US2056190A

US2056190A - Concentrator

Info

Publication number: US2056190A
Application number: US649505A
Authority: US
Inventors: Enos R Horton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-12-30
Filing date: 1932-12-30
Publication date: 1936-10-06
Anticipated expiration: 1953-10-06

Description

@c&. 6, 1936,

E. R. HORTON CONCENTRATOR Filed Dec. 50, 1932 I] ..;i;;: I INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 6, 1936 UNITED STATES A PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to concentrators for the extraction of values from metalliferous substances, either in the form of finely divided ores or placer deposits. The invention is particularly adapted for the last-mentioned purpose since it is based, in its operation, upon the principle of the 'we11-known hand-operated gold pan which for many years has been accepted as providing the best method of small scale placer gold recovery.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple mechanically operated apparatus which, in a succession of steps, will effect a clean separation of gold from dirt in auriferous deposits.

character, operating on the before-mentioned gold pan principle, which is of sufiicient capacity to be profitable, especially on low grade gold deposits, and further objects reside in details of construction and a novel arrangement and combination of parts as will be fully described in the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, in the several views of which like parts are similarly designated,

Figure l is a partially broken plan view of the apparatus,

Figure 2, a sectional and partially broken side elevation of the same,

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

Figure 4, an enlarged fragmentary section of the element of the apparatus in which the material is treated for the extraction of its auriferous constituents, and a Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section, showing the construction of one of the sections of which the elements is composed.

Referring further to the drawing, the reference numeral 5 designates a suitable support, preferably in the form of a frame having at one end a step-bearing 6 for the supportof the goldsaving element of the apparatus. This elementis composed of a numberof pan-shaped sections nested-one above another for the treatment of the material in successive steps.

The upper section or pan 1 consists of a pref erably cylindrical wall supporting two

screens

8 and 9 of different meshes, one above the other. The screens slant rearwardly and the upper screen is of larger mesh than the-lower one. The upper portion of the pan is shaped to provide a hopper it], into which the material is fed either by means of shovels or by a feed-belt or other suitable device. Beneath a lip l2 at the rearward T side of the hopper is a perforated water pipe I3, for the provision of a wash water in streams-directed to the forward side of the pan. These streams form a curtain of water thru which all the material discharging from the hopper, is passed. At the side of the section opposite to Another object is to provide apparatus of thisthe hopper, is a spout M to discharge the oversizes of both screens, outside the pan. The next following section, i5, is composed of a cylindrical wall made of copper and mercury-coated for the amalgamation of fine or flour gold in the mateside an outlet I! for the passage of the material to the next lower section l8. 7

This next lower section and the lowermost section l9 each consist of a pan having a solid bottom or 2|, and upon said bottom a covering 22 or 23 of rubber matting held in place by a

wire screen

24 or 25.

The outlet ll of the amalgamating-pan I5 is connected with an inlet opening 26 in the wall of -the section l8, by means of a passage 21 at the forward side of the element. has opposite to its inlet 26 an outlet28 which is connected with an inlet 29 in the wall of the lowermost section I9 by a passage 30. Opposite toi the inlet of the lowermost section is a spout 3 l tor the discharge of tailings from the element. At the bottom of thelowermost section is a pin 3 I and a surrounding ball race 32 for the rotary support of the element on the step-bearing 6 of the frame 5. A ball bearing 33 between the ball race and-the bearing is provided for the usual purpose.

The several pan-shaped sections of the concentrating element are nested one upon another and they are clamped together by means of screw-rods 34pi voted at 31 on spider arms 36 beneath the bottom of the lowermost section, and engaging in slotted lugs 35 on the wall of the uppermost section.

Wing'nuts 38 on the threaded ends of the rods engage with 'the lugs to fasten the sections together. It will be apparent that the several sections thus united may operate as a single unit by movement'about its vertical axis.

Inthe operation of the apparatus, a rotary reciprocating motion is imparted to the unit by means ofa shaft 39 -mounted in bearings 40 on the frame. The shaft receives its movement from a conveniently located engine by means of a pulley 4i, and it carries at its end adjacent the element,-a crank-wheel 42 having one or more eccentric openings 43. Into this opening projects a wrist pin on a yoke 45, the legs of which are at their extremities pivotally connected with saddles '46 below the lowermost section of the element.

Rotation of the crank shaftis by these means converted into-a rotary reciprocating movement of the unit, closely resembling the movement manually imparted by placer-miners to the handpan commonly used in panning placer deposits.

The section I5 20 -covering the entire surfaces of the pans.

Rapid rotation of the crank wheel and the short component stroke induced thereby, impart a vibratory motion of considerable intensity to the unit.

The material deposited in the hopper of the nest of pans, is washed toward the upper side of the upper screen by "water ejected through the perforations of the pipe 93.

The shaking or vibratory motion of the unit causes the finer particles to pass through the. meshes of the coarse screen 8 onto thelower and finer screen 9, while the coarsest particles are discharged through the spout l4. By the same movement, the material is again separated into fines passing through the lower screen, and an oversize discharged through the same spout.

The material passing through the finer screen, falls into the first concentrator pan which amalgamates the gold in the material, principal y the finer sizes.

The shaking motion of the unit allows the screened products to come in close contact with the amalgam-covered surface of the pan, and

in successive steps substantially all the gold contained in the material, and the worthless gangue is discharged from the unit through the spout 3|. As indicated by the arrows in Figure 4, the

material and the-wash waterrpass. through the concentrating pans ina zig-zag course, thereby The nest of pans may be slightly tilted by the use of a shim or otherwise, therebystill further simulating the motion imparted to the hand-operated gold pan, and by forming the eccentric holes of -;the crank-wheel 42 at different distances from;

its center of rotation, the shaking or rotary reciprocating motion of the nest of pans may be varied according to the requirement of the material under treatment. j

Owingto the simple method of fastening the pans together, they are easily, disconnected and separately removed for cleaning purposes, it being understood that the

passages

21 and 30 are rigidly connected with only one of the pans as clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawing.

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

1. A concentrator comprising a unit mounted for rotary reciprocation about a vertical axis, a crank wheel mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis in a plane transverse to its said axis and parallel to the axis of rotation of the concentrator unit, and a forked rod connecting the crank-wheel with theunit at tworadially spaced points to transmit the movement of the crankwheel into a vibratory movement of the unit.

2. A concentrator comprising a unit mounted for rotary reciprocation aboutavertical axis, a

crank-wheel mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis in a plane transverse to" its said axis and parallel ,to theaxis of rotation of the concentrator unit, a yoke connecting the crank-wheel with the unit at separated points to transmit the movement of the crank-wheel into a vibratory movement of the unit.

3. A concentrator comprising a unit mounted for rotary reciprocation about a vertical axis, a crank-wheel mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis in a plane transverse to its said axis and parallel to the axis of rotation of the con- *centrator unit, having an eccentric opening and l .a .rodconnecting the crank-wheel with the unit at two angularly spaced points and having a wrist pin' extending loosely thru the openings in the crank wheel;

4. In a, concentrator having a circular screen, a substantially semi-circular hopper located over the screen, and a water supply pipe extending along the chord side of the hopper, the pipe having a series of perforations on the side facing the curved side of the hopper whereby a plurality of fine water streams will be projected across the hopper.

5. A concentrator comprising a frame mounted for oscillation, a yoke having its two ends pivotally attached to the frame for oscillation about pivots that extend at right angles to the axis of oscillation, the yoke having a wrist pin, a shaft 7 mounted to rotate on an axis perpendicular to the axis of oscillation and a crank wheel carried 7 by the shaft, the crank wheel having an eccentrically located opening for the reception of the wrist pin whereby when the crank wheel is r0- tated the frame will be oscillated.

6. A concentrator comprising a plurality of concentrating pans placed one above another in nested arrangement, the lower pan supporting all above it, for the successive treatment of material fed onto the uppermost pan, the nested pans having flat horizontal bottoms and being mounted for rotary reciprocation about a vertical axis and the pans, each of the upper pans having overflow means connected to the next lower pan, the overflow means of each pan being diametri cally opposite the corresponding overflow means of adjacent pans, the level of the overflow means of each pan being above the bottom thereof, the lowermost pan having an outlet at a point diametrically opposite to the point which connects with the I panimmediately above the same, whereby the material must follow a zig-zag course along the entire working surfaces of the pans in its passage from the upper pan to the outlet. r

'7..A concentrator comprising a plurality of concentrating pans placed one above another in nested arrangement, the lower pan supporting all above it, for the successive treatment of material fed onto the uppermost pan, the nested ly above the same, whereby the materialmust follow a zig-zag course along the entire work ing surfaces of the pans in its passage from the upper pan to the outlet, and clamping means for holding the pans in assembled relation.

ENOS R. HORTON.