US2836299A - Gravel separator and scrubber - Google Patents

Description

May 27, 1958 E. JOHNSON @RAVEL sEPARAToR AND scRUBBER 2 Sheets-Shea*l l Filed May 16, 1955 A KP IN VEN TOR.

d TT/Q/VEV y May 27, 1958 E. JOHNSON GRAVEL SEPARATOR AND scRuBBER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 16, 1955 INVENTOR. Y "z/S faH/vsa/v Afro/QA/EV United tates Patent O F GRAVEL SEPARATOR AND SCRUBBER Ellis Johnson, Long Branch, N. l.

Application May 16, 1955, Serial No. 508,713

9 Claims. (Cl. 269-270) This invention relates to a gravel separating device and and more particularly to a pair of rotating drums into which the gravel, clay and sand mixture are conveyed with a water jet. The mixture is thoroughly agitated to disintegrate and separate the mixture and in which the mixture will be worked back from the gravity end of each rotating drum to be screened and separated.

In the normal procedure of screening or separating gravel from the ingredients with which it is found in a natural state, the mixture is loaded into either a rotating drum that is tilted to allow the mixture to feed towards the gravity end of said drum while being vibrated or stirred during the rotation of the drum. This method will tend to break up the clay from the solids and assist in washing out the clay from the solids, the mixture being discharged from the gravity end of the rotating drum. However this method, unless carried over a great length, will not provide a clean separated and graded gravel.

Itis an object of this invention to provide a continuously operated apparatus which will thoroughly clean the natural clay, sand, gravel formation and screen and separate the elements into a clean properly graded sand and gravel.

A further object of his invention is to provide a continuously operated apparatus in which the sand, clay, gravel mixture is jetted into the apparatus with a stream of water and in which the water mixture is received in a rotating drum with a plurality of blades to thoroughly break up the mixture and in which the drum is tilted so that the clay will be washed out of the higher portion of the drum with the action or ow of the water and in which the heavier particles will back up within the drum to be discharged into a second drum for a similar operation.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a gravel, clay, sand mixture separating apparatus that is continuously operated and in which a pair of rotating drums are provided in which the first drum is tilted with the lower end closed to receive the sand, gravel, clay mixture and the upper end open and provided with a screening device and in which the second drum is similarly tilted with the lower end closed to receive the gravel mixture and the upper end open and provided with grading screens to properly grade the gravel as it leaves the second rotating drum.

Other objects of this invention shall be apparent by reference to the accompanying detailed description and the drawings in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the apparatus partly l Y, 2,836,299 j Patented May 27, 1958 Referring to Fig. l there is illustrated a gravel washing, scrubbing and sieving apparatus which includes a pair of rotatable drums 10 and 11 that are positioned adjacent to each other. Drum 10 includes a drive shaft 12 which is axed to the center of the closed end wall 14 of drum 10. Drum 10 at its opposite end is provided with a cylinder screen 15 attached to the end 16 of drum 10 with the opposite end open. Screen 15 is approximately a SAG mesh. Drum 10 is mounted to rest upon a pair of rollers 18 positioned in spaced relationship to support drum 10 yet permit drum 10 to rotate on the rollers, the third support for drum 10 being the drive shaft 12, drive shaft 12 being supported in a bearing 19, the bearing in turn being mounted in a standard 20. The rollers 18 are also rotatably supported in standards 21. Drive shaft 12 is provided with a gear 22 affixed to shaft 12, the gear 22 meshing with a small pinion gear 23, pinion gear 23 being carried by a shaft 24, shaft 24 in turn being carried by a pair of pivotally supported arms 25 and 26, the

arms 2S and 26 being pivoted on the drive shaft 12. The pinion gear 23 is keyed to shaft 24 and shaft 24 is provided with a drive pulley 28. Thus it is apparent that a belt drive may be provided to the pulley 28 which will in turn transmit the drive force by means of shaft 24 and pinion 23 to the drive gear 22 and in turn drive shaft 12 to rotate drum 10. The preferred rotative speed is approximately l2 R. P. M. Drum lil on its internal surface is provided with a plurality of blades. The end wall 14 as illustrated in Fig. 2 illustrates the plurality of blades used to pick up and stir the contents of the drum. Fig. l also illustrates an elongation of some of the blades for the full length of the drum to insure a thorough stirring or agitating action and to assist in picking up the gravel and mixture from the bottom of the drum during its rotation.

g The second drum 11 is similar in construction to the tirst drum, that is, it is provided with a similar end wall 14A and drive shaft 12A and exactly the same type of drive mechanism. Drum 11 is similarly supported on a pair of rollers 18A. Drum 11 is similarly provided with a rotary screen 15A at one end thereof. However screen 15A is divided into three different size mesh sections, that is, the rst mesh area adjacent to the drum is a 1A" grit screen, the second portion of the screen is a 3/s mesh and the outer area of the screen is a mesh. Any gravel of a larger size than Ss will be dumped out of the open end and is considered overflow. it is to be noted that both drums 10 and 11 are mounted in a tilted relation, that is, with the closed end of the drum lower than the open or screened end of the drum. It is also to be noted that the open 3%16" mesh screen end of drum 10 is postioned adjacent to the open screened end of drum 11. A material carrying chute 30 is provided of such a length that it extends from within drum 10 adjacent to the closed end to a position above drum 11, the enlarged open end of chute 30 being in a position where it may be easily loaded such as by a conveyor belt 31. The conveyor belt is not a part of this invention. The conveyor belt is a standard type of loading device for material. The chute 30 at its open or mouth end is provided with a water n nozzle 32. The nozzle is directed down into the chute 30 so that when gravel, sand and clay as a mixture is dumped into the mouth'of chute 30, a stream of water from spout32 will assist in washing the material downward through the chute into the drum 10 where the mixture will be thoroughly agitated and the rotation of the drum will break up this Amaterial assisting the water in dissolving the clay from'the mixture. The water and clay mixture will overiow from the open end of the drum while the sand Yand gravel continues to build up within drum 10. As drum 10v becomes tilled with the mixture, it will back up toward the open end of the drum and the washed aggregate will fall into the screen area. The

assegna Y iinerparticles such as sand will be sieved outof this ruix-Y i turev passing through the screen. For convenience a box Y 34, may beY provided under; thescreen area. The water end of the drum. Thus .the Vgravel mixture'that backs up in` drurnl() and passes through the small screen area of Y drum will be Vdumped into chute 36. '.Avwater jet or! spout3'7 is'provided at .the upper ormouth lend ,35 of chutev35Y to assistin washing thegravel rixturedownV through vchute 36l intofdrum .11, the gravel entering drumv '11. will beV thoroughly Vscrubbed in drum klldueto the Y rotation of drum 11 atan approximate speedrof l2 R.A P;

M. and the action of the water. Y The blades within drum 11Vwill continuouslylift and agitate the mixture'therein' picking up the heavier particles lifting them and in turn Y dropping them onlthe mixture until the mixture or gravel therein builds up suicientlyto back up in drum V11 away` from the closed end and ove'row into the screen area. Y The smaller particles of gravel that will .pass through'a 1A vscreen will be deposite'dfas illustrated `in FigjV 4linto the rst hoppery 40. i The `larger particles of gravel Vthat will pass through a screen will be deposited into the second hopper 41 and the larger particles of gravel .that

Vwill pass through a screen willbe-depositedinto the last. hopper '42. Any particle ofv gravel greater than 5/3'.

is considered overow and will in turn be dumped outy the open end ofthe last screen. Drumrll). andidrum 11.

are both provided with drip yrings 43 and 44.- It' isl ap parent that the dripring 431is Ymounted at the -openendV of drum 16 to prevent'thewater overowing from drum l)k from running down towards the lower end of drum 10.v This would carry the clay andwater back on the bearings VV18, whereas it is. intended to` dump theA clay and water into box 34.y Likewiserthe drip ring '44 is positioned ,atV the open end of drum .11 on itsexterior fora.

similar purpose. In operation, gravel, sand and clay are loaded by means of a conveyor belt into chute 3i) and jetted through chutel) into drum 10 where the mixture is not onlyvwashed toV dissolve the clay but the larger down to a fairly clean aggregate andas the mixture passes through screen itwillj have-all of thesand removedV therefrom. YThe gravel leaving screen15- and entering-V chute'36 willbe jetted down chuteintodrum .11;and

will be thoroughly scrubbed in drum 11. The resulting` clean. aggregate will in Yturube screened .through the appropriate sized Vscreens at the open end of drum 11 `thus sorting or classifying the gravel into three groups accordingto size. v

Referringto Fig. 5 it is apparent that either drum 10 or drum V11 maybe positioned in a perfectly level position;

and still etectively'clean the gravel mixture. Infact the level position wouldprobably increase the output Vof i However `the tilted position illustrated in Fig, Y l is provided to insure Va clean mix from'therst chargeV the device.

ofgravel makingit impossible to dump any gravelthat has not been thoroughly scrubbed; j

The mixture wil1,.

Vparticles .being 4lifted `aud dropped tend tov break up the, 'clumps4 of clay found inthe mixture. l

because of its agitation by drum 10, be thoroughlybroken..

ing of all sand frornthe'rnixture. mixture a small area may be sufficient. )Likewise with the screened areas ofdrum 11,*ifthe aggregate is a fairly :even mix, the three' areas may be in Vsimilar .'proportions.` Whereas if the aggregate runs towards the heavierfor larger size, the smaller screens may be reduced in'length. However the `screened area may be varied tofaccommodate the particular needs inuse.V Although onertype of drive is illustratedsfor each drum, it is apparent that motors may be mounted at the end of each drumV or any other type of drive to" produce a fairly'slovvR. P. M. drive. Although the drums Y,are illustrated Vas beingsupported by a three point'suspension they may be similarly mounted on four or more'point suspensionv wtihoutfdeparting from the spirit of this invention. Although the drums are illustrated as being loaded by a pair of` chutes they may he similarly loaded with conveyor/belts without departing romfthespirit of lthis invention asv long .as the drums arefloaded with thepmixture and a water `jet torproducei: the. necessary Vscrubbingand dissolving ofthe'V` clay, and: foreign matterv fromk theV gravel. Various changes may be; made in the .coniguration of the blades ,or stirring surfaces; without departing fromV the spirit of this invention and invention shall be `limited only by the appended claims.l I

. What is vclaimed is: Y Y

l; Anapparatus for'separating gravel from itscnatural; clay andfsand formation which includes an inclined feed'- ingchutepwithga water-.jet at the upper Vend of s'aid'chute; to assistzinwashing andy pushing said gravel formation. through the chute, a'rotatable drum into which Vthe chute: extends, said rotatable drum beingclosed atone endyandf. providedgwith a Vseparatingscreeny at the oppositeend,i said drum supported onY rollers and saiddrurn provided: withmeans` to irotate said drum; the closed end andinrier;` peripheryof'said drum provided withV a plurality; of: blades,Y said chute. extending toa point adjacent'to.; the lower portion of said drum and adjacent tothe closed end.

- 2. '.In axdevice according toclaim l in which the isinclined with the .closed end Orsai-d drumelowerV than@ the open end of said drum. 1 Y Y 3; .ln a device adeviceaccording to claim l inwhicha Vdrip Aring affixed. to the outer periphery iofthe drum` adjacent to the openend of said drum to which the separ` Y rating screen is attached. .Y Y

4. Anapparatustfor separatingpgravel from its .naturalL clay and, sand :formationand tltorrnighlyv scrubbing rsaidl.

gravel Ywhichinchides an inclined feeding chute Witlra;

waterjet vat the upper end of saidchuteto assist in wash?.`

cent to theclosed end, a second chute inclinedintosaidf. Y

second drum and positioned withits open orrmouthfendl adjacent tothe open .end oft.saidiirst drulrh'saidsecond;v

chute extending intoV saidsecond drum to a pointzadjal.

Y cent tothe lower portion'ofsaiddrum and adjacent. to.

VAlthough, exact sizeof the drum 10V and drum 11 is not f important, it is apparent that'the device may bermade quite largeto handleaV Ylarge `quantity Vof material. Al-

, though the screened ends of 'the drums are illustrated to define the invention, thesiz'e orl length' of the screened areas may bejvariedaccordingjto the mixturebeing han-v died, that is, with aemixturek havingV considerable sand" Vand clay in same it maybe necessary to :provide a'fairly'Y large 3/{16} mesh screen-areato'insure a thoroughscreen drumis'inclinedWith the closedend' ofsaiddrum lower f than the open end of said'drum. Y n g Y V6. In a 'device accordingto-claim5-'4'1in"whichthest drum is inclined withthe closed end of said drurrrlower than theopen*end-of-saidcdrumA andin'whicli' said second Whereaswith acleaner "i chute to carry said lgraveltrinto,

drum is also inclined in an opposite direction with the closed end of said drum lower than the open end of said drum.

7. ln a device according to claim 4 in which a drip ring is aiiixed to the outer periphery of said rst drum adjacent to the open end of said drum to which the separating screen is attached and in which a second drip ring is afxed to the outer periphery of said second drum adjacent to the open end of said drum to which the separating screen is attached.

8. An apparatus for separating gravel from its natural clay and sand formation and thoroughly scrubbing said gravel which includes an inclined :feeding chute with a water jet at the upper end of said chute to assist in washing said gravel formation through the chute, a rotating drum, said drum being closed at one end and provided with a separating screen at the opposite end, said drum supported on rollers and provided with means to rotate said drum, the closed end and inner periphery of said drum provided with a plurality of blades, said chute extending to a point adjacent to the lower portion of said drum and adjacent to the closed end and in which the separating screen alixed to said drum is divided into a plurality of different screens.

9. In a device according to claim 8 in which the drum is inclined with the closed end of said drum lower than the open end of said drum.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 211,893 Duhem Feb. 4, 1879 1,942,238 Chambers Jan. 2, 1934 2,131,260 Temple Jan. 12, 1938 2,174,836 Range Oct. 3, 1939 Y 2,249,109 Botimer July l5, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,727 Great Britain of 1896

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