US1534481A - Mineral-separating machine - Google Patents

Description

April 21,1925. 1,534,481

o. w. ALSTON MINERAL SEPARATING MACHINE I Filed Feli. 16, 1921 INVENTOR. (QWW A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES OSCAR W. ALSTON, OF NEW WESTMINSTER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

MINERAL-SEPARATING MACHINE.

Application filed February 16, 1921. Serial No. 445,296.

To all cvhom, it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, Osoan W. Answer, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New Westminster, in the district of Westminster and Province of British Columbia, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mineral-Separating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mineral separating machines and hasfor its object the production ofa simple and compact machine for the thorough. and economic recovery of metals such as gold. platinum, silver, etc. from their constituent ores, gangue, slime or sands and of the metallic sulphides from their gangue or from associated oxides.

Different forms of the embodiment of my invention are illustrated in the accompany.

ing drawings in which: 1

Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal side view of the machine, the cylindrical body of which is shown in section.

Fig. 2 represents an end view looking toward the discharge end of the machine.

Fig. 3 represents a sectional side View of the machine through its center showing automatic means for removal of metal-collecting substance and automatic means for re-coating the drum.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line H Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the machine as shown in Fig. 4 on the line 5-5.

Fig. 6 represents an end view in section of the metal collector L, as being a preferred method of removing sulphides from the greased surface B without removal of the grease from the surface of the belt or lining.

A represents a revoluble'cylindrical vessel adapted to be rotated on its horizontal axis and having preferably on its interior surface a. lining B made of any material adapted to retain a coating of any substance such as a fatty, oily or greasy substance having a selective action or affinity for particles of metal. For such lining a composition of rubber or other material may be employed but as substances adapted to retain an oily or greasy coating are well known in the arts generally, the nature of this composition need not be further described.

In the following description the term grease is used to embrace any material of a fatty, oily or greasy nature having a selective action or aflinity for metal p-articles.

C is the axle supporting'the cylinder on bearings D and provided with drive pulley E while F is a hopper feeding the material, either dry or as'a pulp, into the cylinder preferably by means of pipe H.

- In operating the machine the inner lining B operating substantially as an endless belt is first covered with a thin coating of a suitable metal-collecting grease whereupon the cylinder A is caused to revolve about its axis C by application of power by any practical means. In the present instance belt connection with the drive pulley E is contemplated. Material containing metallic particles or crushed ores or sands with or without water is fed into the hopper F and descends through the tube H and reaches the lower periphery of the lining B near the closed end of the cylinder and is caused to roll in a direction opposite to that of the greased surface with which the material comes into contact, the pulp sand or gangne gradually working its way toward the open end of the cylinder where the failings are finally expelled, leaving the metallic particles cohering to the grease or imbedded therein. As shown in Fig. 3, the pulp may be fed into the cylinder near the closed end through the hollow axle. he-re water is fed into the hopper together with the gangue, ores or sands, there need be no'submersion into liquid of any part of the cylinder, but where the material is fed into the hopper dry, the lower part of the cylinder must be immersed in water or other liquids in order to prevent non-mctallics from adhering to the grease. In treating ores requiring either acid or alkaline solutions. a tank or sump may be used as indicated in Fig. 1 and acid or alkaline water may be held therein, into which the revoluble cylinder A may be partly submerged for the purpose of facilitating the separation of the metallic particles from the gangue; the tailings may be automatically removed by means of suitable conveyors or otherwise.

In machines for the recovery of precious metals such as gold or platinum the operation may be carried on until the greased surface of the machine has been in a large measure covered, whereupon the machine may be stopped and the grease with the adhering metals scraped 0E and substituted ice with fresh grease for renewal of the operation. The recovered grease and metals may be placed in a centrifugal oil separator for the expulsion of the oils or greases and the residue may then be smelted or treated by a suitable electro-chemical process for final recovery.

In machines for treating sulphide ores the surface of the machine would be practically covered with sulphides in a single revolution of the cylinder. In treating such ores it is therefore necessary to add to the machine proper automatic devices for continuous removal of the metal-laden grease and the immediate re-coating of-the surface B with new grease as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The removal of the grease may be accomplished by a scraper plate S attached to a receiver L mounted within the cylinder and having a delivery opening through the open end of said cylinder. Said receiver is so arranged that the scraper edge is caused to bear against the surface B in such manner as to remove the grease from the surface B and collect it. in the receiver L from whence it may be automatically withdrawn through the open end of the cylinder by mechanical means such as a belt conveyor or it may be forced out at the end of the receiver L by compression through a suitable aperture.

The re-coating with grease may be accomplished by any suitable mechanical means such as the roller J mounted in suitable bearings in and partly surrounded by the receptacle K which may be supplied with suitable grease or oils through the hopper K and intermediate tubing shown in Fig. 3, said roller J being preferably faced with a suitable yielding substance similar to that used for inking rolls. The scraping mechanism and the re-coating device may be mounted on an eccentric bar or tube Q having eccentric bearings N by means of which the pressure against the surface B may be increased or diminished as desired by adjustment of the lever T. The entire collecting assembly S L N and re-coating mechanism K J N may be securely held in a radially fixed position by any suitable bracket connection with the aeaaasi pedestal D at the open end of the machine or by any other suitable means.

While certain metals have a greater capacity for cohesion with the grease than others there are numerous instances in which their contact with the grease may easily be broken; in treating ores of that kind it may be of great economical advantage to break their contact with the grease by means of water sprays directed against the surface of the grease at suitable angles in such manner as to cause the metallic particles to loosen and flow off into and through the collecting receptacles U leaving the surface B practically clean for further collection of metals. Water spray pipes suitable for this purpose are illustrated at X Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a mineral separating machine, the combination of a cylinder revolubly mounted and coated on its interior with a mineralcollecting substance and a coating roller and receptacle for the coating material combined with means for pivotally supporting said roller and receptacle together eccentrically with relation to the curved interior surface of the cylinder.

2. In a mineral separating machine, the combination of a revoluble cylindrical vessel closed at one end and open at the other and having a mineral collecting substance applied to its interior surface, a receiver provided with a scraper engaging said surface and means for pivotally supporting said receiver eccentrically with relation'i-ro the curved interior surface of the cylinder.

3. In a mineral separating machine, the combination with a cylinder revolubly mounted and coated on its interior with a mineral collecting substance, said cylinder being closed at one end and open at the other and a mineral collecting and re-coating mechanism eccentrically pivoted on the supporting pedestal at the open end of the cylinder.

Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California this 3rd day of February A. D. 1921.

' OSCAR W. ALSTON.

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