Method and apparatus for sink and float separation for minerals of small particle size

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FINE MINERAL PARTICLES FROM HEAVIER MINERAL PARTICLES IN A RAW FEED MIXTURE THEREOF, COMPRISING: A MAIN SEPARATORY VESSEL; INPUT MEANS FOR FEEDING FLUID INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SEPARATORY VESSEL WITH AN UPWARD CIRCULATING MOTION; MEANS FOR FEEDING A MIXTURE OF RAW FEED MATERIAL INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF THE SEPARATORY VESSEL; MEANS FOR CAUSING SAID RAWFEED MIXTURE TO DISTRIBUTE EVENLY INTO THE VESSEL; MEANS FOR CATCHING LIGHTER PARTICLES FLOATED FROM SAID RAW FEED AND FLUID MIXTURE IN THE SEPARATORY VESSEL; OUTLET MEANS AT THE LOWER REGION OF THE SEPARATORY VESSEL FOR EXIT OF HEAVIER SINK PARTICLES FROM SAID RAW FEED MIXTURE PROCESSED IN SAID VESSEL; SIPHON MEANS FOR REMOVING SAID SINK PARTICLES FROM SAID DISCHARGE OUTLET TO A DISPOSAL MEANS; BOOSTER CONTROL MEANS OPERABLY ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH SIPHON REMOVAL MEANS FOR PASSAGE OF FLUID THERETHROUGH TO INDUCE FLOW OF THE HEAVIER SINKS THROUGH THE SIPHON REMOVAL MEANS, SUPPLEMENTING THE STATIC HEAD IN THE SIPHON DUE TO THE FLUID AND RAW FEED MIXTURE IN THE SEPARATORY VESSEL, A SUMP FOR STORING DENSE MEDIA SLURRY; PUMP MEANS FOR CIRCULATING SAID DENSE MEDIA SLURRY FROM SAID SUMP, AND CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE OUTLET OF SAID PUMP MEANS WITH SAID INPUT MEANS, WHEREBY DENSE MEDIA SLURRY IS FED TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SEPARATORY VESSEL, SAID SIPHON BOOSTER CONTROL MEANS ALSO BEING CONNECTED WITH THE OUTPUT OF SAID SUMP PUMP BY SECOND CONDUIT MEANS SO THAT THE PUMP CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY FEED DENSE MEDIA SLURRY TO BOTH THE SEPARATORY VESSEL INPUT MEANS AND THE SIPHON BOOSTER CONTROL MEANS.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FINE MINERAL PARTICLES FROM HEAVIER MINERAL PARTICLES IN A RAW FEED MIXTURE THEREOF, COMPRISING: A MAIN SEPARATORY VESSEL; INPUT MEANS FOR FEEDING FLUID INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SEPARATORY VESSEL WITH AN UPWARD CIRCULATING MOTION; MEANS FOR FEEDING A MIXTURE OF RAW FEED MATERIAL INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF THE SEPARATORY VESSEL; MEANS FOR CAUSING SAID RAWFEED MIXTURE TO DISTRIBUTE EVENLY INTO THE VESSEL; MEANS FOR CATCHING LIGHTER PARTICLES FLOATED FROM SAID RAW FEED AND FLUID MIXTURE IN THE SEPARATORY VESSEL; OUTLET MEANS AT THE LOWER REGION OF THE SEPARATORY VESSEL FOR EXIT OF HEAVIER SINK PARTICLES FROM SAID RAW FEED MIXTURE PROCESSED IN SAID VESSEL; SIPHON MEANS FOR REMOVING SAID SINK PARTICLES FROM SAID DISCHARGE OUTLET TO A DISPOSAL MEANS; BOOSTER CONTROL MEANS OPERABLY ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH SIPHON REMOVAL MEANS FOR PASSAGE OF FLUID THERETHROUGH TO INDUCE FLOW OF THE HEAVIER SINKS THROUGH THE SIPHON REMOVAL MEANS, SUPPLEMENTING THE STATIC HEAD IN THE SIPHON DUE TO THE FLUID AND RAW FEED MIXTURE IN THE SEPARATORY VESSEL, A SUMP FOR STORING DENSE MEDIA SLURRY; PUMP MEANS FOR CIRCULATING SAID DENSE MEDIA SLURRY FROM SAID SUMP, AND CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE OUTLET OF SAID PUMP MEANS WITH SAID INPUT MEANS, WHEREBY DENSE MEDIA SLURRY IS FED TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SEPARATORY VESSEL, SAID SIPHON BOOSTER CONTROL MEANS ALSO BEING CONNECTED WITH THE OUTPUT OF SAID SUMP PUMP BY SECOND CONDUIT MEANS SO THAT THE PUMP CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY FEED DENSE MEDIA SLURRY TO BOTH THE SEPARATORY VESSEL INPUT MEANS AND THE SIPHON BOOSTER CONTROL MEANS.