GB2056528A - Surface dredge - Google Patents
Surface dredge Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2056528A GB2056528A GB8024794A GB8024794A GB2056528A GB 2056528 A GB2056528 A GB 2056528A GB 8024794 A GB8024794 A GB 8024794A GB 8024794 A GB8024794 A GB 8024794A GB 2056528 A GB2056528 A GB 2056528A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- outlet
- sluice box
- inlet
- dredge
- sluice
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims abstract description 18
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 11
- 229910052500 inorganic mineral Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000011707 mineral Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000002485 combustion reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000013013 elastic material Substances 0.000 claims 2
- PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N gold Chemical compound [Au] PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 abstract description 2
- 229910052737 gold Inorganic materials 0.000 abstract description 2
- 239000010931 gold Substances 0.000 abstract description 2
- 229910001385 heavy metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 238000011084 recovery Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000002002 slurry Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000004411 aluminium Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 2
- BASFCYQUMIYNBI-UHFFFAOYSA-N platinum Chemical compound [Pt] BASFCYQUMIYNBI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- XOLBLPGZBRYERU-UHFFFAOYSA-N tin dioxide Chemical compound O=[Sn]=O XOLBLPGZBRYERU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910000838 Al alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silver Chemical compound [Ag] BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- ATJFFYVFTNAWJD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Tin Chemical compound [Sn] ATJFFYVFTNAWJD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002657 fibrous material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003562 lightweight material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052697 platinum Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000013049 sediment Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052709 silver Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000004332 silver Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003019 stabilising effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052718 tin Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000011135 tin Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000013585 weight reducing agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
- F16K5/00—Plug valves; Taps or cocks comprising only cut-off apparatus having at least one of the sealing faces shaped as a more or less complete surface of a solid of revolution, the opening and closing movement being predominantly rotary
- F16K5/08—Details
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
- E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
- E02F3/88—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with arrangements acting by a sucking or forcing effect, e.g. suction dredgers
- E02F3/90—Component parts, e.g. arrangement or adaptation of pumps
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
- E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
- E02F3/88—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with arrangements acting by a sucking or forcing effect, e.g. suction dredgers
- E02F3/90—Component parts, e.g. arrangement or adaptation of pumps
- E02F3/94—Apparatus for separating stones from the dredged material, i.e. separating or treating dredged material
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
- F16K5/00—Plug valves; Taps or cocks comprising only cut-off apparatus having at least one of the sealing faces shaped as a more or less complete surface of a solid of revolution, the opening and closing movement being predominantly rotary
- F16K5/06—Plug valves; Taps or cocks comprising only cut-off apparatus having at least one of the sealing faces shaped as a more or less complete surface of a solid of revolution, the opening and closing movement being predominantly rotary with plugs having spherical surfaces; Packings therefor
- F16K5/0647—Spindles or actuating means
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Taps Or Cocks (AREA)
- Separation Of Solids By Using Liquids Or Pneumatic Power (AREA)
Abstract
A dredge for recovering alluvial gold from streams and ponds is described. In use the floating dredge is provided with a motor, a pump, and a closed sluice box 5 submerged just below the surface. High pressure water from the pump 2 is delivered to the sluice box 5 through two eductors 14, whereby the suction created draws gravel from the stream through a suction hose to the sluice box chamber in which the flow rate reduces whereby the denser materials fall in the bottom of the sluice box and are recoverable therefrom. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Surface dredge
This invention relates to a surface dredge for the
recovery from aqueous bodies of heavy metals such
as gold, silver, platinum, tin (native or compounded,
e.g., cassiterite, etc.). By surface dredge is meant that the dredge, per se, is a device which floats on the body of water. Such dredges are well known in various forms from small portable devices to vast
leviathans which create their own "mobile lakes" for dredging purposes.
Basically, the aim of the present invention is to
provide a surface dredge of the smaller (i.e. portable) type so that it is possible for one person to be able to carry it to and operate it in rivers and streams, inter alia, located in rugged countryside. Additionally, it is constructed in such a way that compared to prior art devices, the heavy metal recovery rate is dramatically increased; further it includes features which inhibit blockages to 20% of the prior art rate in the waterway adjacent the sluice box and reduce final clean-up of the sluices by up to 75%; and finally, the weight of the present device compared to a prior art device with an equal sized suction can be reduced by up to 500/o.
A typical known type of portable surface dredge comprises a horizontal sluice box with removable transverse riffles inclined upwardly away from the flow direction (i.e. the top of a riffle is further downstream than its base); an aluminium petrol motor (for lightness) drives a pump which supplies water at high pressure whereby material is sucked through a hose and forced to the end of the sluice box, which is an open box. Matting material on the bottom of the box underneath the riffles collects any separated heavy metal. The whole device may be mounted on floats (e.g. motorvehicletubes) so that in use the device, as a whole, and in particular, the sluice box, lies above the water surface. The sluice box is open at the downstream end and drains to the body of water.By way of example of the size of these devices, a typical portable surface dredge could have the following approximate dimensions: Motor-6 kilo-watts Pump-i kilo-litre per minute Sluice--40 cms. wide x 160 cms. long.
Suction Hose-i 0 cms. diameter x 405 metres long
Unit Weight--80 kilogrammes
The main feature of the present invention are as follows:
(i) the unit is arranged so that in use the sluice box, which is an enclosed chamber, floats with its upper portions approximately at surface level or is held just below the surface level of the body of water;
(ii) the dredged material (a slurry of water and bottom sediments including minerals is not jetted over the sluice riffles, but is drawn thereover by suction through the sluice chamber, i.e. the slurry passes through the sluice box before the jets.This is the reverse situation to that of the above described prior art;
(iii) at the downstream end of the sluice box, pre
ferably at least two eduction jets are located, and
these reduce the power requirements of the motor
for an adequate through flow, since in practice it has
been found that these jets create greater suction than could be predicted from first principles.
In its broadest form the invention is a portable
surface dredge comprising a sluice box of enclosed tubular form having an inlet at one end and an outlet
at the other end, a plurality of riffles mounted therein
adjacent the bottom wall thereof and extending
generally transversely of the flow direction from said
inlet to said outlet, said bottom wall being in the form of a collection tray demountable from said sluice and adapted to receive minerals deposited by said sluice box in use; an eductorjet mounted on and opening into said sluice box distal from the inlet end thereof, said jet being directed so as to have a substantial component in said flow direction towards said outlet end, and being adapted for con
necting to a line from the outlet of a pump.
For preference, the riffles are vertical, relative to the flow in the sluice box, which in use is arranged to be substantially horizontal, i.e. the planes of the riffles are transverse in two directions at 900C to the longitudinal axis of the sluice box. This is not essential, and the riffles can be arranged as in the prior art.
The concept of improving the recovery rate of heavy metals is achieved in the above construction basically in that the tubular sluice box concepts provides for a much lower volume flow rate through the box in the case over an open sluice (i.e. for the same slurry input).
Consequently, the reduced turbulence permits more efficient separation to occur. For convenience and lightness, the sluice box can be constructed of lightweight materials such as aluminium alloys or strong plastics materials.
For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure lisa representation of the power unit;
Figure 2 illustrates the dredge itself with the collection tray removed; the tray being separately illustrated in Figure 3.
Housing 1 includes a lightweight internal combustion motor (or electric motor, if the dredge is for use in association with a power supply or a motorgenerator set) driving a pump 2, the combination being set on frame 3 including bolts 3a fitting into holes 3b on struts 4 whereby the power unit can be mounted to the dredge unit. This is not essential, and the power unit can be left on the bank of a stream for example, as long as the output of the pump is connected to the units 14 to operate the dredge. Sluice box 5 has an inlet 5a and outlet 5b the sluice chamber being there between. Inlet 5a is connected to a length of flexible hose of sufficient length to extend to the bottom of the body of water, in use.
Riffles 6 are set in the sluice box 5 over mesh 7.
Item 7 is an optional feature and can be constructed of aluminium expanded mesh. It serves the purpose of preventing larger pieces of material from settling into the sluice chamber, and provides a "floor" along which to roll to exit 5b under the influence of
the water flow. The sluice collection tray 8 is
demountable from the sluice box chamber 5 whereby to gain ready access to collected heavy
minerals. Matting, our fibrous material 9 is set in the
bottom of tray 8 to assist binding of the said
minerals. For rapid removal, the tray 8 may be held to chamber 5 by simple straps, but any suitable means will do e.g. quick release clips, or even wing nuts or screws.An outlet chamber 10 is mounted at the exit 5b from sluice chamber 5 and is comprised of four longitudinally arranged frame members 'I'I 11 with a ring member 12 stabilising them at the outlet end. The walls enclosing members 11 are of a flexible andlorelastic plastic and/or rubber material which flexes and/or yields to permit the passage of solid dredged material which might otherwise block the flow.The wall material is fixed to the end of the sluice chamber 5 by bolts and washers 13, or other fastening means, e.g. a strap device. Eductorjets 14 are positioned towards the end of the sluice chamber 5 and open thereto-being directed so that the flow into the jets emerges into the chamber 5 with a substantial component of velocity longitudinally of the chamber 5 and towards the outlet 5b thereof. It is not essential that there be two such jets, and one will suffice.
In operation, the dredge if floated on support means or held so that the sluice chamber is just below water surface level. Pumps 2 has a hose connected to its inlet end extending just below the water surface. Its outlet is divided into two lines each of which is connected to one of jets 14. Inlet 5a ofthe sluice chamber 5 is connected to a length of hose which extends to the bottom of the body of water.
Action of the jets 14 draws the water and solids from the bottom of the body of water into the inlet base
and through the sluice, and heavy minerals, if present, will collect in tray 8.
As an example of the dimensions of a typical construction of the invention, note that the suction hose could be4 metres long byapproximately 10 centimetres diameter, the sluice box could be 100 centimetres long and approximately 15 13 centimetres in cross-section, and the outlet chamber could be approximately 30 centimetres long and approximately 12-13 centimetres in each of its cross-sectional dimensions.
In summary of the advantages of the present invention, the following points are emphasised:- (i) the jet or jets used to create the flow are in effect suction jets at the downstream end of the enclosed sluice. Consequently, turbulence in the sluice area is reduced enabling a near total recovery of heavy mineral or metal with a reduced final clean-up, reduced size requirements and motor power requirements;
(ii) by the use of the flexible material as the walls of the outlet chamber, or as linings for walls thereof, blockages are reduced to about 20% of the occurrences in the prior art dredges of this portable type;;
(iii) in the preferred embodiment, by using the two eduction jets on opposite sides of the sluice box, smaller power requirements are consequential, and
a smaller (and hence lighter) motor and pump can be
used to maintain the required throughput.
Additionally, the length of the chamber 10 can be
reduced.
Overall, then this enables a total weight reduction of up to 50% with respect to the prior art dredges, thus enabling great portability.
It should also be appreciated that it is not necessary to operate the dredge of the invention by water, supplied from a pump. Air can be supplied to the eductorjets from a small motor compressor unit or from a high pressure centrifugal fan orthe like.
The operation of the dredge is otherwise the same.
Finally, the device can be arranged on any type of float(s) or fixed frameNrorcan even be hand held; so that in operation, the sluice box is just below water surface level.
As mentioned previously one, two or more eductorjets may be provided on the dredge. However it has been found that two eductor jets positioned laterally (as shown diagrammatically) give significantly better results then a single eductor jet where ever positioned. More than two eductor jets may be provided, however such requires more preparing, more welding, etc. and generally adds to the basic cost.
Claims (7)
1. A portable surface dredge comprising a sluice box of enclosed tubular form having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, a plurality of riffles mounted therein adjacent the bottom wall thereof and extending generally transversely of the flow direction from said inlet to said outlet, said bottom wall being in the form of a collection tray demountable from said sluice and adapted to receive minerals deposited by said sluice box in use; an eductorjet mounted on and opening into said sluice box distal from the inlet end thereof, said jet being directed so as to have a substantial component in said flow direction towards said outlet end, and being adapted for connecting to a line from the outlet of a pump.
2. A portable surface dredge as defined in claim 1, including a pairofeductorjets each arranged as recited in claim 1, said jets being symmetrically arranged with respect two said sluice box and being mounted on respective opposite lateral sides thereof.
3. A portable surface dredge as defined in claim 1 or claim 2, including an outlet chamber fixed to the outlet end of said sluice box, said chamber being of tubularform and arranged with an inlet to receive the flow, in use, fromi the outlet of said sluice box, and an outlet at its free end, said chamber being constructed with orlined with flexible and or elastic material whereby to permitthe passage of dredged solid matter which could otherwise block the flow
4. A portable surface dredge as defined in any one of claims 1,2, or 3, including mounting means on the upper side of said sluice box adapted to receive a motor pump combination.
5. A portable surface dredge substantiaily as hereinbefore described with respect to the accompanying drawing.
6. A portable surface dredge, comprising in combination, a sluice box of enclosed tubular form having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, a plurality of riffles mounted therein adjacent the bottom wall thereof and extending generally transversely of the flow direction from said inlet to said outlet, said bottom wall being in the form of a collection tray demountable from said sluice box and adapted to receive minerals deposited by said sluice box in use; a pair of eductor jets mounted symmetrically laterally on and opening into said sluice box distal from the inlet end thereof, said jets being directed so as to have substantial components in said flow direction towards said outlet end; said dredge including an outlet chamber fixed to the outlet end of said sluice box, said chamber being of tubular form and arranged with an inlet to receive the flow, in use, from the outlet of said sluice box, and an outlet at its free end, said chamber being comprising axial frame members enclosed by a wall of flexible and or elastic material whereby to permit the passage of dredged solid matter which could otherwise block the flow; said dredge also including means on the upper side of said sluice box mounting a motor pump combination, said motor being a light weight internal combustion type, the outlet from said pumps being divided and connected to each of said pair of eductor jets.
7. A portable surface dredge as defined in claim 6, including a length of line connected to the inlet of said pumps, of sufficient length to extend below the surface of a body of water, in use, and an inlet hose for dredging material connected to said inlet of said sluice box and of sufficient length to extend to the bottom of said body of water, in use.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUPE005679 | 1979-08-16 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB2056528A true GB2056528A (en) | 1981-03-18 |
Family
ID=3768225
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8024794A Withdrawn GB2056528A (en) | 1979-08-16 | 1980-07-29 | Surface dredge |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0069737A1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU5679380A (en) |
| BR (1) | BR8005157A (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2056528A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1982001052A1 (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA804578B (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4344844A (en) * | 1981-03-17 | 1982-08-17 | Townley J O | Inclined static deoiler and conditioner for treating ore |
| US5785182A (en) * | 1996-01-03 | 1998-07-28 | Ashcraft; Clarence W. | Portable finishing sluice |
| US10081019B1 (en) | 2017-05-25 | 2018-09-25 | Lucian D. Whitman | Modular portable sluice box |
| US11285512B2 (en) | 2020-07-30 | 2022-03-29 | Allen Robert Barnett | System, method and apparatus for a vacuum driven gold sifter |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN116321640B (en) * | 2023-02-21 | 2025-08-01 | 四川凯茨阀门制造有限公司 | Antistatic structure and method for valve |
Family Cites Families (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1151215A (en) * | 1965-07-07 | 1969-05-07 | Sheel Internationale Res Mij N | Improvements in Fluid Control Valves |
| GB1425617A (en) * | 1972-06-12 | 1976-02-18 | Kitamura Valve Mfg Co L D | Fluid flow control valves |
| GB1393852A (en) * | 1973-02-13 | 1975-05-14 | Wilmot Breeden Ltd | Fluid control valves |
-
1979
- 1979-08-16 AU AU56793/80A patent/AU5679380A/en not_active Abandoned
-
1980
- 1980-07-29 GB GB8024794A patent/GB2056528A/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1980-07-29 ZA ZA00804578A patent/ZA804578B/en unknown
- 1980-08-15 BR BR8005157A patent/BR8005157A/en unknown
-
1981
- 1981-09-18 EP EP81902614A patent/EP0069737A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1981-09-18 WO PCT/AU1981/000133 patent/WO1982001052A1/en not_active Ceased
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4344844A (en) * | 1981-03-17 | 1982-08-17 | Townley J O | Inclined static deoiler and conditioner for treating ore |
| US5785182A (en) * | 1996-01-03 | 1998-07-28 | Ashcraft; Clarence W. | Portable finishing sluice |
| US10081019B1 (en) | 2017-05-25 | 2018-09-25 | Lucian D. Whitman | Modular portable sluice box |
| US11285512B2 (en) | 2020-07-30 | 2022-03-29 | Allen Robert Barnett | System, method and apparatus for a vacuum driven gold sifter |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO1982001052A1 (en) | 1982-04-01 |
| AU5679380A (en) | 1981-02-19 |
| BR8005157A (en) | 1981-02-24 |
| ZA804578B (en) | 1982-03-31 |
| EP0069737A1 (en) | 1983-01-19 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |