US3319788A

US3319788A - Concentrate take-off devices for pinched launder concentrators

Info

Publication number: US3319788A
Application number: US392246A
Authority: US
Inventors: Reichert Ernst
Original assignee: Mineral Deposits Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Mineral Deposits Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1963-09-03
Filing date: 1964-08-26
Publication date: 1967-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 1984-05-16
Also published as: GB1004655A

Description

May 16, 1967 E. REICHERT CONCENTRATE TAKE-OFF DEVICES FOR PINCHED LAUNDER CONCENTRATORS Filed Aug. 26, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet l l NYE NTO R: RNsT RE CHERT QA 51. 1; 51.04,

ATroR NE Y5 y 15, 1967 E. REICHERT 3,319,788

CONCENTRATE TAKE-OFF DEVICES FOR PINCHED LAUNDER CONCENTRATORS Filed Aug. 26, 1964 3 heets-Sheet 2 INvEuroR:

ERNST RE 1c HE RT ATI'ORNEYS y 1967 E. REICHERT 3,319,788

CONCENTRATE TAKE-OFF DEVICES FOR PINCHED LAUNDER CONCENTRATORS Filed Aug. 26, 1964 3 heets-Sheet 5 I I INVENTOR:

ERNSTREICHERT A rroRNE Ys United States Patent 3,319,788 CONCENTRATE TAKE-OFF DEVIQES FOR PINCHED LAUNDER CQNCENTRATDRS Ernst Reichert, Southport, Queensland, Australia, assignor to Mineral Deposits Pty. Limited, Sydney, Australia, a company of Australia Filed Aug. 26, 1964, Ser. No. $2,246 Qlaims priority, application Australia, Sept. 3, 1963 34,934/63 Qlaims. (Cl. 209-493) This invention relates to the removal of concentrates from a stratified bed, of ore material to be treated, which is moving as a stream along the bottom of a pinched launder. The stream consists of a mixture of water, or other liquid, and particles of different specific gravities, such as ordinary sand and valuable heavier mineral particles. Examples of pinched launders to which the present invention is related, are those of the kind illustrated (and numbered 33A and 45A) in the drawings forming part of the specification belonging to Australian Patent No. 247,676.

Concentrators of the pinched launder type are widely known in the field of gravity concentration of minerals. Usually the launders are of channel section narrowing towards the take-off end (which in use is the lower end) so to provide for gravitational feed of the ore material to that end. Such launders have a flat floor with a transverse slot in it at the take-off end, through which the value fraction departs; the tailings leave the launder by falling from the lower end edge of the launder floor, and some kind of splitter blade or partition plate is provided to ensure that the two falling fractions do not come together again as they proceed to receiver vessels for further treatment, or final collection in the case of the values, and dumping in the case of the tailings.

In some instances, the launder floors are not slotted and in that case the take-off end edge is confronted by a splitter which is directed upstream relative to the launder floor so to divide the Stratified stream leaving the launder into the required two fractions. As shown in the mentioned prior patent, such a splitter may be height adjustable so to be variously positioned to accommodate streams of different value richness, or to enable the value fraction to be of greater or lesser purity as may -be required.

It is also known, in slotted launders, to provide the door slot with adjustable shutter devices whereby the effective width of the slot may be varied to suit variable factors of the kind referred to in the paragraph just above.

Prior launders of the kind discussed above are effective in concentrating particulate ore materials of almost any degree of richness, and to almost any required degree of value purity, provided a sufficient number of launders are used in cascaded series; but nevertheless, the prior launders are open to objection in several respects. For example; individual launders are not separatively critical; that is, their use results in relatively large proportions of tailings staying with the values, or large proportions of values leaving with the tailings, and hence large numbers of cascaded launders have to be used if purity of output is required. Again, in the case of slotted launders, the abrasive nature of the ore quickly wears the slot-defining floor edges so that the slots soon cease to be of the originally selected required width. This requires replacement of the entire launder while the useful life of the major part of it is still substantially unimpaired. This also applies, to some extent, to slotted launders whereof the slots are furnished with slot-adjusting shutters, in that although total launder replacement may be necessary less frequently, it is difiicult, especially while 3,319,783 Patented May 16, 1967 the apparatus is in use, to make a shutter adjustment of definite and clearly observable magnitude.

The object of the present invention is to overcome or ameliorate one or more of the mentioned shortcomings in a very simple way by the provision of take-off devices for slotted launders of the kind indicated, which, in their simplest forms, provide a launder floor take-01f portion (that part of the floor in which the take-off slot or slots are provided) which is readily removable from the remainder of the launder and hence is simply and cheaply replaceable; moreover, such a provision enables the take-off floor portion to be made of a material less prone to wear by abrasion.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention a floorportion, as just mentioned, is provided; it has a plurality of particle departure slots therein, and has combined threrewith simple splitter arrangements which enable selected allocation of the slots, in terms of whether they are required to function as values slots or tailings slots, in a clearly observable manner irrespective of whether the launder is or is not in use.

The invention consists primarily in take-off devices for concentrator pinched launders, comprising a take-off plate having at least one departure slot therein disposed laterally thereof, and means for removably securing said plate in a gap in the floor of the launder with the upper surface of the plate forming a continuation of, and a take-off portion for, said floor.

Examples of the invention are illustrated in the drawings herewith.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the lower end portion of a pinched launder with a plural-slot take-oft plate applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is a partly sectioned perspective view of the take-off plate shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the launder portion shown in FIG. 1 with an adjustable splitter asso ciated therewith.

FIG. 4 virtually repeats FIG. 3 except for its showing of an alternative form of splitter.

FIG. 5 virtually repeats FIG. 3 except for its showing of the invention applied to a launder having a curved take-off portion.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing modifications of both take-off plate and splitter.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 the take-off plate 7 has four departure slots 8 of selected predetermined width. This plate may be made in any suitable way and of any suitable material. For preference it is moulded out of rubber. Also for preference, the slots are defined by bars 9 having sharply pointed lower edges 10 to act as shedding edges, so to ensure against separated particles clinging to the under parts of the plate.

The floor 11 of the launder is gapped by reason of it ending at 12 while the launder side walls 13 extend beyond the end 12 to their own end faces 14. The length of the take-off plate is preferably equal to that of the floor gap as clearly shown in FIG. 1. In any event, the upstream end 7A of plate 7 is required to abut against the launder floor end 12, so that the upper surface of the plate will remain in unbroken, and preferably Lin-stepped, continuity with the launder floor; otherwise gap would be present, between

ends

7A and 12, which could operate as a take-off slot of indeterminate width. In this connection it will be appreciated that an important aspect of the invention resides in the ability of the launder to give variable take-off proportions of values and tailings without any necessity for adjustability of take-off slot widths; such adjustability being undesirable because of the difiiculty of making adjustments precisely or at all when the apparatus is in use.

There are many ways in which the take-off plate could be removably secured in working position; for example, the side margins of the plate could be set-screwed or bolted to the underfaces of the side walls 13 or to fianges provided thereon. For preference, the side walls 13 are provided with channel ways 15 in which side marginal portions of the take-off plate are slideable with sufiicient tightness as will ensure against their dislodgment when in use. With such an arrangement it is preferable for the platereceiving end portions of the side walls 13 to be mutually convergent towards their free ends. This convergence need be no more than a few degrees of angle, being such that the wall end portions have to be sprung apart to enter the take-ofif plate between them. This will ensure firm retention of the plate with its end 7A hard against the floor end 12. If desired the longitudinal sides of the take-off plate may be similarly tapered, thus to hold the plate wedge-locked in required working position.

it will be understood that any conventional kind of splitter could be positioned with an edge uppermost below the take-off arrangement shown in FIG. 1 so to divide the output of the slots 8 into a value fraction passing through a selected number of slots which are upstream, and a tailings fraction which leaves the launder on the downstream side of the value slot or slots, by way of the open end of the launder (at the right of FIG. 1) plus any of the slots not in use as value slots.

Instead of such conventional splitters however, those now to be described are preferred.

Referring to FIG. 3, the splitter there shown consists of two side walls 16, an oblique floor 17 having a dividing blade 18, and a roof 19 having a locating lip 20. The two side walls 16 (only one is shown) are of the same shape and size, and they are spaced apart sutriciently for the take-off end of the launder to be easily entered between them. The splitter is supported by its roof resting on the tops of the side walls 13 and is located by its lip 20 being entered in a selected one of a series of notches 21 in each of the walls 13. In the splitter position shown in FIG. 3 three upstream slots are in use as value slots contributing to value stream 22; the remaining slot is in use to provide a rich tailings stream 23 which may be diverted for retreatment, and a tailings stream 24 which leaves the launder by way of its open lower end. If desired, an extra splitter 25 may be provided to prevent mingling of streams 23 and 24. If used, it may be held in position simply by jamming its upper offset end margin 26 between the underface of the plate 7 and the channel way portions just below that underface.

If stream 22 is found to be over-charged with non-value particles, the splitter can simply be lifted and its lip relocated in a more upstream slot 21.

The splitter shown in FIG. 4 is mounted on its launder in much the same way as that described above in relation to FIG. 3. Its lip 27 is shown entered in a single notch 28. Clearly, a series of these notches could be employed for selective location of the splitter, but in this embodiment there is less need to provide for relocation because of the adjustability of a divider blade 29. In this form of the invention the lower part of the splitter is formed as a pair of hoppers or

compartments

30 and 31. Hopper 30 has a values outlet 32, and hopper 31 has a middlings outlet 33. Tailings leave as a stream indicated at 34.

Blade 29 is fixed on a shaft 35 in bearings in the side walls 36. Means are provided for angularly adjusting the blade as indicated by dotted lines. These means (not shown) may consist of a handle fixed on one end of shaft 35 outside of the splitter and devices for holding the handle in selected adjustment. These devices could consist of a spring pressed ball on the handle which rides a track having indentations in it to correspond with effective working positions of the blade 29.

The arrangement shown in FIG. 5 needs no description beyond saying that it is the same arrangement as that shown in FIG. 3 as applied to those launders in which the launder floor curves downwardly towards the departure end in order to enable the particles to accelerate as they are about to leave the launder.

The form shown in FIG. 6 is a simple one for use where the composition of the material under treatment remains substantially constant over relatively long working periods. The splitter 37 can be fixedly mounted on the launder 38, the take-off plate 39 may have only two slots 40, and the divider blade 41 may be fixed in its definition of values hopper 42 and a middlings hopper 4 3. As before, tailings leave as indicated at 44.

I claim:

1. In a concentrator launder having a floor and a gap in the floor positioned generally at the outlet end thereof: a take-off device comprising in combination a takeoff plate having inlet and outlet ends and at least one departure slot therein disposed laterally thereof between its inlet and outlet ends, means for removably securing said plate in the gap in the floor of the launder with the upper surface of the plate substantially forming a continuation of and take-off portion for said floor, and a splitter including means for supporting the splitter 0n the launder, said splitter further including a divider means situated below said take-off plate intermediate the inlet and outlet ends thereof and projecting upwardly towards the underside of said take-off plate.

2. The take-off device defined in claim 1 wherein said launder has a pair of side walls extending generally on the opposite sides of said take-off plate, said side walls having a number of notches in the upper edges thereof, and wherein said means for supporting said splitter on said launder includes a top wall of the splitter and a lip projecting from the top wall and received in the notches in the side walls of the launder. I

3. The take-off device defined in claim 2 wherein said splitter further includes a floor positioned below said takeoff plate, and a pair of side Walls positioned outwardly of the side walls of the launder and interconnecting said roof and floor of said splitter, said divider means projecting upwardly from the floor of said splitter.

4. The take-off device as defined in claim 3 wherein said divider means projects from one end of said fioor of the splitter and wherein said fioor extends at an oblique angle with respect to the take-off plate.

5. The take-off device as defined in claim 3 wherein said divider means projects upwardly from said floor at a point intermediate the opposite ends of the floor and defines two hopper portions in said splitter, said floor having a pair of openings therethrough respectively forming outlets communicating with said hopper portions.

6. The take-off device defined in claim 5 further includ ing means for movably supporting the divider means in selected positions spaced generally along the underside of the take-off plate.

7. The take-olf device defined in claim 6 wherein said divider means is movable into opposite extreme posi" tions closing off either of said hopper portions with respect to the slot in the take-off plate.

8. The take-off device defined in claim 7 wherein said means movably mounting said divider means includes a pivot means whereby said divider means is pivotally movable between its extreme positions, and wherein there is further provided retaining means for holding the divider means in selected angular positions.

9. The take-01f device defined in claim 1 further including a second splitter including a generally planar mounting portion received between portions of the launder located under said mounting plate and the underside of said mounting plate, said second splitter further including a divider portion extending from said mounting portion downwardly at the outlet end of the take-off plate.

10. The take-off device as defined in claim 1 wherein said take-oil plate is made of molded rubber and has a plurality of departure slots therein.

11. The take-ofif device defined in claim 10 wherein said take-oft plote includes integral bars having sharply pointed lower edges depending from the underside of said take-elf plate and defining said slots.

12. The take-off device defined in claim 1 wherein said launder has opposite side walls and channel ways formed in the side walls generally below the level of the floor on opposite sides of said gap, said launder floor having a transversely extending end portion also projecting downwardly below the level of the floor at the inlet end of said take-off plate, said take-off plate being received in said channel ways with the inlet end of said take-off plate in abutting engagement with said transversely extending end portion of said launder floor.

13. The take-off device defined in claim 12 wherein the launder side walls including the channel ways are mutually convergent towards the outlet end and are resilient for retaining the take-off plate in the channel ways.

14. A splitter device for use in conjunction with a concentrator pinched launder of the type having a floor extending between inlet and outlet ends of the launder, a pair of side walls projecting upwardly from the floor on opposite sides thereof, and a number of slots in the floor extending laterally of the floor; the splitter device ineluding a floor, opposite side walls projecting upwardly 25 from the floor, a roof portion adapted to be engaged on the upper edge of the launder side walls with the side walls of the splitter disposed laterally outwardly of the launder side walls and with the splitter floor extending below the underside of the launder floor below the slots thereof, said splitter further including a divider means projecting upwardly from the splitter floor and adapted to be positioned intermediate the inlet and outlet ends of the launder, and means on the roof portion of said splitter for retaining the splitter in fixed position on the Walls of the launder.

15. The splitter device defined in claim 14 wherein said retaining means includes a downwardly projecting lip adapted to be engaged in a corresponding slot in the side walls of the launder.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 62,942 3/1867 Curtis 209-397 2,875,898 3/1959 Spencer 209-493 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,358,078 5/1963 France.

969,759 7/1958 Germany.

HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner. L. H. EATHERTON, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

14. A SPLITTER DEVICE FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CONCENTRATOR PINCHED LAUNDER OF THE TYPE HAVING A FLOOR EXTENDING BETWEEN INLET AND OUTLET ENDS OF THE LAUNDER, A PAIR OF SIDE WALLS PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM THE FLOOR ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, AND A NUMBER OF SLOTS IN THE FLOOR EXTENDING LATERALLY OF THE FLOOR; THE SPLITTER DEVICE INCLUDING A FLOOR, OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM THE FLOOR, A ROOF PORTION ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED ON THE UPPER EDGE OF THE LAUNDER SIDE WALLS WITH THE SIDE WALLS OF THE SPLITTER DISPOSED LATERALLY OUTWARDLY OF THE LAUNDER SIDE WALLS AND WITH THE SPLITTER FLOOR EXTENDING