Metal separating process and apparatus
OwnerJohnny Hilmer Kleveninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Heavy metals such as gold, silver platinum, copper, etc., in the free state, are separated from their ore by applying water and the ore in finely divided form to at least three rotating, inclined, spiral grooved discs driven from a common shaft. The grooves are closely spaced and with declining pitch from the periphery to an annulus at the center of the disc. The free metal tends to sink to the bottom of the grooves and the lighter ore is washed away as the metal moves along the spiral grooves to the annulus. The free metal and any remaining ore is fed from the annulus to the succeeding disc and the process is repeated.
Claims9
A process of separating metals in the free state from ore which comprises the steps of:
- a. applying the ore containing the metal successively to a plurality of downwardly inclined, rotatable, flat pan-shaped separating wheels, said wheels being driven by a common shaft and providing (i) a peripheral retaining lip, (ii) a central annulus, and (iii) a plurality of spiral grooves disposed on the upper surface of each wheel and directed from the wheel periphery to the annulus, each of said wheels being concentrically rotatable about its central annulus;
- b. forming a water slurry with the ore on each wheel;
- c. washing lighter waste ore out of the grooves and downwardly over the outer retaining lip;
- d. forwarding the slurry of beneficiated ore inwardly and upwardly along the spiral grooves to the central annulus and downwardly through a funnel positioned around the annulus;
- e. applying the slurry to the next succeeding wheel;
- and
- f. repeating the process until at least three wheel separations have been effected.
An apparatus for separating metals in the free state from ore which comprises:
- a. a plurality of at least three downwardly inclined, serially mounted, rotatable, flat pan-shaped separating wheels including a common shaft means for driving said wheels, each wheel providing (i) a peripheral retaining lip, (ii) a central annulus, and (iii) a plurality of spiral grooves disposed on the upper surface of each wheel and directed from the wheel periphery upwardly and inwardly to annulus, each of said wheels being concentrically rotatable about its central annulus;
- b. means to form a water slurry with the ore on each wheel;
- and
- c. a funnel positioned around the annulus of each wheel for forwarding beneficiated ore along the spiral grooves from the central annulus downwardly to the succeeding wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.