Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Sorting special items – and certain methods and apparatus for... – Traveling items shifted to form line – or into end or edge...
Patent
1984-12-27
1987-10-27
Reese, Randolph A.
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Sorting special items, and certain methods and apparatus for...
Traveling items shifted to form line, or into end or edge...
198539, 209589, 376159, 376162, B07C 502, B07C 5346, G21G 106
Patent
active
047023791
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to apparatus for detecting the presence of a selected substance in ores by neutron activation analysis, for example the gold content of gold-bearing ores.
A practical gold ore sorting plant needs to be able to process considerable quantities of material an hour, and hence must use a rapid analytical technique. A suitable technique is neutron activation analysis using the reaction .sup.197 Au(n,n'.gamma.).sup.197m Au to activate gold present in a lump of ore, the .sup.197m Au nuclides so produced decaying with a half-life of about 7.8 seconds and with the emission of .alpha.-rays of energy 297 keV. British Patent Specifications Nos. 2055465A and 2101304A (U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,443 and application Ser. No. 383,686 filed 27 May 1982, respectively) which are incorporated by reference herein, describe apparatus for sorting gold bearing ores in which lumps of ore are activated by the above reaction, the .alpha.-rays emitted subsequently being detected and analysed to assess the gold content of the ores.
According to the present invention, in an apparatus for sorting lumps of ore to detect the presence of a selected substance in the lumps, the apparatus comprising, an irradiator for irradiating the lumps of ore, detector means for detecting .gamma.-rays emitted by the irradiated selected substance in the irradiated lumps, and means for transporting the lumps from the irradiator to the detector, the transporting means includes at least one dividing means for separating the lumps into a plurality of streams on a non-ramdom predetermined basis.
Desirably the transporting means includes a first dividing means for separating the lumps into a plurality of channels, and a plurality of second dividing means, one for each channel, for separating the lumps in said channel into a plurality of streams. One dividing means separates the lumps on a random basis, while the other dividing means separates the lumps on a predetermined basis. Preferably the transporting means includes a carrier means for imparting translational movement of the lumps, the first dividing means comprises an acute angled bifurcating device disposed above the carrier means in the path of the lumps and directed so as to separate the lumps on the carrier means into two spaced apart channels of lumps, each second dividing means comprises a divider chamber into which the carrier means is arranged to project the lumps from the respective channel, the divider chamber including means for diverting selected lumps from the path of the channel into at least two predetermined streams, and the transporting means also includes means for conveying the diverted lumps in the streams from the divider chamber to the detector means.
Preferably, the carrier means comprises a relatively high speed conveyor, and the conveying means comprises a plurality of relatively low speed conveyors in parallel relationship.
Desirably, the diverted lumps are arranged to collide with at least one limp, flexible member in the divider chamber to attenuate the velocity of the diverted lumps.
Advantageously, the transporting means includes a conveyor tray onto which the lumps are arranged to be discharged from the irradiator, and at least two arresting means in parallel for arresting the motion of the lumps from the tray and subsequently discharging the arrested lumps at regular intervals on to a respective groove in a grooved chute device for discharging the lumps in each groove onto a respective carrier means.
Conveniently, the arresting means comprises a permeable receptacle for receiving the lumps, and air jet means underneath the receptacle for ejecting the lumps from the receptacle on to the carrier means.
In the preferred application of the invention, the apparatus comprises apparatus for detecting the presence of gold in gold bearing ore.
The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a schematic arrangement of a gold ore sorting apparatus;
FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, show perspective rep
REFERENCES:
patent: 1959238 (1934-05-01), Horsfield
patent: 2835373 (1958-05-01), Bickley
patent: 3435950 (1969-04-01), Suverkrup
patent: 3872306 (1975-03-01), Palmer
patent: 4203510 (1980-05-01), Reed
patent: 4365717 (1982-12-01), Stone
patent: 4365719 (1982-12-01), Kelly
Clayton Colin G.
Spackman Ramon
Hinds William R.
Reese Randolph A.
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
Wacyra Edward M.
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