US655495A - Process of concentrating ores anhydrously. - Google Patents

Description

No. 655,495. Patented Aug. 7, I900.

, s. M. LIS SAU. PROCESS OF GUNCENTRATING ORES ANHYDFNJUSLY.

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No. 655,495. Patented Aug. 7, I900.

S. M. LISSAH.

PROCESS OF CONCENTBATIRG (IRES ANHYDROUSLY.

(Application filed Apr. 17, 1 9-) (No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

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UNiT nn STATES PATENT Garment SAMUEL MARION IJISSAU, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA;

PROCESS OF CONCENTRATING oats ANHYDRQUSLY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 655,495, dated August '7, 1900.

Application filed April 17, 1899. Serial No. 713,249. (No specimens.)

T0 ctZ-Z whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL MARION LIS- SAU, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Process of Concentrating Ores Anhydrously, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawin gs. 4

My invention is addressed to the elimination of the bulk of worthless matter from comminuted material, such as sand or crushed ore, containing valuable metal. The simplest method hitherto devised for the purpose specified necessitates the use of a large volume of water as a vehicle to remove the lighter portion of the material treated, and the ordinary method is more complicated in that the action of the water is supplemented by the use of mercury in one form or another to retain the metallic particles by combination therewith. /Viih the ordinary process of concentrating, employing water, as aforesaid, if the raw material to be treated be located in an arid district it must be transported to some locality where a supply of water may be had, and if the percentage of valuable metal does not warrant the expense of transportation of the accompanying large percentage of worthless in aterial the mine cannot be worked at a profit. My present invention relates to the invention disclosed in my application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial No. 677,422, dated April 13, 1898, and provides a method whereby comminuted ore or sand containing valuable metal may be concentrated by the elimination of the bulk of its worthless particles at the mine without the use of any water whatever.

The advantages of my improvements are evident in their adaptation to mining in arid districts containing ores of such low grade as hitherto could not be mined profitably. By my invention ore containing, for instance, a very small percentage of flour-gold may be concentrated at the mine at such slight expense as to permit the transportation of the concentrated product and the profitable recovery therefrom of the precious metal by subsequent reduction in a more favorable location.

In the accompan yin gdrawings I have shown a typical form of apparatus adapted for the practice of my process, Figure 1 showing the same in longitudinal section and Fig. 2 being a transverse sectional view thereof.

It is to be noted that apparatus of the type herein shown and described forms the subject-matter of my application, Serial No. 526 of the series of 1900, for Letters Patent of the United States, the same being a division of the present application.

In said figures, A is a drum mounted for rotation upon the rollers B and C, which, as indicated in Fig. 2, exist in pairs at opposite sides of the drum, respectively coupled by shafts B and G and mounted for rotation in housings upon the frame E. Said drum is provided with peripheral teeth A for engage= ment with the driving-gear D, the latter being fixed upon the shaft B intermediate of the rollers B. Said shaft B extends beyond the frame E and is provided with a band-wheel F, whereby the gearing and shaft 13 may be conveniently rotated and the drum A revolved upon the rollers B O aforesaid.

The apparatus which I have shown is adapted for continuous operation, the material to be concentrated being supplied thereto by the hopper G and chute G and the waste material being discharged therefrom through the hopper H and chute H. As hereinafter described, the concentrated product is retained within the drum.

As shown in Fig. 2, the periphery of the drum A is 'formed in a double series of conical zones a a (0 a increasing in diameter toward the central zone a. All the zones ct to a are provided with radial blades d the function of which is to continuously stir the material within the drum during the rotation of the latter. The central zone a is provided with inclined blades a a and, as hereinafter described, the blades a constitute carrying-buckets and the blades c act as deflectors or guards for the same.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The raw material X is introduced through the hopper G and chute G in such quantity as to continuously fill the drum to about one-fourth of its depth. Said material consists of various particles of difiering specific gravity, the heavier portion thereof being the precious metal which is to be ultimately recovered. The drum A filled to the ICO depth indicated is then continuously rotated in the direction of the arrow shown upon Fig. 1. Said rotation causes the mass of material within the drum to slope at an angle dependent upon the rate of rotation of the drum, and substantially that indicated. The effect of the continuous agitation of the mass by the blades 06 is to permit the heavier particles Z to freely gravitate to the bottom of the drum, so that the upper strata of the mass consists entirely of the worthless light-Weight particles, which shift continuously down the slope to the point marked J.

It is to be understood that the blades (0 serve merelyto agitate the material X, being so proportioned and arranged as to permit any material thereby engaged to fall back within the drum before reaching the hopper H, as indicated on the left hand side of Fig. 1. The central blades a are, however, so inclined that the worthless material Y is received therein at the point J, (indicated upon Fig. 1,) carried through the entire mass beneath the precipitated precious metal Z, and being retained by each of said blades (0 is elevated, as indicated upon the left hand side of said figure, dropped within the hopper H, and discharged through the chute H thereof. The foregoing comprises the operation of my invention, whereby the raw material received within the drum A through the hopper Ghas.

the worthless -material separated from it and discharged through the hopper H and chute H, so that the concentrated product Z is retained within the drum A. It is to be understood that the buckets a are filled upon each revolution of the drum A by whatever material is presented at the top of the mass Xat the point J, and during their traverse beneath the mass said buckets retain the material taken, as aforesaid, from the top thereof until they deposit it within the hopper H. Therefore as a matter of economy the material discharged from the drum at the chute Y at the beginning of the operation may be returned to the drum through the hopper G, for the reason that the buckets are originally filled with unconcentrated material X, containing apercentage of valuable metal.

Of course in the continuous operation the precious material Z, beneath which the worthless material Y passes to discharge, contin ues to increase in depth within the drum A; but no portion thereof can at any time be discharged from the drum until it increases in depth to the level of the point J, where the buckets a are filled, for the reason that said buckets are filled, as aforesaid, with the lighter worthless material, and therefore cannot take up any of the material beneath which they subsequently pass. With a lowgrade raw material containing, for instance, a small percentage of flour-gold, a period of many days may elapse during the continuous operation of concentration before said level is reached. When, however, it becomes necessary to remove the concentrated product, the inflow of the raw material is stopped and the concentrated product may be conveniently discharged through the hopper H and chute H by the rotation of the drum.

I have found it desirable to deposit the incoming raw material X at a point as far from the point of take-up J as the dimensions of the apparatus will permit, and in order to adjust the point of deposit I find it convenient to adapt the chute G for both radial and circumferential adjustment. As an indication of means whereby said adjustment may be secured I have shown the hopper G slottedat g and hung upon the stud g, to which it is secured by the nut 9 stood that said hopper may be adjusted radi ally or circumferentially when said nut is loosened and be secured at any pointdesircd by tightening the same.

Although I find it convenient to use an apparatus of the type herein shown a-nd:described, I do not desire to limit myself to the employment of such a structure in carrying out my improved process, as it is obvious that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

1 claim- The hereinbefore-described proeess'of an-' It is to be under- ICC upper strata of the agitated mass, through the latter and beneath the concentrated product at the bottom thereof; and discharging said waste material exterior to said mass, sub stantially as set forth.

SAMUEL MARION LISSAU.

Vitnesses:

WM. W'AGNER, Jr., WM. L. Bownns.

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