Improvements in Concentrating Apparatus.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1891-Accepted, 13th June, 1891
Improvements in Concentrating Apparatus.
1, RYERSON DUDLEY GATES, Manufacturer of Mining Machinery, residing
at Ridgeland, Illinois, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus ;
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical section of the same;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the bottom of the water feeder;
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the spring for regulating or determining the
shock imparted to the concentrating pan; and
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the concentrating apparatus with some of the parts
removed.
,
In making my improved concentrating apparatus, I make a concentrating pan A
in which the material to be treated is introduced. The bottom of this pan is
arranged on an incline or slant from the rear to the front end. It is arranged
loosely in a frame carried by pivoted supports B, so that a vibratory movement
can be imparted to it through means of the eccentric C mounted on a shaft carrying
a pulley D, which is connected by a belt to any convenient motive power, so as to
be rotated. The pan is provided with lugs a resting on rollers a¹ arranged in the
frame, so that it may readily move forward and backward as the vibratory move-
ment is imparted to the frame within the limits determined by the tension of the
spring, as hereinafter described. A sprocket wheel E is mounted on the same
shaft as the pulley D, and connected by a sprocket chain to another sprocket
wheel F, mounted on a shaft carrying a gear F, which engages with a pinion F
mounted on a feed roller F, which is rotated by it. Above this shaft or roller is
arranged a hopper G, and resting loosely upon the roller is arranged a feed
regulator G, which prevents the material to be treated from being fed into the
concentrating pan more rapidly than desired. The ores to be treated, it will be
understood, are in a pulverized or powdery condition, and as the feed roller F
rotated by the pinion F", is revolved, the fine or powdery material escapes slowly
and regularly under the edge of the feed regulator G₁ resting loosely on top of
the roller. While the roller may be slightly corrugated, if desired, I prefer to
make it with a smooth surface, as the loosely mounted feed regulator will allow
sufficient quantities of material to constantly escape or feed through into the con-
centrating pan as the roller revolves. At the forward end of the concentrating.
pan, I arrange an automatic discharge for the water and the gang, which consists
preferably of a copper plate H-inasmuch as such material does not corrode-bent
and fastened to discharge pipes h, so that its lower side is held somewhat above the
bottom of the concentrating pan, and with its edge somewhat bent up, so that
the water and the gang, or waste material, being discharged, passes down beneath
its under side and over the edge ', so as to be discharged through the pipes H into
a trough 1, where they may be carried off and disposed of as desired. The
upper side of the discharge plate H is preferably bent over, as shown, and down
near the bottom at the front end of the concentrating pan.
This causes the
water to be deflected back, so that it passes over the edge, and is discharged
through the pipes. Otherwise the vibratory motion of the concentrating pan
would cause it to flow or splash over the front end. The top of the plate is
provided with a hole " to admit water into the interior of the discharge plate.
Otherwise a vacuum would be created, which would prevent the water from being

page_text: properly discharged. In order to supply the concentrating pan with water, 1 arrange
a water feed J near the rear end of the machine. This water feed consists of a
pan provided with a cover into which a pipe, communicating with some suitable
water supply, is led, and with a corrugated bottom having a series of points or
teeth Karranged on the lower ridges of the bottom. A. series of holes are made
preferably through the sides of the corrugations, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the
water may pass through the corrugations and run down along the sides of the
bottom and fall from the points or teeth in drops. Although the perforations in
Fig. 3 are shown for convenience as of uniform size, yet I desire it to be under-
stood that I prefer to make them of larger size at the front side of the feed water,
and decreasing gradually in size to the rear side of the feed water. This will
permit the water to drop more rapidly into the concentrating pan at the front edge
than at the rear, and enable me to secure a more perfect separation of the gang
and concentrates. I provide a discharge L at the rear of the concentrating pan,
through which the concentrates are discharged and deposited in a receptacle M,
where they may be preserved for further treatment. At the rear end of the con-
centrating pan, I arrange blocks of wood m and m³. The block m is held in any
suitable manner in the end of the frame, while the block m is attached to the end
of the concentrating pan. As the pan is thrown forward in its vibratory notion,
the two blocks are separated, but as it returns in its alternate.forward and back-
ward movement, the block m' strikes against the block m, so that there is a
constant blow, shock or jar imparted to the concentrating pan.
]
In order to regulate or adjust the intensity of the blows or shocks, arrange a
spring N, at the rear of the apparatus, on a rod passing through the end of the
frame and the blocks mand m', and connecting with the end of the concentrating
pan, which spring may be adjusted by means of a thumb-screw, and the intensity of
the shocks regulated as desired. For instance, if the tension of the spring be
arranged weak, the forward movement of the concentrating pan will be further, and
cause a further separation between the blocks m and m than if it be arranged
strong, and consequently the blow or shock caused in its backward movement by
the blocks coming together will be greater than if the separation be but small. As
the pan is thrown forward by the vibratory movement of the frame in which it is
loosely mounted, it draws the coils of the spring N together. The tension of the
spring, aside from the backward movement of the frame, jerks the concentrating
pan back, so that it is in position to be again carried forward at the next forward
movement of the frame. This forward movement of the pan, caused by the forward
movement of the frame, and backward jerking of the pan caused by the tension of
the spring, are constantly and successively repeated as the apparatus is operated.
It is thrown forward and then jerked back, causing a quick shock or blow between
the blocks mand m¹ at each backward movement of the pan.
In operation the ores to be treated in a fine or powdery condition are emptied
into the hopper G, whence they pass down on to the roller, and escape into the
concentrating pan
beneath the edge of the loosely mounted feed regulator resting on
the roller. Water is introduced into the water feed, and, as the powdered ores fall
on to the bottom of the concentrating pan, the water dropping on to the pan mingles
with them. The gang, or worthless portion of the ores, is carried by the water
down the incline toward the front end of the concentrating pan, while the con-
centrates, or valuable portions of the ores, are caused by the constant jars, blows or
shocks, to which the pan is subjected, to move gradually up the incline toward the
rear end of the concentrating pan. The concentrates, even though of almost
incalculable fineness, as compared with the size and gravity of the gang, are carried
up the incline and separated from the gang, and discharged by themselves through
an opening at the rear of the concentrating pan. The gang on the other hand is
carried to the front end of the concentrating pan and discharged. In this way, I
am able to effect a practically complete separation of the valuable from the worthless
materials of the ores, without sizing them, or classifying them according to size
or specific gravity.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a concentrating apparatus, the combination of a concentrating pan loosely
mounted in a vibratory frame that moves it forward, and a spring for limiting the
forward movement of the pan and drawing it back to its initial position in readiness
for another forward movement, substantially as described.
2. In a concentrating apparatus, the combination of a concentrating pan loosely
mounted in a vibratory frame that moves it forward, and provided at its forward
end with a discharge opening to accommodate the gang, and at its rear end with a
discharge opening to accommodate the concentrates, and means for drawing the pan
back and imparting to it a quick shock or jar as it reaches its initial position,
substantially as described.
3. In a concentrating apparatus, the combination of a concentrating pan, and a
water feeder to supply the pan with water, provided with a corrugated bottom and
perforations through the sides to permit the water to drip into the pan, substantially
as described.
and a
4. In a concentrating apparatus, the combination of a concentrating pan,
water feeder to supply the pan with water provided with a corrugated bottom
having teeth on the lower ridges, and perforations through the sides of the bottom
to permit the water to flow through and drop from the teeth into the pan,
substantially as described.
5. In a concentrating apparatus, the combination of a concentrating pan and an
ore feeder, comprising a roller on which the ore falls, and a loosely mounted feed
regulator resting on the roller and between the edge of which and the roller the ore
passes in a thin stream or sheet into the pan, substantially as described.
6. In a concentrating apparatus, the combination of a concentrating pan and a
discharge for the gang, comprising a bent sheet held up from the bottom of the pan
by pipes opening through the sheet and the bottom, and bent up at its forward
lower edge, and over and down at its forward upper edge to prevent the water from
splashing over the front end of the pan, substantially as described.
Dated this 11th day of April 1891
RYERSON DUDLEY GATES.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.