Placer mining apparatus

Portable dry-placer mining apparatus comprising:

• vacuum chamber means defining a contained region of lower-than-atmospheric pressure;
• material collection means coupled to said contained region for drawing material into said contained region at a rate determined by the differential pressure within and without the contained region;
• material discharge means coupled to said vacuum chamber for discharging material collected in the contained region at a rate controlled by said differential pressure;
• and
• impaction disrupting means coupled to said material discharge means for preventing the impaction of said material within said material discharge means.

Placer mining apparatus for collecting granular material and for separating the denser material from the less dense material comprising:

• a cabinet defining a contained region, said cabinet having end walls and a bottom panel;
• filter means for dividing the contained region into a first chamber and a second chamber;
• pump means located in the first chamber for producing lower-than-atmospheric pressure in said contained region when energized;
• an internal combustion engine mounted on an end wall of said cabinet for energizing said pump means;
• a flexible hose connected to said second chamber for delivering granular material into said second chamber;
• a drop tube having an upper end in communication with the lower end of the second chamber, a lower end and a valve mounted on the lower end for regulating the flow of materials through the drop tube;
• frame means mounted on the cabinet for supporting the cabinet above a surface;
• deck means having a surface;
• riffles mounted transversely on the surface of said deck means;
• means for positioning the deck means so that material flowing through the valve mounted on the drop tube is discharged onto the surface of the deck means;
• means energized by being connected to said first compartment for imparting a vibratory motion to said deck means to separate denser particles of the granular material discharged onto the deck from less dense particles as said less dense particles move over said riffles;
• and
• a backpack frame attached to said cabinet, whereby said apparatus can be carried by one person.

Portable dry-placer mining apparatus comprising:

• vacuum chamber means defining a contained region of lower-than-atmospheric pressure;
• material collection means coupled to said vacuum chamber means for drawing material into said contained region at a rate determined by the differential pressure within and without the contained region;
• separating means coupled to said vacuum chamber means for accepting material drawn into the contained region and for separating denser particles from less dense particles of said materials;
• vacuum actuated vibratory means coupled to the vacuum chamber means and to the separating means for imparting a vibratory motion to the separating means;
• and
• control means for controlling the frequency of the vibratory motion imparted to the separating means, said control means comprising a vacuum compensated vibrator frequency control means coupled to said vacuum actuated vibratory means and said vacuum chamber means.

Portable dry-placer mining apparatus comprising:

• vacuum chamber means defining a contained region of lower-than-atmospheric pressure;
• material collection means coupled to said vacuum chamber means for drawing material into said contained region at a rate determined by the differential pressure within and without the contained region;
• means forming a riffled surface positioned so that material drawn into the contained region is deposited on said means forming a riffled surface;
• means coupled to said vacuum chamber means for depositing material on said riffled surface at a rate controlled by said differential pressure;
• impaction disruption means coupled to said means for depositing said material for preventing the impaction of said material within said means for for depositing said material;
• and
• means for imparting vibratory motion to said means forming a riffled surface to separate denser particles of material from less dense particles as said less dense particles pass over said means forming a riffled surface.