US964652A

US964652A - Hydraulic ore-concentrator.

Info

Publication number: US964652A
Application number: US47765509A
Authority: US
Inventors: John G Kirksey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1909-02-13
Filing date: 1909-02-13
Publication date: 1910-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 1927-07-19

Description

J G. KIRKSEY. HYDRAULIC ORE GONGENTRATOR.

Patented July-19, 1910.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1909.

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Wilm- J. G. KIRKSEY.

HYDRAULIC ORE CONUENTRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13

Patented July 19, 1910.

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JOHN G. KIRKSEY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

HYDRAULIC ORE-CONCENTRATOR.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN G. KIRKsEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Ore-Concentrators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description. of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of hydraulic ore concentrators, by which crushed ore together with other foreign matter as it comes from a crusher and pulverizer, is commingled with water and passed through a series of separating tanks, and it pertains more especially, among other things, to the device by which a certain percentage of such refuse matter, mud, silt, and other light waste material is removed from the valuable ore or material of greater specific gravity, as it passes through the first and each successive tank of the series, and whereby the heavier and more valuable products pass on from the first to the second, and each succeeding tank of the series and from thence to the tables for final concentration.

My invention is further explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a front elevation of this improved apparatus with parts broken out. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view thereof drawn on a line between the discharge opening 7 of the hopper and the upper edge of the trough 16. Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of one of the lower discharge gates.

In the embodiment illustrated, a plurality of tanks 1 are shown arranged one above the other, preferably in step-like relation, four being preferably used. These tanks, which are made of any suitable material, preferably of steel, are mounted on a supporting frame 2 of any suitable construction, the base of which is preferably of angle irons, provided with apertures for bolting the frame to a foundation or otherwise. Each of the tanks preferably comprises a back 3, a downwardly inclined member 4 made somewhat lower at its upper end than the back 3, and having a de- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 13, 1909.

Patented July 19, 1910. Serial No. 477,655.

pending longitudinally extending lip 5, at its lower edge for connecting the receptacle with the upper end of the back member of the next separating tank below it, being secured thereto by bolts or other suitable means.

The tank 1 is provided with a hopper 6 secured to the upper end of the back memher 3, and extending into the tank 1, said hopper having a contracted discharge opening 7 at its lower end which opens into the tank at a point below the normal water level thereof. Guides 8 are formed on the inner faces of the opposite ends of the tank 1 to receive a vertically adjustable partition 9 for a purpose to be described. A pipe 10 extends longitudinally of the discharge compartment 11 of the tank 1, preferably near the bottom thereof and is provided with upwardly opening apertures 12 for the upward passage of the water admitted through said pipe as will be hereinafter described. One end of this pipe 10 extends through one end of the tank 1 and is connected by a valved water supply pipe 13 which is preferably connected through a coupling 14: with a main water supply pipe 15 leading from a tank or other suitable water supply disposed above the uppermost tank of the series, and giving a uniform head pressure of the water. A trough 16 is secured to the face of the front member 4: of the tank 1 preferably near its upper end with its open end inclined downwardly as shown in Fig. 1, to permit the water and waste material overflowing thereinto to pass off and by launders out of the building from each of these tanks.

Arranged near the bottom of the discharge compartment 11 are a plurality of spigots 17, arranged in the front member 4 and these openings are provided with adjustable closures or gates 18, for varying the size of the openings to permit more or less water to pass therethrough as may be desired. It will thus be evident that the volume of water and material permitted to flow through these gates, at the bottom of each discharge compartment may be regulated by operating the closures for said openings and the valves in the pipe 13 must be adjusted to permit suflicient water to flow into said discharge compartment to replace the water which flows over the upper edge of the weir or front member 4 into the launders.

A suitable feed trough 19 may be arranged to discharge into the receiving hopper 6 of the uppermost tank 1 to feed the material mixed with water into the apparatus, the material having first been ground to the proper fineness to free the ore from the rock.

In the operation of this machine, the discharge gates of each tank are opened or closed to permit a given quantity of material and water to pass therethrough, without clogging the valves or gates. The material, with a good supply of water, coming from the pulverizing machines passes through the trough 19 into the receiving hopper 6 of the uppermost tank and escapes through the contracted discharge mouth 7 of the feed hopper 6 into the dis charge compartment 11 and below the water level thereof, sufficient water having been added through the valves in the pipe 13 to produce a current and overflow into the troughs 16 sufficient only to carry with it a part of the fine waste. The pricipitated material from this topmost tank passes through the spigots 17 into the next tank below, in which the same overflowing process takes place and likewise through all the other tanks of the series. The precipitated material leaving the lowermost tank is carried to tables for final concentration. Hence by passing the material through the plurality of separating tanks, practically all of the fine particles, slimes, mud, silt, etc. may be separated from the coarser residue and the values; the overflowing water, as explained, from each tank carrying out some of this fine waste matter, and, thus step by step the greater part of this objectionable fine waste is eliminated and which could not be so well accomplished with but one or two of these tanks; or where this coarser material would be subjected to a less number of such treatments. To illustrate more fully: Say from the topmost tank this regulable current or overflow carries out 15 to 20 per cent. of the fine waste, the remainder of the fines of greater specific gravity being precipitated along with the coarse and passing to the next tank below through the spigots 17, then from this next tank a further 15 or 20 per cent. is overflowed and so on through the other tanks of the series, finally resulting in the coarser residue being practically freed from these detrimental slimes, and without loss of the higher specific gravity values and thus producing a product which can be further concentrated without loss of the values in same. The eliminating of this fine waste matter, little by little, step by step, or by repeated treatments of the coarser material, including the heavier ore values, suggests the principles upon which this machine is constructed and operated and upon which the claims herein are based and various changes in the form, proportion, constructlon and arrangement may be resorted to wlthout departing from these principles or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

It will be understood that the object of the vertical partition 9 is to regulate the size of the waste matter overflow. For example,

the low er the partition 9 is adjusted, the lower the waste matter is compelled to descend in the water in order to pass beneath the lower edge of such partition before escaping from the tank with the overflow, and as a consequence, when adjusted at a lower lever, a less quantity of waste matter would be discharged with the over flow. IVhen, however, the partition is adjusted on a higher level, the larger particles of waste matter will be caused under a given hydraulic pressure to pass with the water to the over flow. It follows that by adjusting the partition 9 higher or lower, the escape of the waste matter may be properly regulated to accomplish the desired object.

By regulating the Volume of overflowing water from each tank as explained, and by proper adjustment of the partition 9, an almost uniform maximum size of the waste matter can be overflowed from each tank and when these simple adjustments are once made, for a somewhat uniform tonnage of material, they need not be changed nor does the machine require any special attention or care. 7

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a hydraulic ore concentrator of the described class, the combination of a vertical series of separating tanks, connected with each other and each provided with a weir for the escape of water and the removal of refuse material, a feed hopper con nected with each of said tanks, the feed hopper of each tank after the first being connected with one side of the preceding tank and adapted to receive the settled products therefrom and discharge the same below the surface of the water in such tank, means for supplying an upward current of water in said tanks past the discharge ends of said hoppers to said weir, means for conducting the ore from the upper to the next and each succeeding lower tank of the series, means for regulating the admission of water to the several tanks, and means for regulating the escape of water and ore from one of said.

tanks to another and from the last tank of the series to the place of deposit.

2. In a hydraulic ore concentrator of the described class, the combination of a vertical series of separating tanks, connected with each other and each provided with a weir for the escape of Water and the removal of refuse material, a trough for the I reception of the waste material discharged from said tanks, a feed hopper connected with each of said tanks, the feed hopper of each tank after the first being connected with one side of the preceding tank and adapted to receive the settled products therefrom and discharge the same below the surface of the water in such tank, means for supplying an upward current of water in said tanks, past the discharge ends of said hoppers to said weir, means for conducting the ore from the upper to the next and each succeeding lower tank of the series, means for regulating the admission of water to the several tanks, and means for regulating the escape of water and ore from one of said tanks to another, and from the last tank of the series to the place of deposit.

3. In a hydraulic ore concentrator of the described class for separating and removing waste refuse material from valuable crushed ore, the combination of a plurality of ore separating tanks arranged one above another, each tank having a weir or over flow passage for the escape of water and the removal of waste material from the concentrator, a hopper located in each of said tanks, the hopper of each tank below the first being connected with the preceding tank and having its discharge end below the plane of said weir and adapted to receive the settled products from the tank above and discharge the same below the surface of the water in its inclosing tank, means for supplying an upward current of water in said tanks past the discharge ends of said hoppers to said weir, an adjustable partition located between the discharge end of said hopper and said over flow passage, means for conducting the ore from the upper to the next and each succeeding lower tank of the series, means for regulating the admission of water to the several tanks, and means for regulating the escape of water and ore from one of said tanks to another and from the last tank of the series to the I I I I I I I place of deposit, said partition being adapted by its vertical adjustment to regulate the separation of the waste material from the valuable ore.

l. In a hydraulic ore concentrator of the described class for separating and removing waste refuse material from valuable crushed ore, the combination of a plurality of ore separating tanks arranged one above another, each tank having a weir or over flow passage for the escape of water and the removal of waste material from the concentrator, a trough for the reception of the waste material discharged from said tanks by the up current of water, a hopper located in each of said tanks, the hopper of each tank below the first being connected with the preceding tank and having its discharge end below the plane of said weir and adapted to receive the settled products from the tank above and discharge the same below the surface of the water in its inclosing tank, means for supplying an upward current of water in said tanks past the discharge ends of said hoppers to said weir, an adjustable partition located between the discharge end of said hopper and said overflow passage, means for conducting the ore from the upper to the next and each succeeding lower tank of the series, means for regulating the admission of water to the several tanks, and means for regulating the escape of water and ore from one of said tanks to another and from the last tank of the series to the place of deposit, said partition being adapted by its vertical adjustment to regulate the separation of the waste material from the valuable ore, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN G. KIRKSEY. lVitnesses:

J. E. WIEDISH,

WV. L. CHENEY.