Aligning and sorting bodies

Abstract

Abstract APPARATUS FOR SORTING BODIES ON THE BASIS OF THE IMPEDANCE-AFFECTING CHARACTERISTICS THEREOF, COMPRISING AN INCLINED TROUGH FORMED BY THE TROUGH-DEFINING SURFACES OF A PAIR OF CLOSELY SPACED ROTATING ROLLERS. THE ROLLERS ARE DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS LONGITUDINALLY, (I) AN UPPER SECTION OF MAJOR EXTEND CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF ONE ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL, (II) A NARROW INTERMEDIATE INSULATING SECTION, AND (III) A LOWER SECTION OF MINOR EXTENDT CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF ANOTHER ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL. BOIDES ARE FED INTO THE UPPER SECTION AND ARE ALIGNED AND CONVEYED DOWN THE TROUGH. WHEN IN TRANSIT THROUGH THE NARROW INTERMEDIATE SECTION, THEY COME INTO BRIDGING CONTACT WITH AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT INCLUDING THE UPPER AND LOWER SECTIONS OF THE TROUGH. AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL IS PRODUCED DIAGNOSTIC OF THE IMPEDANCE-AFFECTING CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH BODY, AND AFTER DISCHARGE FROM THE LOWER SECTION OF THE TROUGH, AN AIR BLAST IS ACTUATED AS REQUIRED TO AFFECT THE BODY''S TRAJECTORY OF FALL AND EFFECT SORTING. THE ROLLERS ARE PREFERABLY MODIFIED TO INCREASE THE NORMAL REACTION APPLIED TO THE BODIES IN THE CRITICAL SAMPLING REGION. THE APPARATUS IS USEFUL FOR SORTING LOW RESISTIVITY METALLIFEROUS ORE FROM BARREN ROCK, BUT CAN ALSO BE USED FOR SORTING BODIES HAVING THE SAME RESISTIVITY BUT WHOSE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS NONETHELESS DIFFER IN SUCH A WAY AS TO ENABLE A DIAGNOSTIC ELECTRICAL SIGNAL TO BE PRODUCED WHEN THEIR RESISTIVITIES ARE MEASURED.

Inventors

• 👤 Francis Bosworth Dwyer

Bibliographic Details