US697178A - Apparatus for the treatment of ores. - Google Patents

Description

No. 69H78.

Patented Apr. 8, |902.

E. L. SHARPNECK. APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT 0F DRES.

(Application led Apr. 25, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

ma ohms PETERS no.. vuoanmm. wAsmNnfo. n. a

No. 69u78.

Patented Apr. s, |902., E. L. sHAnPNecK. APPARATUS FOR THE 'TREATMENT 0F DRES.

(Application lled Apr. 25, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

STATES X rra APPARATUS FOR THE A'rnr OFFICE.

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

T REATNI ENT OF ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,178, dated April 8, 1902. Application filed April 25, 1901. Serial No. 57,445. (No model.)

To all when@ it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIEL L.v SHARPNEGK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for the Treatment of Ores, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improved apparatus for use in carrying on the leaching process of extracting the values from ores, and more es-` pecially for use in the treatment of ores containing carbonate or oxid of copper.

My object is to provide apparatus of improved construction for hastening the leaching and filtering operations and rendering the practice more thorough and economical.

In the drawings, Figure lis a diagrammatic view of apparatus with my improvements applied; Fig. 2, a vertical section of a leachingtank, and Fig. 3 a similar view of a iilteringtank, both employed in carrying on the leaching and filtering of the ore; Fig. 4, an enlarged and broken section of a jet-pump; Fig. 5, a transverse section of a precipitatingtank, the section being taken on line 5 in Fig. 6 and Fig. G, a broken longitudinal section taken on line 6 in Fig. 5.

A is a leaching-tank; B, a filtering-tank; C, a precipitating-tank; D, a storage-tank, and E a sump or settling tank.

On the tank A is a pair of standards a ct, provided at their tops with pulleys or sheaves h. The leaching-tank is formed, preferably, as shown in Fig. 2, with a hopper-shaped false bottom c and a cover orcross-piece d, presenting a central vertical guide-opening d@ F is a jet-pump having a chamber e. Extending into the side of the chamber is a nozzle f, terminating at the center of the chamber and upturned to discharge in a direction longitudinal of the chamber. Connecting with the pipe or nozzle f is a rubber hose f', extending from a steam-supply pipe f2, provided with a valve f3. Extending downward from the lower end of the chamber e is a short pipe g. A pipe h extends upward from the chamber e and is provided at its upper end with a valve h'. Communicating with the pipe 71. below the valve h is a branch pipe h2, provided with a valve h3. Extending downward from the valve h3 parallel with the pipe 7L is a pipe h4, terminating in a plane preferably just below that of the j et-pump F. Extending from the top of the pipe h is a hose-pipe i, which terminates over and empties into the iiltering-tank B, and extending over the pulleys b are cords 7c, carrying counterweights 7a. The counterweights counterbalance the j et-pump and parts carried thereby, whereby they may be raised and lowered with relation to the tank A and remain in adjusted position. The hose v1 above the tank B is held in adjusted position by suspending means Z, and above the tankA it is suspended by a cord m, passing over a pulley m' and carrying a counterweight m2.

The filtering-tank B is formed, preferably, as illustrated in Fig. 3, with the flat bottom n and false hopper-shaped bottom n', provided with numerous perforations Between the bottoms n fn. is a chamber n3. At

`the center of the bottoms 'n n is an outletopening n4, leading to a trough ns and closed by a plug 0r6. Extending from the chamber n3 of the vat B is a pipe p, having a valve p and communicating with a hose-section p2, extending at its end downward to empty into one end portion of the precipitating-tank C.

The tank C is divided by partitions q into compartments q' q2 Q3, each partition being provided at the center of its upper edge with an overflow (14. This precipitating-tank is of a novel constructiomforming the subject-matter of a concurrent application filed by me the 25th day of April, 1901, Serial No; 57,446. It will suffice tosay in the present connection that it is formed with longitudinally-extending shoulders r fr and longitudinally-extending shoulders r' r' at a higher level than the shoulders r. On one of the shoulders r at one side of the tank C is a conductor r'od or plate s, communicating with the negative pole of an electric generator G, and on vone ot' the shoulders r, preferably at the opposite side of the tank, is a conductor rod or plate s', communicating with the positive pole of the electric generator G. Extending across the tank and resting upon the shoulders r are transverse rods t, which in this way rest at one end upon the conductor s', and between the said rods t are rods t', resting at opposite ends on the shoulders fr, whereby they rest at one end in contact with the electric conductor .sheets t3 form the cathodes.

s. Suspended from each of the rods is a sheetlead apron or plate, the plates extending at their lower ends nearly to the bottom of the tank. The sheets t2 form the anodes and the There are an equal number of anodes and cathodes in each of the compartments ofthe vat,and suspended around the cathodes in the manner shown are bags t4, of porous cloth, forming pockets. At the end of the tank C is an overflow-trough g5, emptying into the sump-tank E. Extending from the vlower side of the tank O to the tank E is a valved pipe Q6, which may connect with each of the compartments 'q' q2 g3. A pipe H extends from near the bottom and center of the sump-tank upward to empty into the tank D, as shown. Interposed in the pipe H is a jet-pump H', constructed like Ithe jetpump F and communicating with a steamsupply pipe H2, provided with a valve H3. Extending from the bottom of the storagetank D is a pipe I, having an interposed valve I' and terminating over the leaching-tank A.

The operation is as follows in the treatment of ore containing oxid or carbonate of copper: After being pulverized to about forty'or ifty mesh the ore is fed into the leaching-tank A, sucient water being added to make the mixture flow easily. Enough of a suitable acid is then poured into the mixture for carrying out the leaching process. It may be stated that in the use of the acid I prefer to employ I provide one and a half times as much acid in pounds as there are pounds of copper in the mass of ore to be treated. Previous to starting the jet-pump F the valve h' is closed and the valve his opened. The pump is then raised until the lower end of the pipe g is at the top of the tank A, and the valve f3 is then opened to admit steam. The steam passes from the nozzle f upward through the pipe h, thence through the pipe h2 and valve h3, and downward through the pipe h4. After the jet-pump is started it is gradually lowered until it reaches the position shown, which causes the lower end of the pipe g to reach nearly to the bottom of the tank. The operation of the jet-pump causes the mixture in the tank A to be raised by the suction action elfected by the jet of steam and discharged again downward through the pipe h4. Thus a constant rapid circulation is kept up to agitate the liquid contents of .the leaching-tank,

v andthe contact of the mixture with steam causes it to be raised gradually to a high temy perature. This heating of the mixture renders the action of the acid very rapid, so that in a comparatively short time all or very nearly all of the copper will go into solution. l

yIn practice with apparatus constructed as described I cause the jet-pump 4to operate until the mixture is raised to a temperature of about 200o Fahrenheit, which takes on the average about twenty minutes, by which time all, or at least ninety per cent., of the kcopper will have gone into solution. When this operation is completed as described, the valve f3 is shut olf, the jet-pump raised, and the solution allowed to settle a few minutes. a very short time the pulp will settle to the bottom of the tank, causing the copper solution to remain on the top. The valve h3 is then closed and the valves h/ f3 opened to cause the steam to discharge from the jetpump through the pipe t. The pump is then gradually lowered to thus raise and transfer the copper solution from the tank A through the pipe or hose t' to the filtering-tank B. When nearly all the solution has beenl thus transferred from the pulp, the pump is stopped. The valve p is left open, whereby the solution as fast as it is iltered and enters the chamber n3 will pass downward to the preci pitating-tank C. The construction of the tank O with its compartments g q2 Q3 causes the solution to flow downward as it enters from the pipe or hose p2 and gradually lill the first compartment, then overflow through the recess q4 into the second compartment. In the second and third compartments I prefer to provide baffles Q7, which direct the current as it enters through the overflow Q4 downward, so that it will all rise in close proximity to the cathodes t3.. In practice I prefer to so regulate the voltage and amperage of the current that in the electrolytic action metallic copper as fast as it accumulates upon the cathodal plates will drop 0R into the pockets formed by the bags t4. In the precipitatingtank all or all but a comparatively small percentage of the copper carried in solution will be extracted therefrom, and very little else but diluted acid will flow through the over- How-trough g5 into the sump-tank E. When all of this charge of the leaching-tank that has been pumped from the pulp therein has passed into the precipitating-tank, what remains in the said precipitating-tank may be drawn off into the sump-tank` through the valved pipe Q6. Nearly all of this solution thus drawn oi will have been freed of the copper. As the acid flows into the sumptank E it is withdrawn by means of the jetjump I-I and deposited in the storage-tank D to be used over again. After the solution has been drawn off and filtered and the copper contained therein has been precipitated as described water in sufficient quantity may be poured into the leaching-tank A and the jet-pump started again to form anew solution. All of this solution, with the pulp, may then be drawn off b v means of the jet-pump to the iltering-tankB oranother similar tank and filtered and washed by the addition of more water at the filtering-tank until the pulp or tailings contain no more copper to be saved. The second solution may be passed through the same or another precipitating-tank C, and instead of being drained off into the storagetank D it may be caused to flow into a separate storage-tank, to be used in the place of clear water in rst diluting the next charge of ore in the leaching-tank. It will be understood that the acid is used over and over again ICO IIO

and its strength increased from time to time as required. Of course as many leaching, iiltering,precipitating, sump, and storage tanks may be employed as desired for mills of different capacities, and it is desirable to provide more storage than leaching or iiltering tanks, so that the weakened acid solutions need not be mixed with the stronger before entering tanks in which the ores are treated.

It will be understood that the apparatus forming the subject of my present invention is not necessarily limited to use in the treatment of copper ores, because it may be employed with equal advantage in the treatment of gold and silver bearing ores in the practice of the cyauid or any other leaching process.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. As a means for facilitating the dissolving of the values in ores, the combination of a leaching-tank,a conduit leading from and discharging directly into the tank, and means in the conduit connected with aheating-medium supply for agitating, circulating and heating the liquid contents of the tank.

2. As a means for facilitating the dissolving of the values in ores, the combination of a leachingtank,a conduit leading from and discharging into the tank, and a jet-nozzle connected with a steam-supply and discharging directly into the conduit whereby the liquid contents of the tank is agitated, circulated and heated.

3. The combination with a leaching-tank of an agitating device for the liquid contents thereof comprising a conduit leading from and returning to the tank, a jet-pump interposed in said conduit for circulating said liquid contents through it and means for raising and lowering the jet-pump and conduit with relation to the said leaching-tank.

4. The combination with a leaching-tank and a filtering-tank of a valved conduit extending between said tanks, a Valved branch pipe extending from said conduit below the valve therein back to the leaching-tank and aj et-pump interposed in said conduit between the said leaching-tank and branch pipe,where by the liquid contents of the leaching-tank may be circulated through said conduit and branch pipe or transferred through said conduit to the said filtering-tank, substantially as described.

ELIEL L. SHARPNECK. In presence of- D. W. LEE, ALBERT D. BACCI.

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