METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING GOLD

• US 3,799,334 A
• Filed: 03/06/1972
• Issued: 03/26/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William O. Collins
• Original Assignee: William O. Collins
• Inventors: Collins, William O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lutter, Frank W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hill, Ralph J.
• Application Number:
  US05/231,851
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 209/11,44,13,466-470,474,475,18
• US Class Current: 209/11
• CPC Class Codes: B03B 1/02 Preparatory heating

Abstract

The process comprises the sequential steps of classifying and selecting from gold-bearing siliceous material that fine material which passes a preselected screen, heating or roasting the selected material to a predetermined temperature, dry-air-float concentrating the material, and separating the material by wetfloat slurry means. In practice, it has been found that the steps of heating and dry-air-float concentrating of the material may be performed concurrently. Apparatus includes an inclined frame; a endless pervious belt assembly having a screen layer, a fabric layer and a multiplicity of riffle bars suitably fastened transversely at intervals to the fabric layer, the pervious belt being rectilinearly disposed at an angle coincident with the frame; a plurality of air-float cell assemblies transversely mounted in the frame and having one of the respective walls thereof contiguous with the belt; and a pulsating air supply assembly in communication with each of the respective air-float cell assemblies. In combination with the assemblies above described, the apparatus may be provided with a substantially enclosed housing formed by a multiplicity of abutting transversely mounted reflector assemblies disposed on the frame distally above the endless belt, and a tank assembly mounted on the frame. A heat assembly may be mounted in the housing between the reflector assemblies and the belt.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recovering gold, comprising;

a dry-air-float concentrator the combination of a inclined frame, an endless pervious belt assembly rectilinearly mounted at an angle in said frame, means driving said belt assembly, said belt assembly comprising a head pulley and a tail pully journaled for rotation distally from the opposite terminal ends of said frame and a laminated endless belt, said belt having a screen layer, a pervious fabric layer and a multiplicity of riffle bars suitably fastened to said fabric layer transversely thereof at spaced intervals, a plurality of air-float cell assemblies mounted transversely in side by side abutting relationship in said frame contiguous with said screen fabric layer of said laminated belt, each of said air-float cells comprising a bottom wall, a plurality of substantially upstanding side walls and a pervious top wall, each of said air-float cell assemblies being communicatingly connected to a source of air under pressure; and

a substantially enclosed housing formed by a multiplicity of combination reflector assemblies and heating assembly transversely mounted on said frame in side by side abutting relationship, and a tank assembly, said reflector assemblies and said heating assembly being disposed on said frame above said belt assembly, and said tank assembly being carried by said frame, said belt assembly and said air-float cell assemblies being disposed in said tank assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a plurality of misting heads disposed in said tank below said belt.