Metalliferous agglomerates having improved green strength and method of forming the same

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF FORMING IN A SINGLE OPERATIN BALLLIKE AGGLOMERATES EACH COMPRISED OF BENTONITE AND A MATERIAL CONTAINING FINELY DIVIDED METALLIFEROUS PARTICLES WITH THE BENTONITE BEING CONCENTRATED IN THE PORTION OF THE FINAL BALL-LKIE AGGLOMERATE ADJACENT THE OUTER PERIPHERY THERETO, THE STEPS COMPRISING INTRODUCING SAID MATERIAL IN A MOIST CONDITION INTO THE CHARGING END OF A ROTATING BALLING DRUM AND PRODUCING A FIRST LAYER OF THE MATERIAL ADHERING TO THE INNER SURFACE OF THE DRUM AND EXTENDING FROM A POINT ADJACENT THE CHARGING END OF DRUM TOWARD THE EXIT END OF THE DRUM, CONTINUING INTRODUCTION OF THE MOIST MATERIAL AFTER THE FORMATION OF SAID LAYER ON THE INNER SURFACE OF THE DRUM AND CONTINUING THE ROTATING OF SAID DRUM AND CAUSING LOOSE PORTION OF SAID MATERIAL TO BALL UP AND FORM BALL-LIKE AGGLOMERATES BY ROLLING ON SAID LAYER FROM THE CHARGING END TO THE EXIT END THEREOF, AND DEPOSITING BENTONITE ONTO SAID LAYER FROM DEPOSITING MEANS DISPOSED ABOVE THE LAYER AT THE PLACE OF DEPOSITION WHICH PLACE OF DEPOSITION IS DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE THE EXIT END AND THE CHARGING END OF THE DRUM TO PROVIDE A SECOND LAYER COMPRISED TO BENTONITE SUPERIMPOSED ON A PORTION OF SAID FIRST LAYER AND EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE DRUM AND SPACED FROM THE CHARGING END OF THE DRUM IN THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCE OF THE AGGLOMERATES BEING FORMED A DISTANCE SUCH THAT THE PORTION OF THE FIRST LAYER HAVING THE BENTONITE DEPOSITED THEREON IS ROLLED UPON BY THE BALL-LIKE AGGLOMERATES AFTER THE BALL-LKIE AGGLOMERATES ARE PARTIALLY FORMED TO PROVIDE AN OUTER LAYER ON EACH OF THE PARTIALLY FORMED AGGLOMERATED COMPRISED OF BENTONITE AND SAID MATERIAL AND TO PROVIDE FINAL BALL-LIKE AGGLOMERATES EACH HAVING THE BENTONITE THEREIN CONCENTRATED ON OUTER LAYER PORTION OF THE BALL-LIKE AGGLOMERATE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF FORMING IN A SINGLE OPERATIN BALLLIKE AGGLOMERATES EACH COMPRISED OF BENTONITE AND A MATERIAL CONTAINING FINELY DIVIDED METALLIFEROUS PARTICLES WITH THE BENTONITE BEING CONCENTRATED IN THE PORTION OF THE FINAL BALL-LKIE AGGLOMERATE ADJACENT THE OUTER PERIPHERY THERETO, THE STEPS COMPRISING INTRODUCING SAID MATERIAL IN A MOIST CONDITION INTO THE CHARGING END OF A ROTATING BALLING DRUM AND PRODUCING A FIRST LAYER OF THE MATERIAL ADHERING TO THE INNER SURFACE OF THE DRUM AND EXTENDING FROM A POINT ADJACENT THE CHARGING END OF DRUM TOWARD THE EXIT END OF THE DRUM, CONTINUING INTRODUCTION OF THE MOIST MATERIAL AFTER THE FORMATION OF SAID LAYER ON THE INNER SURFACE OF THE DRUM AND CONTINUING THE ROTATING OF SAID DRUM AND CAUSING LOOSE PORTION OF SAID MATERIAL TO BALL UP AND FORM BALL-LIKE AGGLOMERATES BY ROLLING ON SAID LAYER FROM THE CHARGING END TO THE EXIT END THEREOF, AND DEPOSITING BENTONITE ONTO SAID LAYER FROM DEPOSITING MEANS DISPOSED ABOVE THE LAYER AT THE PLACE OF DEPOSITION WHICH PLACE OF DEPOSITION IS DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE THE EXIT END AND THE CHARGING END OF THE DRUM TO PROVIDE A SECOND LAYER COMPRISED TO BENTONITE SUPERIMPOSED ON A PORTION OF SAID FIRST LAYER AND EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF THE DRUM AND SPACED FROM THE CHARGING END OF THE DRUM IN THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCE OF THE AGGLOMERATES BEING FORMED A DISTANCE SUCH THAT THE PORTION OF THE FIRST LAYER HAVING THE BENTONITE DEPOSITED THEREON IS ROLLED UPON BY THE BALL-LIKE AGGLOMERATES AFTER THE BALL-LKIE AGGLOMERATES ARE PARTIALLY FORMED TO PROVIDE AN OUTER LAYER ON EACH OF THE PARTIALLY FORMED AGGLOMERATED COMPRISED OF BENTONITE AND SAID MATERIAL AND TO PROVIDE FINAL BALL-LIKE AGGLOMERATES EACH HAVING THE BENTONITE THEREIN CONCENTRATED ON OUTER LAYER PORTION OF THE BALL-LIKE AGGLOMERATE.