Tapered ore leaching vessel

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR LEACHING ORE, AN UPRIGHT ELONGATE WALLED VESSEL OF TAPERED FORM HAVING A MINIMUM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AT THE UPPERMOST END THEREOF EMLARGING TO A MAXIMUM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA PROXIMATE THE LOWER END THEREOF FOR CONTAINING SAID ORE, A PLURALITY OF MANIFLODS CONNECTED TO SAID VESSEL AT A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED-APART LOCATIONS ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID VESSEL BETWEEN SAID UPPERMOST END AND SAID LOWER END THEREOF EACH OF SAID MANIFOLDS HAVING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL PASSAGES COMMUNICATING SAID MANIFOLDS TO SAID VESSEL FOR INJECTING LEACHING SOLUTION ALONG THE VESSEL AT EACH SAID VERTICALLY SPACED-APART LOC INTO ON, A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL VERTICALLY AND LATERALLY SPACED-APART PASSAGES PROXIMATE AND WITHIN THE LOWER END OF SAID VESSEL FOR INJECTING FLUID UPWARD INTO SAID VESSEL, A PLURALITY OF CHANNELS IN SPACED-APART RELATIONSHIP AND VARYING HEIGHTS, EACH OF SAID CHANNELS HAVING A TRAPDOOR MOUNTED AT THE UPPER END THEREOF ADAPTED TO BE SELECTIVELY OPENED TO RECEIVE THE SPENT ORE, SAID TRAPDOORS BEING AT DIFFERENT VERTICAL HEIGHTS RELATIVE TO SAID LOWER END OF SAID VESSEL FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF SPENT ORE DOWN THROUGH THE VESSEL AND AVOIDING CONGESTION OF SAID SPENT ORE, A CENTER WALL PROXIMATE THE LOWER END OF SAID VESSEL AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID VESSEL TO SERVE AS A DIVIDER BETWEEN TWO COMMON AREAS INTO WHICH SAID

Claim 3

An apparatus for the chemical extraction of metal from tonnage of low grade ore in a continuous leaching cycle to allow maximum contact between the surface area of ore and the leaching liquor, and to avoid compaction within the center of the apparatus, said apparatus comprising: an upright elongate walled vessel of tapered form, being greater in height than width and having a minimum cross-sectional area at the uppermost end thereof enlarging, at a uniformly changing rate, along the height thereof to a maximum cross-sectional area proximate the lower end thereof, said vessel having an opening at the top of said uppermost end, exposed to light, for the loading of tonnage of low grade ore into said opening to permit said ore and leaching liquor to move by gravity means downward and outward following the shape of said vessel, wherein the metal from said ore is dissolved in said leaching liquor as a result of an oxidation reduction reaction and the pregnant liquor solution is conveniently removed from said vessel for subsequent precipitation of the dissolved metal, a plurality of manifolds connected to said vessel at a plurality of vertically spaced-apart locations along the height of said vessel, each of said manifolds having a plurality of individual passages communicating said manifolds to said vessel and to inject leaching liquor into said vessel across the width of said vessel at each said vertically spaced-apart location, a plurality of individual vertically and laterally spaced-apart passages proximate and within said lower end of said vessel for injecting air upward into said vessel to replenish air consumed in said oxidation reduction reaction which is catalyzed by bacteria, which thrive in the absence of bright light, at least one upstanding hollow elongate chamber adjacent to said walled vessel and having an open base portion on said chamber communicating with the interior of said vessel into which the sand and fines and pregnant liquor containing the dissolved metal will flow, fluid removal means connected to said chamber intermediate the ends thereof and adapted to remove said pregnant liquor from said chamber at a fluid level higher than said open base portion, said sand and fines being allowed to settle out proximate said open base portion at a level below which said pregnant liquor is removed from said chamber, a plurality of channels in spaced-apart relationship and varying heights, each of said channels having a trapdoor mounted at the upper end thereof adapted to be selectively opened to receive the spent ore, said trapdoors being at different vertical heights relative to said lower end of said vessel for regulating the flow of spent ore down through the vessel and avoiding congestion of said spent ore, and a center wall proximate the lower end of said vessel and perpendicular to the bottom wall of said vessel to serve as a divider between two common areas into which said spent ore will flow when said trapdoors are selectively opened.

Claim 4

An apparatus for the chemical extraction of metal from tonnage of low grade ore in a continuous leaching cycle to allow maximum contact between the surface area of ore and the leaching liquor, and to avoid compaction within the center of the apparatus, said apparatus comprising: an upright elongate walled vessel of tapered form, being greater in height than width and having a minimum cross-sectional area at the uppermost end thereof enlarging, at a uniformly changing rate, along the height thereof to a maximum cross-sectional area proximate the lower end thereof, said vessel having an opening at the top of said uppermost end, exposed to light, for the loading of tonnage of low grade ore into said opening to permit said ore and leaching liquor to move by gravity means downward and outward following the shape of said vessel, wherein the metal from said ore is dissolved in said leaching liquor as a result of an oxidation reduction reaction and the pregnant liquor solution is conveniently removed from said vessel for subsequent precipitation of the dissolved metal, a plurality of manifolds connected to said vessel at a plurality of vertically spaced-apart locations along the height of said vessel, each of said manifolds having a plurality of individual passages communicating said manifolds to said vessel and to inject leaching liquor into said vessel across the width of said vessel at each said vertically spaced-apart location, a plurality of individual vertically and laterally spaced-apart passages proximate and within said lower end of said vessel for injecting air upward into said vessel to replenish air consumed in said oxidation reduction reaction which is catalyzed by bacteria, which thrive in the absence of bright light, at least one upstanding hollow elongate chamber adjacent to said walled vessel and having an open base portion on said chamber communicating with the interior of said vessel into which the sand and fines and pregnant liquor containing the dissolved metal will flow, fluid removal means connected to said chamber intermediate the ends thereof and adapted to remove said pregnant liquor from said chamber at a fluid level higher than said open base portion, said sand and fines being allowed to settle out proximate said open base portion at a level below which said pregnant liquor is removed from said chamber, a plurality of channels in spaced-apart relationship and varying heights, each of said channels having a trapdoor mounted at the upper end thereof adapted to be selectively opened to receive the spent ore, said trapdoors being at different vertical heights relative to said lower end of said vessel for regulating the flow of spent ore down through the vessel and avoiding congestion of said spent ore, and a center wall proximate the lower end of said vessel and perpendicular to the bottom wall of said vessel to serve as a divider between two common areas into which said spent ore will flow when said trapdoors are selectively opened.

Claim 5

An apparatus for the chemical extraction of metal from tonnage of low grade ore in a continuous leaching cycle to allow maximum contact between the surface area of ore and the leaching liquor, and to avoid compaction within the center of the apparatus, said apparatus comprising: an upright elongate walled vessel of tapered form, being greater in height than width and having a minimum cross-sectional area at the uppermost end thereof enlarging, at a uniformly changing rate, along the height thereof to a maximum cross-sectional area proximate the lower end thereof, said vessel having an opening at the top of said uppermost end, exposed to light, fOr the loading of tonnage of low grade ore into said opening to permit said ore and leaching liquor to move by gravity means downward and outward following the shape of said vessel, wherein the metal from said ore is dissolved in said leaching liquor as a result of an oxidation reduction reaction and the pregnant liquor solution is conveniently removed from said vessel for subsequent precipitation of the dissolved metal, a plurality of manifolds connected to said vessel at a plurality of vertically spaced-apart locations along the height of said vessel, each of said manifolds having a plurality of individual passages communicating said manifolds to said vessel and to inject leaching liquor into said vessel across the width of said vessel at each said vertically spaced-apart location, a plurality of individual vertically and laterally spaced-apart passages proximate and within said lower end of said vessel for injecting air upward into said vessel to replenish air consumed in said oxidation reduction reaction which is catalyzed by bacteria, which thrive in the absence of bright light, at least one upstanding hollow elongate chamber adjacent to said walled vessel and having an open base portion on said chamber communicating with the interior of said vessel into which the sand and fines and pregnant liquor containing the dissolved metal will flow, fluid removal means connected to said chamber intermediate the ends thereof and adapted to remove said pregnant liquor from said chamber at a fluid level higher than said open base portion, said sand and fines being allowed to settle out proximate said open base portion at a level below which said pregnant liquor is removed from said chamber, a plurality of channels in spaced-apart relationship and varying heights, each of said channels having a trapdoor mounted at the upper end thereof adapted to be selectively opened to receive the spent ore, said trapdoors being at different vertical heights relative to said lower end of said vessel for regulating the flow of spent ore down through the vessel and avoiding congestion of said spent ore, a center wall proximate the lower end of said vessel and perpendicular to the bottom wall of said vessel to serve as a divider between two common areas into which said spent ore will flow when said trapdoors are selectively opened, a plurality of pistons having at least two forked arms in a juxtaposed relationship to said trapdoors, a plurality of hydraulic cylinders proximate and within said lower end of said vessel, each said cylinder adapted to contain each said piston, each said cylinder supported by forked pillars which provide an arch under which the spent ore can be allowed to fall to the bottom of said vessel, and a plurality of conventional hinges, each said hinge secured to the center of each said trapdoor so that when each said piston is raised by each said hydraulic cylinder, said forked arms of each said piston will cause each said trapdoor to move upward taking the shape of an inverted-V when it is fully opened, thus permitting a passage for the movement of spent ore around each said trapdoor as the opposite ends of each said trapdoor draw closer together.

Claim 6

An apparatus for the chemical extraction of metal from tonnage of low grade ore in a continuous leaching cycle to allow maximum contact between the surface area of ore and the leaching liquor, and to avoid compaction within the center of the apparatus, said apparatus comprising: an upright elongate walled vessel of tapered form, being greater in height than width and having a minimum cross-sectional area at the uppermost end thereof enlarging, at a uniformly changing rate, along the height thereof to a maximum cross-sectional area proximate the lower end thereof, said vessel having an opening at the top of said uppermost end, exposed to light, fOr the loading of tonnage of low grade ore into said opening to permit said ore and leaching liquor to move by gravity means downward and outward following the shape of said vessel, wherein the metal from said ore is dissolved in said leaching liquor as a result of an oxidation reduction reaction and the pregnant liquor solution is conveniently removed from said vessel for subsequent precipitation of the dissolved metal, a plurality of manifolds connected to said vessel at a plurality of vertically spaced-apart locations along the height of said vessel, each of said manifolds having a plurality of individual passages communicating said manifolds to said vessel and to inject leaching liquor into said vessel across the width of said vessel at each said vertically spaced-apart location, a plurality of individual vertically and laterally spaced-apart passages proximate and within said lower end of said vessel for injecting air upward into said vessel to replenish air consumed in said oxidation reduction reaction which is catalyzed by bacteria, which thrive in the absence of bright light, at least one upstanding hollow elongate chamber adjacent to said walled vessel and having an open base portion on said chamber communicating with the interior of said vessel into which the sand and fines and pregnant liquor containing the dissolved metal will flow, fluid removal means connected to said chamber intermediate the ends thereof and adapted to remove said pregnant liquor from said chamber at a fluid level higher than said open base portion, said sand and fines being allowed to settle out proximate said open base portion at a level below which said pregnant liquor is removed from said chamber, a plurality of channels in spaced-apart relationship and varying heights, each of said channels having a trapdoor mounted at the upper end thereof adapted to be selectively opened to receive the spent ore, said trapdoors being at different vertical heights relative to said lower end of said vessel for regulating the flow of spent ore down through the vessel and avoiding congestion of said spent ore, a center wall proximate the lower end of said vessel and perpendicular to the bottom wall of said vessel to serve as a divider between two common areas into which said spent ore will flow when said trapdoors are selectively opened, a plurality of pistons having at least two forked arms in a juxtaposed relationship to said trapdoors, a plurality of hydraulic cylinders proximate and within said lower end of said vessel, each said cylinder adapted to contain each said piston, each said cylinder supported by forked pillars which provide an arch under which the spent ore can be allowed to fall to the bottom of said vessel, and a plurality of conventional hinges, each said hinge secured to the center of each said trapdoor so that when each said piston is raised by each said hydraulic cylinder, said forked arms of each said piston will cause each said trapdoor to move upward taking the shape of an inverted-V when it is fully opened, thus permitting a passage for the movement of spent ore around each said trapdoor as the opposite ends of each said trapdoor draw closer together.

Claim 7

An apparatus for the chemical extraction of metal from tonnage of low grade ore in a continuous leaching cycle to allow maximum contact between the surface area of ore and the leaching liquor, and to avoid compaction within the center of the apparatus, said apparatus comprising: an upright elongate walled vessel of tapered form, being greater in height than width and having a minimum cross-sectional area at the upper most end thereof enlarging, at a uniformly changing rate, along the height thereof to a maximum cross-sectional area proximate the lower end thereof, said vessel having an opening at the top of said uppermost end, exposed to light, for the loading of tonnage of low grade ore into said opening to permit said ore and leaching liquor to move by gravity means dowNward and outward following the shape of said vessel wherein the metal from said ore is dissolved in said leaching liquor as a result of an oxidation reduction reaction and the pregnant liquor solution is conveniently removed from said vessel for subsequent precipitation of the dissolved metal, a plurality of manifolds connected to said vessel at a plurality of vertically spaced-apart locations along the height of said vessel, each of said manifolds having a plurality of individual passages communicating said manifolds to said vessel and to inject leaching liquor into said vessel across the width of said vessel at each said vertically spaced-apart location, a plurality of individual vertically and laterally spaced-apart passages proximate and within said lower end of said vessel for injecting air upward into said vessel to replenish air consumed in said oxidation reduction reaction which is catalyzed by bacteria, which thrive in the absence of bright light, at least one upstanding hollow elongate chamber adjacent to said walled vessel and having an open base portion on said chamber communicating with the interior of said vessel into which the sand and fines and pregnant liquor containing the dissolved metal will flow, fluid removal means connected to said chamber intermediate the ends thereof and adapted to remove said pregnant liquor from said chamber at a fluid level higher than said open base portion said sand and fines being allowed to settle out proximate said open base portion at a level below which said pregnant liquor is removed from said chamber, a plurality of channels in spaced-apart relationship and varying heights, each of said channels having a trapdoor mounted at the upper end thereof adapted to be selectively opened to receive the spent ore, said trapdoors being at different vertical heights relative to said lower end of said vessel for regulating the flow of spent ore down through the vessel and avoiding congestion of said spent ore, a center wall proximate the lower end of said vessel and perpendicular to the bottom wall of said vessel to serve as a divider between two common areas into which said spent ore will flow when said trapdoors are selectively opened, a plurality of pistons having at least two forked arms in a juxtaposed relationship to said trapdoors, a plurality of hydraulic cylinders proximate and within said lower end of said vessel, each said cylinder adapted to contain each said piston, each said cylinder supported by forked pillars which provide an arch under which the spent ore can be allowed to fall to the bottom of said vessel, a plurality of conventional hinges, each said hinge secured to the center of each said trapdoor so that when each said piston is raised by each said hydraulic cylinder, said forked arms of each said piston will cause each said trapdoor to move upward taking the shape of an inverted V when it is fully opened, thus permitting a passage for the movement of spent ore around each said trapdoor as the opposite ends of each said trapdoor draw closer together, and a plurality of regulated doors in spaced-apart relationship at the bottom of said vessel, beneath said hydraulic cylinders, for maintaining an even flow of spent ore through said vessel, each said regulated door adapted to be selectively opened for removal of said spent ore after said spent ore has passed into said common areas.

Claim 8

An apparatus for the chemical extraction of metal from tonnage of low grade ore in a continuous leaching cycle to allow maximum contact between the surface area of ore and the leaching liquor, and to avoid compaction within the center of the apparatus, said apparatus comprising: an upright elongate walled vessel of tapered form, being greater in height than width and having a minimum cross-sectional area at the upper most end thereof enlarging, at a uniformly changing rate, along the height thereof to a maximum cross-sectional area proximate the lower end thereof, said vessel having an opening at the top of said uppermost end, exposed to light, for the loading of tonnage of low grade ore into said opening to permit said ore and leaching liquor to move by gravity means dowNward and outward following the shape of said vessel wherein the metal from said ore is dissolved in said leaching liquor as a result of an oxidation reduction reaction and the pregnant liquor solution is conveniently removed from said vessel for subsequent precipitation of the dissolved metal, a plurality of manifolds connected to said vessel at a plurality of vertically spaced-apart locations along the height of said vessel, each of said manifolds having a plurality of individual passages communicating said manifolds to said vessel and to inject leaching liquor into said vessel across the width of said vessel at each said vertically spaced-apart location, a plurality of individual vertically and laterally spaced-apart passages proximate and within said lower end of said vessel for injecting air upward into said vessel to replenish air consumed in said oxidation reduction reaction which is catalyzed by bacteria, which thrive in the absence of bright light, at least one upstanding hollow elongate chamber adjacent to said walled vessel and having an open base portion on said chamber communicating with the interior of said vessel into which the sand and fines and pregnant liquor containing the dissolved metal will flow, fluid removal means connected to said chamber intermediate the ends thereof and adapted to remove said pregnant liquor from said chamber at a fluid level higher than said open base portion said sand and fines being allowed to settle out proximate said open base portion at a level below which said pregnant liquor is removed from said chamber, a plurality of channels in spaced-apart relationship and varying heights, each of said channels having a trapdoor mounted at the upper end thereof adapted to be selectively opened to receive the spent ore, said trapdoors being at different vertical heights relative to said lower end of said vessel for regulating the flow of spent ore down through the vessel and avoiding congestion of said spent ore, a center wall proximate the lower end of said vessel and perpendicular to the bottom wall of said vessel to serve as a divider between two common areas into which said spent ore will flow when said trapdoors are selectively opened, a plurality of pistons having at least two forked arms in a juxtaposed relationship to said trapdoors, a plurality of hydraulic cylinders proximate and within said lower end of said vessel, each said cylinder adapted to contain each said piston, each said cylinder supported by forked pillars which provide an arch under which the spent ore can be allowed to fall to the bottom of said vessel, a plurality of conventional hinges, each said hinge secured to the center of each said trapdoor so that when each said piston is raised by each said hydraulic cylinder, said forked arms of each said piston will cause each said trapdoor to move upward taking the shape of an inverted V when it is fully opened, thus permitting a passage for the movement of spent ore around each said trapdoor as the opposite ends of each said trapdoor draw closer together, and a plurality of regulated doors in spaced-apart relationship at the bottom of said vessel, beneath said hydraulic cylinders, for maintaining an even flow of spent ore through said vessel, each said regulated door adapted to be selectively opened for removal of said spent ore after said spent ore has passed into said common areas.