Method of concentrating ores

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A CONCENTRATE FROM A CRUDE MINE PRODUCT CONTAINING PRIMARILY MINERAL VALUES AND GANGUE WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING INTO A VESSEL HAVING AN UPPER UNDERFLOW END AND A LOWER OVERFLOW END A NON-SELF-SUSTAINING, FREELY-FLOWABLE, SOLID-LIQUID MEDIUM HAVING A CIRCULATING DENSITY LESS THAN THE DENSITY OF EACH THE MINERAL VALUE FRACTION AND THE GANGUE FRACTION OF SAID MINE PRODUCT, ESTABLISHING IN SAID MEDIUM IN THE VESSEL A PLURALITY OF LAYERS INCLUDING A LOWER HEAVIER LAYER AND AN UPPER LIGHTER LAYER AND AN INTERMEDIATE LAYER THEREBETWEEN, ADDING THE SAID MINE PRODUCT TO THE THUS STRATIFIED MEDIUM WHEREBY THE HEAVIER FRACTION OF THE SAID PRODUCT TRAVELS TO AND IS COLLECTED IN THE LOWER LAYER AND THE LIGHTER FRACTION IS COLLECTED IN THE UPPER LAYER, MOVING THE LOWER LAYER TOGETHER WITH THE HEAVIER FRACTION THEREIN TOWARD THE UPPER END OF THE VESSEL, MOVING THE UPPER LAYER TOGETHER WITH THE LIGHTER FRACTION ASSOCIATED THEREWITH AS A STREAM FLOWING CONSTANTLY IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LOWER END OF THE VESSEL, AND TOWARD THE UPPER END OF THE VESSEL INTRODUCING ADDITIONAL QUANTITIES OF SAID MEDIUM INTO CONTACT WITH THE THUS FLOWING STRATIFIED BODY OF MEDIUM AND MINE PRODUCT FRACTIONS.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A CONCENTRATE FROM A CRUDE MINE PRODUCT CONTAINING PRIMARILY MINERAL VALUES AND GANGUE WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING INTO A VESSEL HAVING AN UPPER UNDERFLOW END AND A LOWER OVERFLOW END A NON-SELF-SUSTAINING, FREELY-FLOWABLE, SOLID-LIQUID MEDIUM HAVING A CIRCULATING DENSITY LESS THAN THE DENSITY OF EACH THE MINERAL VALUE FRACTION AND THE GANGUE FRACTION OF SAID MINE PRODUCT, ESTABLISHING IN SAID MEDIUM IN THE VESSEL A PLURALITY OF LAYERS INCLUDING A LOWER HEAVIER LAYER AND AN UPPER LIGHTER LAYER AND AN INTERMEDIATE LAYER THEREBETWEEN, ADDING THE SAID MINE PRODUCT TO THE THUS STRATIFIED MEDIUM WHEREBY THE HEAVIER FRACTION OF THE SAID PRODUCT TRAVELS TO AND IS COLLECTED IN THE LOWER LAYER AND THE LIGHTER FRACTION IS COLLECTED IN THE UPPER LAYER, MOVING THE LOWER LAYER TOGETHER WITH THE HEAVIER FRACTION THEREIN TOWARD THE UPPER END OF THE VESSEL, MOVING THE UPPER LAYER TOGETHER WITH THE LIGHTER FRACTION ASSOCIATED THEREWITH AS A STREAM FLOWING CONSTANTLY IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LOWER END OF THE VESSEL, AND TOWARD THE UPPER END OF THE VESSEL INTRODUCING ADDITIONAL QUANTITIES OF SAID MEDIUM INTO CONTACT WITH THE THUS FLOWING STRATIFIED BODY OF MEDIUM AND MINE PRODUCT FRACTIONS.