US1985514A - Concentrator - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 25, 1934. c. F. MGCLEEIQY GONCENTRATOR Filed May 1, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l wfmm ATTORNEYS Dec. 25, 1934. MCCLEERY CONCENTRATOR Filed May 1, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ,77Z@Z.

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 25, 1934 UNITED STATES" oFFicE 9 Claims;

My invention relates to concentrators, andmore'particularly toa machine of the type disclosed in my co-pending application for patent Seri'alNo. 613,151, filed on the 24th day of May;

sand, gravel and other'earthy matter by what is commonly known as the dry method of concentration,lin a pan which rotates about a slanting axis, and which uponitsflat face has aridge to conduct material-through a spirally: winding path to a central point at which concentrates are discharged; 1

It is an object of the present invention to-protion, which promote its efficiencyand which, in general; aid-in'prov-iding a concentrating apparatus in which simplicity of construction 'is com-- bined with capacity for the treatment of large quantities of materialin a continuous operation and with capabilityfor the clean separation ofall or at least the greater percentage of. values.

present in the. material.

With. this and other objects inview, the im-- provedmachine comprises the constructions, combinations and arrangements hereinafter to be described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in the various views of which like parts are similarly designated and inwhich Figure 11 represents an elevation of the improved machine,

Figure 2; aplanview. of thepan-element of the machine looking in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 3 is a section along the line 33- in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is-a section taken Figure2,

Figure 5 isa fragmentary section on the line 5 5 of Figure 2,

on the line 4 -4of Figure 6"is anenlarged section of a peripheral portion cfthe-pan, in-the plane indicated by the line3--3 in Figure 2;

Figure 7 'isan enlarged section on the line 77 of Figure 2 V Figure 8' is an enlarged section taken on the line 8 8 of'Figure 1',

Figure 9 is an enlarged section in theplane designated by the line 99'of Figure 1, and

FigurelO' isan enlarged section in a plane at right anglesato that indicated by the'line'-10'-l0 in Figurel.

.The' concentrator which-is transportable for In this machine, values are extracted from its movement to different locations, is mounted upon a wheeled truck 5-car-ryinganinternal combust-ion' engine or other suitable motor 6.- Thismotor which operatestheconcentrator, mayalso' be utilized for the propulsion of the truck". Since themeans by which this may be accomplished are obvious, they have not beenshownin the drawings.

The concentrator is mounted'on the truck upon two standards '7. A substantially horizontal shaft 10" 8 is supportedon'the standardsthrough-the medium of set-screws 9 which permit of'its adjustment in avertical plane. The shaft is hollow'and, it includesa cylindrical casing-10 ml a' gearing Whichtransmits the movement of themotorto the rotary-element of the'concentrator.

A sleeve 12 projecting laterally from'the'casing. supports'the rotary element, as will hereinafter be more fully described, and' an a'rm"13on the" sleeve supports a spider 14; from'whicha station ary cover 15 for the rotary element is suspended.

Thesleeve; furthermore; has 'two 'arms l6=which at' their outer ends carry'spring-supportd dogs 1'7 to impart a vibratory movement to the rotary element. Thearmshave to this endcup-shaped extremities18,*as best shown in Figure-6 The; dogs are movably'supported upon coiled springs 19in the cups andstems' 20-onthe dogs extend through thesprings and through openings in the bottoms of the cups to guide'them'for axial displacement.

V The rotary element hereinbefore repeatedly referred'to, consists'of a circular pan havingfaperipheral upstanding rim- 21'. The rim is'fastened to the fiat bottom plate 22- of the pan by means-of anangle- 23- placed exterior-1y of the rimand the angle is rigidly'secured to the bottomplate-by'means of "belts or 'rivet's 24; heads 215 ofwhich extend in circular alinement' below the undersurface'of' the pan; The'circle of" the bolt heads is in'register \viththe-dogs 011* the'arms 16 so that during rotation of the pan, the rivetheads rideover the dogs in-rapid succession.

Inasmuch as the dogs extend in the path' of therivet-heads and the springs are sufii'ciently strong to withstand undue depression of the dogs, a vibratory movement is imparted to-the-bottom' plate of the pan, which expeditesandprornotes the separationof values from the gangue in-n at'erial under treatment;

The pan-has a centralhollow shaft 26 fastened toits bottom plate,- by a flangedcollar" 27; This coll-ar'rests-against the end of the sleeve 12 on the gear-casing through themedium'of a bushing- "2'8- ofi' anti fi iction material;

The hollow shaft connects with a discharge opening 29 in the center of the bottom 22 of the pan and it extends through the hollow sleeve 12 into the gear-casing 10 where it is equipped with a bevel gear 30.

Meshing with this gear is another similar gear 31 at the end of a shaft 32 mounted inside the hollow shaft 8 at one side of the gear-casing, and at the end of the shaft 32 is a pulley 33 which by means of a belt 34 is connected with a driving pulley 35 of the engine. The hollow shaft 26 extends through the gear-casing into a spout 36 formed integrally with the casing and projecting downwardly thereof. It is through this hollow shaft 26 and this spout 36 that the concentrates are delivered from thepan. It will be observed that the mounting as described permits of varying the angle ofiinclination of the pan-shaft by rotary adjustment of the supporting shaft 8, and in order to facilitate this adjustment, a jack 37 is mounted on the truck, with its movablescrew part 38 in connection with a lug 39 on the sleeve 12 of the gear-casing through the medium of a rod 40.

Fastened upon the bottom surface of the pan is a spiral ridge 41 which winds from the rim of the pan in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation, to the central opening 29 in the bottom of the pan, connecting with the hollow shaft 26.

The spiral ridge gradually decreases in height as it approaches the center of the pan and it also decreases in width in the same direction so that it provides a spiral path of gradually decreasing width and depth through which the material under treatment advances by the rotary movement of the pan.

The cover 15 suspended from the spider arms 14 covers the entire pan and has a lip 42 overhanging the peripheral edge of its rim.

A feed chute 43 connects with an opening of the cover as at 44, and a hopper 45 at the end of the chute has a screen 46 for the separation of coarse matter from material supplied thereto. At the outer end of the spiral path or channel is a slanting plate 47 extending crosswise of the channel substantially through the width thereof, which turns the material over from the outer convolution of the spiral inwardly as the pan revolves around its axis.

In the operation of the concentrator the pan is rotated about its axis in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2. The material is continuously fed into the hopper and entering the spiral channel at the outer portion thereof, it moves along the channel toward the center of the pan. The heavier and valuable metals settle to the bottom of the channel by specific gravity and are eventually discharged through the central opening and the hollow shaft into the delivery spout 36.

The coarser and lighter matter spills continually across the edges of the sides of the spiral channel and is ultimately discharged across the rim of the pan at the lower portion thereof.

As the values advance toward the center of the pan, the volume of the gangue decreases and since the cross-sectional area of the spiral channel and the height of the wall of the same is gradually reduced, the gangue will pass across the wall until only values are delivered through the central opening. Subject to a continuous feed, there is a continuous discharge of concentrates through the spout and a simultaneous continuous discharge of gangue across the rim of the pan.

The slant of the pan is varied by rotary adjustment of the shaft 8, in accordance with the character of the material under treatment.

The cover 15 prevents material from falling into the spiral channel except through the chute 43, and the screen in the hopper separates boulders, stones and other coarse matter from the material before it enters the pan. The plow 47 serves to throw the material inwardly as it passes the region at which the material is fed into the pan and the vibratory motionimparted to the pan by the passageof the circularseries of rivet heads 25 across the relatively stationary dogs 17 loosens the material and expedites the passage of the material through the spiral channel, and the downward movement of the heavy values in the material, to the bottom of the channel.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A concentrator comprising a pan mounted to rotate about a slanting axis and having a discharge-opening centrally of its bottom-surface, and a spiral channel winding from the periphery of the pan to said opening, and a slanting plate crosswise of the channel in the outer portion thereof to turn material fed into the pan toward the more central portion of the same.

2. A concentrator comprising a pan mounted to rotate about a slanting axis and having a discharge-opening centrally of its bottom-surface, and a spiral channel winding from the periphery of the pan to said opening, a substantially horizontal shaft upon which the pan is supported, and a stationary cover for the pan supported by the shaft.

3. A concentrator comprising a pan mounted to rotate about a slanting axis and having a discharge-opening centrally of its bottom-surface,

and a spiral channel winding from the periphery of the pan to said opening, a substantially horizontal shaft including a lateral sleeve upon which the pan is supported and which provides a passage for concentrates discharged through the central opening, and a stationary cover for the pan, supported on the sleeve.

4. A concentrator comprising a pan mounted to rotate about a slanting axis and having a discharge-opening centrally of its bottom-surface, and a spiral channel winding from the periphery of the pan to said opening, a substantially horizontal shaft mounted for rotary adjustment, and including a lateral sleeve upon which the pan is supported and which provides a passage for concentrates discharged through the central opening, a stationary cover supported by the sleeve, and means acting upon the sleeve for adjustment of the shaft.

5. A concentrator comprising a pan mounted to rotate about a slanting axis and having a discharge-opening centrally of its bottom-surface, and a spiral channel winding from the periphery of the pan to said opening, a substantially horizontal shaft mounted for rotary adjustment and including a gear-casing, a sleeve projecting laterally from the casing, and a spout projecting from the casing opposite to the sleeve, the pan being supported by the sleeve, a hollow shaft connected with the central opening of the pan and extending through the sleeve into the spout, a drive shaft supported by the horizontal shaft, and gearing in the casing for transmitting a rotary movement of the drive shaft to the hollow shaft.

6. A concentrator comprising a pan mounted to rotate about a slanting axis and having a discharge-opening centrally of its bottom-surface, and a spiral channel winding from the periphery of the pan to said opening, a substantially horizontal shaft mounted for rotary adjustment and including a gear-casing, a sleeve projecting laterally from the casing, and a spout projecting from the casing opposite to the sleeve, the pan being supported by the sleeve, a hollow shaft connected with the central opening of the pan and extending through the sleeve into the spout, a drive shaft supported by the horizontal shaft, gearing in the casing for transmitting a rotary movement of the drive shaft to the hollow shaft, and a jack acting upon the sleeve for rotary adjustment of the shaft of which the sleeve is a part.

'7. A concentrator comprising a pan mounted to rotate about a slanting axis and having a discharge-opening centrally of its bottom-surface, and a spiral channel Winding from the periphery of the pan to said opening, a substantially horizontal shaft mounted for rotary adjustment and including a gear-casing, a sleeve projecting laterally from the casing, and a spout projecting from the casing opposite to the sleeve, the pan being supported by the sleeve, a hollow shaft connected with the central opening of the pan and extending through the sleeve into the spout, a drive shaft supported by the horizontal shaft,

gearing in the casing for transmitting a rotary movement of the drive shaft to the hollow shaft, a cover for the pan supported by the sleeve, and means acting upon the sleeve for adjustment of the shaft of which it is a part.

8. A concentrator comprising a pan mounted to rotate about a slanting axis and composed of a bottom having a central discharge-opening, a peripheral rim and a spiral ridge winding from the rim to the opening, the bottom and the rim being connected by fastening devices in a circular series, having heads projecting exteriorly of the bottom, a relatively stationary dog in the path of the series of heads, and mechanism for rotation of the pan.

9. A concentrator comprising a pan mounted to rotate about a slanting axis and having a discharge-opening centrally of its bottom-surface, and a spiral channel winding from the periphery of the pan to said opening, a bearing for the pan, mechanism for rotation of the pan, and means for imparting a vibratory movement to the pan, including a circular series of projections on the bottom thereof, an arm on the bearing, and a dog on the arm in the path of the circular series of projections.

CLYDE F. MCCLEERY.

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