H. H. GREBNWAY 8: H. LAVERS, ORE CONCENTRATION. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 17, 1910. . 1,064,723, Patented June 17, 1913. HEN‘ s'rn

HENRY HOWARD GREENWAY, OF , VICTORIA, AND HENRY LAVERS, OF BROKEN HILL, NEW SOUTH WALES. , ASSIGNORS TO MINERALS SEPA RATION LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND. ORE CONCENTRATION.

1,064,723. Speci?cation of Letters Patent. Patented June 17, 1913. Application ?led October 17, 1910. Serial No. 587,621.

To all whom it may concern .' agitation is carried out in such a way, as 55 Be it known that we, HENRY Howalm thoroughly to disseminate air through the' (murmur and HENRY LAVERS, subjects of mixture which is thereafter discharged into the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a spitzkasten. It is found that a froth ?oats residing, respectively, at Melbourne Man on the surface of the water in the spit-z sions. No. 91 Collins street, Melbourne, State kasten. This froth contains a large propor 60 of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, tion of the metallic sul?ds but is substan and N0. 2 lVhitt-aker street, Broken Hill, tially free from gangue. Any well known State of New South iVales, Commonwealth means may be employed for collecting the 10 of Australia, at present of No. 27 (irrenfell froth. ‘ street, , State of , If desired the resulting tailings can be 65 ‘Commonwealth of Australia, have invented retreated by the same process with or with new and useful Improvements in Ore Con out the addition of fresh quantities of the centration, of which the following is a substances referred to. 15 speci?cation. . ' The action may be in some instances be ' This invention relates to improvements in improved by heating the mixture and in 70 ore concentration and has for its object the some instances, as in the concentration of separation of certain constituents of an ore, copper pyrites, the operation may be con such as metallic sul?ds ~from other con ducted without the addition of acid. 20 stituents such as gangue when the ore is To graphically illustrate one way of prac suspended in a liquid such as water. ticing the present invention, there has been ' According to this invention the crushed shown in the accompanying drawings a per ore is introduced into water to which is spective view of one form of apparatus, added a very small quantity of an essential parts being broken away to disclose the in 25 oil, and the mixture is thoroughly agitated. terior construction.‘ The ore particles are thus or thereafter Several agitation vessels A are placed in 80 caused to come into contact with a gas such series. These may conveniently be large as air: the result is that metallic sul?d par vats separated by partitions A1 having open ticles ?oat to the surface in the form of a ings A2 at the bottom so that the liquid ‘may 30 froth or scum and can thereafter be sepa pass from one to another. Each vessel is rated by any well known means. Among provided with a rotatable stirrer B which is the essential oils, which we have found suit conveniently of the formshown in the draw able for this purpose are the essential oils ing. Each stirrer is carried on a spindle B1 of eucalyptus, cinnamon, thyme, .S?SS?fI‘?S, rotated at a high speed by any convenient 35 pennyroyal, peppermint, cloves, lavender, means. Crushed ore or similar ?nely di sandalwood, Wintergreen and rosemary, or vided mineral is fed into the ?rst vessel A 90 mixtures of these, but we do not con?ne our through any convenient ore-feeding device selves to these essential oils. such as C, and water is also fed into the \Ve have hereinafter, in the broader vessel A. A small proportion of one or claims, designated a suitable essential oil for more essential oils which enable metallic this process as a froth producing essential sul?dsto be ?oated by air under the con 95 oil. _ ditions speci?ed may be-introduced from the The following is an example of one feeding vessels D and The liquid con method of carrying this invention into taining ore in suspension is vigorously agi 45 eifect:— tated in the agitation vessels and escapes at lVatercontaining a small percent-age of the outlet A3 highly charged with air. 100 sulfuric acid in solution, say from 0.1% to A settling apparatus consisting of one or 0.5%, and containing also a small quantity more spitzkasten F, is placed immediately say 0.4 lbsato 2.25 lbs. per ton of ore to be at the outlet from the agitation apparatus. treated of an essential oil such as eucalyptus As shown in the drawing, the spitzkasten F oil is with ?nely pulverized ore introduced has a launder G to receive the ?oating froth 105 into an agitating apparatus in the propor which passes away through the outlet G1. tion of from three to ?ve parts by weight of The liquid and the sunken material pass out water to one part by weight of ore. The through the outlet H at the bottom of the 1,064,723

spitzkasten. The level of the liquid in the quantity of eucalyptus oil, agitating the mix spitzkasten is slightly above the lip J. ture to form a froth, and separating the Within the spitzkasten is placed an inclined froth. baffle or guide plate K, which may be made 6. The'herein described process of concen adjustable, extending upward from below trating ores, which consists in mixing ?nely the inlet A3 and arranged Y to direct the divided ore with water containing eucalyp stream of ore particles and air-bubbles to tus oil, heating the mixture, agitating the ward the surface of the liquid in the spitz heated mixture to form a froth, and sep kasten. arating the froth. 45 We claim: 7. The herein-described process of concen 1. The herein described process of concenr trating ores, which consists in mixing the trating ores, which consists in mixing finely ore in a ?nely divided condition with water divided ore with water containing a froth and a froth-producing essential oil, the lat producing essential oil, agitating the mix ter in the proportion of less than one-?fth 50 15 ture to form a froth, and separating the of one per centum of the ore, agitating the froth. mixture to form a froth and separating the 2. The herein described process of concen froth. 1 trating ores, which consists in mixing ?nely 8. The herein-described process of concen > divided ore with water containing a small trating ores, which consists in mixing the 55 20 quantity of a froth-producing essential oil, ore in a ?nely divided condition with water agitating the mixture to form a froth, and and eucalyptus oil, the latter in the propor separating the froth. tion of from 02% to .1% of the ore, agitat 3. The herein described process of concen ing the mixture to form a froth and separat trating ores which consists in mixing finely ing the froth. 60 25 divided ores with Water containing a froth In testimony whereof we have signed our producing essential oil, heating the mixture, names to this speci?cation. in the presence agitating the heated mixture to form a of two subscribing Witnesses. froth, and separating the froth. _ HENRY HOWARD GREENVVAY. 4. The herein described process of concen \Vitnesses : 30 trating ores, which consists in mixing ?nely divided ores with water containing eucalyp CHARLES NICHOLAS CoLLisoN, tus oil, agitating the mixture to form a VV._ H. CUBLEY. froth, and separating the froth’. HENRY LAVERS. 5. The herein described process of concen Witnesses: 35 trating ores, which consists in mixing ?nely THOS. RoUNswELL, ' divided ores with water containing a small EDW. PovEY.-_