Conveyors: fluid current – Fluid current conveyor outlet means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-25
2001-04-24
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: fluid current
Fluid current conveyor outlet means
C406S165000, C406S177000, C406S198000, C406S036000, C239S696000, C239S704000, C414S800000, C414S299000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220792
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to slurry distributors for the control of slurry composition, building dykes and general tailing disposal from mine tailings to form a retaining area for mine tailings and concentration process water protection berms and dykes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known to provide a main large diameter pipe fed with slurry made of mine residues and having a series of small diameter spigots, which can be successively closed or opened manually on one side.
The slurry is discharged at selected points on the ground for dyke building and when the slurry pile is sufficiently high at one spigot the latter is closed and opened again after extending the branch to an adjacent location. Once a certain area has been filled with the slurry, the branches are disconnected from the main pipe and again have to be connected after moving the entire assembly to another site.
This system has several disadvantages. It requires a large pumping capacity because of the resistance to the flow of slurry through the small diameter spigots. It is labor intensive since the branches have to be extended continuously. The branches are connected to and disconnected from the main pipe each time the system is moved to another site. The main drawback is the fact that the starter dyke which must be mechanically built to form an abutment for the succeeding deposition of the slurry must be quite high and wide requiring several weeks of work by mechanical earth movers such as bulldozers to place the required volume for the starter dyke. This represents a major portion of the cost of building or increasing the height of the retaining dyke. In addition, this system does not lend itself to general tailings disposal.
It is also known that for small smaller slurry flow requirements to provide a pipe with holes in the bottom suspended on wood racks. This method allows the deposition of the coarse portion of the tailings through the holes until they are successively obstructed. A length of this perforated pipe is installed perpendicular to the starter dyke.
This system has several disadvantages. It can only be used for general tailings disposal and is not efficient (in many cases inadequate) for dyke construction because it does not allow for a uniform distribution of the slurry material from the beginning to the end of the pipe, hence the deposition angle formed at each successive hole becomes flatter and flatter. It does not allow for control of the slurry composition.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the general object of the present invention to overcome the above noted disadvantages in that the system of the invention requires starter dykes of minimum size, are less labor intensive in that no work is required to the distributor duct until it is displaced from one site to the other several days later and in that it requires less pumping capacity (20%) than conventional systems with branches fitted with spigots.
A second object of the present invention is the provision of a slurry distributor, which is less expensive to build and maintain than conventional distributors, and which is easily installed, advanced and removed onto and from a dyke building site.
A third object of the present invention is the provision of a slurry distributor, which can be used for general tailings disposal due to its capacity control the tailings composition and provide a uniform distribution of the slurry material along the entire length of the distributor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to a slurry distributor which comprises a duct with an inlet end and an outer end, supports under said duct for supporting the same above ground in generally horizontal position, said duct having longitudinally spaced slurry discharge openings, said inlet end adapted to be connected to a supply of slurry under pressure whereby said slurry can be discharged from said duct directly unto the ground with the solid content of said slurry gradually forming dyke portions under and adjacent said duct along the length thereof and progressively obstructing said openings from said inlet end to said outer end. The duct is of generally rectangular cross-section and has a ceiling, a floor and side walls, said discharge openings made in said side walls, said opening arranged in pairs, the opening of each pair are aligned across of said duct and further including inverted V-shape baffles on said floor with the apices of said V-shape baffles meeting along the centre line of said floor and said baffles diverging in a direction opposite to said inlet end and ending at said openings.
Preferably, flat strips are secured at an angle to said side walls and to said floor and extending upstream from a single pair of registering discharge openings just upstream of the support.
Preferably, the top of the discharge openings on one side of said duct are at a lower level than the top of the discharge openings on the other side of said duct.
Preferably, the duct is made of two laterally spaced I-beam sections with the web of said I-beam forming said side walls and of top and bottom plates secured to the top and bottom flanges of said beam and forming with said flanges said ceiling and said floor of said duct.
Preferably, each discharge opening has along its sides vertically arranged guide ways located externally of said top and bottom flanges of said I-beam, and closure plates vertically guided in said guide ways.
Preferably, the duct is composed of two or more duct sections in end-to-end relation with connectors at each end of each section for connecting said sections.
Preferably, each duct section has a hook fixed to and upwardly protruding from its ceiling at the centre of gravity of said section to be bodily lifted and transported.
Preferably, said connectors include a pair of transversely registering ears upstanding from each end of said section, the ears at one end overlapping and removable attached to the ears at another end of an adjacent section whereby an additional section can be connected pin to an already installed section while inclined and then lowered to become in abutment with said already installed section with the adjacent ends of said two sections in abutment and in alignment.
Preferably, the openings on both sides of said duct have a sill at the same level above said floor but below the apices of said baffles and the openings on one side of the duct are higher than the openings on the other side of said duct.
Preferably, each of said supports is a box-like member with a downward extending skirt at the bottom of said support.
Preferably, a connector removable fitted to said inlet end of said duct, having a rectangular cross-section at one end to conform with the cross-sectional shape of said duct and having circular cross-section at the other end to be connected to a slurry supply cylindrical pipe.
Preferably, spaced apart sleeve members are secured to the underside of one of said duct sections spaced apart to receive the forks of a fork-truck and inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of said duct section so that said duct section is inclined to the horizontal when lifted by the forks of said lift truck.
Preferably, there are hook means at the center of gravity of said duct section protruding upwardly from the ceiling of the same.
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patent: 4653961 (1987-03-01), Hashimoto
patent: 4818419 (1989-04-01), Mims
patent: 5211511 (1993-05-01), Deal, Jr.
patent: 5261485 (1993-11-01), Thornton et al.
patent: 5628262 (1997-05-01), Nelson
Bedard Claude
Lemieux John
Ellis Christopher P.
Ridley Richard
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