US1807125A - Apparatus for settling and classifying sand - Google Patents

Description

May 26, 1931; J. M. MITCHELL APPARATUS FOR SETTLING AND CLASSIFYING SAND 3 Sheets-Sheet l zlwwzntox hmerlfM/r/ze/A Filed Feb. 2'7, 1929 y 6, 1931. J. M. MITCHELL 1,807,125

APPARATUS FOR SETTLING AND' GLASSIF'YING SAND Filed Feb. 27, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zlwwmtoz Jzmea MMzlZc/LeZL y 1931- J. M. MITCHELL 1,807,125

APPARATUS FOR SETTLING AND CLASSIFYING SAND Filed Feb. 2'7, 1929 s Sheets- Sheet 5 li i ,Z

Z 29 J Z a i m J Patented May 26, 1931 PATENT' oFHcE JAMES MACDONALD MITCHELL, OF FLUSHING, NEW YORK APPARATUS FOR SETTLING Am oLAssrFYING saw) 7 Application filed February 27, 1928. Serial No. 343,189.

This invention relates to apparatus for settlingyand classifying sand.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a compact apparatus, requiring low head-room, and wherein sand settles out of liquid and is classified.

Another object of the invention is. to provide an apparatus of the character set forth, including a receiver with a series of receptacles or pockets associated therewith and in which sand settles, the receptacles or pockets being providedwith means for permitting periodic discharge of the settled sand therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character setforth, in which there is a flexible connection between the receiver and the individual receptacles or pockets, means being also provided formaintaining the pockets in elevated position while sand settles therein, and permitting the pockets to drop after a predetermined quantity of sand has accumulated.

Still another object of the invention isto provide an apparatus including a plurality of individual receptacles or pockets which have movement in a vertical plane, stops being provided to limit the movement of the pockets, and which also have the efiect of jarring them, whereby to prevent the sand from clinging to the sides-of the pocket and thus insuring relatively complete discharge. Other objects of the invention and the many advantages thereof will in part be obvious and in part more fully brought out as the description of the invention proceeds. In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated several practical embodiments of my invention; but these are illustrative merely and are not to be construed as limiting the invention to the details of construction therein disclosed. The inventionis susceptible of a wide range of modification and equivalency falling within the scope thereof,

as defined in the appended claim.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 isa plan view of a sand settling and classifying apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention; 7

Fig. 2is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional 3-3. of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form, the modification residing essentially in the means for supporting and counterbalancing the receptacles or pockets;

Fig. 5 is a sectional'view, taken on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the modified form illustrated in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of another modification, the changes residing principally in View, taken on line the mechanism for operating the valves in the respective'receptacles or pockets; and

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the modified structure illustrated in Fig. 7

Referring, now, to the drawings, the reference-numeral 1 indicates, generally, what I shall hereinrefer to as a. receiver, this comprising a structure having side walls suitably supported by frame members 2, and which isprovided with a bottom 3. Liquid containing sand is supplied to the receiver from any convenient source through a feedbox 4,. and flows through the receiver and out of the same atthe discharge-end 5. At the discharge-end, a gate 6 is provided which maybe adjusted vertically, whereby the rate of flow of the liquid through the receiver is varied. By thus varying the rate of flow of the liquid, it is possible, as hereinafter more fully pointed out, to vary the classification of the sand which settles out of the liquid.

The bottom 3 of the receiver is in open communication with a plurality of receptaclesorpockets 7, as many of these as may be desired being provided. Each of the receptacles or pockets 7 is secured to the bottom 3 of the receiver by means of a flexible connection in the form of a sheet 8 of flexible, and preferably waterproof,material, such as rubber-sheeting. The flexible sheet 8 is secured to the bottom 3 and to the top edges of the pockets 7 by means of strips 9 and suitable securing bolts 10. By this arrangement, it will be seen that the pockets or receptacles 7 have a flexible connection with the bottom 3 of the receiver, and that the tops of the pockets stand in open communication with the receiver.

The pockets or receptacles 7 are maintained in elevated position and, thus, in alinement along the bottom 3 of the receiver, by suitable springs or counterbalancing weights. In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, springs 11 are provided for this purpose. The springs 11 are provided with suitable collars 12 and the pockets or receptacles 7 are provided with short plungers or pistons 13, passing through said springs and collars. The plungers 13 pass through apertures in a supporting channel 14: and are provided at their lower ends with stops 15 which are designed to limit the movement of the pockets.

The supporting channel 14 is provided with an extension 16 against which the stop 15 contacts in the downward movement of the pocket, thus giving a certain jarring action or shock to the pockets, with the result that the sand which has settled therein is prevented from clingingto the sides of the pockets and is, therefore, more readily and completely discharged. Upward movement of the pockets is limited by contact of the stop-member 15 with the supporting channel 14.

To permit discharge of the settled sand from the pockets or receptacles 7, they are provided with any suitable number of discharge-openings 17 which, while sand is settling in the receptacles, are normally closed by means of valves 18. The valves 18 are provided with valve stems 19 which, at their lower ends, are mounted in supporting channels 20 by means of pins 21. The pins 21 are allowed some little clearance in the support ing channels in order that all of the valves may properly seat in the discharge openings of the respective pockets or receptacles.

Then the apparatus is in operation, and the receiver 1 and the receptacles or pockets 7 are flooded, the pockets are maintained in their uppermost position by means of the springs 11. Sand settles in the bottom of the respective pockets or receptacles 7 and, consequently, the weight of the pockets and their contents increases, the accumulation or settling of sand continuing until the weight is suflicient to overcome the supporting force of the springs 11. The pockets or receptacles 7 will then drop, with the result that the discharge-openings 17 clear the valves 18,

which at this time remain stationary, and, thus, the sand which has accumulated in the bottom of the pockets or receptacles is discharged therefrom. The downward movementor drop of the receptacles or pockets continues until the stop-member 15 strikes the member 16, at which time the impact imparts to the pockets a arring action, thus assisting in the discharge of the sand therefrom.

It will be understood that when the apparatus is flooded and additional liquid containing sand is supplied-thereto, the liquid flows from the supply end to the discharge end, the heavier particles. of sand settling in the pocket nearest the supply end and the lighter particles settling in the pocket nearest the discharge end. Sand of intermediate classification will settle in the intermediate pocket or pockets. By adjusting the end gate 6, the rate of flow ofthe liquid through the receiver 1 may be varied; that is to say, if the end gate 6 is in its lowermost position,

the rate of flow of the liquid will be greater than when the gate is in its uppermost position. When the gate is low, the liquid flows comparatively rapidly through the receiver, with the result that only the heavier particles or coarser sand have time to settle, the finer particles being carried out of the apparatus with the tailings, through the discharge end 5. When the end gate 6 is in its upper position, the rate of flow of the liquid is com paratively slow, with the result that more time is given for the settling of the sand out of the liquid, it being understood that the coarser sand settles first and, hence, in the pocket nearest the supply end, while the finer sand is carried along with the liquid towards the discharge end and finally settles in the last of the series of receptacles or pockets.

' While any suitable number of dischargeopenings may be provided in each of the receptacles or pockets 7, it is desirable, and as shown in the drawings, to provide the last of the series of pocxets with a. greater number of discharge-openings than the others, because this pocket contains the finer sand and, consequently, since this finer sand is discharged only with difliculty, more open ings should be provided so as to insure a rather complete emptying of the sand therefrom.

In Fig.4, I have illustrated a modification of the apparatus heretofore described, the modification residing principally in the means for supporting the pockets or receptacles'in their uppermost position. In this modification, I make use of a counterweight lever 22 having a weight 23 thereon, this lever being of the form illustrated in Fig. 5, and being provided with two arms 24 and 25 which are located at opposite sides of the receptacles or pockets 7. These arms of the lever 22 are suitably fulcrumed, as at 26,

and at their forward ends they support the receptacles or pockets 7 which are provided with suitable supporting pieces 27 which rest freely on the ends of the arms of the lever. This counterbalancing lever and the weight which may be adjusted thereon are arranged to support the pocket in its normal, uppermost position while sand settles therein. After a predetermined time, and when a sufficient quantity of sand has accumulated in the bottom of the pocket to disturb the balance, the pocket drops, in the same manner as described in connection with the apparatus disclosed in Fig. 1, the discharge-openings in the pockets thus clearing the valves and permitting the sand to escape therefrom. When a quantity of sand sufficient to restore the balance of the system has been discharged, the pockets will be elevated again to their uppermost position by means of the counterbalance just described. It will be understood that, by reason of the use of the flexible sheet 8 by which the pockets are connected to the receiver, the desired range of movement of the pockets is effected without undue strain and, at the same time,

the sheet 8 forms a substantially waterproof connection between the receptacles and the receiver.

In order that the pockets may move with rapidity and, thus, receive from the contact with the stops 15 and 16 a sufficient jar to shake the sand loose, I prefer to employ some means for storing up energy as the sand settles in the pockets. In connection with the counterbalance system just described, I have illustrated in Fig. 6 a spring clip 28, the purpose of which is to delay upward movement of the counterbalance lever 22 until such time as the weight of accumulated sand is so great as to overcome the efiect of the counterbalance weight as well as of the spring clip 28. Thus, when the arm 24 of the lever 22 is released from the spring clip 28, there is a sharp and sudden drop of the pocket 7 with a consequent sharp and sudden contact of the stop-members heretofore described, and thus the liberation of the sand from the sides of the pocket is effectually assured. In the modification illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6. the stop includes a strap .29 secured to a frame-member 2 and in which the arm 25 of the lever 22 is confined in its movements.

In Figs. 7 and 8, I have illustrated a further modification of my invention, the departure from the disclosure heretofore made residing mainly in the provision of means for positively actuating the valves. In the embodiments heretofore described, actuation of the valves has depended upon the action of gravity. In the modification now under dissmall expense. Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, I have illustrated therein a receptacle 30 which at its bottom is provided with suitable discharge openings controlled by valves 31. The valves 31 are provided with valve-stems 32 secured to levers 33 mounted on a rockshaft 34, the shaft 34 being suitably journaled in bearings 35. The rock-shaft 34 is actuated through the links 36 and 37 which are connected to a plunger 38 operating in any suitable solenoid 39. Upon the side of the receptacle 30, I have provided a a suitablecontact-piece 40 which contacts with a similar piece 41 on the framework 2 to close the circuit formed by the wires 42 and 43, it being understood that the wires 42 and 43 are connected to any suitable source of electric current.

By referring particularly to Fig. 8, it will be seen that when a quantity of sand has accumulated in the bottom of the receptacle 30, it begins to descend, and when the descent is suflicient to cause contact of the contactpieces 40 and 41, the circuit to the solenoid is completed whereby the same is energized and, thus, the links 33 are actuated by the rock-shaft 34 to withdraw the valves 31 from the discharge-openings in the bottom of the receptacle. This provides a quick and certain means for periodically discharging the sand from the receptacles and may be operated at slight expense and with little consumption of electric current.

In this embodiment. the pocket 30 is provided with a guide 44 which travels through an aperture in an L-shaped plate 45. The guide 44 is provided with a stop-shoulder 46 at its upper end and an enlargement 47 at its lower end, these being arranged to contact with the member 45 to impart asmall shock or jarring action to the pocket in its movements, both up and down.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that my invention will now be clear to those skilled in'the art, and it Will be appreciated that I have provided an apparatus in which sand may be settled and simultan-' I charged sand can be readily combined in various proportions to meet screen specifications. It is, of course, understood that suitable means may be provided for receiving the sand as it is discharged from the several pockets, and that the sand will be deposited therein dewatered and classified with a sufficient degree of accuracy for general purposes.

I claim:

In a sand settling and classifying ap-pa ratus, a frame, a. receiver for liquid and sand mounted on said frame, a settling pocket communicating with said receiver and slid ably mounted in said frame flexible means I connecting said pocket to said receiver, said pocket being provided With a discharge opening, a stationary valve mounted on said frame and seating in said discharge opening, a counter-balance lever pivoted on said frame and contactingat one end With said pocket, and means on said frame engaging said lever to prevent movement thereof until a predetermined quantity of sand has settled in said pocket.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

JAMES MACDONALD MITCHELL.

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