from non-magnetic particles which consists in suspending the mixture in a current of liquid moving through a magnetic field while opposing the resultant tendency to create local cross currents.

4. A magnetic separator comprising a conmeans within the container adapted to break up groups of magnetized particles while tainer, a source of magnetic attraction and 1.25

wall, a source of magnetic attraction adaptback and forth in their ownplanes in con- 10 ed to draw magnetic particles towards that, trary directions. wall, a pushing plate, scrapers pivotally 7. In a magnetic separator a revoluble mounted on the face thereof, and means for shaft, cams thereon a number of pairs of v causing reciprocating movement of said perforated plates mounted on said cams and pushing plate and scrapers. adapted to bereciprocatedthereby. 15

6. In a magnetic separator, a plurality In testimony whereof I afiix my signaof perforated plates in combination with ture.

means for causing successive plates to move 7 FRANCIS M. SIMONDS. v

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