US573485A - sanders - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 1 r 3 Sheets-:Sheet 2 R. H. SANDERS 8L C. T. THOMPSON. :Rosi-:ss 0F ANDMAGHINE F01; MAGNETIGSEPABATION.

' 'No.573145. Patented 13%',221y v1895.

INVENTORS, 4M n.)

`Uilnrun,YSiurrns-,

f ENT -g OFFI(3153?,i y

` RICHARD n.snnnnnsnn'nCHARLES `fr;fTrieinP-sen, OF=PI1 ILADE LBHTA,

i PENNSYLYA'NIA.

rft. viistetnssis OF AND MACHINE FORMAGNETIC SEPARATION. y

',.s1 nc 1n1enr1on arming bart of Letters retest No.57s,14s5, ma December- 22,` 1'se6 mgybnrm' l .t Beit vrknown that We, RlCH` PII, SANDERS p and errantes-T. THourson;of rinadelphia,v

Pennsylvania, have invented a certain 'new 5 andV useful Process of and Machine for Magn'etic Separation, lwhereof the following isa.

specification. t t. l

L Y Although jeuri'process is of 4course;adapted v te separate and remove particles of paramagione'tic mater'4 l generally from a mixed mass',

we shall, t avoid prolixit'y of description, Ause theterm-Pfre a'stypica'lof said partir` lf`cle`s,the term ganguejias typicalof thenonf l Lparainagnetic material, and the term f stock? is;fttplfpne"subjected-tetreatment.-V

4'Qurimzjention is based upon the discovery thatvrhen an armature Of Proper efficiency is placedin p1" mity to a magnetic pole in i 'fioricet j gapbetweemw ch'gap'sinot tirg lTas indieatingthe admixture ofthe two which he direct path of the inaximim iler? of Vlinesofforceunder. normal ccnd'itions,"the magnetic eldformed tcros'sfsaid gap possesses a. character-pecul-` "5' iarly adapted fortheseparation' of O Ie from' gangue and forthe removal of the separated ore teau isolatedpointof discharge.4`

Betere proceeding-,to describe ourinvention 1 in detail we will, to facilitate the' explanation .Jo thereof, compare the behavior of ,-param'agnetie particlesin an ordinaryniagnetic fieldl (or one whose lines of force' ilow without alonormal diversion through the air-space between the two poles of amagn'et) withthe be# :L35 haviorof such-particles in a field whose lines of force are shunted and Without 'undue condensation are definitely directed through an airspace orgotherfgap by means of an efficient armature placed at ashort distance from the aopolescamagnet.A

Byl'the terni efticientdwe meanl that the armature (which, of course, iscomposed of material having a high conducting,r power for lines of magnetic force) shall have a su licient mature and willnet be diverted in snchnian'- ,11er as toprodne the best results.`

nted spacefor' 4ii'"ipplieatimi filed August 10, 1892. Serial )10.442,709, ille model.)`

Figures l and 2 of the accompanyingdrawings illustrate diagrammatically the charac t teristics of the two kinds .of lields` referred to with sufficientclearness--for the purposes efr"- such comparison.` i

I' Referring to Fig; 17 representsan crdi;-`

nary horseshoe-magnet having poles NS, reel, spectively, between andarou'nd which a mag'-,

-netic field extends. Il",- ironv` filings orv other paramagneti'cmaterialin yp:u,ti el;es he introvduced into said lield, so` astopbeg arrested'jV therein againstthe action` of i gravity, the par: ticle's .will cling tothe poles 4and bridge the interspace substantiallyin the manner in- '-dicated in saidggure. `In the gap' directly'- fbetweenthe poles the particles will be densely region ol smallermagnetic'y density they will 1 Ic-ling' te. the. surface ofthe magnet in substan- 'tially pyramidal heaps, as indicated at n s,

respectively. Although' this arrangement of the particles has a quasi-structural character, in that the particles arepolarized and cling to one another in masses of little chains,'yet i their closeaggregationor agglomeration affords conditions highly unfavorable for the Aseparationof ore from sangue,since,A when a mixed stock is fed into said field,5a large 8eV i amount of the gangue will be mechanically entangledand detained withinthe mass of closely-interlockedparticles of ore. t

4Referring new to Fig. 2,' the behavior ef -paramagnetic particles in a .eld which has been shunted and definitely directed by lan Parallel to one leg r to the under surfacejof the poles is another armature A3, the intervening gap in `each instance `being-such` as to be readily traversed bythe lines efforce from theproxiinate surface of the magnet. particles be introduced into the iields between lthe magnet andthe armatures, it .will be noted that said particles build themselves up naturally into diused `striie suspended or restingnot only upon the surface of the inag-h If now paramagneticl Ico -these strize of polarized particles are highly attenuated and are, moreover, diffusedly arranged in substantial parallelism. lheconditions thus obtained are in the highest degree favorable forthel separation of ore from the gangue, since if a mixed stock 'be `fed into the fields the particles of ore are at once suspended inthe attenuated strife justdescribed,

, tive. degrees to the horizon.' 65

while the gangue is permitted to readily drop out through thev substantially-regular inter-l stices between them, so that a minimum amount of l gang'ne is mechanically detained in the interior of the strize.

As thus far described, the peculiar value of iheshuntcd field as 4compared with a normal one has only been pointed out with reference to part. of-lhe work essential in magnet-ic separation.

i. In a practical process it is not only necesr sary to separate the ore from the gan gue and permit the latter to escape, but itis also necessary( to vremove the orc from the region where separat ion has taken place to a region of discharge isolated from thepatghwofmoutgoing gauge.

Our discovery of the properties of a shunted iield embraces also'certain featu res which are peculiarly available for effecting thc removal and discharge of the separated ore. j

lf after the striation of the particles in the gap between the pole and the armature the lat-ter be moved away from the pole, (or vice versa,) 'a very large percentage of the striatcd material will'cling in pendulous lines to .the

process, liig, 3 being a side elevation of said apparatus andi-f'- l `ig. l a top or plan view thereof.

l5 .represents the base or standard, provided withbeai'ings IJ h for a shaft- O, rotatably mounted therein at an angle of about forty- Said shaft has at its lower. end instand loose pulleys c c', respectively, and carries at its upper end arigidly-attached disk D, preferably of soft iron.

E E', represent the two legs of a horseshoe- "magnet, energized by means of a toil EL upon the transverse portion which connects them and which in Fig. 3 is supposed to be. .situated at the rear or side farthest' from the observer.

fllhe' magnet is supported upon thebaseplate l) in such relation to the disk that the outer surface of the uppermost ,leg E is substantially parallel to the plane of the disk and at a (short distance therefrom, the outside edge of the leg being in a lrilane'substanl:tially'tangential to the peripheryof the disk.

That portion of the disk which at'any given time is directly opposite tothe surface of the leg Ey constitutes the armature, and to have the highest efficiency for the purposes of our invention the disk should be of such thicknessthat said portion shall be capable of l conducting within itself substantially all the4 lines of force whichit intersects. Should the vmetal of the disk be too thin, some of the lines of force will fail to be intercepted thereby 'and will find paths through the air or,

through otherportions of the disk not atthe' time in immediate proximity to the magnetleg,thus t-o a degree interfering with efficient action. As the disk is rotated successive; portions thereof become temporarily the armature during their passage bythe region of immediate proximity tothe magnet-leg, thus obtaining an effect equivalent to that which would be produced byan absolutely-continuo'us series of individual armatures succesh sively movedwthrough the field,- but withgut the variation in' direction and intcnsityof" dia )hracm or )late ll which extends down from the loxi'er edge of the leg E, also pro- Jecting beyond thereof and extending up.- ward', as indicated at il', on that side of the figure which is nearest the observer in Fig.

and which is al the bottom in Fig. t. Partitions i 1d, one or both of which may be ad justable, divide the surface of the diaphragm into distinct chutes, and a raised side or rim 7:?l extends along the extreme edge of the uinwardly-projecting portion ll of sai/l dia- The second chute comprises that portion of fth'e surface ofthe'diaphragnill which isbetween thepartitionsh h', while the third-chute comprises that-portion of said surface which isbetween the partit-ion It and-the outside rim hz'f. j 7 V The conductof` the process by means'of the apparatusjust described is as followsgi'lhe magnet' isfcnergized `by a curi'entytropi any y suitable source, and the shaft C is rotated-ln the direetionot the arrow Fig, 4;', ata 'fspced which is ofcourse to bev regulat ed in accord# aneewitlrthe'feed andcl-iara-ctpr ot' stock and.

; thefiartensityofthe'magnet. The stoclt'isintroducedinto `the hopper (l, and `is ted at a properratc upon the feed chute F, down` which it is` carried `liy-gra-t-'ity and discharged uponthe surfaceof thelmagnetS-leg; As soon y' as it .reaches the shun ted field intermediatey between the leg Eand the disk D AtheL-pai'ti` cles of orcare -detaine d ;and"commence to build themselves up `iii-th e stri'ated'st'rlicturc above described, the gangue 'falling =between 'the i striaor at. temporarybreaks, therein and passingout into the chnteproridedfor it. i `'The 'greaternunibeij of `the stri'a, under favorable conditions, will 'ex'tendiu continuity across from surfacefto surface,`.bein g sup portedat one" end 'uponVthe magnet-leg and at theother end'upon the proximate surface 'of `.the disk, but even when ynot thus continu` r'ofttheirdetention 'and movement lalong'the vsurface of the maguct-leg'l any .particles of` gan'guewhich have theretoforerfailed to es# cape are,disengagedandwfall into the chute between the partitions 71,111', togctherwith any smallpereenlageotfthe ore which n iaybe ac eide'ntally knocked -otlhefore t reaching thei pointoflinal discharge. In some cases this intermediatechute will not be fou-nd 'neeesf sary, but we nient-ion it as a convenient arrangement', since the tailings collected there- -byn1aybe of suliicient value to be subjected to a repetition of the process. Nearly all the separated ore is, however, carried in suspens ion entirely through the shunted iield, and

when that portion of thearmature to which thestrize cling emerges from said field their "continuity with the particles clingingt'oithc magnet is broken. Avery large percentage of the particles, however, lcontinue to cling .to the surface lof the disk until after it has completely emerged from said field, not bein g dislodged or dropping oit until they are so t'ar from the region of force that when they fall they do notreturn thereto, but are received into thefoge-chute, which is between the partitten., 13, and rim h2, whence they are discharged by gravity into any suitable recep- The feed being continuous, new portions ofv ore particles are constantlybcing carried in to take the place of .those which 'our invention .by reas' discharged, Vsaid new portions'in many instances buildingy themsel'vesup upon the ends of those stritewliich have beenl'eft within the field' clinging tothesurfaceof the inagriedaway bythe'armature. is a continuous on`e.'; l l l l Ilavingthus described our invention, we

ont certain distinctions which exist between .our process and the processescarried -on L"I )y apparatus heretofore constructed ll'hel-e, as in sonic cases, thestockhas been y. .t y l wish, in order to avoid-"confusion, topointdirectly fed-@into "the-ordinaryor normal field f 'between two poles, [(either ofthe same 'mag-7 yneticeircuit or opposing-polesotdlterent c ii;cuijts',`)thegprocess lacksthe advantages of A Y the fact that such intermediate lieldis ot hunted So as to disi pose its lines-of -for'ce Vin' the proper manner to Vforni attenuated and"regularlyarranged strife of polarized particles, andof the fur i ther fact .that fthe conditions"l 'interfere with the'removalfof the o reL] Thusffin l'the appa ratus'of Letters Patent N `264,620 and others of its typethe ore particles are suspended in a closely-condensed mass directly across the path of the' outgoing' gangue, and when the outside layers of 'suspended ore: are broken .they `break along a line-which'is over the `ganguech utc, thus facilitating the accidental vdischarge of ore-.particles `along'with the gan gue. I'nour process, on the contrai' there is notendencyto condense' the striz'c `across the path ofthe outgoing ganglio.` "lheniovjeL -lioo l mentof the strire'in leaving said path is transverse Ythereto instead of ririaflirn therewith andthe sitrize are noftseparat'ed from on'efotf theirsupports until theyhave passed. to a comparatively remotepoint; 'l`li'esje1di`stinc* tions are; even more inarkedfwhen the coniparis/on' `is` made'ljettveeil4 our invent-ion and the inode Ofbperationof 4devicesfwhiclrtend degree L beyond thenoi-nial maximum" intenl .sity'ofcondcnsationby means ofan arn'i ure placed directly in the path of 'maxininnifout Again; in apparatus which sep s in i unused or empathie@lordinary'seni-.be tween two stationary poles moving plates and Scrapers orequivalent devices are employed. to carry charge. l

Our discovery that the armature not only has the power to shunt and delinitely direct the lield, but also `to carry away therefrom the striated material still in suspension,'enablcs us to accomplish the removal otth'c orey upon an entirely .dilie'rcntprinciple, simpler 'and niuch more eliectivc than where such intermediate carrying and dislodging devicesare employed,

A still more obvious di-lterenee exists l`1e" tween our process and the inethodof separation indicated inLctters Patent N3. 00,317

ateslth'e ore the separated orc to a point otdisn-v and others of its class, wherein the ore is not detained within the licld, but is merely de- `Iiected from its normal trajectory as it fallsl through a magnetic eld. llostratiouv and suspension of ore particles ofcourse could occur under such conditions.

In the foregoing specification wehave pointed out an element-ary though typical form'of `apparatus as adapted to the conduct of our process, but we Wish it to be understood that We do not restrict our claim tothe exact conditions found in theuse of the ap paratus specified. 'llrs'instead of y relying upon gravity to eHect the 'introduction of stock and removal of the ganglio and ore'ot-her means used in this class of machines may be substituted, such as, for instance, currents of air or Water, dac.

. the surfaces of both oreitherinay be covered or protected without departingfrom the spirit of our-invention, all these being detailswhich -v arel not 'essential to the underlying principles upon which ourjprocess depends. Furthermore, in usingthe term armature i to desig- `nate`A the element ot kthe apparatus which shunts. the fieldI and removes the ore thereg. 'fromlafter separation we do not necessarily restrict ourselves to 'anelllmtme which Epe" until La point may be reached se absolutely devoidof polarity. Although We prefer that :the'magnetismof said armature should be'only due to induction from the magnet whose field it is intended to shunt,l such condition isnot essential to the operation. v f

To the-'extent that the armature possesses individual polarity'its ecien'c ,ing of the ieldutilized by our inventibn and to distinguish Vsuch 'field from those .wherein the linesof'force are'unduly condensed about an axis off'maXimum intensity, Whether such undue condensationloe merely the normal one of said iieldor Whether it be enhanced by so placing an armature as'to cause the convergence of more than the normal number of lines l The form of the magnet and of the armature may alsobe varied andI cisternas- 1. ver@ it' prac:-

ft o f 573,485

' toward and'about the axis of maximum density. It must of course be understood that We 'do not by the use of such Word imply that .substantial parallelism and that no"g dispersion, properly so called, takes place. We claiml l. The hereinbefore-described process of magnetic separation, which cons-istsy in feeding stock into a diffusedly-shunted fleld .between amagnet and a movingl armatureof substantially continuous mass; conducting' the'ore through said. fieldsuspended insti-iai supported at the end farthest from the mag net, and thereby delaying the passage-of the ore through the iield; permitting the-gangue to escape during the period of delayed conl veyance'; removing 'the ore from the field still 'relation to the magnet to produce a diiusedl yshunted. field-of .substantially unvarying iutensity and direction, and thereby adapted to convey` ore through said iield While delaying,`

the passage of such ore through the` same; means substantially as set forth for presenting in continuity successive portions of the massief saidj conductor to said iield; a feedjing. device arrangedin the described relation to said'fi'eld'g* al delivery-chutejfor gangue ary ranged inrelation to said field substantially asset forth; and a delivery-chute for'ore lead-` -v ing 'trompa point beyond the limit ofv said l field vwhereby the stock is definitely delayedy butgconveyed through said field; the escape ofthe gangue. is permitted'during the periodv ofdelayed conveyance', and the ore` is removed ,y

from the -field, substantially as set forth.4 RICHARD4 'I-I. sANDrzns.

CMAS. .'l.V THOMPSON.

, Witnesses:

' yJAMEsI-I. BELL,

E. .Russa

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