US838468A - Concentrator. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

J. P. SHUMWAY. GONGBNTRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APB4.12,1904.

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ATToR Eva JOHN P. SHUMWAY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ooNcENTRAToB.

Speccaton of' Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11', 1906.

Application led April 12,1904. Serial No. 202,830.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. SHUMWAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angelesy and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Concentrators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means to extract the valuable metals from sand or other substances in which they are found Without the use of water, and is particularly adapted for use in placer-mining.

It consists of a series of tables mounted one a little higher than the other, each table having an inclination downward from the head to the tail end thereof, and means to impart a lateral rocking and agitating oscillating motion thereto.

The object of my invention is to extract precious metal from the substances in which it is found without the use of water: I accomplish this object by means of the apparatus described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view'of a concentrator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of one of thev concentrator tables. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. Il. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the hopper or receptacle from which the material to be operated on is fed to the concentrator-table.

In the drawings, A is the frame upon which the concentrator-t'ables B are operatively mounted. The earth or material containing the precious metal to be operated on is iirst fed to -the receiving-hopper C, and is fed therefrom through the aperture O -in the bottom thereof. This aperture is immediately above the head of the concentrating-table. Rotatively mounted in the bottom of the hopper and immediately above and to one side of the discharge-aperture C', I mount the rotating shaft or drum D, operated by the belt E in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. In the bottom of the hopper I place the false bottom F, with an inclination downward from the side of the hopper to a point immediately over the rotating drum D, by means of which the contents of the hopper will be fed down to and upon the head of the iirst concentrator-table. To regulate the amount of earth fed to the concentrator-tables, I have provided the regulator G, having an inclination downward from the front side of the hopper to the top of the drum. The opening between the regulator G and the drum is regulated by the thumb-nut H. By this construction all the substances which are placed in the hopper will be fed down and through the dischargeopenings C to the concentrator-tables.

My concentrator-table has a canvas or other porous material I extending from side to side and from the head to the foot of the table and securely attached thereto. On top of the canvas or other porous material is provided a series of strips J, placed lengthwise of the table and edgewise thereon, the

y bottom edges thereof resting upon the canvas.

Below the canvas I place a like number of longitudinal strips J arranged to register with the strips J above, they securely holding the canvas between them. The bottom longitudinal strips J are fastened to the cross-supporting strips K, which rest loosely upon rstrips or cleats (not shown) fastened to the inside surface of the sides of the table or air-box; Beneath these cross-supporting strips I'provide a number of agitators or rockers L, pivoted on an arm Z, projecting downwardly from the center thereof, as shown in Fig. 3, the purpose of which is to impart an agitating motion to these strips J These agitators are caused to rock upon their'bearings L by the lateral movement of the concentrator-tables, as will be hereinafter explained. The lateral motion of the conoentrator-tables will throw one of the projecting ends of the agitator upward and against the cross-supporting strips K, and the reverse movement will cause the other end of the agitator to contact with the cross-supporting strip, and thereby agitate the same, which of course will agitate the canvas resting thereon. This will cause material on the canvas to be agitated, as herein explained. When the concentrator-table is moved laterally, these agitators will rock on their pivoted supports and contactwith and agitate the canvas.

VMotion is limparted to the apparatus through the driving pulley M in the direction indicated by the arrow thereon. On the main driving-shaft M is mounted a pulley N, having on the periphery thereof an irregular groove N into which projects the lug O on the table operating-shaft O. As the pulley is rotated it will impart a longitudinal movement to the shaft O and a lateral movement to the table B and to the shaking frame T,

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which is firmly secured to the shaft O by Ineans of set-screws t, each end of whichframe rests on rocking supports U, mounted on the frame of the concentrator.

The concentrator-table below the canvas top therein is air-tight, forming an air-chamber B, and air is fed thereinto through the air-pipes P, which will pass up and into the air-chamber below the canvas, as shown in Fig. 1. These pipes are preferably made of canvas or other pliable material. The air is forced into and distributed through the inclosed table or air-box by means of iiues from a blower or other means, (not shown,) the compression of the air being automatically regu lated by valves placed in the main air-pipes coming from the blower. The air passes through the canvas and partially suspends the light and undesired portion of the substance operated on, which, with the longitudinal inclination together with the agitation of the table, will pass along down and upon the second table of the machine, and finally be discharged upon the waste dump, the values being heldupon the canvas.

When the hopper is emptied or when the desired quantity of material has been worked over the concentrator, the concentratortables are dumped or turned into a vertical position. The tables being pivotally mounted in their center on the shaft O for that purpose the concentrates will fall upon a conveyerbelt S, Fig. 1 driven by a roller V, operatively connected with the driving-shaft M', and

will be discharged into a conveyer or other receptacle W.

To relieve the lug O of the strain which would be placed thereon by the lateral movement of the concentrator-tables, I have provided the springs Y to receive the impact caused by this lateral movement. y On each end of the shaft Ois mounted the rectangular shaking-frame T, through the center of which is passed the shaft O. This rectangular frame is mounted on the swinging supportsl U, which are pivoted on the main frame. This frame carries at one end thereof a detentbolt T', adapted to be seated in a'hole in the table B and hold the frame in alinement with the table while the bolt is in place therein. Now when it is desired to tip the table the bolt is withdrawn by hand, when the table can be tilted into any position desired. This rectangular frame is preferably made of metal and forms a bearing upon which to sup ort the concentrator-table. On the outer si e of the main frame and secured thereto is placed an iron bracket X, through which the ends of the shaft O pass. Between the bracket and the rectangular frame and encircling the shaft O I have placed a spring Y, the purpose of which is to act as a cushion to prevent the table from stopping too abruptly at the end of its lateral movements.

It is essential to the successful working of .my invention that sufficient pressure be placed on the air beneath the canvas to move the worthless particles thereon and not to disturb the valuable particles. This is accomplished by regulating the pressure applied to the air-chamber in any conventional manner adapted for that purpose.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described apparatus for separating ore without the use of water, comprising a plurality of concentrator-tables pivotally mounted in a supporting-frame and arranged to normally have an inclination downward from the head to the foot thereof, one table being mounted higher than the other and arranged to discharge the waste from the first or highest table onto the table neXt below the same; i.an air-tight casing beneath the canvas top'of the table, a canvas or other porous covering thereon and means to vibrate said covering; meansto supply air to the air-chamber below the covering; and means substantially as shown to impart a vibratory motion to said table in combination with a carrying-belt disposed below the concentrator-table and adapted to receive the contents of the table when the tables Vare thrown into the vertical position, the said carrying-belt extending under all the concentrator-tables and being operatively connected with the main driving-shaft and arranged to carry the material dumped thereon into a receptacle and means to feed the tables with the substance to be operated on.

2. The combination with a concentratortable, loosely mounted near its longitudinal center on a shaft and provided with a hole in its side, of frames at both sides of the table keyed to the shaft each frame carried by swinging supports, one of said frames carrying a bolt at a point remote from the shaft, adapted to be seatedy in the said hole in the table, and a spring on the shaft between an abutment on the concentrator-frame, and the frame carrying the bolt.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of March, 1904.

JOHN P. snUMwAY.

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