Apparatus for consolidation of slurries of solid particulate materials

Claim 1

An apparatus for removing liquid from a slurry of solid particulate material and for consolidating said solid material into a shape-retaining slug, comprising (a) a cylindrical consolidation chamber in which the slurry is to be consolidated, which is substantially sealed against the passage of solid material, said chamber comprising (i) a first cylindrical piston mounted in a stationary position with its axis aligned vertically, the upper surface of said piston being its working face, (ii) a mold comprising a cylindrical wall defining a cylindrical bore in which said first piston is movable axially and which is disposed with its axis aligned vertically and a horizontal table having a circular opening through one end thereof, said table being mounted to the upper edge of said wall so that said opening communicates with said bore in said wall and the surface of the table extends outward from said wall in a direction perpendicular to the axis thereof, said mold having a compression position in which the face of said first piston is within the lower edge of said bore and a charging position in which the face of said first piston is at about the same level as the upper surface of said table, and (iii) a second cylindrical piston having its axis aligned vertically and movable axially within said cylindrical bore, the lower surface of said piston being its working face, (b) a drainage means for allowing liquid to escape from said chamber during consolidation of said slurry, (c) a porous structure for retaining solid particulate material within said chamber and for allowing liquid to escape from said chamber during consolidation, said porous structure being disposed between said drainage means and said slurry within said chamber, (d) a first pressure means for reciprocating said mold between its compression position and its charging position and for maintaining said mold in each of said positions, (e) a compression means for reciprocating said second piston axially within said bore and for applying compressive stress to said slurry within said chamber to cause consolidation thereof, (f) a charging box comprising at least one vertically aligned wall and two horizontally aligned open ends which define a volume, said box being slidable horizontally on said table between a filling position in which said box is disposed on said table so that the lower end of said box is closed to the flow of slurry therethrough and a charging position in which said box is disposed on said table so that the lower end thereof communicates with the bore of said mold, (g) a second pressure means for reciprocating said charging box between its filling position and its charging position by sliding said box on said table and for maintaining said box in each of said positions, (h) a means for filling said charging box with a predetermined amount of slurry, said filling means being disposed over said charging box when it is in its filling position, wherein (1) when said mold is filled with slurry and is in its compression position and said charging box is in its filling position, said compression means is actuated thereby moving said second piston downward into said bore of said mold and applying compressive stress to the slurry through said second piston to consolidate said slurry into a slug of solid material and said filling means is actuated thereby filling said charging box with a predetermined amount of slurry, (2) said compression means is then actuated thereby moving said second piston upward out of said chamber and said first pressure means is actuated thereby moving said mold from its compression position to its charging position and stripping the mold from the slug of solid material, (3) said second pressure means is then actuated thereby sliding said filled charging box on said table from its filling position to its charging position, thereby pushing said slug of solid material off of the upper surface of said first piston and said table, (4) said first pressure means is then actuated thereby moving said mold from its charging position to its compression position and filling the mold with the slurry in the charging box, and (5) said second pressure means is then actuated thereby sliding said empty charging box on said table from its charging position to its filling position.

Claim 2

An apparatus for removing liquid from a slurry of solid particulate material and for consolidating said solid material into a shape-retaining slug, comprising (a) a cylindrical consolidation chamber in which the slurry is to be consolidated, which is substantially sealed against the passage of solid material, said chamber comprising (i) a first cylindrical piston mounted in a stationary position with its axis aligned vertically, the upper surface of said piston being its working face, (ii) a mold comprising a cylindrical wall defining a cylindrical bore in which said first piston is movable axially and which is disposed with its axis aligned vertically and a horizontal table having a circular opening through one end thereof, said table being mounted to the upper edge of said wall so that said opening communicates with said bore in said wall and the surface of the table extends outward from said wall in a direction perpendicular to the axis thereof, said mold having a compression position in which the face of said first piston is within the lower edge of said bore and a charging position in which the face of said first piston is at about the same level as the upper surface of said table, and (iii) a second cylindrical piston having its axis aligned vertically and movable axially within said cylindrical bore, the lower surface of said piston being its working face, (b) a drainage means for allowing liquid to escape from said chamber during consolidation of said slurry, (c) a porous structure for retaining solid particulate material within said chamber and for allowing liquid to escape from said chamber during consolidation, said porous structure being disposed between said drainage means and said slurry within said chamber, (d) a first pressure means for reciprocating said mold between its compression position and its charging position and for maintaining said mold in each of said positions, (e) a compression means for reciprocating said second piston axially within said bore and for applying compressive stress to said slurry within said chamber to cause consolidation thereof, (f) a charging box comprising at least one vertically aligned wall and two horizontally aligned open ends which define a volume, said box being slidable horizontally on said table between a filling position in which said box is disposed on said table so that the lower end of said box is closed to the flow of slurry therethrough and a charging position in which said box is disposed on said table so that the lower end thereof communicates with the bore of said mold, (g) a second pressure means for reciprocating said charging box between its filling position and its charging position by sliding said box on said table and for maintaining said box in each of said positions, (h) a means for filling said charging box with a predetermined amount of slurry, said filling means being disposed over said charging box when it is in its filling position, wherein (1) when said mold is filled with slurry and is in its compression position and said charging box is in its filling position, said compression means is actuated thereby moving said second piston downward into said bore of said mold and applying compressive stress to the slurry through said second piston to consolidate said slurry into a slug of solid material and said filling means is actuated thereby filling said charging box with a predetermined amount of slurry, (2) said compression means is then actuated thereby moving said second piston upward out of said chamber and said first pressure means is actuated thereby moving said mold from its compression position to its charging position and stripping the mold from the slug of solid material, (3) said second pressure means is then actuated thereby sliding said filled charging box on said table from its filling position to its charging position, thereby pushing said slug of solid material off of the upper surface of said first piston and said table, (4) said first pressure means is then actuated thereby moving said mold from its charging position to its compression position and filling the mold with the slurry in the charging box, and (5) said second pressure means is then actuated thereby sliding said empty charging box on said table from its charging position to its filling position.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claims 1 or 2 wherein said consolidation chamber, said compression means, and said first pressure means comprise a floating platen mold.