Method and apparatus for beneficiating minerals

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR BENDFICIATING MINERALS COMPRISING: FEEDER MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A FEED OF A MINERAL SLURRY AT CONSTANT VOLUME AND PRESSURE, A HYDROCYCLONE FOR EFFECTING A PRELIMINARY PARTICLE SIZE SEPARATION INTO A LIGTER FINES PHASE AND A DENSER MINERAL PHASE OF SAID MINERAL SLURRY, MEANS FOR DELIVERING FEED SLURRY FROM SAID FEEDER MEANS TO SAID HYDROCYCLONE, A DESLIMER, MEANS FOR DELIVERING THE DENSER MINERAL PHASE OF SAID SLURRY FROM SAID HYDROCYCLONE TO SAID DESLIMER, MEANS SEPARATE FROM SAID DENSER MINERAL PHASE DELIVERY MEANS FOR INJECTING A FIRST AUXILIARY LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE HORIZONTALLY INTO SAID DESLIMER TO MOVE THE PARTICLES IN SAID SLURRY HORIZONTALLY THERETHROUGH, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A SECOND AUXILIARY LIQUID UPWARDLY INTO SAID DESLIMER UNDER A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO REMOVE THE SMALLER SLIME PARTICLES BUT NOT THE LARGER MINERAL PARTICLES, MEANS FOR DELIVERING THE OVERFLOW OF SLIME PARTICLES FROM SAID DESLIMER BACK TO SAID FEEDER MEANS FOR REINTRODUCTION INTO SAID HYDROCYCLONE, AND MEANS FOR DISCHARGING THE LARGER DESLIMED MINERAL PARTICLES FROM SAID DESLIMER.