US2255167A

US2255167A - Mining apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2255167A
Application number: US370715A
Authority: US
Inventors: Oliver W Hunn
Original assignee: GEORGE E ARNOLD
Current assignee: GEORGE E ARNOLD
Priority date: 1940-12-18
Filing date: 1940-12-18
Publication date: 1941-09-09
Anticipated expiration: 1958-09-09

Description

Sept. 9, 1941.

O. W. HUNN MINING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 18, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheefi l flllm INVENTOR.

I BY

A T TORNEYS.

Sept. 9, 1941. o. w. HUNN MINING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 18, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR;

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 9, 1941 NT QFFl-CE- MINING APPARATUS Oliver W. Hunn, New Philadelphia, bhio, assignor' of one-fourth to George E. Arnold New l'hila-' delphia, Ohio Application December 18, 1940, Serial;No."370,7l

5 Claims.

This invention relates to mining apparatus and is designed primarily for the purpose of extracting fine particles of material from, beds of gravel and conducting them to points where they can be processed for the purpose of separating valuable minerals from other particles.

A still further object is to provide an apparams of this kind which is simplein construction, easily manipulated, and, while useful in the re moval of dry material from gravel beds, is especially suited for extracting values from Watercovered areas of gravel or the like.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is an enlarged central vertical section through the cooperating intake pipe.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55, Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lower or screen end of the rotatable pipe.

Figure '7 is a perspective view of the lower end of the stationary pipe.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates a structure which can be erected at any suitable point or can be mounted on a barge or the like, and On this structure or at any other desired point can be located a motor 2 and a suction pump 3, the latter driven by the motor or by other means. A flexible suction tube 4 is extended to the intake of the pump and serves to connect said pump to one end of a stationary suction pipe 5 the other end of which is provided with spaced fingers 6 between which are located intake slots 1. Pipe 5 can be supported or guided by any suitable structure such as a frame 8 in which it can slide for longitudinal adjustment and at a desired point on this pipe can be located a collar 9 constituting a thrust bearing for a rotatable pipe I!) having a working fit on the pipe 5. The lower end of the pipe I0 is closed as at H except for a plurality of small apertures l2, and that portion of the longitudinal wall of the pipe extending around the fingers 6 is also formed with a plurality of small apertures indicated at l3. Thus the lower portion of the rotatable pipe constitutes", in effect, a screen for preventing the admission of any particleso-f material smaller than those of a predetermined siZe or mesh.

7 To the pipe 10 is securely attached a pulley M or othertype of wheel adapted to be driven by a belt I5 or the like receiving motion from the motor 2 as will beapparent by referring to Figure 1. If. the apparatus herein described is to be used for the purpose of extracting small particles from a submerged-gravel bed, the said apparatus is mounted in any suitable manner on a barge or the like which is brought to proper position above the bed. The guiding and supporting frame 8 is set up and the lower end of pipe [0 is pressed downwardlly onto the gravel bed. Said pipe is then caused to rotate at a high speed and the lower portion thereof will serve as a screen or grid through which fine particles can be drawn by the suction set up through the pump 3 and tube 4. The finer particles entering the apertures I2 and I3 will pass through the slots I and thence upwardly and, when the solids moving within tube 4 reach a predetermined point they can be permitted to gravitate into another tube I6 communicating therewith and which serves to direct the solid matter to the point orpoints where a processing operation is to be effected. Should any particles too large to pass through the apertures l2 and I3 become lodged therein, the fingers 6, which have a working fit against the inner surface of pipe Ill, would act as ejectors to dislodge these particles and cause them to be thrown away from the pipe.

As the suction continues, fine particles will gravitate toward the apertured lower end of pipe I!) and be pulled out from among the particles of gravel so that the separating operation can be carried on for a considerable length of time at one point before the pipes are moved to another point within the bed.

Where the particles'are removed from a submerged gravel bed, a percentage of water will of course be drawn upwardly into the pipes with the solids, this water flowing outwardly through the pump and, with the solids, through the branch tube l6.

Under some conditions the apparatus can be used in dry mining.

Any desired means can be used for forcing the pipes downwardly into the gravel bed or the pipes can be caused to feed downwardly under their own weight.

What is claimed is:

1. Mining apparatus including a stationary suction pipe having slots in one end portion, a rotatable suction pipe having a working fit on the stationary pipe, there being apertures in the lower end portion of the rotating pipe providing a screen surrounding the slotted portion of the stationary tube, a. suction device connected to the stationary pipe, and means for rotating the apertured pipe.

2. Mining apparatus including a stationary suction pipe having slots in one end portion, a rotatable suction pipe having a working fit onthe stationary pipe, there being apertures in the lower end portion of the rotating pipe providing a screen surrounding the slotted portion of the stationary tube, a suction device, a flexible connection between said suction device and the stationary pipe, said connection having an outlet for material gravitating within the pipe, and means for simultaneously rotating the apertured pipe and actuating the suction means.

3. Mining apparatus including a stationary pipe, fingers projecting from one end thereof and providing slots therebetween, a rotatable suction pipe having a working fit on the stationary pipe and its fingers, there being apertures in one end of the rotating pipe and in that end portion of the wall thereof extending around the fingers, said fingers constituting means for dislodging from the apertures in the rotatable pipe, particles which are oversize, a motor, and separate means operated by the motor for simultaneously rotating the apertured pipe and setting up a suction through the apertures and slots an within the pipes.

4. Mining apparatus including a stationary pipe, fingers extending from one end thereof providing slots therebetween, a rotatable pipe having a working fit on the stationary pipe, one end of the rotatable pipe being provided with apertures providing a screen in the wall and end of the pipe, said fingers being positioned to cooperate with the screen to dislodge the oversize particles projecting through the apertures, a suction pump, a flexible tubular connection between the stationary pipe and the intake of the suction pump, means opening into and extending from said tube for directing solid particles from the tube and away from the pump, and

'means for simultaneously actuating the pump and rotating the apertured pipe.

5. Mining apparatus including a stationary pipe, fingers extending from one end thereof providing slots therebetween, a rotatable pipe having a working fit on the stationary pipe, one end of the rotatable pipe being provided with apertures providing a screen inthe wall and end of the pipe, said fingers being positioned to cooperate with the screen to dislodge the'oversize particles projecting through the apertures, a suction pump, a flexible tubular connection between the stationary pipe and the intake of the suction pump, means opening into and extending from said tube for directing solid particles from the tube and away' from the pump, means for simultaneously actuating the pump and rotating the apertured pipe, and a combined guide and support for the pipes, said pipes being shiftable longitudinally relative to the same.

OLIVER HUN L