US3103316A - Ore pulverizer - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 10, 1963 G-.H. SCHAAL 3, 6

ORE PULVERIZER I Filed Sept. 21, 1959 s sheets sheet 2 JNVENTOR. 3 GEORGE H. SCHAAL ATTORNEY G. H. SCHAAL ORE PULVERIZER Sept. 10, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 21, 1959 FIG- 4 INVENTOR. v GEORGE H. SCHAAL @Mh if ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,103,316 ORE PULVERIZER George H. Schaal, Englewood, Colo, assignor to Schaal Industries Corporation, Englewood, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Filed Sept. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 841,228 3 Claims. (Cl. 241258) The present invention relates to an orc pulverizer and, more particularly, to wet grinding apparatus of the type useful in the processing of granular materials, such as metallic ores.

Previously, many different types of grinding apparatus have been designed and built for the purposes of minerals beneficiation and for the general grinding of solids materials to reduce the particle size thereof. Several diiierent types of grinding apparatus have been designed for use with wet ores or have provided for the introduction of liquid with the material to be ground. It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved type of grinding mechanism that is especially adapted for the wet grinding of ores to efiect a particle size reduction as necessary to free the values contained.

Another object of the invention is to provide a type of wet grinding apparatus which may be conveniently adjusted to deliver (ground pulp having solids of various regulated particle size.

Another object of this invention is to provide grinding apparatus which utilizes the combined forces of centrifugal and impulse reactions to move solid materials along a size reducing path.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of a mechanical structure well suited to its intended use as wet grinding apparatus.

, Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the appended description and drawings, in which FIG. 1 is. a side elevation in partial section showing features of the overall assembled apparatus,

'FIG. 2 is a plan view showing features of a grinding plate,

FIG. 3 is a top view, taken along the line 33 of FIG. of a web reinforcing member disposed within the main ore delivery cylinder,

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 5, and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional elevation taken along the center line of the main support standard.

Briefly stated, the present invention provides grinding apparatus in which the main operative elements are disposed about a vertical axis so that ore or other materials to be ground are introduced downwardly and centrally toward a rotating grinding member. The materials to be ground and liquid moves from the central point of introduction outwardly between adjustably spaced plates due to centrifugal forces derived firom the rotating movement of one grinding member and impact forces delivered directly by said grinding member. The invention includes means for the adjustment of the clearance between rotating and stationary grinding plates and like-wise. includes rfurther features relating to the cooperative nature of grinding plate designs and material or pulp flow patterns.

v A specific embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in FIG. 1 of which the overall relation of elements is disclosed. Here it will be seen that the grinding apparatus to be identified as an Ore Pulverizer is indicated by the numeral 11. The pulverizer itself is made up of a frame 12 having a tie down flange 13 and a substantially cylindrical hollow structure 14 which supports and holds a base plate 16. A column 3"l0 3"3'1 6 Patented Sept. 10, 1963 17, supported above the base 1 6, is of circular cross section and provides support for a hollow cylindrical standard 18 which may be formed integrally with said column 17 or separately therefrom as desired. Further, a reinforcing spider 19 is likewise disposed above the column 17 and within said standard 18 rand -may be of separate or unitary structure with respect thereto.

Openings 21 are provided in the lower portion of th cylindrical standard 18, and such openings 21 are positioned to register with a downwardly open space 22 between the web elements 23 of the reinforcing spider 19. With this arrangement, ore and/ or liquid introduced downwardly into the open cylinder 18 will be communicated through the spaces 22 and out the openings 21.

In order to pulverize or grind the ore so delivered, separate grinding plates are provided which are positioned and adapted to receive the ore passing outwardly through the openings 21. A lower grinding plate 24- is positioned on the base plate 16 and is held in place thereon by the tie down bolts 26. As shown, the lower grinding plate 24 is prefer-ably of size and shape as to closely conform to the base plate 16 in order to properly support the lower grinding plate 24 and to prevent any warping thereof.

The mounting for the upper grinding plate 27 is considerably more complex, inasmuch as it is desired that this plate be allowed to rotate above the lower or stationary grinding plate 2.4. In order to support and to rotate said upper grinding plate 27, the cylindrical standard 18 is used as a main support for holding the upper grinding plate 27 and associated mechanisms in desired position. A satisfactory type structural support is illustrated in FIG. 1, where it is seen that a bearing surface 28 is provided on the upper edge 29 of the standard 18 so that the hollow feed pipe 31 of a hopper 32 is in engagement with the bearing 28. Adjusting threads 33 are provided on the exterior surface of the :feed pipe 31 so that rotation of the hand wheel 34 causes the entire hopper 32 and feed pipe 31 to rotate thereby elevating or lowering a bearing sleeve member 36.

Since the standard 18 and the bearing sleeve member 36 are in essence telescoping members, rotation of the hand wheel 34 in clockwise direction will cause the telescopic extension of the bearing sleeve member 36 with respect to the cylindrical standard 18. In order that direct linear telescoping will result, a keyway and key system 37 is provided between the mating surfaces of the bearing sleeve member 36 and standard 18.- With the use of such key system 37, the bearing sleeve will be rec-iprocated up or down with the adjustment of the hand wheel 34. I Top and bottom taper roller bearings 38 and 39, respectively, are mounted on the bearing sleeve 36 for reciprocal movement (therewith. The bottom bearing 39 is held in place by the shoulder 41 at the lower end of the bearing sleeve member 36, and the top bearing 38 is held in place by a top bearing lock nut 42 engaged with the external threads 43 on the bearing sleeve member 36.

A V belt pulley drive member 44 is mounted on the free turning races of the top and bottom hearings, and in turn the top grinding plate 27 and a bearing cover 47 are attached to the V belt drive pulley 4-4 by means of through bolts 46 and 48. Since the bearing cover 47 and bearing sleeve member 36 will rotate one with respect to the other, a grease seal 51 is provided for engagement with the exterior surface of the: bearing sleeve member 36. Additional grease seals, packing and gaskets may be provided to secure and isolate all interior spaces 50 so that such spaces may be used for the retention of grease and lubricant and to prevent the ingress of pulverized materials.

A torous shaped drain trough or launder 52 is provided about the periphery of the pulverizer '11 and adapted and positioned to receive materials passing outwardly between the upper and lower grinding plates 27 and 24. Since the main purpose of the described apparatus is to deliver a ground or pulverized material that is of regulated size to said trough 52, some of the operative features of an embodiment of the invention may next be described.

First, it will be seen in FIG. 1 that ores that are to be ground are delivered from a chute 55 into the hopper 32 where they are rcommingled with liquid or water delivered by the pipe 53. The commingled wet materials constituting a pulp are delivered downwardly through the feed pipe 31 of the hopper 32 and into the top of the upright cylindrical standard 18. From this position the materials pass through the spaces 22 between the web members 23 and out through the openings 21 at the lower end of the cylindrical standard 18. As they pass out through these openings, they are met and engaged by the grinding plates 24 and 27.

In order to effect the desired grinding of the ore, cooperatively designed teeth members on the grinding plates 24 and 27 are provided to engage and move granules of the ore against each other and against cooperative tooth members of the opposite grinding plate. In addition to .the movement of the ore resulting from the impact impingement between the ore particles and the grinding teeth, the pressure of the water introduced with the ore and also the centrifugal forces derived from the upper moving plate 27 is used to move the ore particles outwardly in irregular pattern toward and past progressively diminishing interstices between separate teeth of one plate or between the teeth of separate plates. Since the ore particles will be restrained from moving outwardly until they are of size small enough to pass between the grinding plates, a build-up of particles in such interstices may result. This build-up of particles, however, likewise serves a beneficial purpose, inasmuch as some surfaces of the particle are likely under such conditions to be exposed to the destructive impact of an approaching grinding plate tooth.

A tooth pattern for an acceptable type of lower grinding plate 24 is shown in FIG. 2 and in cross-section in FIG. 1. This type of plate is intended for usage with an upper grinding plate 27 substantially similar to that shown in which the teeth 54 on the upper grinding plate 27 are formed by a plurality of concentric grooves 56. Since the grooves are of diminishing depth outwardly along the sloped contact face 57 of the grinding plate 27, the concentric teeth will likewise be of diminishing size. The downwardly sloped face 57 described corresponds with the similarly sloped top face of the lower grinding plate 24 so that gravitational forces acting on the ore materials and liquid making up the ore pulp will likewise be effective to move the materials outwardly down and along the desired grinding path.

In FIG. 2 the grinding teeth 58 are shown to be of substantially V shaped structure raised above the bed surface 59 of the lower grinding plate 24. At least two intermeshing rows of teeth of this design are provided and the teeth are cooperatively spaced so that a pathway from the open center 61 of the plate 24 outwardly is defined. As the ore materials are reduced in size, they pass outwardly until they are beyond the outer row of the teeth 58 to be thereafter received in the cut grooves 62 of the outer rim 63. Since it has been found that good and regulatable particle reduction may be obtained by grooved plates of this nature, a corresponding rim 64 having similarly cut grooves (not shown) is provided on the upper grinding plate 27. When the distance between the grinding plates is properly adjusted by the movement of the hand wheel 34 and the reciprocal sleeve bearing member 36, the size of particles passing outwardly between the grinding plates may be adjusted and regulated so that the pulverized ore received in the trough or launder 52 will be as desired.

Further and additional types of tooth patterns for the grinding plates 24 and 27 may be used to obtain different desired grinding characteristics. In general, all tooth patterns will be cooperatively arranged so that the particles of material passing outwardly between the stationary and rotating grinding plates will be gradually reduced in size until delivered to the launder 52.

Since it is contemplated that the ore pulverizer shown and described may be useful for both the Wet or dry grinding of various other materials, it is obvious that certain changes may be made to accommodate such specific materials. Where fibrous or pulpy types of materials are to be handled, it is possible that gravitational and centrifugal forces alone will not be adequate to move the materials through the flow channels of the described mechanism. If so, pressure pumping may be applied at the hopper 32 or feed pipe 31, or a separately powered impeller may be bearinged in the base of the column 17 with the blades of the impeller positioned to rotate within the hollow cylindrical standard 18 and adjacent to the openings 21 therein.

Further modifications and changes of the described apparatus are possible without departure from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for the grinding of materials in fluid suspension comprising a base frame, an upright standard on said base frame of hollow cylindrical upwardly open form to receive said materials and fluid, said standard providing circumferential openings adjacent a lower portion thereof for the discharge of said materials and fluid, a cylindrical sleeve member mounted for reciprocal telescoping movement with respect to said standard, bearings on the exterior surface of said sleeve member, rotary drive means supported by said bearings and adapted for rotation about a vertical axis, an adjusting mechanism mounted on said upright standard, bearing means intermediate said adjusting means and upright standard permitting rotational movement therebetween, cooperative thread means on said adjusting mechanism and sleeve member whereby notation of one of said members will cause relative telescoping movement therebetween to adjust the position of said sleeve member, the bearings thereon and said rotary drive means, a lower grinding plate supported by said base frame, an upper grinding plate thereabove, means securing said upper grinding plate directly to said rotary drive means for rotational and translational movement therewith whereby the rotational and inertial forces of said drive means serve to regulate movement of said upper grinding plate, and tooth members on said grinding plates defining flow passages of diminishing size outwardly from a position in registration with the openings in said upright standard, whereby said fluid serves to regulate the temperature of said bearings, bearing means and grinding plates.

2. Apparatus for the grinding of materials in fluid comprising la base frame, an upright standard on said base frame of hollow cylindrical upwardly open form, said standard providing circumferential openings adjacent a lower portion thereof, a cylindrical sleeve member mounted for reciprocal telescoping movement with respect to said standard, a keyway and key intermediate said upright standard and cylindrical sleeve member for directing said telescoping movement, hearings on the exterior surface of said sleeve member, rotary drive means supported by said bearings and adapted for rotation about a vertical axis, a feed delivery pipe mounted on said upright standard with the central openings of each in full communication from one to the other, bearing means intermediate said feed pipe and upright standard permitting rotational movement therebetween, cooperative thread means on said feed pipe and sleeve member whereby rotation of one of said members will cause relative telescoping movement therebetween to adjust the position of said sleeve member, the bearings thereon and said rotary drive means, a lower grinding plate supported by said base frame, an

upper grinding plate thereabiove, means securing said upper grinding plate directly to said rotary drive means for rotational and translational movement therewith, tooth members on said grinding plates defining passages of diminishing size outwardly firom a position in registration with the openings in said upright standard, and a teed delivery hopper mounted on said feed delivery pipe for the introduction of materials to be ground and fluid, said hopper, feed delivery pipe, upright standard and the openings in said upright standard being in full oommunioation with the passages defined by said grinding plates and the tooth members thereon, whereby said fluid serves to regulate the temperature of said bearings, bearing means and grinding plates.

3. Apparatus for the grinding or materials in fluid suspension eornprising a base frame, an upright standard on said base iii-lame of hollow cylindrical upwardly open dorm, said standard providing circumferential openings adjacent a lower portion thereof, a cylindrioal sleeve member mounted for reciprocal telescoping movement with respect to said standard, a keyway intermediate said upright standard rand cylindrical sleeve member for directing said telescoping movement, bearings on the exterior surfiaoe of said sleeve member, rotary drive means supported by said bearings and adapted for notation about a vertical axis, a feed delivery pipe mounted on said upright standard with the central openings of each in flow communication from one to the other for the introduction and guided flow of materials and fluid through said upright standard for controlling the temperature of said standard, cylindrioal sleeve and the bearings thereon, bearing means intermediate said feed pipe and upright standard permitting rotational movement therebetween, external threads on said feed delivery pipe, mating internal threads on said cylindrical sleeve member whereby rotation of one or said members will cause relative telescoping movement therebetween to ad just the position of said sleeve member, the bearings thereon and said rotary drive means, a lower gninding plate supported by said base frame, an upper grinding plate thereabove, means securing said upper grinding plate directly to said rotary drive means for rotational and translational movement therewith whereby the rotational and inertial forces of said drive means serve to regulate movement of said upper grinding plate, and tooth members on said grinding plates defining passages of diminishing size outwardly cfirorn a position in registration with the openings in said upright standard.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 942,424 Warm Dec. 7, 1909 2,716,926 Armstrong Sept. 6, 1955 2,834,555 Pugh May 13, 1958 2,838,247 Hauser June 10, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 8,955 Great Britain Dec. 3, 1908

Claims (1)

1. APPARATUS FOR THE GRINDING OF MATERIALS IN FLUID SUSPENSION COMPRISING A BASE FRAME, AN UPRIGHT STANDARD ON SAID BASE FRAME OF HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL UPWARDLY OPEN FORM TO RECEIVE SAID MATERIALS AND FLUID, SAID STANDARD PROVIDING CIRCUMFERENTIAL OPENINGS ADJACENT A LOWER PORTION THEREOF FOR THE DISCHARGE OF SAID MATERIALS AND FLUID, A CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE MEMBER MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCAL TELESCOPING MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID STANDARD, BEARINGS ON THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVE MEMBER, ROTARY DRIVE MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID BEARINGS AND ADAPTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, AN ADJUSTING MECHANISM MOUNTED ON SAID UPRIGHT STANDARD, BEARING MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID ADJUSTING MEANS AND UPRIGHT STANDARD PERMITTING ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN, COOPERATIVE THREAD MEANS ON SAID ADJUSTING MECHANISM AND SLEEVE MEMBER WHEREBY ROTATION OF ONE OF SAID MEMBERS WILL CAUSE RELATIVE TELESCOPING MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN TO ADJUST THE POSITION OF SAID SLEEVE MEMBER, THE BEARINGS THEREON AND SAID ROTARY DRIVE MEANS, A LOWER GRINDING PLATE SUPPORTED BY SAID BASE FRAME, AN UPPER GRINDING PLATE THEREABOVE, MEANS SECURING SAID UPPER GRINDING PLATE DIRECTLY TO SAID ROTARY DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATIONAL AND TRANSLATIONAL MOVEMENT THERE WITH WHEREBY THE ROTATIONAL AND INERTIAL FORCES OF SAID DRIVE MEANS SERVE TO REGULATE MOVEMENT OF SAID UPPER GRINDING PLATE, AND TOOTH MEMBERS ON SAID GRINDING PLATES DEFINING FLOW PASSAGES OF DIMINISHING SIZE OUTWARDLY FROM

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