CONCENTRATOR

CONCENTRATEUR

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A concentrator for predetermined values. The
concentrator has an endless conveyor belt extending
longitudinally and tilted transversely from an upper
inlet side to a lower outlet side and having an outlet
end and an inlet end. There is a plurality of recesses
in the conveyor belt. A water supply is at the inlet
side and there is a table to receive the conveyor belt.
The table is resiliently supported and there is a drive
for the belt to drive the belt longitudinally. The table
and belt can be vibrant. A receiving zone for the prede-
termined values is positioned at the outlet end of the
belt.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an
exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as
follows:
1. A concentrator for predetermined values,
the concentrator comprising:
an endless conveyor belt extending longitudi-
nally and tilted transversely from an upper inlet side to
a lower outlet side and having an outlet end and an inlet
end;
a plurality of discrete recesses arranged in
longitudinal and transverse rows in the conveyor belt;
water supply means extending substantially the
full length of the inlet side;
a table to receive the conveyor belt;
resilient means supporting the table;
drive means for the belt to drive the belt
longitudinally;
vibration means for the table and belt;
a receiving zone for the predetermined values
at the outlet end of the belt.
2. A concentrator as claimed in claim 1 in
which the belt is positioned on a driven roller at one
end and over an idler roller at the other end.
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3. A concentrator as claimed in claim 1 in
which the water supply means comprises a trough arranged
along the inlet side and pipes to feed water to the
trough.
4. A concentrator as claimed in claim 1 in
which the resilient means comprises leaf springs.
5. A concentrator as claimed in claim 11 in
which the springs are wooden.
6. A concentrator as claimed in claim 1 in
which the drive means for the belt is an electric motor
driving through a speed reducer and a belt drive to a
roller at the outlet end of the belt.
7. A concentrator as claimed in claim 1 in
which the vibration means comprises an electric motor;
an eccentric driven by the electric motor;
a connector extending from the eccentric to the
table.
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Description

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This invention relates to a concentrator.
Concentrators are well known in the mining
industry. Their func-tion is simply to take on ore and
isolate from the ore the metal values that are required.
At the simplest level a prospector's pan is a con-
centrator.
Concentrators are particularly important in the
mining o~ valuable metals. Valuable metaLs Erequently
occur as relatively fine particles in huge quantities of
top soil and rocks. It is in this type of gold source
that the present application finds application, that is
in placer mining, where loose surface ma-terial is washed
for gold. In such a procedure crushing of the loose sur-
face material may take place as a preliminary step.
Geologically a placer is a superficial deposit, often of
fluviatile origin, rich in heavy ore minerals.
Any concentrator is, of course, measured by the
percentage of available values that it can extract.
There is a constant search to improve this per-
cen-tage.
The present invention is believed to provide
percentage recoveries higher than any previously known.
Accordingly the present invention is a con-
centrator Eor predetermined values r the concen-trator
, ~æ

comprising an endless conveyor belt extending longitudi-
nally and tilted transversely Erom an upper inlet side -to
a lower outlet side and having an outlet end and an inlet
end; a plurality of recesses in the conveyor belt;
water supply means at the inlet side; a table to receive
the conveyor belt; resilient means supporting the table;
drive means Eor the belt to drive the belt
longitudinally; vibration means Eor the table and belt;
a receivin~ zone ~or ~he predetermined values at the
o~ltlet end oE the belt.
Aspects oE the invention are illustrated,
merely by way oE example, in the accompanying drawing
which is an isometric pro~ection oE a concentrator
a^cording to the present invention.
The drawing shows a concentrator comprising an
endless conveyor belt 2 extending longitudinally of the
concentrator and tilted transversely from an upper inlet
side 4 to a lower outlet side 6. There is an inlet end 8
for ore and an outlet end 10 for the extracted values.
The inlet side 4 receives water and the outlet side 6
receives water and unwanted material from the ore.
The belts, which is typically of rubber, is
Eormed with a plurality o-E recesses 1~ as shown generally
in the drawing. The depths and other configurational
details of the recesses will vary depending on the
material being concen-trated.

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Water supply means comprise headers 14 feeding
into a trough 16 at the inlet side 4 of the belt 2. The
trough 16 is conveniently divided by ba~Efles 18 to ensure
a uniEorm Elow oE water across the belt in the direction
oE the arrows 20. At the outlet side oE a belt there is
a Eurther trough 22 to receive water and waste products.
The unwanted materials are Eed from trough 22 through
pipes 24 and away to a convenient dump.
The concentrator has a table 26 to receive the
convevor belt 2. 'l'he table is mounted or supported by
resilient means in the Eorm oE ~eaE springs 28 e~t:ending
along each side oE the table 26. The illustrated embodi-
ment oE the invention has a base frame 30 of I-beams that
acts as a convenient level Eor the concen-trator.
The belt 2 is mounted on a driven roller 32 and
an idler roller 34. In the illustrated embodiment the
driven roller 34 is at the outlet end 10 and the idler
roller 34 at the inlet end 8. The driven roller is dri-
ven by a belt 36 connected to a speed reducer in turn
connected to an electric motor. Such a means of driving
a conveyor is entirely conventional.
At inlet end 8 the idler roller 34 is mounted
with each end in members 38 Eormed with a channel 40.
Vibration means is in the form oE an electric motor 42
driving an eccentric 44 housed in box 46. A connecting
rod 48 extends Erom the eccentric 44 to the table 26.

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The electric motor 42 runs -the eccentric 44 imparts a
vibration to the table 26 and thus to the belt ~, the
vibration bein~ indicated by the broken line arrow 50.
The channels 40 in which the idler roller 34 is mounted
permit the vibration to take place.
The concentrator has a receiving zone 52 for
the predetermined values at the outlet end 10 oE the
belt 2. The desired values can be collected Erom the
receivin~ zone where they are deposited as the belt
passes on the Lower run oE its path~
The springs 28 are desirably made oE wood.
In use the ore to be treated is -fed, for
example Ervm a conveyor Eed by a crusher, onto the belt 2
at the inlet end 8. The machine typically handles ore at
a rate o~ about two to three cubic yards per minute.
Water flow is established across the belt by feeding
water to the trough 16 typically at a rate of about 1200
to 2500 litres per minute. The belt is driven by drive
of the roller 32. Motor 42 is started to vibrate the
moving belt. The frequency of vibration is adjusted by
adjusting the stroke, as permitted by the slotted moun-
tings for the idler roller, and by varying the speed of
motor 42. rrypically conveyor speed can be controlled and
the table angle is adjustable depending on the material
to be treated and the rate of production required.
Using the invention rapid vibration is imparted

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to the moving belt. Metal values, necessarily heavier
than the ore in which they occur, are forced into the
recesses in the belt while the unwanted ore is washed
across the surEace of the belt over the outlet side,
together with the relatively large flow of water. The
required metal values are then deposi-ted in the collec-
tion zone.
The waste material may be removed by a conveyor
or any other convenient means oE removin~ waste material.
'l'he present invention is particul~rly suitable
~or the concentration oE an ore having particles in the
range about 6 mesh to 300 mesh, that is from about 3 mm
to 0.0~ mm. The invention finds particular application
in placer mining but it is envisaged that there will be
substantial applications in the general field of
extracted metallurgy. For example it is believed that in
the mining of tungsten and barite the concentrator of the
present invention would find application in the ben-
ficiation circuits.