US3485534A

US3485534A - Deep mine ore retrieval system

Info

Publication number: US3485534A
Application number: US691781A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick Wheelock Wanzenberg; Fritz Walter Wanzenberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-12-19
Filing date: 1967-12-19
Publication date: 1969-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1986-12-23

Description

23, 1969 F. w. WANZENBERG ETAL 3,

DEEP MINE ORE RETRIEVAL SYSTEM Fild Dec. 19, 196'? 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS FRITZ WALTER WANZENBERG FREDERICK WHE E LOC K WANZENBERG ATT 'Ys.

1959 P. w. WANZENBERG ETAL 3, 5

DEEP MINE ORE RETRIEVAL SYSTEM Filed Dec. 19, 196'? 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1969 P. w. WANZENBERG ETAL 3, 3

DEEP MINE ORE RETRIEVAL SYSTEM Filed Dec. 19, 196'? 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 DEEP MINE ORE RETRIEVAL SYSTEM Filed Dec. 19, 196'? 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent U.S. Cl. 302-11 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fluid conveying system for retrieving ore from a mine which utilizes a high pressure sub-system comprising a siphon-like U-tube with fluid pressure created by feeding water into a down-flow riser and forcing crushed ore mixed with water and air which is fed into the connecting conduit to the surface or to a higher level in an up-flow riser, the bottom conduit connecting the risers having a valve incorporated therein which receives crushed ore mixed with water from a low pressure lateral sub-system and in which the water is partially replaced by air or other gas. The low pressure sub-system has provision for injecting additives into the mixture of ore and water. Also, provision may be made for separating high density and low density ore materials and retrieving one while discarding the other at the bottom of the system.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 518,349, filed Oct. 11, 1965, now abandoned.

This invention relates to the handling of materials and is more particularly concerned with improvements in an apparatus or system for conveying materials, such as ore, in solid form, but including liquids and gases, from deep and possibly inaccessible positions within the earth to the surface or to some higher elevation above grade.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved system or apparatus for transporting materials, such as crushed ore, from a mining area to a higher elevation which utilizes differential weight columns employing special features and components for attaining eflicient mass movement of the materials.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a materials handling system or apparatus which is especially designed for use in mining operations, or the like, wherein a fluid mixture, which may comprise crushed ore, air or other gas and water or other liquid, is fed into a lateral, low pressure sub-system at the lowest level, and transferred to a high pressure sub-system to carry the materials from the lowest level to the surface or to a higher level and a surface or high level sub-system is utilized to separate thesolids from the gas and liquids with provisions for withdrawing liquid from the separating area so that it may be cleaned and recycled into the system.

g It is a still more specific object of the invention to provide in a mining operation a means of conveying crushed solids at or near the lowest elevation laterally over great distances if necessary to the lower end of a high pressure sub-system which is specially designed for conveying the material to the surface or to a higher level. Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus adapted to transfer solids, liquids and gases from a lateral low pressure sub-system to a high pressure system by the use of a continuous or intermittently operated rotational distribution valve, which valve is adapted to operate in such a way that primarily solids and gases, but limited and controlled quantities of liquids are carried from the I "ice low pressure to the high pressure system, with provision for transferring water from the low pressure to the high pressuresub-system when necessary to remove ground or excess water to the surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide a material handling system for use in mining operations or the like which is in the form ofa siphon and which utilizes a low pressure sub-system for moving the material laterally and a high pressure sub-system for elevating the material, wherein means is provided for injecting air into the system at the lower points of the high pressure subsystem and as necessary along the up-flow riser for starting the flow of the material and for facilitating removal of excess ground water.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic system of conveying or retrieving materials, such as ore or the like, in a mining operation which employs a siphon-like arrangement for lifting the materials to a higher level from a low pressure sub-system located in the mine wherein provision is made for continuous flow through alternate paths of the high pressure producing water in the down-flow riser so as to efliect efficient transfer of material from the low pressure sub-system to the high pressure sub-system and obtain maximum material retrieval.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic system for ore retrieval in a mining operation wherein ore is fed to the system from the mine floor, with an arrangement for adding chemicals to the ore conveying fluids so as to facilitate flotation of the ore particles and to provide for mineral dressing and separation of ore by mass and particle size at the mine floor while moving the ore to the surface or in preparing the ore for beneficiation at the surface or at an upper level.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the deep mine ore retrieval or conveying system or apparatus which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view, with portions broken away, showing a system for transporting ore from the bottom of a mine to the surface, which embodies the principal features of the invention;

FIGURE 1A is a fragmenary schematic view showing a modification of a portion of the system of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic view in perspective showing the bottom-of-the-mine portion of the system which is illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view, largely in vertical section, showing details of the ore hopper and feeding mechanism and the distribution valve between the low pressure and high pressure sub-systems;

FIGURE 3A is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modification of the ore feeding mechanism;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the discharge end of the distribution valve;

FIGURE 4A is a fragmentary view showing a portion of FIGURE 4, to an enlarged scale; I v 1 FIGURE 5 is a perspective view, to an enlarged scale, of the sealing glad between the end of the rotating drum and the adjoining end wear plate of the distribution valve;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 5, to an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional development showing the twochamber distribution valve of FIGURES 1 to 6;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional development showing the op eration of a modified distribution valve having six chambers;

FIGURE 9 is a sectional development showing the operation of a modified distribution valve showing three chambers; and t FIGURE is a cross sectional view taken on the line indicated at 1010 in FIGURE 9.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a system or apparatus for the retrieval of ore from the floor of a relatively deep mine and for transporting the ore to the surface or to a higher level, which system is based on the fact that solids, within predetermined limits as to size, can be propelled rapidly a substantial distance in a mixture of liquids and gases which are forced by suitable pressure through conduits or flow tubes of a size to accommodate the solid particles. By employing a U-tube high pressure siphon arrangement with provision for adding the ore and gas-water mixture at the bottom of the U- tube and with pressure supplied by water fed to the downflow leg or riser, an excess of gas can be supplied in the up-flow leg or riser to compensate for the increased weight due to the addition of the solids and thereby create a differential pressure in the system which is sufficient to overcome system friction and achieve high velocity How. The ore is fed into the high pressure U-tube through a valve connecting with a low pressure lateral system which withdraws ore from a supply hopper and determines the gas-water content of the mixture.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is illustrated a system or apparatus in which a vertically disposed U- shaped tube or conduit constitutes a high pressure subsystem which includes primarily a down-flow leg or riser 7 and an up-fiow leg or riser 5 connected at their bottom ends by a horizontally disposed bottom conduit 6 extending along the mine floor. A specially designed distribution or transfer valve 1 is connected into the bottom conduit 6 which is operated to transfer to the high pressure subsystem ore material received from a laterally disposed, low pressure sub-system, the latter including an ore supply hopper 23 and a pump 21 connected by suction conduit 16 extending from the end of valve 1 to the pump 21, the pressure conduit 22 extending from the pump 21 to the hopper 23, and valve infeed conduit 24 extending from the hopper 28 to the distribution or transfer valve 1 in a closed circuit arrangement which is operated to mix water with the ore in the hopper 23 and to feed the ore and water mixture to the valve 1, where the water is replaced at least in part by air or other gas, and the mixture is then introduced into the conduit 6 at the bottom of the high pressure sub-system through which it is carried to the up-flow riser 5 for discharge into the settling tank 29 at the surface.

Referring to FIGURE 2, there is shown more or less schematically, the lateral sub-system which is provided on the mine floor. Ore is screened at 47 and crushed at 48,

using conventional ore screening and crushing equipment, and then conveyed by

chutes

28 and 49 to the supply hopper 23. The ore is reduced to a particle size suitable for conveying in the the size conduit or pipe which is provided. Generally, satisfactory operation results if the ore is crushed so that any three largest-in-line particle diameters are equal to or less than the size of the pipes or conduits through which they pass. The ore is conveyed by

chutes

28 and 49 into the hopper 23 which may be filled or partially filled with water or other liquid. The ore and water is mixed and agitated by a squirrel cage impeller 46 rotatably mounted between the end walls of the hopper 23 in spaced relation above the bottom of the hopper so that water may be forced by the combination high pressure and suction pump 21 (FIGURE 2) through the pipe or conduit 22 (FIGURE 3) and nozzle 62 into the bottom of the hopper, and then discharged through the venturi mouth 68 into the pipe or conduit 24 which leads to the transfer valve 1. The pipe 24 is placed in communication with the lowermost chamber A in the rotating drum of the valve 1 when the drum 45 is rotated to the predetermined position shown in FIGURE 3.

The drum 45 in the form illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 and 4A is divided into two compartments A and B and is rotated between relatively fixed end plate support memhers 51. Drum 45 has

shaft members

65 and 66 at opposite ends which extend through inner wear and mounting plates 53, outer wear and mounting plates 52 and the rela tively fixed manifold plates 51. The end shaft 65 is extended and connected to the drive motor 11 through a conventional gear or chain and sprocket or belt and pulley drive means indicated at 11. The

shafts

65 and 66 are splined at their inner ends for positive rotational engagement with the drum 45. Each of the

shafts

65 and 66 is provided with disc springs 86 and tightening drum nuts 58 threaded thereon for applying compressive force to hold the

plates

51, 52 and 53 in compressive engagement. Thrust bearings 85 and 87 (FIGURE 4) take the axial load while roller bearing 59 takes the radial load. The splined ends of

shafts

65 and 66 are also headed so that they will lock the

plate members

51, 52 and 53 in compression in conjunction wtih spring washers 86 and mounting nuts 58. The one end manifold 51 is pivotally mounted as indicated at 73 on a base plate 74 while the plate 51 at the opposite end of the valve 1 has a sliding connection at 75 with the base plate 74 to facilitate disassembly. A high pressure seal member 50, of rubber or similar resilient material, is mounted on the inner face of the outer wear plate 52. Outer shear bushings 56 serve as wear interfaces at the shear plane and hold the high pressure seal member against the outer wear plate 52 while locking the latter to the outer mounting and manifold plate 51, the bushings 56 being threaded into aligned apertures in the outer wear plate 52 and the manifold 51 which apertures are on opposite sides of the

axle members

65 and 66 with one axially aligned set thereof connected into the bottom conduit 6 of the high pressure system and the other axially aligned set being connected into the low pressure system through the

conduits

24 and 16. Inner shear bushings serve as wear interfaces at the shear plane and lock the inner wear plate 53 to the distribution valve drum 45. The inner shear bushings 54 are threaded into apertures in the end wall of the drum A5 and extend through apertures in the inner wear plate 53 with exterior peripheral flanges 97 locking the inner wear plate 53 to the end of the distribution valve drum 45. The inner wear plate 53 is provided with inner and outer

female forming grooves

98 and 99 for receiving the inner and outer

peripheral sealing flanges

103 and 104 on the seal member 50. The bushing 56 in the low-pressure line 16 is fitted with a strainer 55, the inner surface of which is flush with the shear plane. The strainer allows water or fluid to flow out of the chamber A while restraining the solid particles against discharge from the chamber to insure that positive ore particles will be kept moving downstream, that is, washed out of the system so that moving surfaces will be kept free of such material. High pressure clean water is fed to the manifold plates 51 through the conduits and 61 (FIGURES 3 and 4). As shown in FIGURE 4, high pressure water enters through the conduit 60 and rifling 83 into grooves 80 and 84 on the inner surface of plate 51 and from the grooves 80 and 84 through the outer wear plate 52 and seal member 50 via the tube 93 (FIGURE 4A) which extends through opening in the seal member 50 supplying high pressure water between inner and outer

peripheral sealing flanges

103 and 104 of seal member 50 to the inner space between inner wear plate 53 and outer wear plate 52, with a corresponding arrangement on the opposite end of distribution valve 1. Wiper seals 101 and 102 (FIG.- ures 5 and 6) are provided to confine the high pressure water to points where the sealing devices are most exposed to fine ore particles and serve to reduce the volume of high pressure water required to flush the sealing devices of such particles and prevent their entry into the system.

The P p 21 p ng as a pressure pump in he closed low pressure sub-system drives the ore and water mixture from the bottom of the hopper 23 through the conduit 24 and into the chamber A and when the chamber A is filled a cut-off piston 69 at the end of the contion which provides constant resistance during rotation so that continuous uninterrupted flow may be maintained in both the high and low pressure sub-systems, thereby eliminating the need for pressure surge capacity or bypass of clean water the high pressure sub-system. Both ore feed and scavenging can take place simultaneously and continuously. In this design high pressure water is fed from nozzles 95 directly into the shear plane at the juncture of infeed conduit 24 and the drum 45" so as to wash ore particles from this shear plane and eliminate undue wear of the shear surfaces which would otherwise result from the presence of the abrasive particles. In the arrangement illustrated in FIGURES 9 and 10, two paths for the high pressure water are provided through the drum 45", the

risers

5 and 7 having dual connections 5', 5" and 7', 7" at the ends of the distribution valve 45" and into chambers A and G when in the position shown in FIGURE 9 being both in the high pressure sub-system. No pressure by-pass or energy accumulator is required in this case.

When it is desired to employ the system in an exceptionally deep mine the core, water and air mixture may be raised in stages. The lowermost high pressure system may be arranged to discharge into a hopper 23 in the low pressure sub-system of the next higher level. Doubling up of the system in this manner enables the Wall size of fittings, pipes and so forth to be reduced. Since air must be removed at each level closed systems are not practical.

The system requires that excess water removed from the chambers in the rotating drum of the distribution valve 1 as the drum rotates and moves the chambers from the high pressure to the low pressure sub-system be disposed of or removed from the bottom of the mine. Where the mine is located, for example, high in the mountains and drainage can be provided without excessive cost, disposal of excess water present is not difficult. Where removal of excess water outside the sys-.

tem is not practical at the lower level, it may be taken care of by inserting a pump in the system which will discharge into the up-fiow riser 5. In the form of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 8, a pump would be inserted between the line 88 and the up-flow riser 5 to take care of excess water which is withdrawn from the chambers in the rotating drum and line 88 would not discharge into suction line 16 as shown. In the form of the apparatus shown in FIGURES 1 to 7, water traps may be provided at the bottom ends of the

risers

5 and 7 and high pressure air introduced at the intake side, that is at 32 (FIGURE 1), between the trap at the bottom of the downflow riser 7 and the distribution valve 1 to replace the high pressure water in the chamber after the charge of ore is forced out. Air can be bled from the chambers as they roatte to the low pressure position and compressed in successive stages to provide high pressure air for return to the intake side of the distribution valve. Since discharge of high pressure air into the low pressure system would be undesirable, and since air at any pressure above atmosphere represents work, such work can be saved by feeding said bled air into the intake of intermediate pressure stages of the said air compressor.

The system has a further practical limitation in that it is useful only where hydraulic conveying is consistent with other processing operations, such as, wet screening etc.

While particular materials and specific details of construction are referred to in describing the illustrated forms of the apparatus, it will be understood that equivalent materials and other suitable structural arrangements of an equivalent nature may be resorted to within the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. A conveyor system for transporting ore or similar solids in particle form from a lower level in a mine or the like to a higher level wherein the ore particles are mixed with liquids and gases for transport in tubular conduits, which system comprises a high pressure subsystem having a vertically disposed U-tube with the legs upstanding from a bottom connecting conduit which is disposed in a generally horizontal position, one of said legs forming a down-flow riser, and the other of said legs forming an up-iiow riser, a. low pressure sub-system disposed at the bottom of said U-tube which includes an ore hopper from which the ore is fed into the low pressure sub-system, a distribution valve having charge forming compartments and means to move said compartments between an ore receiving position where the compartment is in communication with the low pressure sub-system and a discharge position where the compartment is in communication with the high pressure sub-system, means to supply the down flow riser with a liquid so as to provide pressure sufficient to force the ore out of a compartment of the distribution valve and into the up-flow riser when the compartment is in discharge position, and said low-pressure sub-system including fluid pressure means for forcing the ore out of the hopper and into a conduit leading to said distribution valve.

2. A conveyor system for transporting ore or similar solids in particle form from a lower level in a mine or the like to a higher level wherein the ore particles are mixed with liquids and gases for transport in tubular conduits, which system comprises a high pressure sub-system having a vertically disposed U-tube with the legs upstanding from a bottom connecting conduit which is disposed in a generally horizontal position, one of said legs forming a down-flow riser and the other of said legs forming an up-flow riser, a low pressure sub-system disposed at the bottom of said U-tube which includes an ore hopper from which the ore is fed into the low pressure sub-system, a distribution valve having charge forming compartments and means to move said compartments between an ore receiving position where the compartment is in communication with the low pressure sub-system and a discharge position where the compartment is in communication with the high pressure sub-system, means to supply the down-flow riser with a liquid so as to provide pressure sufficient to force the ore out of a. compartment of the distribution valve and into the up-tlow riser when the compartment is in discharge position, and said low-pressure sub-system including a closed circuit arrangement with a pump which connects on its discharge side with the ore supply hopper and operates to force ore and liquid from the ore supply hopper into an infeed connection with said distribution valve.

3. A conveyor system as set forth in claim 2 and said low-pressure sub-system including a dual purpose pump which is connected on its discharge side with a passageway through the ore supply hopper for forcing ore and liquid out of said ore supply hopper and into a connection with the infeed side of said distribution valve, and said low-pressure sub-system having a suction producing connection between said distribution valve and the intake side of said pump so as to withdraw liquid from the ore and liquid mixture forced into said distribution valve from said ore supply hopper.

4. A conveyor system as set forth in claim 3 and means connected to the low-pressure sub-system to supply air to said distribution valve for replacing the liquid withdrawn from said ore and liquid mixture.

5. Conveyor apparatus for transporting solids such as crushed ore, from a lower level in a mine, or the like, to a higher level wherein the solids are mixed with water and air for transport in tubular conduits, which apparatus comprises a vertically disposed U-tube forming a siphon, with the legs upstanding from a bottom connecting cross conduit, one of said legs forming a dOWn-fiOW riser and the other of said legs forming an up-flow riser, a laterally extending conduit disposed at the bottom of said U-tube, means for supplying solids mixed with water to said duit 24 is advanced until its face is flush with the rotating face of the drum 45 so that no solids are sheared when the drum 45 is rotated. The pump 21 continues to operate applying suction through the line 16 to pull water through the strainer 55 and into the low pressure sub-system. As suction continues an air valve comprising spring 64 and ball 63 in the piston 69 permits air to pass from the atmosphere through the rifling valve chamber and orifice 82 of the piston 69 into the chamber A replacing the liquid drawn through the strainer 55. To reduce wear on the piston 69 and its reciprocating surfaces high pressure water is fed by hose 72 through rifling into annular chambers 67 to exceed the pressure of the ore in the conduit 24 so as to exclude abrasive ore from the reciprocating and shear surfaces.

The high pressure system is provided with pressure producing water which is taken initially from the settling pond 29. Water is drawn from the pond 29 by motor driven pump 105 and passed through the pipe or conduit into the first of duplex cyclones 36 and of conventional construction. After the first stage of cycloning to remove entrained solids the clean water rises into the pump 34 while some water and solids go into the downflow pipe 37. Partly clean water passes from the first cyclone 36 through pipe 42 to cyclone 40. Clean water rises through the pipe 39 to the pump 34 while some water and solids go down the pipe 41 which merges with the downflow from the pipe 37 and is returned to the pond 29 through the pipe 38. The solids are dredged from the bottom of the pond 29 by the bucket conveyor 30 which discharges onto the conveyor 31 for transfer to the processing plant for further dressing and beneficiation. The motor driven pump 34 empties into the pipe or conduit 33 and enters the down-flow riser 7, the bottom end of which becomes the high pressure intake of the distribution valve 1 through connecting conduit 6.

Some of the clean water from the down-flow riser 7 may enter the pressure relief valve 4 and bypass the distribution valve 1 through the conduit 3, thereby discharging into the conduit 6 which feeds the up-fiow riser 5 when the distribution valve 1 has the high pressure passage blocked. Alternately, clean water from the riser 7 may enter the air filled accumulator 43 during the period when the distribution valve high pressure passage is blocked. An accumulator 44 in the up-flow riser will 4 provide continuous flow of the ore mixture during the blocked period by releasing its accumulated energy.

In order to start flow of the material or operation of the apparatus air is forced into the up-fiow riser 5 through the air line 32 until the differential columnar pressure between the down-flow riser 7 and the up-fiow riser 5 is sufficient to move a charge of ore and air from the chamber of drum when the latter is aligned for communication with the conduit 6 and is free to discharge into the latter. High pressure air may also be supplied to the high pressure chamber 45 through the conduit 32 in removing excess ground water from the mine. The ground water will fill the chamber in the valve 1 between the traps 301 and 302 in the conduits 7 and 6 and be siphoned into the riser 5 for discharge into the pond 29. Check valve 300 helps keep flow in proper direction.

By maintaining a constant predetermined velocity in the high pressure system sufficient to sustain water-borne solids on conduit 6 and up-flow riser 5, it is possible to separate high density materials from low density materials. The more dense particles will settle into the conduit 8 which is connected to the bottom of the riser 5 at its juncture with conduit 6, at a given velocity and then, either periodically or continuously, the heavy particles may be washed down by opening the valve 9 so that the heavy particles are carried into escapement valve 10 and from there into the receiver 12 for disposal as waste material. Valve 10 may have the same construction and operation as the distribution valve 1 with a drive motor which is indicated at 111 and an accumulator 115 may be placed in the line 116 which connects the chambers 1n the valve 10. Water which is released into the waste receiver 12 is withdrawn through the suction pipe 13 and pump 14 for return through the line 17 back into'.the low pressure system. The accumulator 15 in the line 16 which is filled with both air and water serves to balance transient pressure surges in the suction line 16.

Clean water is taken from the riser pipe 7 through the pipe 20 into additive containers which are arranged to eject small amounts of additives continuously into the low pressure system, the high pressure water used for this purpose flowing with the additives through the pipe 19 and into the pipe 16 of the low pressure sub-system.

When light ore fractions are to be disposed of as waste within the mine and heavy ore fractions are to be removed to the surface, the modified arrangement shown in FIG- URE 1A may be employed. In this arrangement, ore leaving the distribution valve 1 moves through conduit 6 and enters the sump 25 where heavy particles will settle and light particles will remain on the top. A divider 26 is set at a mass cut-off position so that particles above the divider will move into the conduit 8 leading to the valve 9 and thence through the valve 10 to the waste receiver 12. Air in the conduit 8 will rise through the pipe 27 into the up-fiow riser 5. Heavy particles settling below the divider 26 will enter the riser 5 and be conveyed to the surface as valuable ore fractions.

The distribution valve 1 and associated parts may be modified to better meet certain conditions. One modification is shown in FIGURE 3A wherein there is substituted for the piston 69 a segment wedge 70 which contains an air valve 107 of the same character as the air valve in piston 69. The segment wedge 70 pivots between an open and a closed position in the end of the feed pipe 24-, being mounted in the end plate 51' and having a high velocity water jet supplied through the nozzle 71 to keep the surfaces clear of abrasive ore. In the closed position the segment wedge 70 bears against the outer face of the outer wear plate 52.

The distribution valve 1 as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, has a rotatable drum 45 with two chambers designated A and B which upon rotation of the drum 45 are positioned alternately in the high pressure sub-system and the low pressure sub-system. The valve 1 may be modified as shown in FIGURE 8 to provide a larger number of chambers in the drum 45, six being shown in this form which are designated A, B, C, D, E and F. In the position shown in FIGURE 8 the chamber B is disposed in communication with the down-flow riser 7 and the discharge conduit 6 of the high pressure sub-system. The chamber E is disposed in the low pressure system with infeed of ore and water provided through the conduit 24 which connects with the ore supply hopper 23, the ore and water being mixed by the impeller 46 and being forced out of the bottom of the hopper 23 through the venturi 68 by the nozzle 62. In the sixth chamber drum shown in FIGURE 8 air is let into all the chambers except in the high pressure position when the chamber is aligned with the conduits 7 and 6. Air is fed from the atmosphere into check valve 91 and through the conduit into the chambers or alternately directly into the valve 92 and thence to the connected chamber. At the other end of the valve water is drawn through strainer 55 from the chamber E which is positioned in the low pressure subsystem and progressively through strainers 89 from chambers A, B, C, D and F and into the conduit 88 which connects with the conduit 16, the latter being the suction portion of the low pressure sub-system. The chambers E and B are shown in low pressure intake and high pres sure discharge positions, respectively.

FIGURES 9 and 10 show another modified chamber arrangement for the rotating drum of the distribution valve. In this arrangement three chambers are shown with a four opening inlet and outlet manifold configuralaterally extending conduit, means for replacing with air a substantial amount of the water which is mixed with the solids, means for connecting said laterally extending conduit and said bottom conduit, said connecting means including a transfer valve having a plurality of chambers movable between said laterally extending conduit and said bottom conduit which are operative to transfer successive quantities of the solids mixed with water and air from the laterally extending conduit to said bottom conduit, means to supply the down-flow riser with relatively clean water so as to force the mixture of solids, water and air into the up-flow riser in which they are carried to the higher level by pressure generated by the water supplied to the down-flow riser, and a supplementary conduit con-' nected to the bottom of the up-flow riser and disposed so that solids exceeding a predetermined density may settle into said supplementary conduit, :and valve means in said supplementary conduit which is operative to remove said solids from said supplementary conduit for disposal at the lower level.

6. Conveyor apparatus for transporting solids such as crushed ore, from a lower level in a mine, or the like, to a higher level wherein the solids are mixed with water and air for transport in tubular conduits, which apparatus comprises a vertically disposed U-tube forming a siphon, with the legs upstanding from a bottom connecting cross conduit, one. of said legs forming a down-flow riser and the other of said legs forming an up-flow riser, a laterally extending conduit disposed at the bottom of said U-tube, means for supplying solids mixed with water to said laterally extending conduit, means for replacing with air a substantial amount of the water which is mixed with the solids, means for connecting said laterally extending conduit and said bottom conduit, said connecting means including a transfer valve having a plurality of chambers movable between said laterally extending conduit and said bottom conduit which are operative to transfer successive quantities of the solids mixed with water and air from the laterally extending conduit to said bottom conduit, means to supply the down-flow riser with relatively clean water so as to force the mixture of solids, water and am into the up-flow riser in which they are carried to the higher level by pressure generated by the water supplied to the down-flow riser, and said laterally extending conduit having a pump for creating suction in one portion of said conduit and for forcing water under pressure through another portion thereof.

7. Conveyor apparatus as set forth in claim 6 and said means for supplying solids mixed with water to said laterally extending conduit comprising a hopper into which the solids are fed, said hopper having a passageway connected into the portion of the laterally extending conduit through which water is forced by said pump so that solids mixed with water are carried into said conduit and subsequently transferred to said bottom conduit which connects the down-flow and up-flow risers.

8. Conveyor apparatus for transporting solids such as crushed ore, from a lower level in a mine, or the like, to a higher level, wherein the solids are mixed with water and air for transport in tubular conduits, which apparatus comprises a vertically disposed conduit in the form of a U-tube with the legs upstanding from a bottom connecting cross conduit, one of said legs forming a down-flow riser and the other of said legs forming an up-flow riser, a laterally extending conduit disposed at the bottom of said U-tube, an ore supply hopper having a passageway connected into the line formed by said laterally extending conduit, means for supplying solids to said hopper for entry into said laterally extending conduit through said passageway, fluid pressure means for forcing the solids out of the hopper and through said passageway, a distribution valve in said laterally extending conduit and said bottom conduit and having means forming chambers movable between said laterally extending conduit and said bottom connecting cross conduit for transferring successive quantities of the solids mixed with water and air from the laterally extending conduit to said bottom connecting conduit, means for supplying air to said distribution valve for mixing with the solids andmeans to supply the down-flow riser with water so as to force the mixture of solids, water and air into the up-flow riser in which they are carried to the higher level by pressure generated by the water supplied to the down-flow riser.

9. Conveyor apparatus as set forth in claim 8 and said distribution valve comprising a drum-like member mounted for rotation on anaxis extending between fixed manifold forming plates, said manifold plates having connections with said laterally extending conduit and with the cross conduit connecting the risers so that predetermined rotation of the drum-like member places the interior thereof in communication alternately with said laterally extending conduit and said cross conduit, and seal forming means between the ends of the drum-like member which includes a resilient gasket and associated means for feeding water under pressure to the contacting seal surfaces so as to flush .out any abrasive material.

10. Conveyor apparatus for transporting solids such as crushed ore, from a lower level in a mine, or the like, to a higher level wherein the solids are mixed with water and air for transport in tubular conduits, which apparatus comprises a vertically disposed U-tube forming a siphon, with the legs upstanding from a bottom connecting cross conduit, one of said legs forming a down-flow riser and the other of said legs forming an up-flow riser, a laterally extending conduit disposed at the bottom of said U-tube, means for supplying solids mixed with water to said laterally extending conduit, means for replacing with air a substantial amount of the water which is mixed with the solids, means for connecting said laterally extending conduit and said bottom conduit, said connecting means including a transfer valve having a plurality of chambers movable between said laterally extending conduit and said bottom conduit Which are operative to transfer successive quantities of the solids mixed. with water and air from the laterally extending conduit to said bottom conduit, means to supply the down-flow riser with relatively clean water so as to force the mixture of solids, water and air into the up-flow riser in which they are carried to the higher level by pressure generated by the water supplied to the down-flow riser, and a by-pass conduit having connections with said cross conduit for permitting flow of water around said distribution valve to said up-flow riser when flow through said distribution valve is blocked.

11. Conveyor apparatus for transporting solids such as crushed ore, from a lower level in a mine, or the like, to a higher level, wherein the solids are mixed with water and air for transport in tubular conduits, which apparatus comprises a vertically disposed conduit in the form of a U-tube with the legs upstanding from a bottom connecting cross conduit, one of said legs forming a down-flow riser and the other of said legs forming an up-flow riser, a laterally extending conduit disposed at the bottom of said U-tube, an ore supply hopper having a passageway connected into the line formed by said laterally extending conduit, means for supplying solids to said hopper for entry into said laterally extending con-duit through said passageway, a distribution valve connecting said laterally extending conduit and said bottom conduit which is operative to transfer successive quantities of the solids mixed with water and air from the laterally extending conduit to said bottom conduit, means for supplying air to said distribution valve for mixing with the solid-s and means to supply the down-flow riser with relatively clean water so as to force the mixture of solids, water and air into the up-flow riser in which they are carried to the higher level by pressure generated by the water supplied to the down-flow riser, and means including a sump and a divider in said cross conduit for separating low and high density solid particles at the lower level and means for with- 11 drawing low density particles for disposal at the lower level while permitting high density particles to be carried to the upper level.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,301,350 11/1942 Whitfield 302-23 932,544 8/1909 Haarmann 30215 1,020,743 3/1912 Burlingham et a1 30215 1,512,561 10/1924 Oliphant 30214 3,232,672 2/1966 Gardner 30214 ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner 0 US. Cl. X.R. 302*14