Automatic Ball Charging System For A Ball Mill Assembly

A material handling, processing and milling facility which utilizes ball milling as a means for material grinding, mixing or mechanical alloying of materials comprising, in combination:

• an automatic ball charging, agitating and indexing assembly, constructed and arranged to deagglomerate and directly distribute a plurality of grinding balls to said facility at a controlled feed rate;
• an open raceway, in mechanical engagement with said automatic ball charging, agitating and indexing assembly, for removal of said grinding balls from said indexing assembly and for separating water and debris from said grinding balls;
• a bucket elevator for receiving said grinding balls from said open raceway and elevating them to a gravity fed transport system;
• at least one transporting device for receiving said grinding balls from said bucket elevator;
• and
• a ball mill for receiving said grinding balls from said at least one transporting device;
• whereby said grinding balls are fed into the material handling, processing and milling facility at said controlled feed rate, thereby insuring that optimal grinding parameters are maintained.