Improvements in Apparatus for Separating, Classifying, and Purifying Minerals and other Materials.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 21st-Apr., 1894-
COMT LEID
Improvements in Apparatus for Separating, Classifying, and
Purifying Minerals and other Materials.
We, AUGUSTE FRÉDÉRIC BEYER, and ADOLPHE GUSTAVE BEYER, both of
8 Rue de Lorraine, Paris in the Republic of France, Engineers, do hereby
leclare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
tatement:-
The apparatus is continuous in its action and is adapted for enriching minerals in
general and in particular natural phosphates of lime (phosphated chalk, clayey
phosphate-&c. &c.) and is also applicable for pulverizing and classifying all kinds
of materials.
The apparatus allows of pulverization and classification according to density
being carried on simultaneously.
In the apparatus the classification is effected after continuous agitation of the
raw material, with air or other gas simultaneously introduced into the apparatus.
The pulverization of fragments of all sizes may thus be effected without sorting
or previous breaking. By the introduction of air, or furnace or other gases at
suitable temperatures previous dessication may be dispensed with.
The separating apparatus may be simple or compound. A simple separating
apparatus is composed of:-
1. A compressed air pulverizing beater running at a great speed.
2. A sloping delivery tube for the pulverized products.
The axis of this tube being at an angle to a vertical plane passing through
the axis of the beater and the entrance to the said tube, from the pulverizing
beater being to the right or left of a vertical line passed through the axis of
the beater according to the direction in which the axis of the beater is rotated
at any desired distance from this axis.
The effect of this arrangement is to produce an eddy of the divided material
projected into the tube, and to increase as it passes through the tube the duration
of its agitation with air, until its delivery to the sorter.
3. Of a classifying chamber with centrifugal action placed at the end of the
delivery tube at heights varying according to the kind of material to be treated.
In this classifying chamber the materials agitated by the current of air are
projected tangentially against metallic or other gauze.
Under these conditions the materials classify themselves into various classes,
thus those of greatest density pass away by a lower tube to be conveyed from it
by a revolving screw into a bolting house or dusting mill unless it be directly
bagged. The light materials carried by the air may be made to impinge against
a floating cloth (choking of which is impossible owing to its movement,) and are
collected in an outer depositing hopper. Lastly the lightest and most impalpable
are carried along by the gases and pass away with them by two central tubes
wherein expansion takes place. When their commercial value is sufficient they
are collected in a depositing room; when it is insufficient they are delivered into
the outer air.
In certain cases there is advantage, with the view of obtaining a superior product
and a more perfect classification, in multiplying the number of the sorting apparatus
used.
4. Of an auxiliary fan mounted upon the pulverizer shaft, to introduce a current
of air in the path of the material leaving the sorting apparatus to accelerate the
delivery of the impalpable dust.

page_text: In certain cases the fan may draw in gases and discharge them into the
impalpable materials in such a manner as to change these latter into definite
chemical products which can be collected in special receivers.
It is preferable for certain products to do away with the combined double
sorting apparatus and the auxiliary fan and to treat these materials (in order to
reduce them to pieces of a definite size) in two identical operations, and to separate
from them by means of two isolated successive sorting apparatus the mill dust
which is formed after each reduction of the small grains. In this case a compound
centrifugal beater must be used composed of two single beaters mounted prefer-
ably on the same frame. The two beaters may be on one axis and be driven by
a single large strap placed between them.
Each beater has above it a sorter in which are produced two streams to enrich
the product. The sorter may be adapted for regulating the fineness as will be
seen further on.
The heavy materials separate out by falling into a special tube, whilst the lighter
matters are carried away tangentially by the current through the fine gauze of the
sorting apparatus. The material already enriched by the first apparatus is then
treated by the second. The completely purified grains roll down a delivery passage
over wire gauze which allows the finished product to escape whilst the residue
passes into another sorting apparatus to be treated afresh.
These operations take place continuously and automatically.
The compound sorting apparatus yields a completely worked and finished
product but it may also serve for completing the work produced by one or several
preceding sorters.
For hard materials and for all those which require to be disintegrated more
finely a compound sorter is used with pulverizing beaters set back to back.
The first is provided with a feeder (clod breaker) and serves to treat the raw
products causing them to pass up the sloping delivery tube and to project them
tangentially into the top of the sifting chamber which may be at any suitable
height. This sifting chamber is provided with a moveable hood forming a circular
sieve. by which the purified grains pass to the lower portion across another stouter
sieve, or riddle which is inclined into the delivery tube for bagging whilst the
refuse of this riddle returns to the second beater which on the inside is lined with
a rasped or striated conical hard steel ring. This ring may be in one or several
pieces. A revolving four arm cross bar again throws the refuse against the inner
walls of the cone over which it is made to roll, and to re-enter the delivery tube
of the first beater to be again subjected to a new energetic sorting in a continuous
manner by one sorting apparatus.
The sifting chambers with moveable hoods provided with silk or gauze are
applicable as has been said, to the treatment and to the enrichment of phosphated
chalks or to all compounds of two or more elements, whilst those the hoods of
which are simply provided with wire or other gauze are applicable in general to
the pulverization and treatment of all materials.
This invention will be better understood by referring to the annexed drawings
in which several variations of the apparatus are shown.
The same letters refer to the same parts in all figures.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the crusher and classifier.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the crusher with the classifying apparatus in
section.
Figure 3 is a transverse section showing the details of a bearing and its
lubricator.
Figure 4 shows a simple classifying apparatus with a regulating cone and screw
for regulating fineness.
Figure 5 an Archimedean screw brush.
Figure 6 a compound apparatus with a single sorting sieve.
Figure 7 transverse section of an apparatus formed of two crushers placed back
to back and of a single classifier the height of which can be adjusted.

page_text: parabolic arms.
a³ is a fan mounted on the shaft a².
a the driving pulley of the shaft a².
a hollow reservoir of the pedestal to contain water for cooling the shaft.
as an automatic lubricator forming a basin containing fresh oil raised by several
wicks.
a (Figure 8) tightening screw.
a10a orifices in the lower portion of the plate a of the hopper for supplying air
in case of an obstruction occurring in the hopper.
B B¹ inclined delivery tubes.
b a rubber sleeve connecting the tube B to the crusher to avoid the transmission
of vibrations.
a glass eye piece through which the ascent of the crushed products can be
watched.
62 (Figure 7) a metal tube bored true at the bottom. This tube is provided with
a rack gearing with a pinion 64 driven from the pulley 65 by any suitable
arrangement. The tube 62 slides over the tube B which allows the position of the
A rubber tube forms
classifying chamber being regulated by means of the rack.
the joint..
a classifier chamber provided with wire or other gauze for sieving the
products.
c' c² right and left hand lateral orifices placed at the centre on the neutral line
where expansion takes place.
a tube connecting the classifying chamber Ċ to a second classifying chamber
hereinafter described.
•
cunperforated plate substituted for the wire gauze where the material enters the
first classifying chamber.
c (Figure 7) is a jointed frame which allows of the classifying chamber being
fixed in auy desired position.
c is a moveable cap bolted to the sieve. This cap may be replaced by other
caps with finer or coarser gauze.
ca moveable cross stay to hold apart the ends of the cap and give the required
tension to the gauze.
c8 an air outlet.
Da second classifying chamber of larger dimensions than the classifying
chamber C.
d¹ d¹ wire gauze on the tube c³ and classifying chamber D.
d2 d³ right and left hand lateral orifices placed at the centre on the neutral line
where expansion takes place.
E (Figures 1 and 2) lower delivery tube with inclined zig-zag baffle boards one
of which carries a sliding valve plate as hereinafter described.

page_text: 5
9. The cone regulator inserted more or less into the inlet tube for regulating-
the fineness of the pulverized products.
10. The construction of simple or compound classifying apparatus_substantially-
as described and illustrated in the annexed drawings.
Dated this 20th day of February 1894.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants..