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US 2004/0068894 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for mining and metallurgically processing granular ore
OwnerTimothy M. Crawleyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for collecting and processing granular material admixes granular material with a fluid to produce a slurry and then removes and processes the slurry. The apparatus enables fluid flowing into the apparatus to be directed substantially simultaneously between a first conduit for admixing granular material with the fluid to produce a slurry and a second conduit for producing suction to remove the slurry.
Claims1
A method for mining and metallurgically processing granular ore in a body of water, comprising the steps of
- (a) providing hydraulic variable valve apparatus including
- (i) a body,
- (ii) a nozzle connected to said body,
- (iii) a feed conduit to direct pressurized fluid into said body to suction granular ore into said nozzle,
- (iv) an admixing conduit adjacent said nozzle to discharge pressurized fluid into granular ore to intermix said ore with said fluid,
- (v) a valve moveable between at least two operative positions,
- (i) a first operative position for directing pressurized fluid into said admixing conduit, and
- (ii) a second operative position for directing pressurized fluid into said feed conduit,
- (vi) a pump operable to direct pressurized water to said valve for direction to either said feed conduit or said admixing conduit;
- (b) operating said pump to direct pressurized water to said valve;
- (c) positioning said nozzle adjacent granular ore in the body of water;
- (d) moving said valve to said first operative position to admix the granular ore with water to produce an ore—water slurry;
- and,
- (e) moving said valve to said second operative position to suction said ore—water slurry.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.