The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1907-02-09
A new SCHEME FOR
SETTING CRUSHERS
suPT. RICHARDS TRYING ONE AT
THE FAIRBANKS.
no SET ON THE GROUND
Ore viii be Crushed and Then Re-hoisted
Baker Developments Coming on
slowly.

A new scheme for installing crushers
devised by Supt. Richards, is being
tried at the Fairbanks mine Of the
Corrigan- Mckinney company. that,
if it proves a success. win change the
plans OF equipping new properties very
materially.
The crusher will be set on concrets
foundation on the ground, a pocket
beneath the surface catching the ore
which is then re-hoisted, OF to be more
exact continued on in its upward trip
to the upper landing brace where it
viii be dumped into the pocket feeding
the railroad cars or into the tram car
for stocking.
This plan is not altogether initiative
with OF Supt Richards. a similar
scheme having been tried at the
Florence mine so far as the setting OF
the crusher on the ground is concerned,
but the method Of rehandling the ore is
altogether Of Mr. Richards invention.
AT the Florence mine ths ore is taken
from the crusher by means Of belt
but that agency has not proved TO be
success. The original idea was gotten
from the precious metal mines OF the
west where the rock is ground 10
fine powder which belt will handle
readily but iron ore comes through the
crusher in lumpy state and belts will
not handle 10 readily.
The crushers at iron mines have
hitherto been set up about fifty or
seventy feet In the shaft house. These
crushers are very heavy. necessitating
very large initial outlay in timber
and braces to support them. The shaft
houses are comparatively small and the
measured vibration of the crusher
soon sets the structure swaying This
continual sway OF the shaft house
would in very short time put the
structure out OF commission were IL
not that IL is closely watched and the
carpenters are almost constantly at
work wedging and Tightening up. The
danger in a wood structure is not near
ly as great as with steel where the
sway would in time cut the rivets. but
even with wood houses. the life OF the
structure is cut at least In two through
the work of the crusher.
1t is TO obyiate this feature that the
experiment is 10 be made. The crush
er will be installed on a solid concrete
foundation and the pocket under il
will be large enough to hold consider
able ore. The cost Of this construction
will not be as great by considerable as
that OF placing the crusher away up in
the air.
The crusher and pocket will be locat-
ed TO the side Of the shaft house few
feet and leading from the side OF the
pocket win be skip road over which
a skip can be hauled to the landing
brace above. This skip will be operat-
cd by a separate engine in the power
house, IL being necessary at all Of the
mines TO maintain separate engine
for hoisting men. timber. etc.
When the ore is hoisted from the
bottom Of the mine the skip will dump
about twenty feet above the ground
into a chute leading to the crusher and
crusher pocket In sliding along, the
ore will run over the grizzlies and the
fine dirt drop into the pocket. the
coarse Jumps continuing ON to the
hopper Of the ornsher They will run
through the crusher and drop into the
pocket below and. when n skip load OF
ore has accumulated. the crusher man
will allow IL 10 run into the waiting
skip. give the signal and IL will be
hauled 10 the brace and dumped.
The extra expense win not amount
to much as in the first place the ore is
hoisted fifty OF seventy feet less dis.
tance. Again. man must be kept at
the crusher under any arrangement and
In the engine room an extra man Is
maintained 20 watch machinery, hoist
men. etc. 30 that no extra labor nc all
IN needed
Against the little increase in re-
handling the product will be be great
saving in initial Inhalation. the safety
and saving to the shaft house and the
abolition Of the strict watch and
maintenance Of o repair force that
must be maintained 10 keep shaft house
in condition where crushers are elevat-
cd.
The scheme Is new ons and il
will be watched with interest by all
mining men In the Superior country
and II 1t proves successful viii un-
doubtedly be copied az other properties