Abstract:
A method and apparatus for collecting and processing granular material admixes granular material with a fluid to produce a slurry and then removes and processes the slurry. The apparatus enables fluid flowing into the apparatus to be directed substantially simultaneously between a first conduit for admixing granular material with the fluid to produce a slurry and a second conduit for producing suction to remove the slurry.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC (See 37 CFR 1.52(e)(5) and MPEP 608.05 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to methods and apparatus for collecting and processing granular material and other compositions. 
     More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for mining and metallurgically processing granular ore. 
     In a further respect, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for admixing granular material with a fluid to produce a slurry and for then removing and processing the slurry. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     Dredge pumps for removing water that has gathered in mine shafts and other low lying areas are known. Since such water often includes suspended or admixed dirt or other debris, dredge pumps are provided with filters or other means to protect the pump impeller from stones, gravel, or other debris contained in the water being removed by the pumps. While in some instances it is preferred to allow as much solid matter as possible to settle from water before the water is removed, in other instances an objective is to remove dirt, gravel, and other material along with the water. Toward this end, it would be highly desirable to provide apparatus which could be used both to produce a slurry mixture of water and solids and to remove the resulting slurry mixture for processing. 
     Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved apparatus that could be used substantially simultaneously to produce a slurry comprised of solids and of at least one fluid and then to remove the resulting slurry mixture for processing. 
     Therefore, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for removing fluids, slurries, and slurries. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for substantially simultaneously producing a slurry and removing the slurry. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for removing granular ore from bodies of water and for processing the granular ore to separate metal-rich particles from the ore. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       These and other, further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the following detailed description thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevation view illustrating apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention to remove fluids, slurries, and solid particulate and illustrating the mode of operation thereof; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  further illustrating the mode of operation thereof; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  further illustrating the mode of operation thereof; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded assembly view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  illustrating further construction details thereof; and, 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation view illustrating a portion of a sluice and the riffle thereof used in processing granular ore in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, in accordance with the invention, I provide an improved method for mining and metallurgically processing granular ore in a body of water. The method includes the step of providing hydraulic variable valve apparatus. The apparatus includes a body; a nozzle connected to the body; a feed conduit to direct pressurized fluid into the body to suction granular ore into the nozzle; an admixing conduit adjacent the nozzle to discharge pressurized fluid into granular ore to intermix the ore with the fluid; a valve moveable between at least two operative positions, a first operative position for directing pressurized fluid into the admixing conduit, and a second operative position for directing pressurized fluid into the feed conduit; and, a pump operable to direct pressurized water to the valve for direction to either the feed conduit or the admixing conduit. The method also includes the steps of operating the pump to direct pressurized water to the valve; positioning the nozzle adjacent granular ore in the body of water; moving the valve to the first operative position to admix the granular ore with water to produce an ore—water slurry; and, moving the valve to the second operative position to suction the ore—water slurry. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning now the drawings, which depict the presently preferred embodiments of the invention for the purpose of illustration thereof, and not by way of limitation of the invention, and in which like characters refer to corresponding elements throughout the several views,  FIGS. 1  to  4  illustrate mining apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention and generally indicated by reference character  10 . Mining apparatus  10  includes body  11 , nozzle  12 , feed conduit  13 , admixing conduit  14 , conduit  45 , hollow fitting  17  securing conduit  45  to body  11  in fluid communication with body  11 , and lever  19  for operating a variable valve. The variable valve permits fluid outflow through at least two different conduits or paths. The valve includes cylindrical member  47  rotatably housed in hollow cylindrical sleeve  48  (FIG.  4 ). Fitting  17  includes valve  18  for controlling the flow of fluid through fitting  17  to the valve. Screws  24  and  25  secure lever  19  to member  47  such that displacing lever  19  causes member  47  to rotate simultaneously with lever  19 . When member  47  rotates, it slidably rotates in fixed sleeve  48 . 
     Member  47  includes channels  33  and  34  formed therethrough. When lever  19  is in the neutral position illustrated in  FIG. 2 , outer portion  35  of member  47  extends over openings  31  and  32  formed in sleeve  48 , and, channel  33  is not aligned with opening  31  or  32  and channel  34  is not aligned with opening  31  or  32 . When lever  19  is in the neutral position, fluid from conduit  45  does not flow through fitting  17  into either conduit  13  or conduit  14 . 
     When lever  19  is in the position illustrated in  FIG. 1 , portion  35  covers opening  31 , and channel  34  is aligned with opening  32 . This permits pressurized fluid to flow through fitting  17  and channel  34  into feed conduit  13 . Pressurized fluid flowing in the direction of arrow B through feed conduit  13  flows through end  15  of conduit  13  in the direction of arrow C into body  11 , creating a suction that draws fluids, slurries, powders, etc. into the opening or mouth at the end  22  of hollow nozzle  12  (and henceforth into body  11  and conduit  46 ) in the directions indicated by arrows E and F. Pressurized fluid and the material drawn into nozzle end  22  flow through body  11  in the direction of arrow D and into conduit  46 . Conduit  46  transports the pressurized fluid and material drawn into the opening at the nozzle end  22  to a sluice or other equipment for metallurgically or otherwise processing the fluid and material. 
     When lever  19  is in the position illustrated in  FIG. 3 , portion  35  covers opening  32  , and channel  33  is aligned with opening  31 . This permits pressurized fluid to flow through fitting  17  and channel  34  into admixing conduit  14 . Pressurized fluid flowing through admixing conduit  14  in the direction of arrow K exits through end  16  of conduit  14  in the direction of travel indicated by arrow L. 
     Lever  19  is pivoted between the three operative positions shown in  FIGS. 1  to  3 . For example, pivoting lever  19  a short distance in the manner indicated by arrow H in  FIG. 1  will move lever  19  to the neutral position shown in FIG.  2 . Pivoting lever  19  in the manner indicated by arrow J in  FIG. 2  will moved the lever to the position shown in FIG.  3 . As would be appreciated by those of skill in the art, fitting  17  or body  11  can be held with one hand and one of the fingers of the hand used to operate lever  19  to quickly move lever  19  between the three operative positions illustrated in  FIGS. 1  to  3 . 
     In use, a source of fluid and/or solids is selected. By way of example, and not limitation, the source could comprise a pond of water, could comprise air bearing small gold particles, could comprise a powder, could comprise a mixture of water and particulate suspended in the particulate, or could comprise a mixture of alcohol and suspended particulate. However, for purpose of the following discussion, it is assumed that the source of fluid and solids comprises a stream having a bed comprised of sand and other small stones or particulate. Conduit  46  is connected to a sluice of the type used to metallurgically separate out heavier particles from ore. The sluice  40  includes riffles  42  to  44 . As water travels down the sluice, the desired path of travel of the water is indicated by dashed line  41  in FIG.  5 . This path of travel ordinarily causes heavier particles, for example gold bearing particles, to be deposited on bottom  50  at the base of riffles  42  to  44 . Conduit  46  can be connected to any other desired processing equipment, or can simply lead to an area where the material traveling through conduit  46  is stored or discarded. 
     Lever  19  is moved to the neutral position illustrated in FIG.  2 . Pump  46  is activated. Pump  46  can be powered by battery or any other desired means. Pump  46  can be placed directly in the stream, or, a hose can interconnect pump  46  and the stream and direct water from the stream to the pump. Pump  46  directs water (or air or some other fluid or fluids) into conduit  45  in the direction of arrow A. The water passes through fitting  17  and through opening  30  into valve member  47 . Since, however channels  33 ,  34  are not aligned with either opening  31  or  32 , the pressurized water can not flow into either conduit  13 ,  14 . 
     Nozzle  12  is placed into the stream adjacent the sand or other particulate at the bottom of the stream. Lever  19  is manually displaced to the position shown in  FIG. 3  so that pressurized water travels through channel  34  into conduit  14  and exits end  16  of conduit  14  in the direction of arrow L. Pressurized water exiting end  16  disturbs the sand and intermixes it with water from the stream and with water exiting end  16 , producing a water—particulate slurry. Lever  19  is then manually displaced from the neutral position shown in  FIG. 3  to the position shown in FIG.  1 . This halts the travel of water through channel  34  and conduit  14  and, instead, permits water (or another desired fluid or fluids) to flow through channel  33  and into conduit  13 . Water flowing through conduit  13  exits through end  15  into body  11 , creating a suction that draws the water particulate slurry into the open end  22  of nozzle  12  and into and through body  11  into conduit  46  in the directions indicated by arrows E, F, D. The ability to manually displace lever  19  to divert the flow of water under pressure from conduit  14  to conduit  13  (or vice-versa) allows substantially simultaneous operation of each of the conduits. Water can be diverted from one conduit to the other in less than a second. In one embodiment of the invention, the valve is adapted so that a portion of the pressurized water from conduit  45  flows through conduit  13  while, at the same time, the remaining portion of the pressurized water flows through conduit  14 . 
     Water flowing through conduit  46  in the direction of arrow G travels to sluice  40 . The heavier particles are separated from the remaining particles in sluice  40 . The heavier particles desirably include or are comprised of gold or another desired material.