US2272005A

US2272005A - Concentrator

Info

Publication number: US2272005A
Application number: US359287A
Authority: US
Inventors: Waller C Hudson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-10-01
Filing date: 1940-10-01
Publication date: 1942-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 1959-02-03

Description

Feb. 3, 1942. w C, HUDSON 2,272,005

CONCENTRATOR Filed Oct. l, 1940 41".1 y y 7 48 mol/? 2.0 4? Hf Patented Feb. 3, 1942 14 claims. lol'. y20e-'458)' e `rTheinvention relatesrparticularly toa concentrator or separating device and is especially ladapted for separating particles of material car- 1redby a liquid stream ork current. rIfhe device 4 is intended to operate on the heavier particles and separate ythem from the stream carrying the jlighter particles which may pass on to waste or further treatment. vThere are many industrial Iuses' for such a device. Specific and important usesv are in the-treatment of mined material. Thus astream of Water carrying solids of diierent specic gravities may be treated by the present invention to concentrate or separate the heavier and generally more valuable solids, including suchmaterials as flour gold from saprolite or sand, and metals from their gangue, etc.

It has been found that liquid carrying solids whenpassed at proper rates of iiow through a curved channel tends to collector concentrate the heavier particlesat certain points in the path -f of travel. When` a current impinges against a concave Acurve there is a tendency for. the solid particles carried to vrconcentrate close to the curved Wall. When the current leaves the con-v cave point in the wall itspreads across the channel .andtends to throw the heavier particles or concentrate more 'orless directly toward the other side of the channel; their course varying .with the character of the liquid, the speed of flow and with the weightof the specific particles be- -the main part at least of the heavier particles the ychannel may be'sinusoidalor made up of a plurality of succeedingv reverse curves. A few 4'curves in the channel may be su'icient andthey may be all included in a relatively short run or quantity of material it may then be desirable to assemble a plurality of the-relatively small channels which may thus .produce-separation or concentration of a sufiicient amount ofY material to make the operation commercially practicable.

In vorder to take advantage of the factthat a stream of liquid carrying solids of different gravi- Vties and flowing aroundl a curveso as to deposit the `heaviest solids -in a restricted area ofthe stream bed it may be desirable to decrease the velocity of the stream of liquid carrying such ysolids of different specific gravities at appropriate points so as to'aid in such deposit'of the .heaviest solids. V'I'his may be accomplished by glengthof channel. In order to handle a larger 49 means of appropriately placed and positioned baIlles ory riles associated with whichmay be p rovided openings in `the bottom of theA channel through which may be dropped and removed the .heavier particles,"s eparation and saving. of whi'chmaybespeciallydesirable. 1 For thebest procedure with a specific materia it maybe desirable to have a lcarefully designed structure inwhich the formand proportions are carefully designed so as to most eiectively cooperate with the liquid at the mosteffective speed but such aspecic, refined arrangement may not be necessary vfor carrying out the invention which mayproduce desirable resultsfin many forms and proportions.

n Infth accompanying drawing, for 'the purposeof illustrating the invention but without limiting it, is shown one `speciiic Aform of apparatus Awhich is 'especially' adapted to the separation of such'materialas Ilour gold vfrom Vsaproliteor sand. yFigure 1 isa more or less diagrammatic plan view of'a pair of concentrating channels enclosed in an outer casing. Fig.`2 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is kan enlarged'fragmentary planview showing. details of form. Fig. 4 lis an'enlarged fragmentary cross section on the line 4 4 offFig. 1. j i

As illustrated the ydevicev may consistof an outencasing vII'I which maybe a sheet of metal turned upat its lsides. to make side walls I I as shown infFig. 4;. For convenience the side walls II `may be straight or of any desirable form. .Mounted within the side Walls II are shown rthree longitudinal wall members, I2, I3; I4 forming between them two 'channelsthrough'v which the liquid may: pass forconcentration. The walls I2, I 3,` I4 are each curved but are solderedor otherwise mounted on vthe bottom substantially parallel to each other so that the channel I5 between the walls I2 and I3 is lpreferably of substantially the same width throughout its length' and the channel I6 between the walls I3 and I4 is preferably of substantially the same width throughout its length. As illustratedeachchannel andits `wallsjare made up of a succession of 'reversed curves. Thus the channel beginning at the left in Fig. 1 makes acurve toward the bottom at I1 immediately followed by a rcurve toward thetop at I8 and so onr throughout the length ofthe channel. Thereare illustrated 'four of these double 'curves' which maybe a suitable number for practical operation,' although any other number maybe chosen and employed.

' It Will be seenfthus, Athat each wall of the channel consists of a succession of convex and concave curves, there being opposite the convex curve on each wall a corresponding concave curve on the opposite wall. The terms concave and convex are employed here with respect to the middle of the channel. Thus the curve at l1 in the upper wall illustrated in Fig. 1 is a convex curve while the curve at IB in the upper wall is a concave curve. It will be understood that liquid in passing from left to right for instance in Fig. 1 through the channel made up of succeeding reverse curves will constantly have its direction changed and when the direction is changed the tendency will be to concentrate and position at least the heavier solid particles carried by the liquid. In order to take advantage of this arrangement and positioning. riles or baiiles I9 may be appropriately placed so as to be in the path of the portion of the liquid carrying the heavier particles. As heavier particles thus impinge upon the riflie or baiile their speed will be stopped or reduced and they may be deposited on the bottom of the channel. Each baie I9 may be curved so as to present a convex surface to the material ilowing over or against it. 'I'his arrangement tends to cause the heavier particles to deposit and also tends to not fill up or dam the channel but to allow the unseparated material to pass onward. Preferably at the down stream portion on the convex side of the baffles I9 there may be provided openings or holes 20 in the bottom of the channel through which the impeded or settled heavier portions of the solid carried by the liquid may pass into a trough, pan or launder 2| which as is illustrated in Fig. 2 may be placed immediately under the trough I0.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, in order to aid in the operation of the device and the passage of the liquid and the recovered material the trough I and the trough 2l may both be mounted on bases so as to incline downwardly from the left hand end to the right hand end, that is, in the direction of flow of the laden liquid. This will tend to aid the free flow ofthe liquid bearing the solid through the trough lil and may aid in the collection and removal of the heavier particles from the trough 2l. The angle at which the troughs are mounted is not essential to the present invention although in the specic apparatus to be described in detail it has been found that an angle or grade of about is suitable and may be desired.

In one specific construction in which the trough is set at a 10 grade there has been satisfactorily treated a liquid carrying to 20% solids at a speed of about 8 gallonsl per minute. Such a structure may be about 10 feet long, in which arrangement the successive concave curves in the channels may be about 30 inches apart. The width of each channel may be about four inches and the height of the sider walls may be about two inches. The concave and the convex curvature of the side Walls may be symmetrical and both may be formed with a radius of about 15%E inches, it being noticed that this radius is nearly four times the width of the channel. With this arrangement all the succeeding curves on opposite sides of the channel such as those marked A B and C in Fig. 3 may have a common tangent. Thus the same line which would be tangent to the lcurve at C would also be tangent to the curve at B and the curve at A etc. By such an arrangement the curvature of the sides and the width of the box are so interrelated that the concentration of the heavier solids caused iirst by the liquid going round a curve and second by the decrease in the velocity of the stream occurs at the same time and place, thus causing a maximum concentration of the heavier solids in a minimum restricted area. The operation with this arrangement is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3 where it will be seen, for instance, that the ow is such that substantially all of the solid particles carried by the liquid are concentrated in the concave curve above A for instance and from there the particles spread, the heavier particles going to the lower portion of the dotted outline. The carried particles are then again collectedk and forced against the concave curve below B, for instance, from which they pass and spread so that the heavier particles are at the upper portion of the dotted area as they pass on to be collected again at the concave wall above C and so on through the entire course of the channel. In order to take advantage of this effect there are placed in the bottom of the channel at the proper points to engage the heavier particles carried by the liquid, curved riilies or baffles I9. In a channel of the size indicated above these riifles may be flat strips fastened to the bottom of the channels of about 1/4 of an inch wide and about 35 of an inch thick. The riflles are preferably curved on a radius of about 7 1/2 inches which is about half the radius of the curves making up the sides of the channels. The arc of the outer edge of the rifiles is about 91/2 inches and it is found convenient to arrange these rililes with their convex surfaces directed upstream and placed so that they may receive the heavier particles of the solid material carried by the liquid in such a way that the particles may tend to be retarded and deposit and roll more slowly forward along the riilies. To this end each riffle may be attached to the bottom so that its end abuts against the convex wall slightly in advance of the peak, or at about 1% inches to the right of the curve peak A as indicated in Fig. 3. The forward end of the riffle then will be about 4% inches to the left of the radius passing through the peak of the curve B, and it may preferably be arranged so that its foremost corner is vertically two inches below the line which would be tangent to the curve B as illustrated in Fig. 3. In this arrangement it may be convenient and efiicient to provide small holes in the bottom of the trough immediately adjacent the down stream edge of the riffle extending backward along the arc a little less than half of its length. One satisfactory arrangement consists of four of these holes,vone placed about a quarter of an inch back from the down stream end of the riiiie and the other three placed at intervals of about 11/4 inches therefrom.

By this arrangement it will be seen that as the liquid carrying solids passes through the trough there is a tendency for the heavier particles to arrange themselves more or less along' the lines D, E and F, G etc. As these heavier particles move forward a considerable portion of them impinges on the baliles and is directed along the edge of the baffle more or less along the lines D, H and F, K etc. Thus at each baffle a considerable portion of the heavier particles are influenced to progress more slowly along the edge of the riile and fall through the holes 20 into the launder 2 l The curved shape of the rilfle and its location in respect to the restricted concentration area 'causes a maximum of heavier solids and a miniof vlighter ones to be deflected along the convex side' of the riiile over the discharge holes l arranged around'its down stream-portion. f

`I` claim as my invention@ t 1. rA concentrator comprising a trough having y on radii approxirntelypne hank the radii of the Wall curves and'presenting their 4convex sides to substantially parallel Walls formed With succeeding reversed curvesV the curves being on radii approximately fourf times the` Width of the trough. 'A

2. A concentratorcomprising a trough having a bottom and substantially parallel side Walls formed with succeeding reversed curves, curved baffles extending from convex portions of the Walls in the path of theheaviest particles passing through the concentrator, Land perforations in the bottom of the concentrator adjacent `the baflies."

3.- A concentrator comprising a trough having a bottom and substantially parallel side walls formed with succeeding reversed four/es, the curves being on radiiapproximately `foury times the Width of the trough, curved baffles in the the-stream, and perforations inthe bottom of l theco'ncen'trator adjacent the down stream endsr of the convexsides of. the bailes. f

` V8.V A concentrator comprising a trough having a bottom' and yside Walls formed with succeeding reverse vcurves the convexl curves jon opposite Walls having av common tangent, reversely curved bales in the pathof the heaviest particles the baffles being curved onlradii approximately one yhalf the radii' of the Wall curvesk andpresenting their convex sides to the stream.' and perforations in the bottom -of the concentrator adjacent the` down stream ends of theconvex sidesof the 9. VA 'concentrator ``comprising a trough having.

Walls having 'a' commonv tangent, reversely curved baflles in vthe'path of the heaviest particles and presenting their convex sides tothe path ofthe heaviest particles passing through the concentrator the baffles being curved on radii approximately one half lthe radii of the Wall curves andpresenting their convex sides to the stream,'and perforations in the bottom of the concentrator adjacent the bales.

4. A concentrator comprising a trough having a bottom and substantially parallel sidewalls formed with ,succeedingr reversed kcurves the curves being on radii approximately kfour times the Width of the trough. curved baffles 'inthe path of the rheaviest particles passing rthrough the concentrator and presenting their convex sides to the stream, and perforations in the bottom of the concentrator'adjacent the baffles.

5. A concentrator comprising a troughhavingi V a bottom and substantially parallel side 'Walls` formed with succeeding reversed curves,ucurved" baffles in the pathvof the heaviest particles passn ing through theconcentrator the baffles being curved on radii approximately one half the radii of thevvall curves andfpresenting their convex sides to the stream, and perforations in'the'botbottom of the concentrator adjacentthe-down o stream ends ofthe convex sides of the baiiles. f

'7.l vA concentrator comprising a trough having a'bottom and side Walls formed vvvithsucceeding reverseV Acurves eachv on a'radiusapproximately four timesr the `Width of the trough V'with the convex curves on opposite Walls having a common tangent, reversely curved baffles in the pathV of the heaviest particles the bafes being curved cent the baffles.

stream' andperforations in i the bottom' of the concentrator adjacentl the down stream ends of the convex .sidesof-the-bales.' l

l0. A concentrator'y comprising a1 trough-having a bottom and sidewalls formedvwith succeeding reverse curves the convex curves on opposite 'walls having a common'tangent, bales in the Apath of the heaviest particles, and perforations in the Abottom vof the concentratoradja'- i 11,;A concentratorcomprising a trough havingy substantially parallel side Walls formed with succeeding adjacenty Jsubstantially similar reversed curves, a substantially smooth bottom for Y the trough having jperforations therein, and bailles on the bottom adjacent the downstream sides` of the perforations.

- 12.,A concentratorcomprising a trough. having a bottomk and substantially parallel side Walls jin contact with the bottom; and formed with succeeding reversed curves-the degree of curvature being suflicient to defle'cttheow of the heaviest particles toward vthe, next succeeding concavezside'of the. opposite Wall, and baies in the paths of ther heaviest particles passing f throughthe concentrator.

13. A concentrator comprising a troughhaving a bottomand .substantially parallel sidek Walls inv `contact with vthe bottom and formed With succeeding longitudinall reversed curves,the succeeding convexcurves on opposite side Walls having o a substantially common tangent.

L14. concentrator comprising'al trough havt. ing a bottom and substantially parallel side Walls in `'contact vwith the bottom and formed with succeeding, substantially smilar,longitudinal remon tangent. Y

versed -curves,-the succeeding convex curves on opposite `side Walls 'having a substantially com'- WALLER C. HUDSON.