US3753491A

US3753491A - Apparatus for supplying wash water to a spiral concentrator

Info

Publication number: US3753491A
Application number: US00213072A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Vollmer
Original assignee: United States Steel Corp
Current assignee: United States Steel Corp
Priority date: 1971-12-28
Filing date: 1971-12-28
Publication date: 1973-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 1990-08-21

Abstract

Apparatus includes a length of tubing, closed at one end and connected with a water supply at its other end, having water emission openings spaced therealong. The tubing is disposed along the length of the helical trough of the concentrator clamped to the inner sidewall thereof. A length of pipe is telescoped around at least some of the portions of the tubing having a water emission opening therein. The pipe lengths are formed with cutout areas intermediate their ends which normally span the water emission openings. The tubing is supported by means of elongated spring clamps each of which is connected by one end with a pipe length and at its other end is spring mounted around the upper edge of the inner sidewall of the helical trough. The tubing is slidable in each of the pipe lengths so that direction of the water emission from each opening can be controlled by rotation of the tubing within the pipe lengths. Amount of flow from each emission opening can be controlled by relative longitudinal movement between the tubing and pipe lengths to partially or completely close any of the emission openings.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Vollmer 1 Aug. 21, 1973 APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WASH WATER TO A SPIRAL CONCENTRATOR [75 l Inventor: Justus H. Vollmer, Grand Rapids, Minn.

173 I Assignee: United States Steel Corporation,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: Dec. 28, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 213,072

Primary Examiner-Frank W. Lutter Assistant Examiner-Ralph ,1. Hill Attorney-Donald S. Ferito [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus includes a length of tubing, closed at one end and connected with a water supply at its other end, having water emission openings spaced therealong. The tubing is disposed along the length of the helical trough of the concentrator clamped to the inner sidewall thereof. A length of pipe is telescoped around at least some of the portions of the tubing having a water emission opening therein. The pipe lengths are formed with cut-out areas intermediate their ends which normally span the water emission openings. The tubing is supported by means of elongated spring clamps each of which is connected by one end with a pipe length and at its other end is spring mounted around the upper edge of the inner sidewall of the helical trough. The tubing is slidable in each of the pipe lengths so that direction of the water emission from each opening can be controlled by rotation of the tubing within the pipe lengths. Amount of flow from each emission opening can be controlled by relative longitudinal movement between the tubing and pipe lengths to partially or completely close any of the emission openings.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WASH WATER TO A SPIRAL CONCENTRATOR The present invention relates generally to apparatus for concentrating ores or the like and more particularly to an apparatus for supplying wash water or other fluid to a spiral concentrator used to upgrade heavy minerals, such as iron ore.

Spiral concentrators are used to upgrade heavy minerals with particles ranging in size from 8 to 200 mesh. The concentration is accomplished by gravitational and centrifugal forces, assisted by wash water or other fluid, as the slurry of ore and water flows down the helical trough of the concentrator.

The wash water added at 10 to 30 points along the inside wall of the spiral trough controls the flow of the slurry and helps to wash the low gravity minerals to the outside perimeter of the helical trough. Generally, the trough is wound five times helically around the center axis of a spiral concentrator.

The most pertinent art of which I am aware is U. S. Pat. No. 2,431,559 dated Nov. 25, 1947.

Prior to my invention, the wash water in spiral concentrators was carried in an open groove which formed the inside portion of the helical trough of the spiral concentrator. The wash water was discharged through notches into the helical trough by centrifugal force. Generally, the amount of wash water discharged was larger for the notches at the top and smaller for the notches further down because the individual discharges could not be regulated. This was not a desirable arrangement since a non-uniform amount of wash water was discharged along the helical trough. Heretofore, the total amount of wash water being discharged into the helical trough of prior art spiral concentrators could be controlled, but the amount being discharged at each of the 10 to 30 discharge points could not be controlled.

It is, accordingly, the primary object of my invention to provide an independent wash water system for spiral concentrators which can be quickly and easily installed in an existing spiral concentrator and which includes means for controlling and directing the discharge of wash water at each of the discharge points along its length.

It is a more specialized object of my invention to provide apparatus for supplying wash water to a spiral concentrator which includes a continuous length of tubing, closed at one end and connected with a water source at its other end, having water emission openings spaced along its length; the length of tubing being adapted to be clamped to and extend along the length of the helical trough of the concentrator; a length of pipe slidably telescoped around the portions of the tubing having a water emission opening therein; cut-out areas in each pipe length intermediate its ends normally spanning the water emission openings; and tubing-supporting means in the form of elongated spring clamps each of which is connected by one end with a pipe length and at its other end is spring-mounted around the upper edge of the inner sidewall of the helical trough.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to the following specification and drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a spiral concentrator having the wash water supplying apparatus of the invention installed therein;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the wash water emission portions of the apparatus of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 2 designates generally a spiral concentrator having a continuous helical trough 4 extending from the top to the bottom thereof. A length of tubing 6, which may be made of plastic, rubber, or other suitable material, extends along the length of the helical trough 4. One end of the tubing 6 is closed while its other end is connected with a wash water or other fluid source (not shown). Wash water emission openings 8 which extend longitudinally are spaced along the wall of the tubing 6.

Short lengths of pipe 10 are telescoped on the tubing 6 at the portions thereof where a wash water emission opening is located. Each of the pipe lengths 10 is provided with a cut-out area 12 which normally spans the opening 8, as best shown in FIG. 3.

The tubing is supported along the inner perimeter of the helical trough 4 against the inner sidewall 13 of the trough by means of elongated spring clamps 14. Each of the spring clamps 14 is attached by one end, as by riveting or similar means, to one of the pipe lengths 10 and extends tangentially therefrom with its other end being spring-mounted around the upper edge of the inner sidewall 13 of the trough 4.

Since the tubing 6 is rotatable in the pipe lengths 10, the trajectory of the flow of wash water from each of the emission openings can be controlled. The amount of water issuing from each emission opening can be controlled by movement of the tubing or the pipe lengths longitudinally relative to each other to partially or completely close the respective emission opening.

While I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a spiral concentrator including a continuous helical trough the improvement therewith of apparatus for providing wash fluid along said trough, said apparatus comprising a continuous length of tubing extending substantially along the length of said trough, one end of said tubing being closed and the other end being connected with a fluid source, and means disposed on the inner sidewall of said spiral trough supporting said tubing along the inner perimeter of said trough, said tubing having spaced longitudinally directed openings in its side remote from said inner sidewall along its length for emitting wash fluid into said trough and including means for controlling the discharge of wash fluid therefrom.

2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 in which said means for controlling comprises lengths of pipe slidably telescoped on said tubing one on at least some of said portions thereof having a fluid opening therein, each of said lengths of pipe having a cut-out area intermediate its ends normally spanning the fluid opening in the portion of tubing on which said length of pipe is disposed, said pipe lengths and said tubing being relatively movable longitudinally and rotationally to thereby control the emission of fluid from said openings, and said means disposed on the inner sidewall of said spiral trough including a plurality of elongated spring clamps each connected by one end with one of said pipe lengths, the other end of each of said clamps being spring-mounted around the top edge of said inner sidewall of said trough.