United States Patent [191

Rodgers
[54] CONTINUOUS FEED AND DISCHARGE
MINERAL CONCENTRATOR WITH RIFFLES ANGLED RELATIVE TO A LONGITUDINAL AXIS

[11] Patent Number:

[45] Date of Patent:

4,758,334
Jul. 19, 1988

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

9153 5/1916 United Kingdom .............. .. 209/504

[76]

Inventor:

Henry W. Rodgers, 9725 W. 21st Ave., Lakewood, Colo. 80215

OTHER PUBLICATIONS Robert H. Richards, Charles E. Locke, Reinhardt

[21] Appl. No.: 884,861 Jul. 16, 1986 [22] Filed:

Related US. Application Data

Schuhmann, Textbook of Ore Dressing, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1940, pp. 210-225. Primary Examiner-Kenneth M. Schor Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Gregg I. Anderson

[63] [5 1] [52] [58]

[57]

ABSTRACT

Continuation of Ser. No. 663,204, Oct. 22, 1984, aban

doned.
Int. Cl.4 .............................................. .. B0313 5/06

A mineral concentrator, including a main support base

interconnected to a deck by a ?exible support and an oscillator assembly, for recovery of free minerals from a mixture of screened raw materials is disclosed. A sym

US. Cl. .................................. .. 209/441; 209/443;

209/504; 209/506
Field of Search ............. .. 209/441, 442, 443, 437,

metrical deck is divided in equal parts by a longitudinal

center line plane and includes two sloping surfaces ex

209/506, 500, 504

tending laterally and longitudinally downwardly and

away from a feed end of said deck. Water and raw

[56]

References Cited U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

661,886 11/1900
678,793
680,938

Monell .............................. .. 209/441

Look
Paul

7/1901
8/1901

.. ....
... . ..... .. .

. . . . ..
. . . . ..

209/441
209/442

732,319
780,031

6/1903
1/ 1905

Rogers et al
Forster . . . . . . .

.... .. 209/441
. . . . .. 209/441

794,928
953,520

7/1905
3/1910

Dodd
Dykes

. ....
... .. ...

. . . ..
. . . ..

209/441
209/442

material are continuously supplied at the feed end of said deck and moved along the sloping surfaces. First riffles are de?ned in association with the sloping sur faces and generally perpendicularly to a fall line. The ?rst riffles intercept said raw material and terminate at a point allowing the water and entrained waste materi als to fall to the side of the deck for removal from

troughs positioned thereat. Relatively longer, narrower

and shallower second rif?es are interspersed parallel to

980,202
995,449

1/1911
6/1911

Christensen
Fronz .. ...

.... .. 209/441
. . . . .. 209/504

the ?rst rif?es for carrying relatively denser material

toward the concentrate end of the deck. Waste material is washed away from the relatively denser material. A
second water supply establishes a ?lm which covers the sloping surfaces and in which the raw material is en trained. The second riffles terminate and transfer con

1,116,246 11/1914 Crane 1,197,398 9/ 1916 Richards 1,282,108 10/1918 Nicholls

1,405,018 l/ 1922 Shepherd . ...... . . . . ..

209/441 209/441 209/345

209/485

1,423,777
1,429,845

7/ 1922
9/ 1922

Newman et a1.
Cooley . . . . . . .

.... .. 209/441
. . . . .. 209/506

1,442,186 l/l923 Sperry 1,534,536 4/ 1925 Meyer

1,593,728 7/ 1926 Stebbins ....... ..

209/441 209/481
209/ 504

centrate material to relatively wider and deeper third rif?es, which are also parallel to the ?rst and second

riffles, further separation of less dense minerals taking

place at the transfer. The third rif?es communicate with fourth riffles, parallel to said center line, which fourth
rif?es carry said concentrate to a discharge or collec

1,642,843
1,799,694
1,822,840

9/ 1927 Deister et al. .

4/ 1931
9/1931

209/441
209/441
. 209/504
. . . .. 209/485

1,781,810 11/1930 Dyer ............ ..

Lide ..... ..
Davis .. ... ... .

2,325,340

7/ 1943
4/1979

Oberdick ................... .. 209/504

tion trough.
6 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets

4,078,996
4,150,749

3/1978 Cohen-Alloro et al

.. 209/504

Stevens ............................. .. 209/437

US. Patent

Jul. 19,1988

Sheet 1 of 6

4,758,334

' US. Patent

Jul. 19, 1988

Sheet 3 0f 6

4,758,334

2.?

33

/28

I58

/56

' US. Patent

32

Jul. 19, 1988

Sheet 4 of6_

4,758,334

26

30

 US. Patent

Jul. 19, 1988

Sheet 5 of6

4,758,334

4,758,334

table is adjusted so that a relatively higher velocity is

CONTINUOUS FEED AND DISCHARGE MINERAL CONCENTRATOR WITH RIFFLES ANGLED RELATIVE TO A LONGITUDINAL AXIS
imparted in one oscillation direction than in the other direction. The result of the different velocities is a net

particle movement in the direction of lesser velocity.

5 The bumping table has identical velocities in either

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 663204 ?led Oct. 22, 1984 and now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to mineral concentra

direction along the longitudinal axis, but an intermittent force is applied directly to the deck in a direction
toward a head or feed end. The momentum of the raw

materials carries them toward the tall or discharge end. It is also common practice to separate gold from

tors which concentrate speci?ed, relatively dense min erals, particularly gold, from a raw material mixture containing both the concentrate and less dense particles of classi?ed sizes. The raw material is immersed in water and moved by the water and force of gravity over a separation surface which is in motion. More particu larly, the present invention relates to oscillating table concentrators of the type in which a preprocessed feed
material or raw material is continuously fed to a feed 20

concentrate produced by prior art devices by amalga

mation by mercury. The resultant amalgam is then re torted to separate the gold. The recovery percentage of ?ne-sized gold is low in all these processes.

The jerking and bumping tables continuously receive

raw material at the feed end and continuously discharge raw material and concentrate along particle ?ow paths. The entire surface or deck is laterally inclined down wardly a few degrees with respect to a horizontal plane
so that the water flows across the deck at about right

end of the concentrator and is continuously discharged from a discharge end of the concentrator, segregating denser minerals in the process. 2. Description of the Prior Art Particularly in connection with gold recovery, though useful in recovering other minerals as well, it is
known to wash a raw material mixture including rela

angles to the direction of oscillation. These tables are usually level with reference to a longitudinal attitude,

but might have a slight positive or negative inclination,

25

from the feed end to the discharge end. The separation surface includes a series of longitudinally extending
narrow rif?es. Typically, the rif?es are raised and may

tively denser particles over a moving, separation sur

be established by tacking tapered cleats on the surface

of the deck or may be formed of rubber, metal or other substances. In either event, the rif?es formed on the surface are relatively narrow and are all of equal cross

face. Waste materials, including tailings and middlings,

?ow with wash water to one portion of a concentrator

apparatus, while the mineral concentrate is collected and moved to another part of the concentrator appara tus as a result of a relatively higher density. It is com
mon practice to use water on the separation surface to

sectional dimensions at a given position along the length of the deck. Most rif?es extend substantially the length
of the deck and are numerous in number. Commonly, a

help stratify and move the raw material along various 35 series of raised or recessed rif?es taper along their length as the discharge end is approached. The rif?es ?ow paths established according to the different min terminate on a diagonal line, relative to a longitudinal eral speci?c gravities constituting the raw material. axis of the deck, de?ned by connecting ends of the The simplest concentrator is a gold pan wherein a rif?es. shaking and swirling action is imparted to the raw mate It is known to oscillate the deck by a single apparatus rial and water held in a pan. Lighter materials are sys 40 combining eccentrics, toggles and springs. Eccentrics tematically washed out of the pan, leaving the denser alone can be used as can cams, springs and bumping minerals and gold at the bottom of the pan. Gold pan posts in combination. However the deck is shaken, in a ning is an art that requires patience and skill in order to jerking table the velocity of the deck toward the feed separate gold from relatively dense mineral concen trates. It is also useful in processing only small volumes 45 end of the deck must be more rapid than toward the discharge end of the deck. As has been stated, this rela of raw material. tive velocity difference can be established in a bumping Another type of concentrator having intermittent table by an intermittent force applied to a deck other feed and discharge, as does panning, is the cradle or wise oscillating in each direction at the same velocity. rocker. An elevated screen receives the raw material to
This relative velocity difference tends to move the be processed and water is poured onto the raw material 50 raw material particles fed onto the deck along distinct washing the ?ne material through the screen. The ?ow paths, which paths are in direct relation to the coarse material of a greater size is removed from the particle size and density. The oscillation is in line with screen and thrown away. The cradle is rocked about a

longitudinal axis during the washing process and any

?ne material washed through the screen strikes a canvas apron, where some of the gold or mineral concentrate is held for recovery. From the apron, the raw material is washed over a series of rif?es transverse to the longitu

the orientation of the rif?es, i.e., along the longitudinal

axis. The denser minerals, such as gold, tend to lie in the rif?es and move toward the discharge end of the table. The lighter, less dense middlings and tailings, or waste raw material, tend to be displaced from the rif?es by denser minerals and washed out of the rif?es down the sloping surface of the deck to a side edge of the deck, rather than being moved to the discharge end.

dinal axis, where additional gold settles out, the waste material exiting at a tail end of the cradle. Again, gold is difficult to separate from dense mineral concentrates and the volume processed is quite small.

Jerking and bumping tables have a planar separation

surface or deck that is oscillated along a longitudinal
ples relating to the momentum of the particles of raw material moved by wash water across a single sloping surface comprising a deck. The oscillation of a jerking

On a rectangular table with longitudinally extending rif?es, there will be a separation line between ?ow paths essentially on the diagonal, separating the deck into two
discharge waste material while the remaining area of the deck and the rif?es extending therealong will tend
to carry concentrate to the concentrate or discharge

axis. Both jerking and bumping tables operate on princi 65 areas. The area of the deck nearest the feed end will

4,758,334

end. It is known to establish the separation line by a ?exible bend in the deck itself.

between the deck and a rigid support, the ?exible con

nection being variably oscillated by an prime mover

Of the several types of oscillating tables, the Wil?ey

table is the oldest and most widely used. It requires a substantial foundation or support in order to resist the stress of the vibration induced by oscillating the table at 240 cycles per minute. Motion is imparted to the table deck by a pitman driven by a crank and oscillating the

device of adjustable frequency and amplitude output.

It is another related object of the invention to provide
a prime mover device which can operate either in a

jerking mode, wherein relative speeds forward and

backward of the deck are different, or in a bumping

mode where relative forward and backward speeds are

the same and an intermittent bump causes material on the deck to move under its own momentum, or a combi

deck through two different toggles. A spring damps the

entire system. The frequency of oscillation can run from as low as 150 cycles per minute to as high as 290 cycles

nation of both movements for quicker, more ef?cient

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mineral concentrator of the continuous feed and contin the raw materials. The rif?es, either of the recessed or 5 uous discharge type that can be operated in series with raised cleat type, are tapered lengthwise and terminate other mining apparatus in a concentration and or sepa at the concentrate end. The rif?es are known to be ration process. square, sawtooth, or V-shaped in cross section. It is a still further object of the present invention to A modi?cation to the Wil?ey table, known as the provide a mineral concentrator wherein the deck has Butchart table, has a different orientation and design for sloping surfaces symmetrical about a vertical plane the continuous rif?es. Three distinct zones are de?ned through a longitudinal center line. upon the deck. A ?rst strati?cation zone is similar to In accordance with the objects of the invention, a Wil?ey and includes the deepest part of the rif?es. The mineral concentrator, particularly useful for concen ?rst zone is longitudinally adjacent a feed box at the trating dense minerals and even separating gold, in feed end of the deck. The second zone is a cleaning zone 25 cludes a rigid support base having mounted thereto a which consists of an area of rif?es bent up the sloping motor as a prime mover and a ?exible connection. The surface towards the water feed side of the deck, de?n ?exible connection is further connected to a deck super ing an angle with a longitudinal axis of the deck which imposed over the base, allowing longitudinal movement

per minute, the average being about 240 cycles per minute. The Wil?ey table also includes a tilting frame for varying the slope of the deck to meet variations in

concentration and separation of the mineral.

is out of longitudinal alignment with the rif?es in the of the deck under the in?uence of the motor over a ?rst strati?cation zone. The de?ection of these rif?es in 30 prede?ned relatively small distance. The motor rota the cleaning zone, and in combination with the slope of tively drives eccentric means connected to the deck, the deck, produces an uphill ?ow of material, reversing oscillating the deck relative to the base. the normal ?ow of material along the rif?es. The last The deck is symmetrical about a center line extending zone, called the discharge zone, is rif?ed like the ?rst longitudinally thereof, the center line bisecting the deck
zone and ends in an unriffled portion like a Wil?ey 35 into two laterally and longitudinally pitched sloping

surfaces. The concentrator is of the continuous feed and continuous discharge type. The feed area for raw mate when water washes the raw material over the rif?es and rials, which raw materials are screened and classi?ed to the waste in channels or troughs nearer the feed end and a predetermined size, is at a feed end of the deck, the at the downhill side of the deck. The cleaning zone 40 deck terminating at an end opposite in a discharge or imparts a different kind of action to the rif?es, a side concentrate end. Either side of the deck collects, ac shake similar to that of a vanner resulting in further cording to their speci?c gravities or densitites, rela strati?cation and cleaning of the raw material in this tively light waste materials or tailings, and relatively zone of rif?es. more dense and heavy minerals or middlings, which Another type of table has'come to be known as the 45 middlings displace the waste minerals which is dis

table.

In the Butchart table, strati?cation occurs quite early

Deister table. The Deister table differs from the Wil?ey table primarily in that it includes a deck that is not rectangular but rather more of a parallelogram shape.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE

carded. Denser materials to be concentrated move to

the discharge end.

At the feed end of the deck a ?at feed area receives the raw material and is in communication with a ?rst

INVENTION It is the principal object of the present invention to

provide a mineral concentrator that is so effective that it can separate ?ne gold from other dense minerals con tained in a mixture of a preprocessed feed material or
raw material.

water supply for moving the raw material onto the

sloping surfaces of the deck. Early strati?cation and

concentration of the raw material occurs here. The

sloping surfaces have longitudinally extending rif?es of varying length and varying depth and width formed
therein in an orientation generally perpendicular to the ?ow of water. The rif?es, which collect dense minerals, make an acute angle with the center line, measured relative to the feed end. A second feed water supply runs along the center

It is a related object of the present invention to pro

vide a mineral concentrator which has a deck that is

con?gured so that minerals like free gold can be sepa rated from less dense minerals which are very close in

line, about which the sloping surfaces are symmetric.

The center line is at the intersection of the sloping sur faces. The second water supply includes numerous out

density to the gold or other mineral being concentrated. It is a further related object of the present invention
to provide a mineral concentrator for the raw material

mixture having a deck con?guration that greatly in

lets along its length, each of which are adjustable as to the amount of water being discharged. Control of the creases the raw material feed rate and percentage of free 65 rate of feed of the ?rst feed water supply and second minerals recovered, particularly very ?ne free gold feed water supply, and the rate of oscilation of the entire on the order of minus twenty mesh. It is another object deck is used to establish the best conditions for concen of the present invention to provide a ?exible connection tration of a given mineral. A trough for both tailings

4,758,334

and for middlings is provided at either lateral side extent

of the deck, and a trough for concentrate at the concen

(FIGS. 5 and 6) of the deck 16, bisecting the deck 16 into two equal area symmetric sloping surfaces 32. The
second water supply 26 includes a plurality of water

trate end. Discharge holes are provided for all of the troughs from which materials can be washed away as
waste or collected as mineral concentrate.

outlets 28, each having a valve 30 for adjusting the

amount of water dispensed onto the deck 16. The deck

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mineral concentra tor of the invention. FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the invention shown in FIG. 1.

16 is divided either side of a vertical plane containing the center line 27 into the two sloping surfaces 32

(FIGS. 3 and 4), each extending downwardly from the

second water supply 26 to either lateral side edge of the deck 16 and from the feed end 20 downwardly to the

discharge end 22.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line The ?rst and second water supplies 24 and 26 respec 33 of FIG. 2. tively, generate a ?lm of water over the entire surface of FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the the deck 16. It will be understood that particles of raw plane of line 4-4 of FIG. 3. 15 material entrained within the water ?lm are of generally FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the invention shown in the same screened size but have different speci?c gravi FIG. 1, ?ow paths for raw material being shown in ties and densities. The particles ?ow down the sloping diagramatic form. surfaces 32 in different ?ow paths, as seen diagramically FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of a in FIG. 5. Lighter waste material, such as tailings 34, as deck of the invention shown in FIG. 1. 20 well as denser middlings 36, will tend to be washed FIG. 7a is a sectional view taken in the plane of line more directly down the sloping surfaces 32 toward the 77 of FIG. 6, arcuately shaped rif?es being seen in lateral side edges of the deck 16. The heavier more cross section. dense particles will tend to travel farther toward the FIG. 7b is an alternative embodiment to the rif?es discharge end 22, the heaviest concentrate mineral 37, shown in FIG. 70. 25 will travel to the discharge end 22, in a manner as will
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section a view taken in the
now be discussed.

rif?es 38, which are shown as grooves in the sloping ment of the invention. surfaces 32, but could be raised ridges, are formed in FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a second alternative each of the sloping surfaces 32 of the deck 16. The embondiment of the invention. rif?es 38 form an acute angle, relative to the feed end FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken trans 20, with the center line 27 of the deck 16. The rif?es 38 versely of a longitudinal center line of the deck showing form a path in which denser minerals will move and an alternative oscillator assembly. tend to displace lighter waste materials, which are FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line 35 washed away by water from the water supplies 24 and 12-12 of FIG. 11. 26. Once in the rif?es 38, the densest concentrate miner FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line als 37 will travel the distance to the discharge end 22 for 1313 of FIG. 11. recovery. FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line The main support base 12 includes a base platform 40 1414 of FIG. 13. which rests on the ground or underlying foundation FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line without the need for attachment thereto. The base plat 1515 of FIG. 13. form 40 is constructed from a pair of parallel lateral FIG. 16 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line braces 42 interconnected at respective ends by a pair of 16-16 of FIG. 15. longitudinal braces 44. The braces 42 and 44 de?ne a

plane of line 8-8 of FIG. 6. FIG. 9 is a top plan view of an alternative embodi

A plurality of generally longitudinally extending

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED

1 EMBODIMENTS

45

rectangular structure onto which three decking panels

46a, 46b and 46c are secured. Foot pads 47 are put at each corners where one of the lateral braces 42 joins to one of the longitudinal braces 44. Two triangular supports 50 are secured to each of the

A mineral concentrator 10 is seen in drawing FIGS. 1 through 4 to include a main support base 12, intercon nected to a deck 16 by a ?exible support 14 and an 50 longitudinal braces 44 at either side of the base platform

oscillator assembly 18 for imparting a mid-range fre

quency oscillation to the deck 16 relative to the main

40. The triangular supports 50 extend upwardly a pre

determined heighth conecting to an upper base struc ture 52. The upper base structure 52 is constructed from a second pair of lateral braces 54, interconnected by a
55

support base 12. The oscillator assembly 18 produces a mid-range frequency on the order of 190 to 300 cycles per minute in the deck 16 relative to the base 12.
The mineral concentrator 10 is of the continuous feed

pair of longitudinal braces 56. The lateral braces 54 generally superimpose the lateral bases 42, while the

and discharge type. A preprocessed feed material or

longitudinal braces 56 generally superimpose the longi

raw material (not speci?cally shown) is supplied to the

concentrator 10 at a feed end 20. Oscillatory motion, as

tudinal braces 44. The flexible support 14 is connected to the main sup will be described in detail, together with water impart 60 port base 12 at the triangular supports 50. A side sup

immediate strati?cation and a movement to the raw

materials from the feed end 20 toward a discharge or concentrate end 22. The raw materials have been previ ously screened and classi?ed to minus ten mesh as a

port brace 58 is rigidly connected between each pair of triangular supports 50. A rigid panel 59 also connects each pair of triangular supports 50. A ?rst ?exible panel
60 is connected to each of the two side support braces
65 58, as best seen in FIG. 4. The ?rst ?exible panel is

maximum size, but preferably minus twenty mesh.

A ?rst water supply 24 is located at the feed end 20, while a second water supplies 26 extends longitudinally along the deck 16 above a longitudinal center line 27

centered laterally (FIG. 3) with respect to the center

line 27 of the concentrator 10. The panel 60 is of gener

ally trapezoidal plan view, connecting along a bottom

4,758,334

edge to the side support braces 58 and at a top edge to a second panel 62 extending laterally a slightly greater distance than does the ?rst panel 60. At either lateral side edge, the second panel 62 rigidly connects to a pair of side struts 64 of ?at planar con?guration. The side struts 64 and second panels 62 de?ne a rigid box struc
ture 66 to which the deck 16 is connected, as will be

7 the upper base structure 52 between the lateral braces

54 near the feed end 20 of the concentrator 10. The stop

support includes a horizontal cross beam and a vertical

cross beam 100 and 102. At the exterior angle defined by the two cross beams 100 and 102, a vertical plate 104,

having a bumper stop pad 106, is attached. The vertical

plate is abutted by a horizontal plate 108 secured to the horizontal beam 100. A spring biased pivot arm 110 is pivotly connected at its midpoint to a support post 112.

described shortly, and which is ?exibly connected by

the ?exible panels 60 to the main support base 12.

The box structure 66 is connected to an underdeck 0 The support post 112 connects to the vertical cross

68, which underdeck is integrally formed with, bonded

beam 102 and projects perpendicularly away therefrom.

or otherwise connected, as by bolts, to the deck 16. The A contact end 114 of the pivot arm is laterally adjacent box struction 66 has three laterally extending cross to the pad 106 with the bumper 96 positioned intermedi beams 70a, 70b and 700. Cross beams 70a and 700 re ate thereof. A spring end 116 of the pivot arm 110 is ceive two bolts 72 (FIGS. 3 and 4) therethrough which 5 connected to one end of a spring 118, another end of the project upwardly away from the box structure 66. The spring 118 being connected to an adjustment bolt 120 cross beams 70a and 700 are connected to the panels 60 passing through the lateral brace 54 at the feed end 20 of of the box structure 66 and between the side struts 64. the concentrator 10. Adjustment of the tension in spring Cross beam 70b is connected by three bolts 72 to the 118 by threadably advancing or retracting the adjust underdeck 68 intermedrate cross beams 70a and 700. ment bolt 120 relative to the brace 54 controls the Cross beam 70b extends completely across the width of damping applied to the frequency assembly 94 and the deck 16 to provide lateral support, and is also con therefore the amplitude of the force applied to the deck. nected to the side struts 64. Spacers 74 on the bolts 72 The space between the contact end 114 of the pivot hold the underdeck 68 at a spaced distance above the arm 110 and the pad 106 of the frequency assembly 94 box structure 66. The bolts of cross beams 70a and 70c also determines the distance the deck travels during a are secured into the underdeck 68. A deck beam 73 cycle, thus changing the frequency of that movement. secured to the underdeck 68 receives the bolts 72 associ The closer together the stop pad 106 and the contact ated with cross beam 70b. The bolts 72 and spacers 74 end 114, the higher the frequency at which the deck 16 can be adjusted for lateral adjustment of the deck 16. It is oscillated by the oscillating assembly 18. The greater is seen that the underdeck 68 is connected to the box the distance between the contact end 114 and the stop
structure 66 as described.

pad 106, the lower the frequency but the greater the
distance the deck 16 travels before the direction of

The oscillator assembly 18, as previously mentioned,

also interconnects the main support base 12 to the deck
16. A motor 76 is bolted or otherwise secured to the

travel is reversed or interrupted, resulting in greater

force transmitted to the deck at a lower frequency, or
35 less force at a higher frequency.

decking panel 46b of the base platform 40. A pair of

longitudinal beams 78 are secured near a bottommost

It will be understood that the movement of the deck

edge of each of the side struts 64 of the box structure 66. Each of the longitudinal beams has secured thereto at

16 is under the impetus of the oscillator assembly 18. The pulley wheel 84 of the oscillator assembly 18 ro
tates in a clockwise direction as seen with reference to

approximately the center point along the length a pil

low block 80, each of which pillow blocks journals one 40 FIG. 4. The weight 85 imparts oscillation and velocity end of an axle 82. The axle 82, at a mid-point coincident to the deck when interrupted by the stop pad 106, raw with a vertical plane containing the center line 27, has material on the deck is thrown toward the discharge securely mounted thereon a pulley wheel 84 connected end 22, much like pulling a table cloth out from under a
by a belt 86 to a drive wheel 88 of the motor 76. The

dinner setting. The net result is that raw material on the

pulley wheel 84 has four spokes 90, one of which has 45 deck 16 moves from the feed end 20 toward the dis secured thereto a weight 85 near the outer periphery of charge end 22. the pulley wheel 84. Operationally, as the pulley wheel An alternative embodiment of the oscillator assem 84 is rotated, a rotary eccentric motion is imparted by bly, like parts being given prime suffixes, is seen in the weight 85 to the wheel 84 and axle 82, which motion FIGS. 11 through 16. The physical structure of the is transmitted through the pillow blocks 80 to the box 50 connection between the deck 16 and the box structure structure 66. The box structure 66 is free to move as a 66 and ?exible support 14' is essentially the same as has result of its connection to the main support 12 through been previously discussed and is best seen in FIG. 13. the ?exible connection 14. The motor 76' is secured to the upper base structure 52',
The oscillatory motion is seen at the deck 16 as an

rather than to the main support base 12, as was the case
55

in the preferred embodiment. An additional beam 190 extending between the lateral braces 54 of the upper brace structure 52' is provided, to which beam 190 the 22 as a result of the rotation of the wheel 84, the weight motor 76 is rigidly connected, as by bolting. The beam 85 and the frequency amplitude control 94. > 190 also supports a pillow block 192 which journals a The amplitude and frequency at which the oscillator 60 main drive axle 194 therethrough. The main drive axle assembly 18 oscillates the box structure 66 and con 194 extends either side of the beam 190. As seen in FIG. nected deck 16 is controlled by the frequency amplitude 12, the main drive axle 194 at one lateral side projection control assembly 94. (FIG. 4) A bumper 96 is connected from the beam 190 is secured to a pulley wheel 84', to the underdeck 68. The bumper 96 includes a horizon which pulley wheel 84' is turned by the motor 76' and tal portion connected, as by bolts, to the underdeck 68 65 belt 86. and a vertical portion extending downwardly from the At the other lateral side extent, the main drive axle underdeck toward, but not all the way to, the upper 194 is integrally formed or connected to an offset or base structure 52. A stop support 98 is connected across extension axle 196 (FIGS. 15 and 16). The geometric

alternating velocity interrupted by a frequency and

amplitude control 94. The velocity toward the feed end 20 is greater than the velocity toward the discharge end

4,758,334

10

line 27. A containment wall 124 extends around the outer periphery to hold the raw material and water. At vertical plane containing the center line 27 (FIG. 12). The extension wheel is in continuous contact with a the feed end 20, a feed end wall 126 extends perpendicu- second rubber edged wheel 202, preferably of the same larly away from the center line. Extending towards the dimension as the extension wheel 200. The second rub discharge end 22 at either termination of the feed end ber wheel 202 is connected to the underdeck 68' of the l0 wall 126, are a pair of ?rst side walls 128 extending deck 16 by an adjustable spacing means assembly 204 toward the discharge end 22 approximately thirty to

center of the extension axle 196 is displaced away from the geometric center of the main drive axle 194 a prees tablished offset distance 198. The extension axle 196 is secured to a rubber edged extension wheel 200, which extension wheel 200 is rotated by the motor 76 in a

faces 32. The underdeck 68 is connected by the bolts 72

to the box structure 66 as previously described. The deck is seen in FIG. 5 to be an irregular hexagon in the

plan view, symmetrical about the longitudinal center

second pair of side walls 130 form an obtuse angle with the ?rst side walls 128 and converge towards the dis 68, oriented transverse to the longitudinal center line 27 15 charge end 22. The second side walls 130 terminate at a of the concentrator. A pair of slide rods 208 are ?xedly discharge end wall 132, again oriented perpendicular to connected through the ?xed supports 206 in a parallel the center line bisecting the deck 16. relationship to each other at a spaced distance below the At either side of the deck 16, immediately adjacent to underdeck 68'. The slide rods 208 carry slidably there the second side walls 130, and extending from the con along a U-shaped wheel support 210 having a horizontal 20 nection of the second side walls 130 to the ?rst side portion 212 with bores therethrough within which walls 128, and for a predetermined distance along the bores the slide rods 208 are received. Two vertical length of the side wall 130, a tailings trough 134 is portions 214 of the support 210 extend away from the formed on either side of the deck. As best seen in FIG. underdeck 68 and receive an axle portion therethrough, 3, the tailings trough 134 is stepped down from the on which axle portion the second rubber wheel 202 is 25 lateral termination of the sloping surfaces 32 at step 135.

The adjustable spacing assembly 204 includes a pair of stationary supports 206 connected to the underdeck

(FIG. 14).

forty percent of the overall length of the deck 16. A

rotatably supported. One of the ?xed supports 206a receives threadably therethrough intermediate the posi
tions of the two slide rods 208 an adjustment bolt 218, one end of which is rotatably connected to the horizon

A separation wall 138 keeps tailings material 34 in the tailings trough 134 and away from a middlings trough 136. Inturn, the middlings trough 136 is separated from
a concentrate collection trough 140 by a second separa

tal portion 212 of the wheel support 210. Relative 30 tion wall 142. The concentrate collection trough 140 movement of the adjustment bolt 218 to the ?xed sup extends across the discharge end 22 of the deck 16 and port 206a moves the entire wheel support 210 and sec adjacent to the discharge end wall 132. ond wheel 202 relative to the ?xed position of the exten As will be discussed in more detail hereinafter, the sion wheel 200. tailings trough 134 receives light waste material or tail It will be understood by those of skill in the art, and ings 34 washed from the feed end 20 and funnels the from what has been previously said in relation to the tailings toward a tailings discharge hole 144 adjacent to ?rst embodiment of the oscillator assembly 18, that the ?rst separation wall 138. In a similar manner, rela rotation of the motor turns the extension wheel 200 in tively heavier raw material in the form of the middlings an eccentric manner. The second wheel 202 is con 36 is directed by the recessed rif?es 38 and the water tacted, moving the deck 16 in an oscillating manner 40 flow from the feed end 20 to the middlings trough 136 along a longitudinal axis thereof. and hence funnelled to the middling discharge hole 146 A bumper assembly 220 is constructed identically to adjacent the second separation wall 142. Concentrate the second rubber wheel 202 and adjustable spacing material 37 travels along the riffles 38 to the concentrate means assembly 204 just described. The bumper assem collection trough 140, and is discharged through a dis bly 220 is likewise connected to the underdeck 68. A 45 charge hole 147. wheel 222 of the bumper assembly is adjustable relative As best seen in FIG. 4, the sloping surfaces 32 of the to the rigid upper base structure 52 for intermittent deck 16 have a compound pitch or slope, a downward adjustable contact with a stop 224 secured to one of the longitudinal grade or pitch from the feed end 20 to the lateral braces 54 of the upper brace structure 52. A discharge end 22 and a lateral pitch from the center line spring 226, bolt 227 and rotatable connection 225 damp to the side edges. The longitudinal grade or pitch is the movement of the box structure 66' relative to the preferably about one quarter inch per lineal foot, while main support. the lateral pitch is preferably between three eighths and From the foregoing, it will be seen that the motor 76 one half inch per lineal foot. A steeper grade is followed and the structure attached thereto, including the adjust by the tailings trough 134 and the middlings trough 136 able spacing assembly 204 perform the same function as tending to direct their respective materials to the dis does the oscillator assembly 18 in the preferred embodi charge holes 144 and 146. A tailings ?ow path 148 is ment. Likewise, the bumper assembly 220 and bias in seen diagrammatically in FIG. 5 as is a middlings ?ow the spring 226 are adjustable for the same purpose as the path 150. A separation pattern can be seen diagrammati frequency control assembly 94 of the preferred embodi cally in FIG. 5. ment. Various ocsillatory motions can be created by use 60 The texture of the sloping surfaces 32 is important to of the various adjustments previously described. The the overall function of the concentrator 10. The sur
the intermittent forces available can be introduced to make a bumping table. Variations of both are available

faces 32 should not be smooth but rather toothy or textured. A desirable surface texture is achievable with chalkboard paint, an oil based paint with a powdered and may be used in best processing a given material. 65 silica, silicate or slate ?ller. The deck 16 is best seen in FIGS. 1, 3, and 5 through Within the containment wall 124 at the feed end 20 8. The deck 16 can be made of either metal or wood and and adjacent to the first water supply 24 is a feed area includes an integral area including the two sloping sur 152 onto which the raw material is initially placed into
concentrator 10 can operate as a jerking table, or one of

11

4,758,334

12

a hopper by a mechanical feeder (not shown) or is dis

charged from another concentrator. The feed area ex

materials. At the termination of these last rif?es 158, the tailings 34 follow the tailings ?ow pattern 148 to the

tends a relatively short distance of the length of the

deck, ten to twenty percent, and terminates at two side steps 154 which discharge the ?ne raw material and water from water supply 24 onto the sloping surfaces 32.

tailings trough 134 for disposal through the discharge

hole 144. At the termination of most of the rif?es 158,

the middlings 36, having previously displaced the ligh

ter tailings 34 adopt the middlings flow path 150 to the tailings trough 136, and are discharged through the

But for the area required for the troughs 134, 136 and middlings discharge hole 146 (FIG. 5). 140 and the feed area 152, the sloping surfaces 32 extend The longer ?ne rif?es 160 extend to a point where over the remaining area of the deck 16. The sloping 10 they discharge primarily concentrate 37 to a receiving surfaces 32 pitch downwardly both along the length of end of the relatively short third rif?es 167, which ex the deck from the feed end 20 to the discharge end 22 tend parallel to rif?es 158 and 160. Less dense middlings and laterally downward from the center line to the 34 do not reach the rif?es 167 on exiting a rif?e 160, and

troughs 134 and 136 (FIG. 3).

A fall line 156 is seen to be the line that an ideal per

join the middlings ?ow path 150. Each of the third

rif?es 167 is downstream of an associated ?ne rif?e 160 except for the first concentrate rif?e 1670, which re ceives any concentrate mineral that might have come from any of the upstream rif?es 158. The third rif?es

fectly spherical particle would take down either of the

sloping surfaces 32 were none of the rif?es 38 present.

Changing the pitch or inclination of the sloping sur faces, either laterally or longitudinally, alters the fall
line 156. Using the fall line 156 as a reference, the rif?es

38 are formed generally perpendicularly thereto. Mea suring an angle made by the rif?es 38 with the center line 27, referenced at the feed end 20, an acute angle is

de?ned between the center line and the rif?es 38 on the order of 20 to 35 degrees. It should be noted that once 25 The ?rst water supply 24 has a feed pipe 169 con the concentrator deck 16 is made, the fall line 156 re nected to a water utility supplier or other water source. mains ?xed, as does the orientation of the rif?es 38 The ?ow rate is governed by a valve 171. An outlet 173 relative thereto. Changing the orientation of the deck 16 carries water over the feed end wall 126 and discharges would alter the fall line and rif?e functions. Different it onto the feed area 152 with the raw material. The density materials and particle sizes are therefore con water supply 24 is not connected to the deck 16, which centrated by coordinating the frequency at which the oscillates beneath the outlet 173. oscillator assembly 18 moves the deck 16, the amplitude The second water supply 26 includes a longitudinally of the force transmitted to the deck 16 on each impact extending ?ow pipe 170 extending from the feed area of the bumper 96 against the stop pad 106, and the water 152 to the concentrate collection trough 140. A plural ?ow rates from the ?rst and second water supplies 24 ity of the valves 30 and the spigots or outlets 28 are and 26. formed in equal numbers and at equal positions along As seen in FIG. 5, the rif?es 38 extend from the ?rst the length of the feed pipe providing for independant side walls 128, terminating at ever increasing distances flow control of the amount of water passing onto the along the length of the deck 16. At the termination of a sloping surfaces 32. A support bracket 176 carries the given rif?e 38, the depth of the rif?e is tapered away to 40 terminal end of the feed pipe 170 while an inlet coupling terminate ?ush with the sloping surface 32 as seen in 178 brings water from below the deck 16 into communi FIG. 8. cation with the feed pipe 170. The inlet coupling 178 is The rif?es 38 are of four different types, three of ?exible rubber or the like to permit the unimpeded which are relatively wider and deeper 158, 167 and 168 oscillation of the deck 16. (FIGS. 6, 7a and 7b), and can be of arcuate or square 45 In operation, a ?lm of water is deposited across the cross section, preferably arcuate. With reference to entire deck surface including the feed area 152 and FIG. 5, the ?rst set of eight rif?es are of a relatively sloping surfaces 32. The rate of water supplied is gener

167 carry the mineral, such as gold, being concentrated to longitudinally extending fourth feed rif?es 168 which extend parallel to the center line 27 of the deck 16 carry ing the mineral or gold in the remainder of the length of the deck 16 and into the concentrate collection trough 140 for removal through hole 142.

larger type ?rst rif?e 158. These rif?es are particularly ally on the order of 5 to 20 gallons per minute, depend well-suited to receiving the raw material and keeping ing upon the particle size and particle density of the raw the concentrate 37 (FIGS. 7a and 7b). Beginning with 50 material being processed. Once the ?lm of water has the ninth rif?es, relatively shallower and narrower ?ne been established, raw material having a predetermined concentrating second rif?es 160 alternate with the rif size of between minus ten and minus twenty mesh is ?es 158 (FIG. 6). Both rif?es 158 and 160 start at the deposited in the feed area 152 from a continuous feed walls 128 and extend toward the discharge end 22. The hopper (not shown) or other raw material source at a ?ne rif?es 160 are on the order of one sixteenth to three preestablished controlled feed rate.
sixteenths of an inch across and one thirty-second to one

sixteenth of an inch deep. The rif?es 158, 167 and 168 are approximately one fourth to three eights of an inch
across and one sixteenth to one eighth of an inch deep.

The raw material is washed from the feed area 152 by its own inertia as the deck 16 is jerked or bumped out

Each of the concentrating second rif?es 160 extends a

from under the material by the oscillator assembly 18 operating at frequency of between 190 and 500 cycles per minute. Lighter tailings 34 materials has little mo
mentum and tend to be simply washed by the water

greater distance along the length of the deck 16 than does the corresponding ?rst rif?e 158. Most of the tailings 34 are washed directly down the sloping surfaces 32 to the tailings trough 134 for dis posal. Three other ?rst rif?es 158 near the edge of the deck 16 are relatively shorter than preceding rif?es 158. Material in these three riffles 158 is primarily tailings displaced from preceding rif?es 158 and 160 by denser

down to the tailings trough 134 along the tailings flow path 148.

Relatively heavier middlings 36 material, including

possibly some material which is to be concentrated,

takes the intermediate middlings flow path 150, which

generally follows the termination of the ?rst rif?es 158, to the middlings trough 136.

13

4,758,334

14

The heaviest most dense concentrate 37 tend to stay 1. A mineral concentrator device for a raw material in the bottoms of the rif?es 38 and ultimately move to mixture having particles of a size less than a preestab one of the second rif?es 160. Once in one of the rif?es lished maximum and of different physical densities, comprising in combination: 160, the concentrate 37 has suf?cient mass relative to its a deck connected to a support base by a ?exible con particle size so as to ride in the bottom of the rif?e 160 5 nection and an adjustable frequency oscillation until its termination, as seen in FIG. 8. Upon termina

tion of one of the second rif?es 160, the gold or other

mineral is further concentrated and cleaned at this

means for intermittently moving said deck along a

longitudinal axis thereof at a selected frequency and at a higher velocity toward a feed end of said

point, and is then transferred into the third rif?es 167,

any middlings 36 being separated to join the middlings

?ow path 148. The concentrate 37 moves along the fourth rif?es 168 to the concentrate trough 140 for collection.

deck than the velocity toward a discharge end of said deck, said deck including a ?at planar feed
area for receiving raw material and wash water

In summary, the orientation of the sloping surface 32, the various types and orientations of the rif?es 158, 160, 5
167 and 168 separate the concentrate 37 from the re

from a ?rst water supply said ?rst water supply providing said wash water to said feed area and said deck having a sloping surface with a down

ward pitch longitudinally and laterally from said

feed area downwardly terminating at two lateral

maining raw material at several stages throughout the

movement of the raw material from the feed end 20 to

opposite side edges in a waste trough for carrying

away relatively less dense waste material and at the

the discharge end 22. As will be understood by those of skill in the art, variation of the frequency of oscillation 20 and energy applied, the water ?ow rate, and the rate of
feed of raw materials, all will have an effect on the movement on the raw materials. The raw material feed

discharge end terminating in a discharge trough for receiving relatively denser concentrate material, a

second water supply extending longitudinally

along the center of and adjacent to said deck, said second water supply having a plurality of water outlets therealong associated with said sloping
surface, a first set of grooves formed near said feed

rate is dependent on deck size, but is between two hun 25 dred fifty and two thousand pounds per hour, for a relatively dense raw material and for a deck of between eighteen square feet and forty-?ve square feet of total surface area. The frequency control assembly 94 is used

for adjustment of the frequency and energy applied,

while the valves 30 are used to ?ne tune the water flow

end associated with the sloping surface of said deck, the ?rst set of grooves being of relatively greater depth and width for receiving raw materi

rate for the best possible yeilds of concentrate 37. Alternative embodiments of the rif?es and deck of
the invention are seen in FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9,

als, said first set of grooves extending generally longitudinally and forming an acute angle with said
second water supply relative to the feed end of the
deck, said ?rst set of grooves further oriented so that wash water and entrained raw materials enter

wherein like elements are given the same number as the preferred embodiment with a prime suf?x, is very simi lar to the preferred embodiment, absent only second, third, and fourth rif?es 160, 167 and 168. In other re
spects the concentrator 10' of FIG. 9 operates in a simi lar manner. The embodiment of FIG. 9 is best used for

high volume applications with large particles, raw ma

terial feed rates of one thousand pounds per hour for a

said ?rst set of grooves along a ?ow path essen tially perpendicular to the ?rst set of grooves, a second set of grooves of relatively lesser depth and width than said ?rst grooves formed in said deck, said second grooves extending a greater linear distance from said feed end than said first grooves, said second grooves for receiving relatively more

forty-?ve square foot deck surface area, to initially

concentrate a mineral or gold.

dense material which displaces lighter materials in

said second grooves, said second grooves oriented

preferred embodiment being given a double prime suf

The embodiment of FIG. 10, like elements to the 45

parallel to said ?rst grooves and interspersed

among said ?rst grooves, third grooves parallel to

?x, is best used in series with the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 for ?ner size feed material. Concentrate holes 182 receives the concentrate, which is collected in a container (not shown) secured therebeneath. The em
bodiment of FIG. 10 utilizes rif?es 38" of the same relative smaller cross sectional size as the second rif?es

said ?rst and second grooves for receiving the discharge from said second grooves and having a depth and width similar to that of said ?rst grooves, said third grooves extending from a posi tion adjacent the termination of said second rif?es toward the discharge end, said third grooves in
communication with a fourth set of grooves in

160 of the preferred embodiment for purposes of col lecting the concentrate at an early part of the separation process. Concentrates are separated and collected in rif?es 38" similar to the process described relative to the

communication with said discharge trough,

whereby less dense material moves down the slop ing surface to said waste trough while more dense concentrate material moves toward the discharge

preferred embodiment. As the raw material moves in trough via said ?rst, second, third and fourth the rif?es 38 toward the discharge end 22", the con grooves for recovery. centrate is cleaned of lighter, less dense, raw materials. 2. The invention as de?ned in claim 1 wherein the The embodiment of FIG. 10 is best used for relatively 60 lateral pitch is between three-eighths and one-half inch smaller volume particle sizes, minus twenty mesh, per lineal foot and the longitudinal pitch is approxi where an initial concentration of material has been mately one-quarter of an inch per lineal foot.

made for completing the separation and cleaning of gold and heavy minerals.
certain degree of particularity, the scope of the inven

3. The invention as de?ned in claim 1 wherein said sloping surface has a textured surface formed by a coat

Although the invention has been descibed with a 65 ing of oil based paint mixed with powdered texture materials. tion is more particularly de?ned in the appended claims. 4. The invention as de?ned in claim 1 wherein said What is claimed is: ?exible connection includes a pair of ?exible panels

15

4,758,334

16

connected to said support base and to a rigid box struc

oscillation means includes a rotating eccentric con

ture held in a superimposed position above said support base, said box structure rigidly connected to said deck. 5. The invention as de?ned in claim 1 wherein said
oscillation means is a rotating eccentric connected to said box structure. 6. The invention as de?ned in claim 4 wherein said

nected to said support base and rotating means in

contact with said rotating eccentric operably connected

to said deck and box structure for transmitting eccentric rotation to said deck in the form of longitudinal oscilla tions.
i * i i

10

25

30

35

45

50

55

65