US3493266A

US3493266A - Portable combination mining and separating assembly

Info

Publication number: US3493266A
Application number: US695751A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elwin D Hazlitt; Robert T O'connor
Original assignee: ELWIN D HAZLITT; ROBERT T O CONNOR
Current assignee: ELWIN D HAZLITT; ROBERT T O CONNOR
Priority date: 1968-01-04
Filing date: 1968-01-04
Publication date: 1970-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 1987-02-03

Description

1970 E. o. HAZLITT ET AL 3,493,266

PORTABLE COMBINATION MINING AND SEPARATING ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 4. 1968 TR Wm M N m 0 0 w w m I 0 0 T A NR W g M k qh m w \Nm R Nb A F lllmh m wh m a g \EM' United States Batent O 3,493,266 PORTABLE COMBINATION MINING AND SEPARATING ASSEMBLY Elwin D. Hazlitt, 818 Orland Ave. W., Montesanto, Wash.

98563, and Robert T. OConnor, 2137 Willamina Ave.,

Forest Grove, Oreg. 97116 Filed Jan. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 695,751 Int. Cl. E021 7/00; A01d 13/00 US. Cl. 299-7 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pulling vehicle such as a tractor is connected to a carry-all vehicle of the type adapted to scoop earth thereinto. Connected behind the carry-all is a third vehicle which carries separating apparatus such as vibrating screen assemblies. A conveyor is supported on the carryall for transferring raw ore material from the carry-all to the separating apparatus in the third vehicle. A conveyor assembly is mounted in the third vehicle and is associated with the separating apparatus for moving the ore material thereinto as well as to carry out separated valuable ore material and tailings. The carry-all has a power operated breaker wheel in association with its conveyor for initially breaking up raw ore material and for assistance in loading the said material on the conveyor. Also, the pulling vehicle has ripper teeth thereon for breaking up raw ore material before it is scooped up by the carry-all.

This invention relates to valuable improvements in mining apparatus.

As is well known, great areas of low ore deposit land are available for mining, but since most of such land is remotely located and, as stated, is of low ore deposit, it has not been economically feasible to mine and ship the ore to distant refineries. For example, ore which has deposits of minerals worth about 25 or 30 cents per yard or less is not worthwhile to mine and ship any great distance to a refinery. On the other hand, if the ore material has valuables worth substantially more per yard than that mentioned, it may be worthwhile to carry the ore material a considerable distance for refining. Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is to provide a portable combination mining and separating assembly which employs in one train assembly a pulling vehicle, an ore collecting vehicle which scoops up the raw ore material from the surface, and a separating vehicle which carries separating apparatus arranged to receive raw ore material from the collecting vehicle and arranged to separate out some of the impurities so that there will be a greater quantity of the valuables in the ore material to make the ore worthwhile to ship for refining.

A more particular object of the present invention is to provide a portable combination mining and separating assembly including a collecting vehicle which scoops raw ore material thereinto as it is pulled along the surface and which has a conveyor thereon for transferring the raw ore material to a separating vehicle employing means for removing some of the impurities or tailings.

Another object is to provide a portable combination mining and separating assembly including a separating vehicle which supports mechanism arranged to remove a good share of the impurities or tailings and which has means for discharging the impurities out one side of the vehicle and means for discharging valuables out of the rearward end of the vehicle, whereby the valuables may be deposited in a following vehicle and the impurities discharged out of the path of movement of the assembly.

Another object is to provide a portable combination mining and separating assembly wherein a pulling vehicle therefor has ripper teeth for initially breaking the surface of raw ore material and wherein a collecting vehicle which is towed behind the pulling vehicle includes a breaker wheel for further breaking the ore material.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the device.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the portable combination mining and separating assembly of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of said assembly; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of separating apparatus carried in the separating vehicle.

Referring now in particular to the drawings, the present portable combination mining and separating assembly is formed of three vehicles comprising a pulling vehicle 10, a raw ore material collecting vehicle 12 and a trailing separating vehicle 14. Pulling vehicle 10 may comprise suitable power apparatus such as a tractor. Such tractor preferably has a bulldozer blade 16 at its forward end and ripper teeth 18 at its rearward end. By means of the teeth 18, the surface of the ground area to be picked up can be initially loosened. Blade 16 can also be used for loosening surface material.

The ore collecting vehicle 12 is connected to the rearward end of the tractor, as by a hitch 20, and preferably comprises a conventional carry-all having forward and rearward wheels 22. The carry-all vehicle has a box-like portion 24 and a steerable drawbar 26 connected to the hitch 20. The box 24 of the carry-all has pivot support on horizontal stub shafts 27 on the rearward ends of the drawbar 26 and has powered pivotal movement by fluid operated cylinders 28 for raising and lowering the forward end of the box with relation to the earth surface. The bottom forward end of the box has an opening 30, FIG- URE 2, and scraper teeth 32 are located on the rear defining edge of the opening for scooping material into the box upon forward movement of the carry-all with the box adjusted in a lowered position.

Forming a part of the present invention is a conveyor 34 supported on the carry-all 12 and having its lower end disposed at a point adjacent the bottom wall of the carryall whereby material loaded into the carry-all by forward movement thereof is automatically pushed onto such conveyor. Conveyor 34 extends rearward at an upward angle and operates in the direction of arrow 36. It is dimensioned and arranged to transfer the material from the carry-all to the separating vehicle 14. Conveyor 34 has suitable mounting support in the carry-all. Such mounting support comprises front securing lugs 40 and rear securing brackets 42. Preferably, bafide plates 43 lead inwardly from the opening 30 on each side of the conveyor 34 to direct the ore material onto said convevor.

Mounted within the box 24 in horizontal relation and disposed adjacent the upper surface of the conveyor 34 is a power-driven, laterally disposed breaker wheel 44. This Wheel comprises a shaft having radial fingers or spikes and is driven in the direction of arrow 46, FIGURE 1. Such wheel breaks up material moving along the conveyor and also assists in loading material onto the conveyor. It is mounted on a suitable laterally disposed bracket 48 secured to the box 24.

Separating vehicle 14 includes a box-like trailer 50 supported on wheels 52. The front wheels of this vehicle are steerable. Separating apparatus is supported within the trailer 50 and includes a pair of vibrating

screen units

54 and 56 which for the purpose of the present invention may comprise that type of unit known in the trade as a Grizzly separator, manufactured and sold by Rex Chainbelt, Inc. Such vibrating screen units comprise a box-like structure having open top and bottom ends and having a laterally horizontal, rearwardly tilted vibrating screen 58 disposed between the upper and lower ends thereof. Vibrating screen unit 54 is secured to the box 50 and to legs 59 supported in the box. Vibrating screen unit 56 is offset laterally from the unit 54 and is disposed in a lower plane with relation to the latter unit. Unit 56 is supported in a plane above the bottom of the box 50 by securement thereof to one wall of said box and to support legs 61?. Details of the vibrating screens are not shown herein since such structures are of common usage.

Mounted on the separating vehicle 14 is a first conveyor 61 which is arranged to receive material from the conveyor 34. In order to receive material from such conveyor, the conveyor 34 extends rearwardly an amount sufficient to overlap conveyor 61 a short distance. Also, conveyor 34 is disposed above the conveyor 60 an amount sufficient to allow longitudinal tilting of said conveyor 34 with the carry-all box 24. Conveyor 61 is supported at its forward end on upright posts 62 and at its rearward end on the vibrating screen unit 54.

The vibrating

screen units

54 and 56 may have suitable dimensions, but in the present arrangement it is desired that rearward discharge ends of both units are substantially laterally aligned in order to overlie and both deposit tailings on a common transversely extending conveyor 66. This latter conveyor has suitable support at its lower end by ears 68, FIGURE 3, secured to a side wall of the box 50. The conveyor 66 also is supported intermediate its ends by suitable brackets 70 secured to the side wall of box 50. Conveyor 66 operates in the direction of arrow 72, FIGURES 2 and 3, and is arranged to discharge tailings off to one side of the separating vehicle 14.

A conveyor 72 which is located under the vibrating unit 54 receives the material which passes through the screen 58 of the vibrator 54 and deposits it onto a transversely disposed conveyor 74 which in turn deposits ore material onto the vibrating screen unit 56. For the above purpose, conveyor 72 operates in the direction of arrow 76, FIG- URES 1 and 2, and conveyor 74 operates in the direction of arrow 78, FIGURES 2- and 3. Conveyor 72 is supported on brackets 80. FIGURE 1, as well as on legs 59 and the box 50 FIGURE 3, and conveyor 74 is supported on brackets 82 and 84, FIGURE 3, secured to the box 50. A longitudinally disposed conveyor 86 is disposed beneath the vibrating screen unit 56 for catching valuable ore material which passes through the latter unit, and this conveyor has an upwardly angled rearward portion 88 which terminates at the rearward end of the trailer 50. Conveyor 86 operates in the direction of arrows 90. This conveyor has support on legs 60 and on the box 50, and its upwardly angled portion 88 has support at its outer end on legs 92.

The conveyors on the carry-all and on the separating vehicle may be suitably driven such as by fluid operated motors 94 connected to a suitable pump, not shown, on the pulling vehicle. Connection of the motors 94 to the pump is accomplished by flexible conduits 96. Similarly, the vibrating screen units may be driven by fluid operated motors 94.

The fines, or in other words the valuable ore material to be retained, comprises the material which passes through both vibrating screen units and is deposited on the conveyor 86. The first screen is of coarse mesh and discharges only the larger particles onto the conveyor 66 as tailings. The second screen, however, is of much finer mesh and is intended to sift onto conveyor 86 the final valuable ore material to be retained.

With regard to the operation of the present assembly, the three vehicles are hooked together in the order shown in the drawings. The carry-all box 24 is lowered selectively by the power units 28 so as to scoop up the raw ore material as the pulling vehicle 10 pulls the assembly forward. As the raw ore material is scooped into the carry-all 12, it is automatically pushed back onto the conveyor 34. Breaker wheel 44, rotating counterclockwise as viewed in FIGURE 1, assists in the loading of the material onto the conveyor 34 and in addition also breaks up any large pieces of material. The raw material may first be partially broken by the ripper teeth 18 on the pulling vehicle. Bulldozer blade 16 may also be used to loosen and to break up material to be scooped up by the carry-all.

Conveyor 34 deposits the raw ore material onto conveyor 61 of the separating vehicle which in turn deposits such material onto the vibrating screen 58 of the first vibrating screen unit 54. This vibrating screen unit shakes the material in an initial step such that the raw ore material is broken up somewhat, with the smaller valuable ore material sifting therethrough and the larger tailings moving off the rear of such screen and discharged laterally from the vehicle by the conveyor 66.

The ore material which sifts through screen 58 of the vibrating screen unit 54 falls on the conveyor 72. Conveyor 72 deposits the said material onto the conveyor 74 which in turn deposits the material onto the screen 58 of the vibrating screen unit 56. Unit 56 further subjects the valuable ore material to a vibrating and sifting function. As stated above, the screen 58 of the vibrating screen unit 56 is of finer mesh than the first screen and it will accomplish the final step of sifting out only the par ticle size desired while discharging the tailings. The ore material which sifts through the second screen has a worthwhile percentage of valuable ore, at least such a percentage which makes it worthwhile to ship from remote areas to a refinery. The mesh sizes of the screens 58 in the two

units

54 and 56 may vary, depending upon the type of raw ore material being mined. Likewise, the relationship of the mesh sizes in the two screens may vary, depending upon the type of raw ore material being mixed, the moisture content thereof, and other factors. By empirical determination and also by well known mining standards, vibrating screen units can be used which, as stated before, separate out enough of the tailings to make the valuable material which is deposited upon conveyor 86 worthwhile to ship to the refinery.

Since conveyor 86 discharges the material out the rear of the separating vehicle, the valuable ore material can be deposited in a following vehicle or the like, not shown. Also, since the tailings are discharged out the side of the separating vehicle, they are out of the path of movement of the vehicle. With reference to FIGURE 2, it is preferred that the scooping blade of the carry-all be wider than the wheelbase of all three vehicles in order that the assembly can make more than one pass along the same line.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A portable combination mining and separating apparatus comprising (a) a vehicle,

(b) vibrating screen means on said vehicle for separating out valuable ore material and tailings,

(c) a first conveyor arranged to receive a discharge of tailings moving off the end of said vibrating screen means,

(d) said first conveyor being disposed laterally of said vehicle and arranged to discharge the tailings over one side of the vehicle,

(e) a second conveyor arranged to receive a discharge of valuable ore material moving through said vibrating screen means,

(f) said second conveyor being disposed longitudinally of said vehicle and arranged to discharge the valuable ore material rearward from the vehicle,

(g) loading means connected with said vehicle for feeding raw ore material into said separating means,

(h) and power drive means connected with said vehicle for moving it along the ground. 2. The portable combination mining and separating apparatus of claim 1 wherein (a) said vibrating screen means includes two screens, 5

(b) conveyor means transferring the valuable ore material from a first of said screens to a second of said screens,

(0) said second screen being of finer mesh than said first screen and discharging the output of valuable ore 10 material therefrom onto said second conveyor. 3. The portable combination mining and separating apparatus of claim 2 wherein said first conveyor is arranged to receive a discharge of tailings moving off the end of both vibrating screens.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,462,096 7/1923 Wiertz 171-120 X 2,479,719 8/ 1949 Boylan 171138 X 2,520,320 8/1950 Lyons et a1 2997 X 2,560,140 7/1951 Thayer 2997 X ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 171-89, 138