US1534846A - Process of separating loosely-mixed materials - Google Patents

Description

April 2 1, 1925.-

1 1,534,846 T. FRASER ET -AL PROCESS OFk SEPARATING ALOOSELY MIXED MATERIALS Filed may 11, 1925.

Snom/MOM. nomas Fraser vPatented Apr. 21

UNITE-of STATES PATENT oFFlc'E.

I THOHAS FRASERAND HARRY F. `YANCEY, F URBANA, ILLINOIS. l

rnocnss or snrAnarrNe LoosELY-inxnp MATERIALS.

'Application led Hay 11,1923. Serial No. 838,395.

To all z'tmay-c'oncern: i

,Be it. known that we, THOMAS FRASER and HARRY F. YANCEY, citizens of the United q States, residing at Urbana, in the countyof Champaign and State of Illinois, have in-. vented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes vof Separating Loosely- Mixed Materials, of whichthe following is `a specification. f

The present invention relates` more particularly -t'o processes whereby mixed nial* terials having ,different specific gravities may be separated` without then'ecessity of I' 'a preliminary classification or treatment."

The accompanying drawingis a diagram matic view of' an apparatus'in which the rocess canv be conveniently carriedo ut, and

illustrating the various steps or stages of said process.

While the invention has .been found rac.- tically eiebtive for removing slate, s ale, pyrite' andothe'r material of an analogous character .from coaLitis not necessarily vlimited to lsuch use. Taking this,yhowever,

as a coi'icrete example, 'andreferring to the accompanying drawing, a container .1 is employed, having a bottom 2 provided with [perforations 3, and also having an o en top. In this container is located a bo y 4 ofloose, dry, finely subdivided material, preferably of granular character, ysuch as sand.l Thelower end of the container 1 below the bottom 2, is of tapered formation, as shown at 5, 'and connected to the apex thereof, is a pipe 6y for the delivery of air or other gaseous fluid-under pressure. The ysupply of suchiluid is controlled by a suitable valvev 7 A bin for holding the mixed material is indicated at. 8, and leadingffrom the out let thereof is an inclined chute9 extending to oneside of the top of the container, while an upwardlyr iliclineddelivery table 10 ex-V tends from the'opp'osite side and discharges on to a runwayll, which may a screen. A'n endless conveyer 12, operating around suitable rollers or drums 13, isp'rovided with rakes14which operate downwardly over the chute 9l across the top `oi? the granular body tand up the delivery table. 10.

\ The process is as followss`Assuming a mixture of coal, which has a specific gravity 'i rof 1.30 and slate vWhichlhas a-specific gravity A of2.70 is in the bin 8, lair under any suitable pressure is introduced through thel pipe 6, and-passing up throughthe 4body of sand or 4gravity of the body 4 at 1.40, it will be evimaterial by-pass for the air.

Acult to remove and is detrimental in theture of coal and slate is conveyed from the Abin .8 on to the `agitated sand 4body 4. As

this mixture is dragged or moved across the said body the lighter material, namely, the coal will float at or near the surface just as wood -iioats' in water, and will therefore be directed across on to the `table-10 and discharged onto the 4chute 11, while the heavier materials, such as slate, shale, stone and theflike will gravitate down through the body 4 "and may be discharged there'- fr'om through a spout, as 15. This s out may have a controlgate 16 and a weig ted lvalve closure 19, the spoutbeing o f suf" icient length so that it lwill not act as a In other words, the resistance aii'orded tothe passage of air through the spout will be greater than that required to causeit to ascend through the'body of sand. A

Emphasisy is laid upon thefa'ct Athat this is a sink-and-iloat process in which the separating medium is a dry material `and is maintained in substantially dry condition, While in operation. As a consequencethe coal is not moistened and as waterv is diiutilization of `coal, andVY indeed other may terials, this serious obJection is eliminated. Moreover it avoids the expense and incon,

vvenience due to -freezing, experienced in winter where wet washing is utilized, and it may be used where -water is not available.

'Furthermore no preliminary sizing of the raw material before treatment -is necessaryand a plant for carrying out'this process p nia be of la very simple character. It is to, `e .understood that by the term dry, it is not intended tol restrict this process to the luse of sand or other buoying material which is absolutely moisture free. But 1t should vnot be a mixture ofthe saine withv 110,

a material amount of water, nor wet enough to be so sticky as to prevent a free flow of the material in which the particles will separate and move with substantially individual freedom.

Having thus fully described our invention, what We claim .as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The method of separating mixed materials -having different specific gravities, which consists in creating in a body of loose dry granular material, a fluidic condition with an effective specific gravity between the specific gravity of the materials to be separated and less than said granular material has in its natural state, supplying the mixed materials to the surface of' said body, and positively removing the lighter material from the upper portion-of the body.

2. The method of separating mixed materials having different specific gravities, which consists in creating a fluidic, agitated body of loose dry granular materiahhaving an effective specific gravity between the specific gravity of the materials to be separated and less than said granular material has in its natural state, supplying the mixed materials to the surface of said body, and effecting the positive removal of the lighter material carried by the'upper portion of said body.

3. The method of separating mixed materials having different specific gravities, which consists in creating a-body of loose dry pulverulent material, passing a gaseous fluid upwardly through the lmaterial and thereby creating a fluidic condition thereof and causing its agitation and thereby reducing its effective specific gravity to a point between the specific gravities of the materials to be separated, supplying the mixed materials to the surface of said body while so agitated, and effecting the positive removal of the lighter material carried by the upper portion of Isaid body.

4. The method of separating mixed'materials having different specific gravities, which consists in creating a body of loose dry pulverulent material, passing a gaseous fluid upwardly through the material in sufficient quantities to create a fluidic condition `and to cause its agitation and therebyreduce i its. effective specific gravity to a point between the specific gravities of the materials to be separated, supplying the'mixed materials to the surface of said body while so agitated, positively removing the lighter materials'from the upper portion of the body, and collecting and discharging the .heavier material from the said body.

5. The method of separating mixed materials having different specific gravities, which consists in creating a body of loose dry pulverulent material, passing a gaseous Yfluid upwardly through the material in sulficient quantities to create a fluidic condition of said body and to cause its agitation and thereby reduce its effective specific gravity to a point between the specific gravit-ies `of the materials to be separated, supplying the mixed materials in loose and substantially dry condition to thesurfaceof said body While so agitated, and effecting the positive removal of the lighter materials inl substantially dry condition from the upper portion of the body.

l6. The method of separating mixed materials having different specific gravities, which consists in creating an agitated fluidic body of dry granular material having anv positivefremoval of the lighter materials in substantially condition from the upper portion of the body.

l 7. In apparatus for separating loosely mixed materials, the 'combination with a reservoir, of a body of loose finely subdivided material therein, means for causing the said body to have a dry fluidic condition, means Afor supplying the mixed material to the body, and means for eecting the positive discharge of the material of lighter gravity from the upper portion of said body.

8; In apparatus for separating loosely mixed materials, the combination -with a reservoir, of a body of loose finely subdivided material therein, means for supplying the mixed material to the body, means for causing said Vbody to have a specific gravity greater than one of the materials to be separated and less than the other, and lmeans for effecting the positive discharge of the materials of lesser specific gravity from the upper portion of the body.

9. In apparatus for separating loosely mixed materials` the combination with a reservoir, of a body of loose finely subdivided material therein, means for supplying the mixed material to thebody, means for causing said body to have a specific gravity greater than one of the 'materials to be'separa-ted and less than'the other, means for permitting the separate discharge of the separated material, and mechanism for engaging and positivelyremoving the lighter material that is carried by the Vupper portion of the body.

10. In lapparatus forhseparating loosely mixed materials, the combination with a reservoir, of a body of loose finely subdivided material therein, meansfor supplying the mixed material to the body, means for delivering gaseous fluid under pressureup- Warclly through said body to cause it bo have a dry luidic condition with a specific gravity greater than one of the materials to be separated and less than the other, and means for effecting the positive removal of the material of less specific gravity that is `carried by the upper portion of the body.

In testimony whereof` We aix our signatures 1n the presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS FRASER. HARRY F. YANCEY.

Witnesses:

LoUIs D. TRACY. H. J. VANDERBEOK.

Images