Procedure and means for the separation of solid materials of different specific gravities according to the sinkand-float method

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE SEPARATION OF RAW CRUSHED MINERAL AND LIKE MATERIAL PARTICLES OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC WEIGHT COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING TO ONE END OF A CONTAINER A SEPARATING MEDIUM CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF WATER AND A GRANULATED MATERIAL THE LARGER PORTION OF WHICH HAS GRAIN SIZE BETWEEN 0.05 AND 5 MM., CAUSING THE GRANULATED MATERIAL TO SETTLE IN THE WATER TO FORM AN EASILY MOVABLE BED CONTAINING AT LEAST 50% BY VOLUME OF SAID GRANULATED MATERIAL, CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING THE RAW MATERIAL PARTICLES TO SAID BED WHEREBY PARTICLES HAVING A SPECIFIC WEIGHT HEAVIER THAN THE BED SINK TO THE BOTTOM THEREOF WHILE PARTICLES HAVING A SPECIFIC WEIGHT LIGHTER THAN THE BED FLOAT THEREON, SUBJECTING THE CONTAINER TO VIBRATION, CAUSING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL DISPLACEMENT OF THE BED WITH SAID PARTICLES FROM SAID ONE END OF THE CONTAINER TO A DISCHARGE END OF THE CONTAINER DIVIDING THE FLOWING BED INTO AT LEAST TWO SUPERPOSED LAYERS CONTAINING THE HEAVIER AND THE LIGHTER PARTICLES, RESPECTIVELY, AT SAID DISCHARGE END, SEPARATING THE SEPARATING MEDIUM FROM SAID LAYERS, REMOVING WATER FROM THE SEPARATING MEDIUM AND FEEDING THE DEWATERED SEPARATING MEDIUM BACK TO SAID ONE END OF THE CONTAINER.