Abstract:
A solids separation system and methods for use; the system having a barrel rotatably mounted in a substantially horizontal arrangement, a carriage on which the barrel is mounted and inclined so as to elevate the coal exit end of the barrel in relation to the rock exit end, a motor to rotate the barrel, a blower, a blower motor, a blade affixed to and helically wound along the interior surface of said barrel, and barriers between the turns of the blades to force the contents up into a stream of air supplied by a blower.

Description:
RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    The embodiments of the device and method relate to the physical separation of solids of substantially different densities by introducing the solids into a rotating barrel through which a stream of forced air is introduced. For purposes of explanation, and not meant to be limiting, the various embodiments are described as facilitating the separation of coal from rock by forced air. Additional embodiments of the device and method also permit the recovered solids to be separated into size based lots. 
         [0003]    A first embodiment of the device consists generally of at least one barrel, at least one helical blade on the interior surface of the barrel, and at least one blower. 
         [0004]    A further embodiment utilizes at least one barrel, at least one helical blade on the interior surface of a barrel, at least one blower, a hopper, a conveyer system, pop-ups (i.e. barriers) placed between the gaps in the helical barrel blade that runs along the interior of the barrel, a blower placed at one end of the barrel, and a collection area at the end of the barrel opposite the blower. 
         [0005]    A mixture of solids, e.g. coal and rock, also known as “run-of-mine coal”, is fed into various embodiments of the device from a hopper. The hopper is integrated into the device or it is a separate device apart from the separator itself. In an additional embodiment the hopper is affixed with a flow regulator to control the amount of coal exiting the hopper and entering the separator. An additional embodiment allows the hopper and/or the hopper contents to be mechanically agitated to facilitate the emptying of the hopper, e.g. mixing the ore or inducing a vibration in the hopper. 
         [0006]    The contents of the hopper are dispensed onto a conveyer belt as part of a conveyor system. In an embodiment, the conveyer is configured so that the edges rise higher than the center, so as to act as a trough and prevent spillage over the sides as the mixture is being conveyed away from the hopper. In yet another embodiment, a traditional flat conveyor system may also be utilized. The conveyer carries the coal and rock into the separation barrel. At the end of the conveyer the coal and rock fall into the barrel of the device. In an additional embodiment, a wind barrier or shield is incorporated into the conveyor system and around the conveyer belt to prevent the coal and rock from being blown off the conveyer belt. 
         [0007]    As the run-of-mine coal, or other mixture of solids of substantially differing densities empties into the barrel, the barrel turns in a manner so as to allow rock to be directed out of the rotating barrel by the helical blade to an exit point below the blower. In an embodiment of the device, the interior surface of the barrel also possesses barriers or ramps that run along the width of the barrel, in between turns of the spiral blade and roughly perpendicular to the blade. This forces the barrel contents up and over the barrier as the barrel rotates and makes them susceptible to the flow of high velocity air from the blower. The velocity of the air is regulated so as to be of insufficient force to blow rock out of the end of the barrel opposite the blower, thus allowing the rock to fall to the floor of the barrel to be removed by the turning helical blade and emptied out beneath the blower on the high density solids exit end of the barrel, but of sufficient force to blow coal out the low density solids exit end, i.e. opposite the blower. The blower size is proportional to the size of the barrel and the severity of the treatment is further refined based upon the density and size of the rock accompanying the coal. 
         [0008]    In an embodiment, as coal is blown out of the rear of the barrel it is directed to collection bins which may or may not possess screens for further filtering. In another embodiment, the bins are collection hoppers. In a still further embodiment, the collection hoppers may empty onto conveyor systems to remove the segregated coal for remote storage or further separation. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the separation system. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the conveyor belt. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cutaway view of the barrel exposing the helical blade and barriers. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of the movement of coal and rock across the blade and barrier system at the base of the interior barrel surface. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the collection bins relative to the separation system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The following are non-exclusive descriptions of multiple embodiments of the solids separation system. In one embodiment of the device, as depicted in  FIG. 1 , a mixture receptacle  21  (e.g. a hopper), is positioned above a conveyor belt system  23  outside of a long barrel  10  acting as the separator barrel  10 . In one embodiment, a separator  100  is equipped with a flow regulator to control the rate at which a mixture enters the barrel  10 . In yet another embodiment, a flow regulator is integrated into the mixture receptacle  21 . A non-limiting example of one type of flow regulator is a sliding plate that is used to increase or decrease the size of the exit of the mixture receptacle  21 . In an additional embodiment, the mixture receptacle  21  contents are affected by an agitator  25  to facilitate the flow or movement of the mixture out of the mixture receptacle  21 . The agitator  25  may operate within the hopper  21  to mechanically agitate the contents, e.g. mixing or stirring. Alternatively, an agitator induces a vibration in the walls of the mixture receptacle  21 . In yet another embodiment, the mixture receptacle  21  is shaken by way of a percussion type agitator  25 . 
         [0015]    In one embodiment, the mixture receptacle  21  sides are sloped inward from top to bottom so as to utilize gravity to facilitate the movement of the mixture toward the mixture receptacle exit, the hopper exit port, situated above the conveyor belt system  23 . The mixture, e.g. run-of-mine coal, is transported into the barrel  10  by the conveyor belt system  23 . In yet another embodiment, the mixture receptacle  21  sides are vertically configured. In yet another embodiment, no hopper is positioned above the conveyor belt system  23  and coal is fed directly onto the conveyor belt  27 . In a further embodiment, a chute or slide delivers the run-of-mine coal to the conveyor belt system  23 . Alternatively, a chute or slide may deliver coal directly into the barrel  10 . 
         [0016]    In embodiments utilizing a conveyor belt system  23 , the conveyor belt system  23  possesses a conveyor belt  27  driven by a conveyor belt motor  29 . The conveyor belt  27  is preferably wrapped around two conveyor belt end rollers  24 . One or both of the conveyor belt end rollers  24  is a powered roller and is driven by the conveyor belt motor  29 . Conveyor belt support rollers  26  are arranged within the circumference of the conveyor belt  27  and between the two conveyor belt end rollers  24 . Both the conveyor belt end rollers  24  and the conveyor belt support rollers  26  are preferably affixed to the conveyor belt frame  22 . 
         [0017]    The profile of the conveyor belt  27  in previously described embodiments is concave across the conveyor belt  27  or alternatively is substantially flat in a further conveyor system embodiment. Conveyor guides  28  are affixed laterally to the conveyor belt  27  along the conveyor belt frame  22 . The conveyor belt  27  inverts around a conveyor belt end roller  24 , at which point the mixture, e.g. run-of-mine coal, is dumped into the barrel  10 . 
         [0018]    A conveyor system frame  29  supports the conveyor belt frame  22  and consists primarily of a plate extending lengthwise into the barrel  10  from the hopper  21  at the rock exit end  12  of the barrel  10  and substantially across the width of the barrel  10 . A substantially vertical shield  18  is affixed on the conveyor system frame  30  past the conveyor belt end roller  24  at a sufficient distance to permit the run-of-mine coal to drop through the gap created between the conveyor belt end roller  24  and the shield  13 . In one embodiment, the shield  13  is positionable and is adjusted to accommodate the size of the available mixture, e.g. run-of-mine coal. The conveyor system frame  30  may extend from the shield  18  to the low density solids, e.g. coal, exit end  14  of the barrel  10 . This inhibits the flow of air across the mixture, e.g. run-of-mine coal, on the conveyor belt  27  and minimizes the opportunity for forced air from the blower  41  to dislodge the low density solids, e.g. coal, on the conveyor belt  27  thereby causing it to prematurely spill over the sides of the conveyor belt  27  into the barrel  10  of the separator  100 . 
         [0019]    A blower  41  is stationed at the high density solids, e.g. rock from run-of-mine coal, exit end  12  of the barrel  10 . Air is used as a fluid media and forced through the barrel  10  at a volumetric rate sufficient to drive low density solids, e.g. coal out of the low density solids exit end  14  of the barrel  10 , but small enough to have a minimal effect on high density solids, e.g. rock from run-of-mine coal, which tends to fall to the floor of the barrel  10  because of its significantly greater density than coal. The barrel  10  is lined with at least one helical blade  15  which turns either clockwise or counter-clockwise through the barrel  10  along the interior barrel surface  17  from the high density exit end  12  of the barrel  10  to the low density solids exit end  14  of the barrel  10 . The helical blade  15  is preferably continuous and is a single unit one helical blade embodiment and comprised of multiple units connected together to functionally form a single blade in yet another helical blade embodiment. In an embodiment, gaps exist at various positions along the helical blade  15  so as to permit heavier pieces of the low density solids, e.g. coal, to be blown back across the barrel  10  from the high density solids exit end  12  of the barrel  10  to the low density solids exit end  14  of the barrel  10 . The barrel  10  rotates on barrel rollers  53  mounted on the carriage frame  51 . The direction of the rotation of the barrel  10  is matched to the turns of the helical blade  15  through the barrel  10  so that solids are guided by the turning helical blade  15  toward the high density solids exit end  12  of the barrel  10 . In an embodiment, the barrel  10  is rotated by a barrel belt  33  that is configured to engage the teeth a gear ring  35  around the circumference of the barrel  10  along the exterior barrel surface  16 . A barrel drive motor  31  engages the barrel belt  33  and drives the rotation of the barrel  10 . 
         [0020]    Low density solids, e.g. coal, will sometimes fall between the blades of the barrel  10  and will need to be placed back in the stream of forced air to ensure its collection at the rock exit end  12  of the barrel  10 . Barriers  19  that run somewhat perpendicular to the run of the helical blade  15  on the interior barrel surface  17  will catch material resting between the turns of the helical blade  15  and force it back into the stream of forced air. The high density solids, e.g. rock from run-of-mine coal, mostly resist the flow of air and continue to move toward the high density solids exit end  12  of the barrel  10  by following the turns of the helical blade  15 . The barrel  10  is elevated at the low density solids exit end  14  of the barrel  10  relative to the high density solids exit end  12  of the barrel  10  which provides a gravity assist to the movement of high density solids, e.g. rock from run-of-mine coal, along the turns of the helical blade  15 , toward the blower and out the high density solids exit end  12  of the barrel  10 . 
         [0021]    The low density solids, e.g. coal, exit the low density solids exit end  14  of the barrel  10  as it is susceptible to the fluid stream of air. The greater the mass of an individual piece of low density solid, the shorter the distance it travels after exiting the barrel  10 . The barrel  10  is cylindrical and formed as the hollow frustum of a cylinder, and acts as a wind tunnel within the confines of the barrel interior surface  17 . As the forced air exits the low density solids exit end  14  of the barrel  10 , it is no longer confined and the velocity decreases as the distance it travels from the low density solids exit end  14  of the barrel  10  increases and the high velocity air expands into the environment and loses velocity. As the air velocity decreases it increasingly loses the ability to fluidize the low density solids, e.g. coal, being ejected from the low density solids exit end  14  of the barrel  10 . The loss of air velocity over distance from the low density solids exit end  14  of the barrel  10  results in the heavier pieces of low density solids dropping out of the air stream first and the dust and fines traveling the farthest from the low density solids exit end  14  of the barrel  10 . The physical segregation of low density solids, e.g. coal, pieces by mass, and thus size, allows the low density solids, e.g. coal, to be recovered according to size. 
         [0022]    In some embodiments, a single low density solids receptacle  80  is utilized at the low density solids exit end  14 . In additional embodiments, a compartmentalized low density solids receptacle  80  or a plurality of low density solids receptacles  80  are arranged at the low density solids exit end  14  of the barrel  10 . In yet other embodiments, the compartments of a receptacle  80  or the plurality of low density solids receptacles  80  are arranged linearly at increasingly further distances from the low density solids exit end  14  of the barrel  10  allows to allow low density solids, e.g. coal, of different sizes to be captured in a segregated manner as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0023]    In an embodiment, screens are used as a filter atop a low density solids receptacle  80 . In a further embodiment, the separated low density solids, e.g. coal, captured in each low density solids receptacle  80  could under go further processing as the low density solids, e.g. coal, could be removed from the low density solids receptacle  80  and introduced into another separator  100 . Subsequent treatment of separated low density solids, e.g. coal, could utilize separation systems  100  which are optimized for the size of low density solids being introduced into that particular system  100 .