US998573A

US998573A - Ore-washer.

Info

Publication number: US998573A
Application number: US62523711A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alexander M Gow
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1911-05-05
Filing date: 1911-05-05
Publication date: 1911-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 1928-07-18

Description

GOW.

` ORE WASHER.

ARPLIOATION PIL'BD M'AvYj, 19u.

Patented Jly 18,1911.

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narran STATES Parana* ernten ALEXANDER M. GOW, 0F DULUCH, MINNESGTAL GREVSHER.

Specification of Letters Patent. y Patented July E18, i531 L Application filed Itay 5, 1911. v

Serial Nt). 625,237. A

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that l, ALEXANDER M. (,ow, a

citizen ot' the United States, residingf at l)uluth, in the county ot St. Louis and State ot' ltlinnesota7 hare invented certain new and nset'ul Improvements in Ure-"Washers, of whieh the llollowiner .is a Specification.

My invention relates to ore washers; and hasl particular." reference to an ore washer having,r transverse 'instead of longitudinally mounted agitators.

Une o't the objects ot' my invention is to provide an ore washer of the claas described which shall be adapted for such adjustment that the ore passed therethrough may be emieentrated or rel iafed from the silica with tess lossI than has heretofore been possible with etnieentrators of the common type.

ln my investigation of certain iron ores l have t'ound that a crude ore containing 'from twenty to forty per cent. silica can loe 'ashed and concentrated to a product containingr trom but eight to twelve per cent. silica by simple agitation with water and the rejection .in the tailings of no particlesl ol material eoarser than eighty mesh. To accomplish this result it its necessary that thc ore be thoroughly and repeatedly stirred in contact. with a large quantity of water and that the point ot discharge oft-he tailv inge` with ret'erenee to the body of ore be such thatI all coarse particles, in fact everything; but the tine slimes, shall be prevented `trom tlowine` away trom the machine. The ores in question, currently known as f wash ores, vary between very wide limits in their iron and silica content' as wellA as their degree ot lineness, and a machine .to handle them should be capable of the followingA adjustments, in order to meet the conditions required to successfully wash and concentrate these ditte-rent. grades: (a) Quantity ot' water. (b) llacesfot' application of the water. (e) lDepth ot` water. (d) lleightof orertlow otl tailingsV (e) Angle of slopeeof the containing tank. (f)y Speed of the stirring' paddles.4 (y) Height off discharge of washed ore. (jt) Velocity of final current earryilner away the tailings. .lt is the practice at presentI to wash these ores in what is known as log washers but owingto the large, amount ot coarse ore carried away in the tailings it is neces-nary to provide settling tanks` and supplementary log washers. locally known as "tru-bos to ret-.over this coarse .desired amount ot' agitation and washing.

ore. The purpose of my invention is to provide a washer which shall dispense with settling'tanks and turbos while at the Same time the orc is given a very thorough and complete washing with the production ot' a high grade product and minimum tailing losses.

AJl/vhile I have incorporated in my inven tion the fundamental principle olf the loor washer, namely that of revolving, sha carryiiig" paddles to stir the ore and project it toward the point of discharge, while the water flows in the opposite direct ionn lietertheless, l have departed radically from the mechanical construction of existing log' Washers in that instead of having the shafts y carrying the paddles parallel to the vtieve of the ore l place them transverse to the liow and provide a. plurality et short shafts thus avoiding the serious troubles ot the present form ot log washers due to long shafts and cnil thrust on hearings, @wing to mechanical ditlicnlties log washers as at present in`v structed are of limited length with connequent limited amount of agitation and waait ing of the ore while with my construction l am enabled to build a practical 'machine et any desired length and give to the ore My invention will be .more readily naderu stood by reference to the accompanyinmiA drawings whereinn y Figure l is a plan View ol a machine-such as is contemplated by me, land Fig. 2 section taken on line 2, 2 o't'illig. l. y

Helerriiiev now more tntrticularly to 'the drawings it will be seen that li provide a tank lt ot' varying; depth` this tank boing mounted upon Asuitable aupporting member-a auch as the beamsl ll. restii'ig;r at their lower ends on a support .l2 and at, their upper ends having adjusting means Such as the jack-screw IC. l`he tank is provided atite lower end with a water diseharge spout lt and at its upper end with an ore discharge spout- '.lhe point of discharge through both of these spouts may be regulated by eti means ot a, plurality of planks itl, t7 earried in guides or grooves in the Sides of tite tank l0. A. hopper 18 is provided, this liopper beingn arranged for sliding; movement en the top of the tank in 4order that the. 'ore to be'treated may loe plaeed in `the tank vat any desired point. Also within the tank are prin aided a plurality of guider,l it within whichis inounteda balile or movable Wall 20. By adjustment of this baille plate 20, l' provide for a large or small compartment at the outlet or water discharge end, for a purpose to be latcr described.

Mounted within the tank l in bearings 2l, is a plurality of transverse shafts carrying paddles or agitators 22. verse shafts are preferably composed of four anule-irons Q3, placed back to back, the paddie being riveted therebetween. Each of these shafts is provided with a beveled pinion 24 and meshing therewith is a beveled y gear 25 rigidly mounted on shaft 26 conne'cted to a suitable source of power.

Preferably the paddles in the compartment formed by the adjustable battle are not angularly disposed, but as shown are parallel to the shaft. In thisway I secure a more positive agitation at the point Where it is needed. The purpose of placing the other paddles at an angleto the shafts is to secure the proper agitation of the ore body in the tank and reduce the power re .quired to forceeach paddle into they layer of ore lying on the bottom thereof. The path of each machine is a zig-zag .one proceeding first toward one side and then toward the other but at the same time continually-progressing toward the head or discharge end..

Underneath the tank I provide water supply means such as the 4pipe 27 having a plurality of connections entering' the lower wallof the tank. These connections are each provided with controlling means such as valves 28. At the lower` end I provide also an additional water supply connection 29 having a controlling valve 30. This valve may be normally closed but in certain instances it will be found desirable to increase the rate of water discharge over the tail gate and this valve .will be nection. with the adjustable Wall or baille, will give what is in effect a hydraulic olassitier with anagitator at the bottom and by adjustment of the -tivomeans'the ore may be separated to any desired degree; in fact, if desired, nothing but the very finest particles may be allowed to pass over the tail gate. i J It will be understood that the height of the discharge spout 14 is always less than that of the ore spout 15 and for this reason they are both made adjustable. The tank is made adjust-able in order to adapt-it to all grades of ore. F or instance, a very fine or light ore will necessitate a slower flow o f water and the tank in a less inclined position than is required for a more coarse ore. The operation is as follows: Assuming the agitators in' operation and asupply of Water entering the 'tank through themater supply pipes, a quantity tank through the hopper. The solid matter These transparticle of ore through the,

opened. This means, in con' at the overflow end, and

of ore is dumped into the essere l. An orc washer comprising, in combination, a container havingoutlet spout-s for thc ore and for the'liquid andlightcr materia-l and an adjustable tail gate, a plurality of agitators with-in said container adapted to agitato the material and propel the heavier `material toward the ore spout, a baliicadju'stably mounted within and transversely ofsaid container, and anv independent fluid supply connection between'the baille and the outlety for lighter material whereby the flow of liquid from the tail gate may be augmented lif desired, substantially as described.

2. In combination, a container having a discharge for ore. at one end and an overiow discharge for water and lighter material at the other end, the former being cle- 'vated above the latter, alongitudinalseries of transversely mounted rotatable agitators adapted to propel the ore toward its discharge, the series of agitators being located a substantial distance below the Water level at the overflow end, and progressively rising to and above said level toward the discharge for heavier material, substantially as described.

3.111 combination, a container having a discharge for ore at one end and an oven flow discharge for water and lighterl 1naterial at the other end, the former being ele` 'vated above the latter, a longitudinal series of transversely mounted rotatable agitators adapted to repel the ore toward its discharge, paddles upon thengitators, the paddles or successive agitators beine 'revcrsely disposed, the series of agitators being locateda substantial distance below the water level progressively rising to and above said level toward the discharge for heavier material, substantially as dcscribed.

' 4. In combination, a container having a discharge for ore at one end and an overflow discharge for water and lighter material at the other end, the former being elevated above the latter, a longitudinal series of transversely mounted rotatable agitators adapted' to propel the ore toward-its discharge, the series of agitators being located a substantial distance below the water level at the overiiow end, and progressively rising to and above said level toward the discharge for heavier material, one or more of the lowermost of the series of paddlesbeing proeiaegeve vided with agitating paddles and the others with agitatine' and propelling paddles, substantially as described.

a. An ore washer comprising, in combination, a container having outlet spouts for the ore and for the Iliquid and lighter material and an adjustable tail gate, apl11- rality ot agitators within said container adapted to agitabe the material and propel the heavier material toward the ore spout, a. battle adjnstably mounted within and transversely of said container, an independm enttluid supply connection between the baille 'and the outlet tor lighter material, whereby the flow ot' liquid from the tail gate. may be l augmented it desired, and a plurality ot' additional tluid supply connections disposed thi-onghout,` the length of tlre container, substantially as described.

G.- ln combination, a container having a discharge for ore at one end and an over flow yfor water and lightergmaterial at the other'end, the oriner being located above the latter, means whereby the height of both ysaidvdischarge openings may be regulated, a

longitudinal series of transversely `xnonllted rotatable agitators adapted to propel the ore toward its discharge, the series of agi-v tators being located. asubstantial dlstance' below thewater level `at, the overflow end 30 and rising to and above said level toward the discharge for the heavier material, sub- `stantially as described.

7. In combination, a container having a discharge for ore'at one end and an overlow discharge tor water and' lighter material at the other end, the former being elevated above the latter, a longitudinal series otv transversely mountedrotatable agitators adapted to propel the ore toward its discharge, the series ot agitators being loe-ated a substantial distance below the water level at the overflow end, and progressively rising to and above said level toward the discharge for heavier material, and means for 4 adjusting the angle of inclination-of said container in order to properly separate the different grades of ore, substantially as described.

Al'JEXANDER M. GOW.'

1Witnesses y i EDWARD H. WINDOM, J'.. A Hnoroa