US1729545A

US1729545A - Washing apparatus for separating coal and like materials

Info

Publication number: US1729545A
Application number: US153157A
Authority: US
Inventors: Marchant Charles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1926-01-16
Filing date: 1926-12-07
Publication date: 1929-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 1946-09-24

Description

Sept. 24, 1929. c. MARCHANT 1,729,545

WASHING APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING COAL AND LIKE MATERIALS Filed Dec. 7, 1926 P ,fwf W Q W x a z Patented Sept. 24, 1929 ('iHABLES MABCH ANT, OF MONTIGNY-LE-TILLEUL, BELGIUM WASHING APPARATUS FOR SEPARA'IING COAL AND LIKE MATERIALS Application filed December 7, 1928, Serial No. 153,157, and in Belgium January 16, 1926.

This invention relates to apparatus for washing and separating coal and like minerals, in which the material to be treated is charged into a column of water in which it 5 meets an ascending current of fluid under pressure that raises the lighter particles to the surface while the heavier particles fall to the bottom of the column. In some apparatus of this kind the materials treated successivel meet a plurality of ascending currents w ich raise the less heav particles through separate conduits so that 'y increasing the pressure of the successive currents it is possible to obtaina separation of the particles according to their weight.

An inconvenience of apparatus of this type, such as they have been constructed heretofore, is that in order to be efiicacious they must have a considerable height, which gives rise to a great consumption of motive power in order to produce ascending currents sufiiciently powerful to carry particles of coal up to the top of the ascending conduits. On the other hand the cost of the apparatus and of the auxiliary devices required therefor depends much on their height.

Another inconvenience of these apparatus is that for a large portion of their travel the materials under treatment slide on inclined 0 walls and the light particles thereon are liable to be covered by heavy particles and to adhere thereto so that in these portions of the apparatus thevseparation can only be incompletely performed.

' The object of the present invention is to These objects areattained according to this invention by making the downward column with vertical walls throughout its oper ative height. Moreover each of the ascending currents is caused to flow through a portion of the vertical column before reaching the opening of the next upward conduit through which it will raise the particles light enough to be carried thereby.

The accompanying drawing illustrates diagrammatically in vertical section an apparatus constructed in'accordance with the present invention.

In this drawing a is the vertical column into which the materials to be treated are charged through the hopper a, and b, c, d, e are adjacent conduits starting from the column a successively at different levels and adapted to receive the less heavy particles carried by the ascending currents fed into the column a through the nozzles f, g, h, z while the heavier particles fall to the bottom of the column a into a suitable collecting drum is whereby they are discharged from the apparatus.

The pressure of each of the successive currents fed through the nozzles f, g, h, 2' can be adjusted according to the height through which the particles must be raised.

The conduit 72' starts from the column a at a certain distance above the first nozzle f and the conduits 0, d, e respectively start just below or at the level of the lower edge of the nozzles f, g, h respectively, so that the Walls Z, m, n that separate them from the column a, serve as screens to prevent the fluid under pressure admitted through said nozzles f, g, 72. directly entering the conduits c, d. e. The lowermost nozzle 2' opens near the bottom of the column a at a certain distance below the lower end of conduit e.

This apparatus operates as follows:

The column a and the conduits b, 0, d, 6 being filled with water, there is introduced into the column a, through the nozzles f, g, h, 7:, water or air or another fluid under pressure, and the materials to be treated, for

example coal mixed with slate, are charged into the column a. The particles of coal and slate fall on the inclined wall of the hopper a and when they reach the top of the column a they meet the first ascending current coming from the orifice f which carries with it the lightest particles and raises them into the first conduit?) at the top of which they can be collected.

The column a being-vertical, the drop of the remaining particles to the bottom is no longer impeded except by the ascending currents conung from the nozzles g, h, i which carry the less heavy particles and raise them through the conduits c, d, e respectively, while the heavier particles drop directly to the bottom of the column. The light particles thus can not be caught and carried by heavier particles as may happen when the downward column comprises inclined portions.

On the other hand, as the separation of the particles takes place without interruption from top to bottom of the column a, the height of this column and consequently of the apparatus can be materially less than that of apparatus proposed heretofore.

I claim:

1. In a washing apparatus for separating coal and like materials, the combination of vertical walls limiting a column of water vertical throughout its height, means for feeding material to be separated to the top of the column, a plurality of nozzles at different levels for feeding upward currents of fluid under pressure into said column, a corresponding number of upwardly extending conduits offset from the lowermost part of the walls forming the column. and from each other and extending parallel to each other, the lower part of the column and each of said conduits receiving one of said upward currents of fluid, and an outlet at the bottom of the column.

2. In a washing apparatus for separating coal and like materials, the combination of means forming a vertical column of water comprising a plurality of adjoining vertical sections, means for feeding material to be separated to the top of the column, means for feeding fluid under pressure to the bottom of each section, an upward conduit branching off said means at the top of each section, and an outlet at the bottom of said means.

3. In a washing apparatus for separating coal and like materials,,the combination of means forming a colunin of water vertical throughout its height, means for feeding material to be separated to the top of the column, a plurality of nozzles at different levels for feeding fluid under pressure into said column, a corresponding number of upward conduits, one of said conduits forming an upward extension of said column, the

other conduits branching off said column each at a level slightly below the opening of one of said nozzles and arranged parallel to said column, and an outlet at the bottom of said column.

In testimony whereofI aifix my signature.

CHARLES MARCHANT.