Dry separation of particulate material of different densities
First Claim
1. Apparatus for dry separation of heavier materials from a mixture of particulate materials of different:
- densities, comprising;
a housing having a screen thereon, said screen having apertures and a top surface;
means for moving the mixture of materials across at least a portion of the top surface of the screen; and
means for creating a flow of air from beneath the screen through the mixture so as to at least partially fluidize the mixture of materials so that heavier materials settle to the bottom of the mixture by gravitational stratification and pass through the screen if less than the size of the screen apertures;
said housing comprising a plurality of open-topped chambers which are arranged in a ring-like configuration subjacent the screen; and
said means for creating an air flow further comprising means for sequentially supplying said chambers with air under pressure on a cyclical basis, so that the portions of the screen above the respective chambers are pulsed with air flow successively and cyclically.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An air concentrator for dry separation of gold and other heavy minerals from alluvial deposits comprises a housing having a number of open-topped chambers arranged in a ring-like configuration and surmounted by a screen having rings thereon forming annular arms radiating from a hub sweeps over the screen beds. Air under pressure is fed sequentially and cyclically to the chambers by a rotary valve located centrally of the ring of chambers. The deposit is fed over the hub and is swept outwardly over the beds on the screen by the wiper arms, where it is fluidized by pulses of air from the subjacent chambers enabling particles of gold and heavy minerals to settle down to the bottom of the beds by gravitational stratification, and if sufficiently small, pass through the screen for collection through spigots in the bottom of the chambers.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. Apparatus for dry separation of heavier materials from a mixture of particulate materials of different:
- densities, comprising;
a housing having a screen thereon, said screen having apertures and a top surface; means for moving the mixture of materials across at least a portion of the top surface of the screen; and means for creating a flow of air from beneath the screen through the mixture so as to at least partially fluidize the mixture of materials so that heavier materials settle to the bottom of the mixture by gravitational stratification and pass through the screen if less than the size of the screen apertures; said housing comprising a plurality of open-topped chambers which are arranged in a ring-like configuration subjacent the screen; and said means for creating an air flow further comprising means for sequentially supplying said chambers with air under pressure on a cyclical basis, so that the portions of the screen above the respective chambers are pulsed with air flow successively and cyclically. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- densities, comprising;
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15. Apparatus for dry separation of heavier materials from a mixture of particulate materials of different densities, comprising:
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a screen having apertures and a top surface; means for moving the mixture of materials across the top surface of the screen; means for creating a flow of air; and means for directing the flow of air upwardly through separate portions of the screen sequentially on a periodic basis to create pulsed air flow through the separate portions of the screen so that the pulsed air flow at each separate portion of the screen at least partially fluidizes the mixture of materials at that portion enabling heavier materials to gradually settle to the bottom of the mixture by gravitational stratification, and pass through the screen if the particles are of a size less than the size of the screen apertures. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of dry separation of heavier materials, including gold, from a mixture of particular materials of different densities, including materials from an alluvial or eluvial deposit, utilizing a stationary screen having separate portions and uniformly sized apertures, comprising the steps of:
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moving the mixture of materials across the screen; and directing a flow of air under pressure upwardly through the separate portions of the screen sequentially on a periodic basis to create pulsed air flow through the separate portions of the screen, so that the pulsed air flow at each separate portion of the screen at least partially fluidizes the mixture of materials at that portion, enabling heavier materials to gradually settle to the bottom of the mixture by gravitational stratification, and pass through the screen if of a size less than the size of the screen apertures.
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Specification