Gravity separation of coal ore

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SEPARATING COAL PARTICLES FROM A MIXTURE OF COAL PARTICLES AND PYRITE PARTICLES WHICH COMPRISES COMMINUTING SAID MIXTURE TO A PREDETERMINED SPECTRUM OF SIZES CONTAINING COAL PARICLES HAVING A SPECTRUM OF SIZES AND PYRITES PARTICLES HAVING A SPECTRUM OF SIZES, INTRODUCING SAID MIXTURES INTO A SEPARATING VESSEL, PASSING SUBSTANTIALLY CLEAR WATER UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID VESSEL AT A LINEAR VELOCITY SUFFICIENT TO SUSPEND THE LARGEST PARTICLE OF SAID COAL AND MAINTAIN SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID COAL PARTICLES SUSPENDED IN SAID WATER AND WITHIN SAID VESSEL, CONTROLLING THE VELOCITY OF SAID WATER PASSING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID VESSEL TO FORM WITHIN SAID VESSEL A FIRST ZONE OF PARTICLES ADJACENT THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID VESSEL AND A SECOND ZONE OF PARTICLES ADJACENT THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID VESSEL, SAID FIRST ZONE CONTAINING COAL PARTICLES OF SMALL SIZE AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF SAID PYRITES PARTICLES, SAID SECOND ZONE CONTAINING A MIXTURE OF COAL PARTICLES OF LARGE SIZE AND SAID PYRITES PARTICLES, WITHDRAWING A STREAM OF SAID WATER FROM SAID FIRST ZONE, SAID STREAM INCLUDING SAID COAL PARTICLES, SEPARATING SAID COAL PARTICLES FROM SAID WATER, WITHDRAWING A STREAM OF SAID WATER FROM SAID SECOND ZONE, SAID STREAM INCLUDING A MIXTURE OF COAL PARTICLES AND PYRITES PARTICLES, SAID COAL PARTICLES IN SAID MIXTURE BEING LARGER THAN SAID PYRITES PARTICLES, AND PASSING SAID STREAM FROM SAID SECOND ZONE OVER A SCREEN AND SEPARATING SAID WATER AND SAID PYRITES PARTICLES FROM SAID LARGER SIZED COAL PARTICLES.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF SEPARATING COAL PARTICLES FROM A MIXTURE OF COAL PARTICLES AND PYRITE PARTICLES WHICH COMPRISES COMMINUTING SAID MIXTURE TO A PREDETERMINED SPECTRUM OF SIZES CONTAINING COAL PARICLES HAVING A SPECTRUM OF SIZES AND PYRITES PARTICLES HAVING A SPECTRUM OF SIZES, INTRODUCING SAID MIXTURES INTO A SEPARATING VESSEL, PASSING SUBSTANTIALLY CLEAR WATER UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID VESSEL AT A LINEAR VELOCITY SUFFICIENT TO SUSPEND THE LARGEST PARTICLE OF SAID COAL AND MAINTAIN SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID COAL PARTICLES SUSPENDED IN SAID WATER AND WITHIN SAID VESSEL, CONTROLLING THE VELOCITY OF SAID WATER PASSING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID VESSEL TO FORM WITHIN SAID VESSEL A FIRST ZONE OF PARTICLES ADJACENT THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID VESSEL AND A SECOND ZONE OF PARTICLES ADJACENT THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID VESSEL, SAID FIRST ZONE CONTAINING COAL PARTICLES OF SMALL SIZE AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF SAID PYRITES PARTICLES, SAID SECOND ZONE CONTAINING A MIXTURE OF COAL PARTICLES OF LARGE SIZE AND SAID PYRITES PARTICLES, WITHDRAWING A STREAM OF SAID WATER FROM SAID FIRST ZONE, SAID STREAM INCLUDING SAID COAL PARTICLES, SEPARATING SAID COAL PARTICLES FROM SAID WATER, WITHDRAWING A STREAM OF SAID WATER FROM SAID SECOND ZONE, SAID STREAM INCLUDING A MIXTURE OF COAL PARTICLES AND PYRITES PARTICLES, SAID COAL PARTICLES IN SAID MIXTURE BEING LARGER THAN SAID PYRITES PARTICLES, AND PASSING SAID STREAM FROM SAID SECOND ZONE OVER A SCREEN AND SEPARATING SAID WATER AND SAID PYRITES PARTICLES FROM SAID LARGER SIZED COAL PARTICLES.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING A MIXTURE OF RAW COAL HAVING A SPECTRUM OF PARTICLE SIZES WITH A TOP SIZE OF ABOUT 8 MESH, SAID MIXTURE HAVING PARTICLES OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY INCLUDING PYRITES PARTICLES OF HIGH SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND COAL PARTICLES OF LOW SPECIFIC GRAVITY, SAID METHOD COMPRISING SEPARATING SAID MIXTURE OF RAW COAL BY SIZE INTO A FIRST QUANTITY HAVING A SPECTRUM OF PARTICLE SIZES GREATER THAN ABOUT 48 MESH AND A SECOND QUANTITY HAVING A SPECTRUM OF PARTICLE SIZES LESS THAN 48 MESH, INTRODUCING SAID FIRST QUANTITY INTO A FIRST SEPARATING VESSEL, PASSING SUBSTANTIALLY CLEAR WATER UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID FIRST VESSL AT A RELATIVELY HIGH LINEAR VELOCITY, SUFFICIENT TO SUSPEND SAID COAL PARTICLES HAVING A LOW SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND CERTAIN OF SAID SMALLER PYRITES PARTICLES HAVING A HIGH SPECIFIC GRAVITY IN SAID WATER WITHIN SAID FIRST VESSEL, SAID PARTICLES WITHIN SAID FIRST VESSEL FORMING AN UPPER ZONE ADJACENT AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID FIRST VESSEL, SAID UPPER ZONE INCLUDING COAL PARTICLES OF SMALL SIZE HAVING LOW SPECIFIC GRAVITY, AN INTERMEDIATE ZONE INCLUDING A MIXTURE OF LOW GRAVITY COAL PARTICLES OF LARGE SIZE AND HIGH GRAVITY PYRITES PARTICLES OF SMALL SIZE, WITHDRAWING A FIRST STREAM FROM SAID UPPER ZONE INCLUDING COAL PARTICLES AND WATER, WITHDRAWING A SECOND STREAM FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE ZONE CONTAINING A MIXTURE OF LARGE COAL PARTICLES, SMALL SIZE PARTICLES AND WATER, PASSING SAID SECOND STREAM OVER A 20 MESH SCREEN TO RECOVER COAL PARTICLES HAVING A SIZE GREATER THAN 20 MESH, SAID REMAINING PORTION OF SAID SECOND STREAM CONTAINING A MIXTURE OF COAL AND PYRITES PARTICLES, COMMINUTING SAID REMAINING PORTION OF SAID SECOND STREAM TO A SIZE LESS THAN 48 MESH, INTRODUCING SAID COMMINUTED REMAINING PORTION OF SAID SECOND STREAM TOGETHER WITH SAID SECOND QUANTITY OF RAW COAL MIXTURE HAVING A SIZE LESS THAN 48 MESH INTO A SECOND SEPARATING VESSEL, PASSING SUBSTANTIALLY CLEAR WATER UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID SECOND VESSEL AT A RELATIVELY LOW LINEAR VELOCITY SUFFICIENT TO SUSPEND SAID COAL PARTICLES HAVING A LOW SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND CERTAIN OF SAID SMALL PYRITES PARTICLES HAVING A HIGH SPECIFIC GRAVITY IN SAID WATER WITHIN SAID SECOND VESSEL, SAID PARTICLES WITHIN SAID SECOND VESSEL FORMING AN UPPER ZONE ADJACENT AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID SECOND VESSEL, SAID UPPER ZONE INCLUDING COAL PARTICLES HAVING LOW SPECIFIC GRAVITY, INTERMEDIATE ZONE INCLUDING A MIXTURE OF LOW GRAVITY COAL PARTICLES OF LARGER SIZE AND HIGH GRAVITY PYRITES OF SMALLER SIZE, WITHDRAWING A THIRD STREAM FROM SAID SECOND VESSEL UPPER ZONE INCLUDING COAL PARTICLES HAVING LOW SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND WATER, WITHDRAWING A FOURTH STREAM FROM SAID SECOND VESSEL INTERMEDIATE ZONE CONTAINING A MIXTURE OF LARGE SIZE LOW GRAVITY COAL PARTICLES AND SMALL SIZE HIGH GRAVITY PYRITES PARTICLES, PASSING SAID FOURTH STREAM OVER A 65 MESH SCREEN TO RECOVER COAL PARTICLES HAVING A SIZE GREATER THAN 65 MESH FROM SAID FOURTH STREAM, THE REMAINING PORTION OF SAID FOURTH STREAM CONTAINING A MIXTURE OF COAL AND PYRITES PARTICLES, COMMINUTING SAID REMAINING PORTION OF SAID FOURTH STREAM TO A SIZE LESS THAN 100 MESH, AND ELUTRIATING SAID COMMINUTED REMAINING PORTION OF SAID FOURTH STREAM TO RECOVER COAL HAVING A SIZE LESS THAN 100 MESH THEREFROM.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF SEPARATING A MIXTURE OF RAW COAL HAVING A SPECTRUM OF PARTICLE SIZES WITH A TOP SIZE OF ABOUT 8 MESH, SAID MIXTURE HAVING PARTICLES OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY INCLUDING PYRITES PARTICLES OF HIGH SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND COAL PARTICLES OF LOW SPECIFIC GRAVITY, SAID METHOD COMPRISING SEPARATING SAID MIXTURE OF RAW COAL BY SIZE INTO A FIRST QUANTITY HAVING A SPECTRUM OF PARTICLE SIZES GREATER THAN ABOUT 48 MESH AND A SECOND QUANTITY HAVING A SPECTRUM OF PARTICLE SIZES LESS THAN 48 MESH, INTRODUCING SAID FIRST QUANTITY INTO A FIRST SEPARATING VESSEL, PASSING SUBSTANTIALLY CLEAR WATER UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID FIRST VESSL AT A RELATIVELY HIGH LINEAR VELOCITY, SUFFICIENT TO SUSPEND SAID COAL PARTICLES HAVING A LOW SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND CERTAIN OF SAID SMALLER PYRITES PARTICLES HAVING A HIGH SPECIFIC GRAVITY IN SAID WATER WITHIN SAID FIRST VESSEL, SAID PARTICLES WITHIN SAID FIRST VESSEL FORMING AN UPPER ZONE ADJACENT AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID FIRST VESSEL, SAID UPPER ZONE INCLUDING COAL PARTICLES OF SMALL SIZE HAVING LOW SPECIFIC GRAVITY, AN INTERMEDIATE ZONE INCLUDING A MIXTURE OF LOW GRAVITY COAL PARTICLES OF LARGE SIZE AND HIGH GRAVITY PYRITES PARTICLES OF SMALL SIZE, WITHDRAWING A FIRST STREAM FROM SAID UPPER ZONE INCLUDING COAL PARTICLES AND WATER, WITHDRAWING A SECOND STREAM FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE ZONE CONTAINING A MIXTURE OF LARGE COAL PARTICLES, SMALL SIZE PARTICLES AND WATER, PASSING SAID SECOND STREAM OVER A 20 MESH SCREEN TO RECOVER COAL PARTICLES HAVING A SIZE GREATER THAN 20 MESH, SAID REMAINING PORTION OF SAID SECOND STREAM CONTAINING A MIXTURE OF COAL AND PYRITES PARTICLES, COMMINUTING SAID REMAINING PORTION OF SAID SECOND STREAM TO A SIZE LESS THAN 48 MESH, INTRODUCING SAID COMMINUTED REMAINING PORTION OF SAID SECOND STREAM TOGETHER WITH SAID SECOND QUANTITY OF RAW COAL MIXTURE HAVING A SIZE LESS THAN 48 MESH INTO A SECOND SEPARATING VESSEL, PASSING SUBSTANTIALLY CLEAR WATER UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID SECOND VESSEL AT A RELATIVELY LOW LINEAR VELOCITY SUFFICIENT TO SUSPEND SAID COAL PARTICLES HAVING A LOW SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND CERTAIN OF SAID SMALL PYRITES PARTICLES HAVING A HIGH SPECIFIC GRAVITY IN SAID WATER WITHIN SAID SECOND VESSEL, SAID PARTICLES WITHIN SAID SECOND VESSEL FORMING AN UPPER ZONE ADJACENT AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID SECOND VESSEL, SAID UPPER ZONE INCLUDING COAL PARTICLES HAVING LOW SPECIFIC GRAVITY, INTERMEDIATE ZONE INCLUDING A MIXTURE OF LOW GRAVITY COAL PARTICLES OF LARGER SIZE AND HIGH GRAVITY PYRITES OF SMALLER SIZE, WITHDRAWING A THIRD STREAM FROM SAID SECOND VESSEL UPPER ZONE INCLUDING COAL PARTICLES HAVING LOW SPECIFIC GRAVITY AND WATER, WITHDRAWING A FOURTH STREAM FROM SAID SECOND VESSEL INTERMEDIATE ZONE CONTAINING A MIXTURE OF LARGE SIZE LOW GRAVITY COAL PARTICLES AND SMALL SIZE HIGH GRAVITY PYRITES PARTICLES, PASSING SAID FOURTH STREAM OVER A 65 MESH SCREEN TO RECOVER COAL PARTICLES HAVING A SIZE GREATER THAN 65 MESH FROM SAID FOURTH STREAM, THE REMAINING PORTION OF SAID FOURTH STREAM CONTAINING A MIXTURE OF COAL AND PYRITES PARTICLES, COMMINUTING SAID REMAINING PORTION OF SAID FOURTH STREAM TO A SIZE LESS THAN 100 MESH, AND ELUTRIATING SAID COMMINUTED REMAINING PORTION OF SAID FOURTH STREAM TO RECOVER COAL HAVING A SIZE LESS THAN 100 MESH THEREFROM.