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US 9,168,536 B2Granted
Vertical vortex generating sluice/slurry separator
OwnerDavid S. Petersoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sluice box separator apparatus having a curved partition wall to shape the water flow into a horizontal vortex, inducing lighter material to exit the vortex with the water, and the denser materials to settle into a well located beneath the location of the induced vortex, including a selectively openable gate between the well and a valuable material recovery chamber.
Claims14
A material separator orientable within a sluice channel defined by a box floor and box sides comprising:
- a vortex generator having a curved vortex wall oriented so as to smoothly curve at least a portion of a directional flow of water in the sluice channel back into a subsequent flow of water so as to create a water vortex with a vertical axis of rotation;
- and
- the vertical axis of rotation passing through a recessed collection well in the box floor.
A sluice box floor operational in a directional flow of water in a sluice channel comprising:
- a vortex generator having a curved vortex wall oriented so as to smoothly curve at least a portion of the directional flow of water in the sluice channel back into a continuing flow of water so as to create a water vortex with a vertical axis of rotation;
- and
- the vertical axis of rotation passing through a recessed collection well in the box floor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.