US3099621A

US3099621A - Spiral concentrators

Info

Publication number: US3099621A
Application number: US53253A
Authority: US
Inventors: Close Frank Archibald
Original assignee: Wyong Minerals Ltd
Current assignee: Wyong Minerals Ltd
Priority date: 1960-08-31
Filing date: 1960-08-31
Publication date: 1963-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 1980-07-30

Description

July 30, 1963 F. A. CLOSE SPIRAL CONCENTRATORS Filed Aug. 51, 1960 United States Patent 3,099,621 SPIRAL CONCENTRATORS Frank Archibald Close, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, assignor to Wyong Minerals Limited, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Filed Aug. 31, 1960, Ser. No. 53,253 Claims. (Cl. 209-459) This invention relates to spiral concentrators for the separation of minerals, particularly sands.

The invention has been specially devised to improve the construction of such spiral concentrators and eliminate the use of wash water which is in many mining situations difiicult or costly to provide, and also requires to be clean or to be filtered and involves the use of additional apparatus.

A further advantage resides in compactness whereby it is possible with one spiral of the special form, later herein described, to achieve the same effect as three sets of spirals together with their necessary pumps and connections for recirculation. Also, the amount of power required is reduced because the need for pumping is no longer required, and the capital cost of the spiral installation itself is reduced to less than half that formerly necessary. \Other advantages will be apparent from the following description.

According to this invention the spiral is characterised by a series of parallel launders formed therein so that in one pass through, the material is concentrated through three or more stages, providing a high grade concentrate product, a middling product, a sand tailing product, and a water tailing product.

In a typical example of the invention the spiral is formed in three or four parallel launders, which reduce in width from the first one, which is the primary one to the last and smallest one which is the tertiary launder for the concentrates and the upper levels of said launders may slope downwards toward the outside launder on the inside of the spiral and the wall between them may be progressively reduced in height.

In the Walls between the launders at :a series of locations there are splitting channels arranged and lead-in shapings at the entries thereof. Such splitting channels lead from the primary launder to the second launder or launders and from same to the tertiary launder.

There may be a cover or shield provided over the top portion of the spiral particularly in regard to the primary launder or such shield may extend partly thereover on the inside.

There may be water take-oils arranged at locations in the turns of the spiral particularly in the primary launder.

A movable splitter of any suitable form may be arranged at the bottom of the third channel to split the material into a concentrate and a middling.

In order to describe the invention more fully, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat schematic "face elevation of a spiral concentrator according to the invention, and

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of such spiral concentrator, while FIGURE 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2.

The spiral concentrator consists of a series of convolutions generally indicated by the reference 4 leading from a top supply hopper 5 or other source to a bottom discharge point.

The spinal 4 is formed across in four

parallel launders

6, 7, 8 and 9 in which launder 6 is the primary one and on the outside and of the largest size while the two 3,099,621 Patented July 30, 1963

ice launders

7 and 8 of smaller size or cross section are for the sands and form the secondary launders While the launder 9 which is on the inside of the spiral, is the tertiary launder for the minerals or concentrates. These launders 6-9 are separated by divisional walls 10 and are arranged at levels sloping to the inside of the spiral and the said wall progressively reduce in height.

In these divisional walls there are a series of splitting channels 11 which may be arranged at intervals throughout the spiral 4 of approximately 10 inches apart, although not limited to any special distance.

The primary launder 6 has a lip .13 extended over the top on the outside edge and there are one or more water take oifs 14-,at suitable intervals apart.

In use the bulk material is fed to the top of the spiral concentrator 4: from the .hopper 5 into the primary launder 6 together with wash water and a centrifugal eflect is set up as the material flows down and the bulk of the wash 'water With lighter particles passes along the said launder 6 while the heavier particles including the sands and concentrates are projected outwardly and directed through the channels 11 by the flared ends 12, and so the stands separate out into

secondary launders

7 and 8 while the heaviest particles forming the concentrates gravitate into the tertiary launder 9- and so discharge therefrom at the bottom end of the spiral 4 and are collected in any suitable manner while the sands discharge to waste. The water may be collected for re-use in places where it is scarce.

In the above described spiral concentrator, by reason of the arranged launders and their fixed splitting channels there is provided in the secondary and tertiary launders an effect equivalent to that provided by wash Water and the material flows freely without tendency to blockages.

I claim:

1. A concentrator for the separation of minerals comprising a spiral channel having its entire outer edge positioned at a level higher than its respective inner edge, said spiral channel having a plurality of parallel launders formed therein throughout the length thereof, said launders progressively decreasing in size from the outer edge to the inner edge of said spiral channel, the wall separating each of said adjacent pairs of launders having a plurality of inwardly directed channels formed therein, the path of flow of said channels being from the larger to the smaller of said pair of launders, said channels being intermittently distributed through the Walls separating each pair of launders throughout the length of said spiral channel, whereby when material flows downwardly through said spiral channel, the particles of the material will be separated into particles of varying weight with the particles of heaviest weight in the innermost launder and the particles of lightest weight in the outermost.

2. A concentrator as defined in claim 1 wherein the walls between adjacent pairs of said launders progressively increase in height from the inner pair to the outer pair of launders.

3. A concentrator as defined in claim 2 further including a water take-oil outlet arranged at intervals throughout the length of the spiral channel and communicating with the outer launder of said channel.

4. A concentrator for the separating of minerals comprising a spiral channel, said spiral channel including a primary launder at the outer edge thereof, secondary launders parallel and adjacent to said primary launder, and a tertiary launder at the inner edge of said spiral channel parallel and adjacent to said secondary launders, said launders progressively decreasing in size from said primary launder to said tertiary launder, the walls be- 3,099,621 3 4 tween adjacent launders progressively decreasing in height launder is substantially semi-circular in cross-section and from the primary launder to the tertiary launder, each has its inner edge lower than its respective outer edge. of he walls between adjacent launders provided with an inwardly directed channel spaced at intervals therein, References Clted m the file of thls patent whereby the downstream flow of material adjacent the 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS inner surface of he primary and secondary lannders is 2,431,559 Humphreys Nov. 25, 1947 directed to flow into the adjacent smaller launder through 2,43 1,5 0 Humphreys Nov. 25, 1947 said channels. 2,615,572 Hodge Oct. 28, 1952 5. A concentrator as defined in claim 4 wherein each 2,700,469 Humphreys Jan. 25, 1955

Claims

1. A CONCENTRATOR FOR THE SEPARATION OF MINERALS COMPRISING A SPIRAL CHANNEL HAVING ITS ENTIRE OUTER EDGE POSITIONED AT A LEVEL HIGHER THAN ITS RESPECTIVE INNER EDGE, SAID SPIRAL CHANNEL HAVING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL LAUNDERS FORMED THEREIN THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF, SAID LAUNDERS PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING IN SIZE FROM THE OUTER EDGE TO THE INNER EDGE OF SAID SPIRAL CHANNEL, THE WALL SEPARATING EACH OF SAID ADJACENT PAIRS OF LAUNDERS HAVING A PLURALITY OF INWARDLY DIRECTED CHANNELS FORMED THEREIN, THE PATH OF FLOW OF SAID CHANNELS BEING FROM THE LARGER TO THE SMALLER OF SAID PAIR OF LAUNDERS, SAID CHANNELS BEING INTERMITTENTLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE WALLS SEPARATING EACH PAIR OF SAUNDERS THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF SAID SPIRAL CHANNEL, WHEREBY WHEN MATERIAL FLOWS DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID SPIRAL CHANNEL, THE PARTICLES OF THE MATERIAL WILL BE SEPARATED INTO PARTICLES OF VARYING WEIGHT WITH THE PARTICLES OF HEAVIEST WEIGHT IN THE INNERMOST LAUNDER AND THE PARTICLES OF LIGHTEST WEIGHT IN OUTERMOST.