초록 ▼

A dry material sorting device for selectively sorting mixtures of granular material comprising component materials such as sand and gold having different specific gravities. The use of a horizontal wind tunnel to sort the materials is described. Use of a prescreening device to segregate particles in

A dry material sorting device for selectively sorting mixtures of granular material comprising component materials such as sand and gold having different specific gravities. The use of a horizontal wind tunnel to sort the materials is described. Use of a prescreening device to segregate particles into separate batches based on particle size prior to blowing of the material in the wind tunnel is disclosed. An alternate mode comprising screening of particles after blowing in the wind tunnel using a dynamic screen having variable aperture sizes therein is also disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

A granular material sorting device for sorting dry material mixtures including relatively low density particles and relatively high density particles, such as sand and gold of mixed particle sizes comprising: granular material sizing means for segregating the granular material into batches wherein t

A granular material sorting device for sorting dry material mixtures including relatively low density particles and relatively high density particles, such as sand and gold of mixed particle sizes comprising: granular material sizing means for segregating the granular material into batches wherein the maximum to minimum diameter of particles in any batch is a preselected ratio dependent on the ratio of specific gravities of the different materials to be sorted; horizontally disposed transversely unrestricted wind tunnel means of substantially constant and uniform cross section throughout the length thereof for directing a horizontal airflow therethrough of relatively constant velocity from top to bottom and upstream end to downstream end of said wind tunnel means, said horizontally disposed wind tunnel having an open bottom portion; air forcing means for inducing said relatively constant velocity horizontal airflow through said wind tunnel means; granular material injection means for free fallingly injecting said sizingly sorted granular material mixture into said wind tunnel means proximate the upstream end thereof and proximate the top thereof in a stream extending across said wind tunnel means and having a stream dimension measured longitudinally of said horizontal airflow sufficiently small to prevent piggybacking of particles exposed to said horizontal airflow whereby substantially all said particles are directly acted on by said airflow during the period of vertical free fall of said granular particles from the top to the bottom opening of said wind tunnel means; exit means operably mounted at the bottom of said tunnel means in fluid communication therewith, said exit means comprising a relatively narrow longitudinally extending opening therein for discharge of particles therefrom, said exit means comprising relatively low velocity airflow interface means between said wind tunnel horizontal airflow and the atmosphere; collection means positioned below said exit means for collecting granular material falling from said exit means; whereby said granular material is sorted into its different component materials, the higher density particles such as gold particles falling into said collection means at a relatively upstream portion thereof, the lower density particles such as sand particles falling into said collection means at a relatively downstream portion thereof.