US984633A - Process of and apparatus for concentrating metalliferous ores. - Google Patents

Description

H.-E. WOOD. v PROCESS 0? AND APPARATUS FOR CONGENTRATING MBTALLIE'EROUS ORES.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1909. I

633. Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I H. B. WOOD. PRGCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOB CONGEKTRATING EETALLIPEROUS ORES.

APPLIGATIOS FILED JUHB 25, 1903.

' Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wilma-2 024 @M Eli 51E nl'oz aq waftouxup fir, @24 M470 HENRY E. WOOD, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

PROCESS OF AHD APPARATUS FOB CONGENTBA'IING METALLIFEROUS ORES.

os noas.

Specification of Letters I atent. Patented Feb, '31, 1911 Application filed June 25, 1909. Serial No. 504.236. i

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it-known that .l. I'IENRY E. \Yoon, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Denver. in the county of Denver and. State .5 of Colorado. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus for Concentrating )Ietalliferous ()res. of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

It is well lcnmvn that the surface of a liquid possesses certain distinctive properties tlilt'erent from those within the liquid. and that it acts: like a thin elas c uu-iulu-auqun der tension in all directions. and tending constantly to contract. The surface film of a liquid has, therefore. the -apability of support ing certain substances above it, if they are in a finely divided state,cven though they may be of greater density than the. liquid itself. Thus. if a mixture of finely comminuted dry material bedistrilutted upon the surface of a liquid, some of the particles may penetrate the surface film and pass into the body of the liquid, whileothers may remain suspended for an indefinite time upon the surface film. "he buoyant power of the surs face of liquids is thus selective with regard to certain substances; This property of the surface tension of liquids has been taken adrantage of in various processes for the selective separation of mixtures of finely divided materials. For-example in se-p: iratin;z particles of graphite from crushed rock or sand. the principle is very generally applied by feeding the mixture in a dry state upon the moving surface stratum of a body of ".ater p rmitting the sand .and tine particles of rock t.o sinlpinto the lower quiescent stratum. while the particles of graphite. which have a highly water repellent property. are floated oil into a separate receptacle or launder. It has also been proposed to apply the same broad principle to the. concentration of metallit'crous ores. and the recognition of the fa t that particles of metal such as are present in crushed ores possess relatively less of that water repellent property thatcauses them to remain suspended upon the surface film of water. has led to the proposal and appli ation of various and in.

many cases substantially different methods from those obtaining in the recovery of graphite. in order to comp nsate for the. lack of such property. For example. mechanical devices or special processes have been employed for bringing the metal partieles t0 and maintaining them on the surface. and various substances have been utilized which by attaclnnent to or union with such particles would have a tendency to increase their buoyancy. So far as I am aware, lnmevcr. and my familiarity with commercial condiions in this art enables meto so state with no little assurance. no process or apparatus heretofore dcrised and based upon this prin iple. has proved'commercially successful or practicable. the meaget results being due to failure to obscrr'c and provide for the proper iuaintcmtnce of those conditions In practice under which tion of the surface tilm tension of liquids.'

and which realizes the pus ibility' of such principle to an extent that renders it highly ellieient and c mmercially valuable.

In carrying: out mv invention 1 use the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings. in whicb- Figure l is a view partly in vertical central section and partly in side elevation of my apparatus. cotnplgtc. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

The numeral 1 indicates a tank or ret-eptacle tapering toward the bott m. preterably in the f rm of an inverted split cone. and having at its contracted end a valve controlled outlet :3. Entering th side of said tank is a water supply pipe 3 opening! downward in the tank and provided with a controlling valve 4.

Above the tank 1 is supported a plate or table 5 of glass or other suitable material such as wood. iron or steel. which contains in its upper surface'a series of shallow eonverging grooves 6, leading to a trap-hole T of comparatively small diameter; extended by a pipe 8 into. through or below the tank 1. The table 5 is slightly inclined toward the tank 1. and its lower edge 10 proiects over the same. extending to within a few inches of the lip or spil'way 22. and being; curved downwardly or rounded as shown. in Fig. 1 this table is shown as rigidly secured to the. tank 11. but it. is preferable to provide for a variation of the angle of inclination with respect to the level of water ltlU ult- 2 v I v ceases I in the tank 1., I have indicated a means for accomplishing this .in Fig. 2, where 9, 9 represent set screws passing through arms extending from the. ends'of the table, near its forward edge, and resting upon the flanges or edges of the tank If the upper I rrear edge'of the table is hinged or flexibly connected with the tank- 11, its angle of in clination may be varied by the proper adjustment of the screws 9.

A tank 11 connected by a valve controlled pipe 12 with a water supply, and provided with'a suitable spillway, is used to deliver upon the inclined plate 5, a sheet of water of uniform but regulablc thickness.

Above the plate 5, is a device for feeding upon the surface of the water flowing, ovpr said table, a finely comminutcd maternal in a dried state, and as I have found that the manner in which such material is delivered or fed is of great practical importance. I have devised a special device for the-purpose.

This consists, essentially, of a laterally vibrating feed plate 13, adjustable vertically as a whole, and also about a horizontal axis I whereby its distance above the plate 5, as

also its angle of inclination with respect thereto maybe varied. The necessary more meats and adjustments are secured by using a supporting frame M suspended by bars 15, from a suitable fixed support, and mounting tbsplate 13 on pivotal hearings in blocks or nuts 16, surrounding threaded standard 17, supported on the frame. with the capability of being turned to raise or lower the said blocks. One edge of the plate 13 is connected to frame 14 by an adjustable rod or similar device 18, by which its inclination mav bewaricd as desired.

The frame 15 vibrated h vany suitable means, such as an eccentric 19, with a strap connected by arod'20, with the side of the frame.

' In conjunction with the feed plate above described I employ any suitable device for delivering the finely comminutedmaterial upon the higher end of the plate. This device is illustrated conventionally at 21, and

should be capable of delivering the material continuously at a uniform rate.

In the forward side of the tank 1. and slightly below the level of the rpmainiug sides is an inclined lip or plate over which the water, overflowing from the tank 1, passes. Immediately under said lip or spillway is a screen 23 of wire gauze or other like foraminous material, inclining abruptly but supported in such manner that its angle of inclination may be varied by means of an: adjusting screw or handle 24. The lower end of the screen 23 lies over a trough 25 or tank 26, and a plate 27 inclined at an opposite angle and secured to the under side of the screen near its lower end projects over a tank or receptacle 28.

is also admitted to the tank 11 Stated in gent-1 al terms. th theory and mode ofhp -raliou of the apparatus above described are as follows: The will; I is filled with water and the supply regulated sons to maintain a slight oz-wllmv. Water at a rate suilicicutto maintain over the table or plate .to carry it across the relatively qui -scout body of water therein to tho. spillway 22, but at such an angle as to avoid the forumtion of a ripple or brcak in the surface film at the line of intersection between the descending shoot and the surface of the water in tank 1 which would impair the continuity andlmoyaut property of the said film. This may be done by adjusting the end of the plate 5. slightly above the normal level of the water in said tank, or preferably, as shown, by curvin the end otthe table so that it extends slightly below the surface when the apparatus is in operation. W'hcn the above described conditions have been established. filltl:.' comminutad ore in a dried state is tlclivclml upon the vibrating plate- 13, over which it descends and front the lower end of which it is delivered in a uni form stream upon the'surfacc' of the water flowing over the plate 5, and at substantially right angles to the current of the surface film. As the material is delivered upon the moving surface film, the gangue sinks immediately into the water while the metalliferous particles, or a large proportion of the same remain suspended upon the surface;

Allof the wetted particle which sink are carried down the plate by the current, butil'. have observed that the heavier wctted non-- tioating particles which are chiefly metallifcrous. more more slowly'than the lighter particles of gangue material. I therefore find it advantageous to provide the grooves 6, converging toward a trap hole 7, as by this means a large proportion of the wetted or non-floating concentrates may be deflected -trap. and also a certain proportion of fincr and lighter particles which are held in suspension. lVhcn it reaches the-body of water in the tank with this charge or load, the heavier submerged particles sink atonce in the quiescent water, but the rate of movement of the surface stream or stratum is sufliciently retarded to permit a very large proportion of the suspgjtdcd particles which portant separai 1 down with the remainder of the water int o liar. and paintthe screen solid approxition of ripple on the upper.surfa e, the

would otlua 'risc be carried over the spillway stratum 0 water lh-lllilll't that which. by

'eaaon of its acqmrcrl nonientuna. tlows s tho tank to be. tllliitflfifll I The. adjustment el conl i to sin}: into the. lower and more uni: 'c ntl l steadily acro over the spihxay. (litions and arrangoment of parts should g not. however, b such to permit such a l pronounceki slo. 15,-; (lovvn of the suri'accl stratum as would allow an objecl-iouable ac- .cumula-tion or over-crowding of the floating parlieles, \vhivh are conveyed out of the tank by the, moving surface film anti over 1 the; spillway from which the) may he. LlJ- liver-cal or col lCCiCLl in any couvcnieut main lll'. Although the. separation of the valnea from the gang-no maiitljv elected prior to ihetl'oi'i ir-rgo of the. nwvin; url'acc Iihu overthe 'llu wrigriele. for tho F ithat. many ve fine part5 are carnal over the s allion in sun-Mon in the surfac ctri35 An additional anti imor eozn'eal'ration effect ed by tho screen 2 which has a peculiar function wholly distincz from that. of an The dischargenr overflow from tank 1, is in the am of a sheet of order with an unbroken orundisturbecl upper surface lm. Thc scren is Set in nearly a vertical position and zihis (lcsccnrling stream allowed to fall upon it at such :in angle that the upper surface. iihn will he r.-mr-.ticall v split oil from the sheet. A portion of l.l."- water pa ses through the aa'ecin in: as the iin'linmjion l of the latter 15 ch as to preventthe formafiouiing pm'tieles are noiilrawn below tlic surface film nor car i ii rough the interstices of the screen. F nch alter as reaches the. screen. hmvevcr. closcs each mesh with a thin sheet, which presents. therefore a double surface film. Values which may penal ate the upper surface film or \vln n. 1 be in a tcndency'to trasel but sen them. while the zauguc will pass fluirlv through (he unr I dcr hbn. lhus. \vmlc a portion oi the oatcl and the greater part ill lllt3 gangue and. i lighter wetter! particles in the hschurge pass through the sermon, .he floating! particles and value. in sus n-nsion lhereni will he arrzccl the tank 28. To further far-iii "e this opeation. I note the outline of the falling stream of water under conditions of normal operiv a minimum.

conveyed hack to the tank ll, so that waste of mat rial and loss of values are. rciluccd to in all processes of wet. cou-cenimtion of ores at present in 0, the presence of the the slinner. which escape. into the tailings.

By the use of my invention these losses. are very largely tll'flliltll. the more prominent features of novelty by which su h realitis s urci'l being; the following: The surface film by mean of which the. initial separation cli' c-tctl is preservctl intact and un- 'i'uadrol hile such initial :cparation. a accinalarv Separation. anal subsequent setting 1: final separation are proceeding beneath such film. What here designated secondary separation is accomplishwl in lhc manner above dex-cribeil by taking advantage of the slower rate. of (Mel over the table of the heavier cited and submerged mctallifcroos particles. The settling is acc u'nplished by checking or retarding the movement of the surface stratum over a .quiu-acent bocly of water, and the final sepa tlcpeurl may be modified in any desirable nay. without. departure from the invention.

For exanig'ile. a small quantity of oil or acid or other substances will rciuler the film more character :nlly selective with regard to the particular particles which it will convey upon its moving surface. aml thus extenil the range. and permitv of better control of its selectivity. It is moreover evident, from thc posit on of the invention in the art aiul the nature of the appliances herein ilescribctl ns {he hes; P392118 now known to m practicing; the invention. that these latter may he re"; greatly moilifieil in design aml construction without departure from the novel principle which they involve.

What I claim is:

1. The: process of recovering the values of metz-illiferous ores, which consists in feeding rho orcin a finely (prided state upon the surface of a body of water in a substantially quiescent state in a suitable receptacle, causing (he upper or surface stratum of the llfllly of water to flow laterally and discharge over the edge. of the receptacle null then splitting oil from the freely (lcsccn'ling sheet of water a! a point. in its trajectory removed from point of overflow. the surface film with he particles supported thereon.

2. In au apparatus for concentrating ores,

- n is 4; I assess l the combination ofa tank for containing a hurl of water and provided with a'spillway, an inclined plate. means for maintaining a l t-m f will rcontinuously tlowin; over the Hlllit. the said plate l-eing supported and arranged to deliver the sheet of water with its surface lihn unhrolten and unimpaired up du the surtace at the body nt water in the tank,

and directin; it as a .-l()\\l moving surface stratum arrows the body (.t water and over the spillway, means for feeding the ore in a thoroughly dried and finely coniniinuted state in a uniform stream upon .th'e shcct of water while on its wayhto the tank, and means for splitting oil the surface film. with the particles supported thereon from the column of water which discharges, at an angle to the vertical, from the tank.:

3. In an apparatus for concentrating ores, the combination of a tank for containing a body of water and provided with a spillway, means for maintaining a surface stratum continuously moving across the body of water in said tank and over the spillway,

means forv feeding or delivering ore in athoroughly dried and colnminuted state upon the surface of the movmg surface stratum, and means for splitting ofi' the surface film with the particles supported there on from the column of] water which discharges, at an' angle to 'the vertical, from the tank and delivering, the same into a suitable receptacle.

4. T he combination with an apparatus for concentrating ores by the selective separation of the values and gangue, by the surface film ension of liquidmof a perforated screen set ohliqnely to and in the path of the column of water which discharges from the apparatus so as to split oil therefrom the surface film, and a receptacle for receiving the diverted fihn, with the particles supported thereon, set forth,

5. The cmnbination with an apparatus for" concentrating ores by the selective separation of theralues and gangnc by the surface I tihn tension of liquids, of a perforated screen that passthrough the same. as set forth.

(3. The Combination with an apparatus for concentrating ores by the selective separation of the values and gangue h the surface fihn tension of liquids. of a perforated screen set in a nearly vertical position under the spillway of the sctthng tank, :11 position .to receive the sheet, of water flowing over.

screen for receivingzthc water and particles the spillway and split otl' therefrom the.

upper surface film, means for directing the surface film with the values thereon into a receptacle. anda solid plate at an angle to and under the screen for deflecting into another receptacle thewatcr and particles which pass through the screen. as set forth.

7. In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination \Vllll1 t1' settling tank of a perforated screen set under the spillway of,

said tank in a nearly vertical position to receive the descendin sheet of water die charged over the spi lway and having its' meshes closed below the line of intersection therewith of the descending sheet of water,

and an inclined deflecting platesupported under the screen, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

. HENRY E. WOOD.-

Witnesses: i r

B. M. VVoon,

Lucnzx I. BLAKE.

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