Improvements in or relating to Ore-concentrators and similar Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1896-Accepted, 20th Sept., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Ore-concentrators and similar
Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM ADOLPH KONEMAN, of Room 1410, 100 Washington Street, Chicago,
in the State of Illinois, United States of America, at present residing at 432
Strand, in the County of London, England, Civil and Mining Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to endless-belt ore-concentrators and similar apparatus,
of the kind described in the specification of prior Letters Patent, No. 4112, 1885,
granted to W. A. Köneman and H. H. Scoville, its object being to improve the
construction and efficiency of such apparatus.
One of the improvements according to this invention is the substitution for the
cam and yoke previously employed to operate the radial arm by which the van-
ning belt was raised and lowered, of a driving arm and loose eccentric to perform
the same function.
Another improvement is the employment of a counterweighted lever connected
to the higher end of the oscillating frame or belt-support or its equivalent, to
enable the concussive action arising in the vertical fall of the vanning surface to
be adjusted with great accuracy to any desired degree within a wide range. This
has been found in practice to 'be the most essential feature in the successful
concentration and manipulation of as great number of metal-bearing ores.
Another improvement according to this invention is the provision, upon the
broad endless belt constituting the vanning-device, of baffles riffles or projections
which have been found to be of much advantage when used in connection with a
helt which travels and is likewise subjected to vertical concussion; the object of
these riffles is to facilitate the precipitation of that portion of the valuable ingre-
dients contained in the ore under treatment which, during pulverisation, has
been converted into a flowery condition or into what is commonly known as a
mineral slime, and it is particularly to prevent the water-current which travels along
the vanning-belt from one end, from moving the slime to the "waste" end of the
belt that these riffles or equivalent retarders or pockets are provided and it is
to be understood that these means are employed only where the ore assumes the
condition mentioned. Conveniently these riffles can be moulded as elevations or
as depressions upon the belt if the latter is made of indiarubber, as is frequently
the case in this class of apparatus.
An additional improvement has for its object the maintenance of the broad-
vanning-belt in its proper position in the machine; great trouble has hitherto
heen experienced with these broad belts, for if by any chance they get slightly
askew on the usual cylindrical belt-pulleys they cannot be prevented from travel-
ling to one side or the other of the apparatus, with the result of seriously damag-
ing themselves or the machine if by any mischance they are not stopped in time.

page_text: To obviate this risk the belt pulleys are, according to this invention, made com-
pound, that is to say, each is made in fast and loose sections, its central portion
being fixed on a shaft and provided with convex or "barrelled "riphery
and its end portions being free to rotate independently: the harrelled central
portion acts like an ordinary barrelled belt-pulley to prevent the belt from shift-
ing laterally out of position whilst the end portions support the side of the belt
and being free to rotate independently of everything except the belt, enable the
latter to be adjusted quickly by the central portion as may be necessary without
restraint.
This invention comprises certain other improvements in details which will
hereinafter be particularly referred to.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of improved ore-concentrator according
to this invention:
Figure 2 is a plan of the upper part thereof;
Figure 3 is an end elevation of as much of the machine shown in Figure 1 as
need be illustrated for the purposes of this specification;
Figure 4 is a side elevation, and
Figure 5 is a plan, of the loose eccentric and driving arm hereinbefore referred
to;
Figure 6 is a view half in elevation and half in section of the improved
compound belt-pulley:
Figures 7 and 8 are perspective views partly in section, of two halves of
different vanning-belts showing clearly two forms of the riffles aforesaid.
Figures 4, 5, 7 and 8 are drawn to a larger scale than that of the other figures.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A is the main frame of the machine. B is the driving shaft operated from any
suitable source of power. C is a vanning-lelt, carried over compound pulleys D
journalled in hearings in opposite ends of the oscillating and rising and falling
frame E, which receives a peculiar concussive movement of the kind fully described
in the specification of prior Letters Patent hereinbefore cited.
On the driving shaft B is fixed a radial arm 13. Loose on the driving shaft,
alongside the arm B1, is an eccentric sheave F from which a projection F extends
into the path described by the arm B when the latter rotates in the rotation of the
shaft B. The sheave is encircled by an eccentric strap G connected to the rod H
which is coupled to a sliding block H adjustable in the arm J. The arm J is
fixed upon a shaft J journalled in bearings A in the frame A and carrying
pulleys J from which the end of the frame E immediately below them is slung
by slings J. As will be seen from Figure 1 the slings are so disposed upon
the pulleys J that they tend always to move the arm and the connecting rod H
in the direction indicated by the arrows in proximity to those parts on the draw-
ings (see particularly Figures 1 and 4). The shaft 3 rotates the arm B' in the
direction indicated by the arrow upon the latter in Figure 4, and the pull of
gravity upon the frame E transmitted by the rod H to the sheave F causes the
said sheave to offer a certain resistance to rotation while the arm B rotates
through the lower half of its circle of travel. but as soon as the arm B' gets into
the upper half of its circle of travel (ie. past the "dead centre ") the pull of the
frame and connecting rod H draws the loose eccentric sheave rapidly round in
advance of and away from the arm 13', through about 180° and retains it in its
new position until the advancing arm B' comes again into contact with the pro-
jection F
While the arm B is driving the projection F and sheave the end E of the
frame E and the vanning-helt are slowly raised, but when the projection 1 runs
away from the arm B' the table tends to drop very rapidly. Thus by these very
simple means the desired alternation hf the slow rise with rapid descent of the
vanning surface is obtained. To moderate to any desired degree the concussive
action occurring in the more or less sudden descent of the higher end of the

page_text: vanning-surface, a counterweighting lever K is employed pivotted to bearings A
on the line A; this lever in the example illustrated has unequal arms and
from the end of its shorter arm which is forked or duplicated as will be seen at
K' Figure 2, extend, to the frame E, couplings K, whose length is adjustable,
and from its longer arm weights K are suspended their amount and position at
the end of the lever being adjustable so as to vary with the necessary, delicacy
and precision the leverage they exert. By suitably adjusting these weights the
force opposing the descent, under gravity, of the vanning-lelt frame E may be
so regulated as to secure any desired degree of concussion in the drop, this drop
being variable between the maximum of an almost free fall under the influence
of gravity and a minimum in which the speed of descent and the consequent con-
cussion are both minimised.
This part of the invention is not limited to the lever form of counterbalance
just described; any form of counterbalancing device capable of being regulated
with the like delicacy and precision may be substituted for it.
In Figure 6 is represented the compound belt pulley referred to in the earlier
portion of this specification, 1' being the barrelled central portion fixed on the
shaft D and D being the loose end-sections free to turn about that shaft.
The endless belt C Figure 8 has portions of its surface raised to constitute
baffles riffles or projections C (see also Figure 1, in which their size is exagger-
ated) which serve to momentarily hold the finer particles of heavier materials
separated out in the improved process for which this aparatus is adapted; the
more or less perpendicular face C of the projection is presented in the direction
in which the belt is travelling, this direction being indicated in Figs. 1, 7, and 8
by arrows: this invention is not limited however to the particular shape of baffle
or projection shown which may be varied as may be desirable. For instance
Figure 7 shows baffles constituted by the parts of the surface of the belt which are
situated between pockets or depressions C therein, of the form indicated.
The arm J in the concentrator illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 is provided
with a straight slot for the block H' instead of a curved slot as in the machine.
described in the aforesaid prior Letters Patent. This lock is adjustable in the
slot by a screw He (Figure 1) to which a wheel Ha is directly attached.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,-
1. In endless-belt ore-concentrators and similar apparatus the combination with
the driving shaft B of an arm 11 fixed upon it, an eccentric loose on the shaft
and provided with rejection wherewith the arm engages, arranged and oper-
ating substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In endless-helt ore-concentrators and similar apparatus wherein an oscil-
lating frame E or its equivalent is dropped at intervals to produce a concussion
the combination with the frame or tlie like of adjustable counterbalancing appar-
atus to act the end E' thereof substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In endless-belt ore-concentrators and similar apparatus the combination with
the main framing A and the frame E or its equivalent of a lever K by which one
end of the frame can be counterbalanced to different degrees substantially as and
for the purpose described.
4. In ore-concentrators and similar apparatus wherein a belt is dropped at
intervals to produce concussion a belt C provided with baffles or riffles, substan-
tially as and for the purpose described.
5. In ore-concentrators and similar apparatus the combination with an endless
vanning-belt of a compound belt pulley in fast and loose sections, its central
portion being fixed on a shaft and of harrelled or equivalent form, and its end
portions being free to rotate independently for the purpose described.
6. In an ore-concentrator of the kind hereinbefore described the combination
with a slotted pivoted arm J having a straight slot therein a serew II and slide-

page_text: block H' and a hand-wheel H3 on the end of the screw substantially as and for the
purpose described.
7. The complete ore-concentrating apparatus substantially as and for the pur-
pose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of July 1896
W. A.
KONEMAN,
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant
W. A. KONEMAN,
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant