US2381157A - Metals recovery apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Aug., 7, 1945. Rp. GRAY 2,381,157

I V METALS RECOVERY APPARATUS Filed March 2 8, 1942 2 Sheets iSheet l FIG. I.

ROY O. GRAY,

INVENTOR BY WHITEHEAD & VOGL TTOR EYs PER M R. O. GRAY Aug. 7, 1945.

METALS RECOVERY APPARATUS Filed March 28, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ROY O. GRAY,

1NVENTOR.

BY WHITEHEAD (K VOGL FIG 7 ATTORNEYS PER Patented Aug. 7, 1945 METALS RECOVERY APPARATUS I Roy Gray, Denver, 0010., assig'nor of one-half to C. F. Gillette, Denver, Colo.

Application March 28-, 1942, Serial No.43,6,663

8 Claims.

This invention relates to the separation and recovery of values from ores, and more particularly to the separation and recovery of metals susceptible of mercury amalgamation, and has for an object to provide improved means and apparatus wherethrough such separation and recovery may be efliciently accomplished.

Further objects of the invention are to provide: (0.) improved means and apparatus for the separation and recovery of values from ores while dry; (b) improved means and apparatus operable to repetitiously expose the surfaces of value particles in a dry ore to intimate contact with mercury for the recovery of such particles through amalgamation; (0) improved means and apparatus operable to effect a traverse of dry ore particles through and for agitation within a mercury bath; ((1) improved means for separating amalgamated values from associated gangue during traverse of the dry ore through a mercury bath; (e) improved means for rubbing and agitating ore particles during traverse of the dry ore through a mercury bath to facilitate amalgamation; (j) improved means and apparatus for the separation and recovery of values from dry ores which is simple and inexpensive of construction and operation, susceptible of practical development in the form of a compact, readily transportable unit, which is adapted for continuous, progressive operation, efiicient in use, and

which is arranged for complete operative actuation by means of a single power unit of relatively small size.

With these and other objects in view, all of.

which will more fully hereinafter appear, my invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed, and as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is avertical section somewhat diagrammatic in character, taken longitudinally through an assembly of elements constituting one practical embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary detail section, on an enlarged scale, taken vertically through certain of the elements shown in the right hand and lower portion of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the indicated line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure' l is a fragmentary, detail section taken substantially on the indicated line 4-4 of Fig- .ure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the indicated line 5-5 of Figure 2.

relation with the shaft I4, so that Figure 6 is'a fragmentary, detail section taken substantially on. the indicated line. 6-6 of Figure2. I 1

Figure '7 is,a fragmentary, detail "section, on' an enlarged scale, taken substantiallyon the indicated line 1-1 of Figure 1.

Certain precious'metals, particularly gold and silver, are found on occasion in earthy and siliceous deposits remote from supplies of water adequate for processing the deposits for there'- covery of values by conventional placer methods. The values in such deposits are frequentl'yin free milling form and hence available for recovery by amalgamation, particularly iw hen'ftl'i'e surface oxides inhibiting amalgamation are broken or rubbed away. "Ihe'instant invention'is primarily concerned with the provision of apparatus operable to successfully. treat the materialj'of such deposits, while in normal dry condition, for the recovery of values therefrom by meansiof amalgamation, and. the apparatus of the inven tion i also operable to similarly treat and r'e-j cover values from comminuted ores wherein the values sought are in a native, chemicallyl un combined state. Asv hereinv used, ore'includes placer material, while gangue refersto th'at portion of such ore not sought to be recovered by operation of the present invention. a I H As shown in Figure 1, the improved apparatus includes an elongate box-like housing IO' sup-f ported at its lower end on a suitable frame or platform II and rising from and at an inclina tion with the support II to communicate at its upper end withthe upper end of a somewhat similar elongate, box-like housingfIZ whereof the lower end engages the support II at aJpoint remote from the lower end of th e housing I0. The housings Ill and lzthusform' 'aninvert ed V whereof the elements aresecurelyand rigidly interconnected and secured to. the support II. A hopper I3 is carried by the lower end o'f the housing I 0 and communicates in any suitable manner with the otherwise closed lower end of said housing, so that material fed into .thefhop per .I3 is free to enter the lower portion of the associated housing. a

A shaft I4 is mounted for rotation inand horizontally traverses the" lower end of housing I0, andashaft I5 isrotatably mounted in the-junc tion of the housings I0 and I2 in spaced, parallel an endlessconveyor I6, preferably of bucket type) may be en- .gaged about suitable sprocket or roller elements I l on the shafts I4 and I 5 to mount said conveyor for operation longitudinally of and within; the

housing l0. It is the function of the conveyor Hi to transport material fed into the hopper I3 upwardly along and within the housing In and to deliver such material into the upper end of the housing l2 for travel downwardly within the latter housing under the influence of gravity. The conveyor l6 may be of any type or specific construction suitable to its purpose, the drawings illustrating a typical endless chain conveyor carrying spaced buckets arranged to scoop into the material fed through the hopper l3 and discharge such material as the buckets are inverted during their travel about the shaft IS.

A suitable power unit I8, such as an internal combustion engine, electric motor, or the like, is positioned on the support I I, preferably between the lowerends of housings l and I2, and is suitably and operatively connected, as by means of a belt l9 or equivalent power-transmitting means, with a pulley or comparable element fixed to an outer end of the shaft l4, so that actuation of the power unit l8 operates to rotate the shaft l4 and drive the conveyor l6.

The housing I2 is charged with a supply of mercury which fills the lower portion of said housing and rises'therein to a level approximately indicated by the broken line 20, and the material delivered to said housing by the conveyor l6 descends through the upper portion of the housin 12 to engage against and rest upon the upper surface of the mercury body, a baffle 2|, closing against side and top walls of the housing [2 and disposed with its lower margin spaced somewhat from the lower wall of said housing, serving to define a throat between the upper surface of the mercury body and the delivery end of the conveyor l6, through which the feed of ore material is restricted and regulated to the desired rate of flow.

Ore delivered to the upper surface of the mercury body will not, of itself, enter within and traverse the mercury, hence mechanical means are provided to positively carry the ore downwardly within andthrough the mercury, such means conveniently taking the form of an endless conveyor 22, of bucket type, mounted between and for travel about a lower shaft 23 mounted for rotation horizontally across a lower portion of the housing l2 and an upper shaft 24 mounted for rotation horizontally across said housing above the level of the body of mercury and in shielded relation with the baffle 2|. The buckets 25 of the conveyor 22 open upwardly along the top flight of the conveyor and hence downwardly when travelling with the lower flight of the conveyor, and the conveyor is suitably'driven so that the buckets on the lower flight of the conveyor pass through and become charged with ore resting on the surface of the mercury body and carry such ore downwardly through the mercury; a convenient means of so driving the conveyor, through the agency of the power unit l8, being illustrated as including a gear 26 fixedly carried by an outer end of the shaft 24 in meshing relation with a gear 21 fixed to the corresponding end of a j ackshaft 28, disposed forrotation in parallel relation with the shaft 24, and a belt or chain 29 operatively engaging about pulleys or sprockets fixed to corresponding ends of the shaft 15 and jackshaft 28, so that rotation of the shaft l deriving from actuation of the conveyor l6 serves to rotate the shaft 24 in an opposite direction and hence drives the conveyor 22 .in the direction desired. a

When the conveyor 22 is actuated at slow to moderate speeds, the ore material engaged within the buckets 25 will, to some extent, leave said buckets during upward travel thereof along the upper flight of the conveyor, since the heavier mercury will tend to enter the buckets and displace the lighter ore material to rise through the mercury body. However, agitation of the ore material within the mercury and substantially complete clearing of the conveyor buckets of their charge of ore material is accomplished by directing a jet of mercury into the pockets of said buckets as they pass about the shaft 23 to start their upward travel. To provide the desired jet action, a suitable pump 30 may be positioned on the support ll adjacent the power unit [8 and operatively connected with said power unit by means of a belt or equivalent drive, 3|. The intake of the pump 3|] is connected by means of a pipe or conduit 32, engaging through a wall of the housing I2, with the mercury body wellabove the lower end of the housing l2, and the outlet of the pump 30 is connected by means of a pipe or conduit 33 with a nozzle 34 engaging at an angle through a side wall of the housing 12 a short distance above the shaft 23 and directed to discharge into one side of each of the'buckets as' the latter pass about the shaft 23 to start their upward travel. To facilitate clearing of ore material from the buckets 25 under the action of the mercury jet delivered through the nozzle 34, said buckets may be formed with side walls converging from the mouth and toward each other adjacent the base of the bucket.

The surfaces of the value particles in theore that escapes or is dislodged from the buckets 25 within the mercury body are brought. into intimate contact with the mercury, so that the values sought, particularly gold and silver, may amalgamate with the mercury, and, because of the greater density of the amalgam it descends to the lower end of the mercury body whence the amalgam may be drawn off and recovered through a suitable discharge valve 35 on and communicating through the lowermost point of the housing l2. In certain cases, and particularly when the value particles sought to be recovered have oxidized surfaces, some of the values will fail of amalgamation within the housing l2 and will tend to rise with the lighter gangue to the surface of the mercury body. The material thus rising through the mercury will follow a substam tially vertical path and hence may be diverted from the housing I2 through a throat formed by offset portions of the upper wall of the housing l2 and communicating with an agitating trap. The throat leading to the trap is preferably positioned well below the mercury level 20 and is formed by spacing the lower portion of the hous ing upper wall outwardly from the adjacent upper continuation of said wall, so that lighter ore material rising through the mercury body and impinging against the inner inclined surface of the housing upper wall lower section will move along such surface and pass through the throat into the trap.

The trap consists of an upwardly inclined, somewhat tortuous passage extending outwardly from the housing l2 to communicate between said housing and an open hopper 36 positioned with its discharge lip 31 slightly above the mercury level 20, so that the passage constituting thetrap and a lower portion of-the hopper 36 are charged with mercury which rises'in said hopper to the same level as is maintained within the housing l2. The trap is defined by a substantially fiat bottom wall 38 closing against the lower section of the upper surface of the housing and inclining upwardly and outwardly therefrom to merge, through anoifset 38', with the bottom of the hopper 36, side walls 39 rising from opposite margins of the wall 38 and continued to form side walls for the hopper 36, and a top wall 40 closing against the upper section of the upper conveyor wall and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom in spaced relation above the wall 38 to terminate in an upwardly-directed flange 40' constituting an inner end wall-of the hopper 36. The wall 40 of the trapis arranged as a series of upwardly-stepped sections which provide transverse shoulders 4i at intervals along its under surface, and a series of transverse bafiies 42, each formed with an upturned lip 43, extending along the baflie margin remote from the housing I2, is disposed between the walls 38 and 4c in substantially parallel relation with the wall 38 and with their lips 43 spaced slightly below and inwardly toward the housing I 2 fromadiacent shoulders 4! of the top wall 40, so that a relatively narrow passage is defined between the wall 38 and the ballies 42, wherewith communication is had from the trap passage above said baflles through spaces left between adjacent margins of succeeding baffles. The innermost of the bafiles 42 is continued to form a wall 44 parallel with and spaced inwardly from upper and end walls of the housing lower section, and thus defines a flow passage along the conveyor lower section upper wall which opens adjacent the valve '35.

It is the function of the trap to agitate and rub the surfaces of the value particles engaged therein to facilitate amalgamation of said particles with the mercury within the trap. The gangue and associated value particles which enter the trap tend to rise through the mercury in the trap and impinge against the under surface of the wall 40, the upward and outward inclination of said wall directing the ore material toward the hopper 36, past the lips 43 of the baffies 42, and across the shoulders 4| of the wall 40, thus agitating and rubbing the ore material particles repeatedly during the transit of the material from the housing I2 to the hopper 36. The value particles having rubbed and freshly-exposed surfaces readily amalgamate, and the heavier, amalgamated material enters the flow passage along the trap wall 38 through the spaces between adjacent baflies and returns by gravity through such flow passage and its extension along the housing wall, to the lower portion of the housing I2 adjacent the valve 35, the lighter gangue and waste material, collecting above the mercury surface in the hopper 36 whence it maybe discharged over the lip 31.

The platform or support I I may, as is obvious, be mounted on wheels or skids for convenient transportation from one location to another, all of the elements and instrume'ntalities required for successful operation of the improved apparatus in the recovery of metallic values being car-- ried by or associated with said support, The hopper 36 and the outer end of the trap assembly may be braced to the housing [2 or supported directly from the platform II by means of a frame or strut 45.

Since many changes, variations and modifications in the specific form, construction, and arrangementof elements shown and described may be had without departing from the spirit of my invention, I Wish to be understood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims, rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a mercury body of substantial altitudinal extent, a bucket chain for entraining ore material to the lower part of said body and a mercury jet directed against said buckets successively to force said ore material from said buckets.

2. In ore-treating apparatus, a pair of upwardly-converging, elongate housings intercommunicating at their upper ends, means for feeding finely divided ore material to the lower end of one of said housings, a body of mercury of substantial altitudinal extent in the lower portion of the other housing, means for elevating ore material from said feeding means through said first housing and to precipitate said ore material from into the second housing and against the upper surface of the mercury body and bucket-conveyor means adapted to gather in buckets said ore material and mercury at said surface and entrain the same downwardly through the mercury body.

3. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a, pair of upwardly-converging, elongate housings intercommunicating at their upper ends, conveyor means operable to elevate material within one of said housings for delivery Within the upper end of the other housing, a charge of mercury filling the lower portion of and rising well within said other housing to receive the delivered ore on its upper surface, a bucket chain traversing said mercury charge and operable to entrain ore from the mercury surface and releas said ore adjacent the lower end of the mercury charge, pump-actuated mercury jet means disposed to impinge against the pass a predetermined low point within the mercury charge to clear ore material from said buckets and disperse and agitate the ore particles within the mercury charge.

4. Apparatus of the character described having ore receiving and elevating means, an upstanding, elongate housing inclined from the vertical and communicating at its upper end with said elevating means to receive ore therefrom, a charge of mercury of substantial altitudinal extent filling the lower portion of said housing, a bafile restricting the open area of said housing between the housing upper end and the mercury surface to control ore fed to said mercury surface, an endless conveyor of bucket type in the lower portion of said housing and extending above the mercury surface to entrain ore downwardly through the mercury, a pumpactuated mercury jet disposed to impinge within lower bucket elements of said conveyor and disperse and agitat are material entrained by said buckets, a throat communicating through the upper, inclined wall of said housing within said mercury charge, an outwardly and upwardly inclined trap communicating with said throat, and a tortuous passage in said trap operable to agitate and rub ore material passing therethrough.

, 5. In apparatus of the character described having an upstanding, elongate housing inclined from the vertical and means for delivering finely the top of the first housing wardly divided ore to the upper end of said housing, means for separating Values from said ore, said means comprising a charge of mercury rising well within the lower portion of said housing to receive the ore against its upper surface, a bucket chain conveyor for entraining said ore downthrough said mercury, pump-actuated mercury jet means disposed to clear ore mateterial from the buckets of said conveyor adjacent the lower end of the housing.

6. A readily transportable metals recovery apparatus comprising a movable base carrying a pair of elongate housings upwardly converging and intercommunicating at their upper ends, one housing having ore receiving means at its lower end and means for conveying received ore to its upper end and for dumping the conveyed ore into the other housing, said other housing carrying therein a body of mercury adapted to receive on its upper surface said dumped ore, bucket-conveyor means adapted to gather in buckets said ore and mercury at said surface and entrain the same downwardly through the mercury and means for releasing the ore from the buckets near the bottom of the body and a prime mover carried by said base for operating said conveying means, said entraining means and said releasing means.

'7. In apparatus as defined in releasing means comprising a nozzle aimed at the interiors of said buckets as they successively pass the bottom point of said conveyor and means for projecting a jet of mercury from said nozzle into said buckets whereby to eject the contents of the buckets, successively, at a point near the lower extremity of their travel.

8. In apparatus for recovering metals from ores a housing carrying a body of mercury, means for depositing ore on the surface of said body, bucket chain conveyor means in said housing adapted to gather in said buckets said ore and mercury and carry such gathered material downwardly through said body and a nozzle aimed at the interiors of the buckets as they successively pass the bottom point of said conveyor and means for projecting a jet of mercury from said nozzle into the buckets whereby to eject the contents from the buckets at a point near the lower extremity of their travel.

ROY 0. GRAY.

claim 6, said

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