Grinding mill and process

Claim 2

A PROCESS OF WET GRINDING RUN-OF-THE-MINE FRIABLE MATERIAL CONSISTING OF A FLUID MIXTURE OF RANGES OF RELATIVELY LARGE, INTERMEDIATE AND FINE SIZES OF SOLID MATERIAL AND LIQUID BY TUMBLING SUCH MIXTURE WITHIN A MILL TO REDUCE AUTOGENOUSLY ALL SIZES THEREOF SIMULTANEOUSLY AND PROGRESSIVELY TO A PREDETERMINED RANGE OF FINE SIZES, SUBSTANTIALLY AXIALLY MIXING ALL SIZES OF MATERIAL WITHIN THE MILL, PROGRESSIVELY REMOVING A FLUID MIXTURE OF SUCH RANGE OF FINE SIZES AND SOME INTERMEDIATE OVERSIZE MATERIAL FROM THE GRINDING ZONE OF SAID MILL, SIZING SAID MIXTURE OF MATERIAL BY SIFTING TO SEPARATE FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE OVERSIZE MATERIAL A PREDETERMINED RANGE OF FINE SIZES OF MATERIAL WHILE SAID MATERIAL IS TUMBLED BY THE ROTATION OF SAID MILL, ESTABLISHING A POOL OF SAID OVERSIZE MATERIAL TO MAINTAIN THE SAME SUBSTANTIALLY FLUID, RETUNRING SAID SEPARATED OVERSIZE MATERIAL WITH SOME LIQUID FROM SAID POOL TO SAID GRINDING ZONE OF SAID MILL FOR FURTHER TREATMENT, AND DISCHARGING SAID RANGE OF FINE SIZES FROM SAID MILL.

Claim 3

A TUMBLING TYPE MILL FOR WET GRINDING FRIABLE MATERIAL AUTOGENOUSLY AND COMPRISING A DRUM HAVING OPPOSITE END WALLS RESPECTIVELY PROVIDED WITH FEED AND DISCHARGE OPENINGS THEREIN, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID DRUM FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS AXIS, MEANS WITHIN SAID DRUM OPERABLE TO MIX A CHARGE OF MIXED SIZE RANGES OF FRIABLE MATERIAL BY SUBSTANTIAL MOVEMENT IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION THEREIN WHILE ALL SIZES OF MATERIAL THEREIN ARE BEING COMMINUTED AUTOGENOUSLY SIMULTANEOUSLY IN WET CONDITION WITHIN THE GRINDING ZONE OF SAID MILL AND OF WHICH MATERIAL THE MAXIMUM SIZES THEREOF ARE CAPABLE OF SELF-REDUCTION, DISCHARGE MEANS INTERCONNECTED TO SAID DISCHARGE END WALL OF SAID DRUM AND HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING THERETHROUGH, SAID DISCHARGE MEANS BEING OPERABLE TO SEPARATE FROM SAID GRINDING ZONE OF SAID DRUM A WET MIXTURE OF A RANGE OF DESIRED FINE SIZES OF MATERIAL AND OVERSIZE MATERIAL COARSER THAN SAID DESIRED RANGES OF FINE MATERIAL, SIZING MEANS INTERCONNECTED TO SAID DISCHARGE END WALL AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, SAID SIZING MEANS BEING SPACED AXIALLY OUTWARD FROM SAID DISCHARGE MEANS AND OPERABLE TO RECEIVE THEREFROM SAID WET MIXTURE OF RANGES OF SAID FINE SIZES AND OVERSIZE MATERIAL DISCHARGED THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE MEANS AND SEPARATE A RANGE OF DESIRED FINE SIZES OF MATERIAL FROM SAID OVERSIZE MATERIAL, RETAINING MEANS WITHIN SAID SIZING MEANS OPERABLE TO RETAIN WITHIN THE OVERSIZE MATERIAL REMOVAL FROM SAID MILL AT LEAST SOME OF THE LIQUID CONTAINED THEREIN AS IT WAS REMOVED FROM THE GRINDING ZONE, AND MEANS OPERABLE TO RECEIVE SAID OVERSIZE MATERIAL FROM SAID SIZING MEANS AND RETURN THE SAME IN WET CONDITION THROUGH AND PAST SAID DISCHARGE MEANS DIRECTLY INTO SAID GRINDING ZONE OF THE MILL FOR FURTHER TREATMENT THEREBY BY TUMBLING AND SUBSTANTIAL AXIAL MOVEMENT THEREOF, THE LIQUID CONTAINED IN SAID RETURNED MATERIAL FACILITATING THE RETURN THEREOF TO SAID GRINDING ZONE.

Claim 4

A TUMBLING TYPE MILL FOR WET GRINDING FRIABLE MATERIAL AUTOGENOUSLY AND COMPRISING A DRUM HAVING OPPOSITE END WALLS RESPECTIVELY PROVIDED WITH FEED AND DISCHARGE OPENINGS THEREIN, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID DRUM FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS AXIS, MEANS WITHIN SAID DRUM OPERABLE TO MIX A CHARGE OF MIXED SIZE RANGES OF FRIABLE MATERIAL BY SUBSTANTIAL MOVEMENT IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION THEREIN WHILE ALL SIZES OF MATERIAL THEREIN ARE BEING COMMINUTED AUTOGENOUSLY SIMULTANEOUSLY IN WET CONDITION WITHIN THE GRINDING ZONE OF SAID MILL AND OF WHICH MATERIAL THE MAXIMUM SIZES THEREOF ARE CAPABLE OF SELF-REDUCTION, DISCHARGE MEANS INTERCONNECTED TO SAID DISCHARGE END WALL OF SAID DRUM AND HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING THERETHROUGH, SAID DISCHARGE MEANS BEING OPERABLE TO SEPARATE FROM SAID GRINDING ZONE OF SAID DRUM A WET MIXTURE OF A RANGE OF DESIRED FINE SIZES OF MATERIAL AND OVERSIZE MATERIAL COARSER THAN SAID DESIRED RANGES OF FINE MATERIAL, SIZING MEANS INTERCONNECTED TO SAID DISCHARGE END WALL AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH, SAID SIZING MEANS BEING SPACED AXIALLY OUTWARD FROM SAID DISCHARGE MEANS AND OPERABLE TO RECEIVE THEREFROM SAID WET MIXTURE OF RANGES OF SAID FINE SIZES AND OVERSIZE MATERIAL DISCHARGED THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE MEANS AND SEPARATE A RANGE OF DESIRED FINE SIZES OF MATERIAL FROM SAID OVERSIZE MATERIAL, RETAINING MEANS WITHIN SAID SIZING MEANS OPERABLE TO RETAIN WITHIN THE OVERSIZE MATERIAL REMOVAL FROM SAID MILL AT LEAST SOME OF THE LIQUID CONTAINED THEREIN AS IT WAS REMOVED FROM THE GRINDING ZONE, AND MEANS OPERABLE TO RECEIVE SAID OVERSIZE MATERIAL FROM SAID SIZING MEANS AND RETURN THE SAME IN WET CONDITION THROUGH AND PAST SAID DISCHARGE MEANS DIRECTLY INTO SAID GRINDING ZONE OF THE MILL FOR FURTHER TREATMENT THEREBY BY TUMBLING AND SUBSTANTIAL AXIAL MOVEMENT THEREOF, THE LIQUID CONTAINED IN SAID RETURNED MATERIAL FACILITATING THE RETURN THEREOF TO SAID GRINDING ZONE.