R. A. Hanson Company, Inc.

Wayne F Crockett

Raymond A Hanson

A preferred mineral jig apparatus includes a jig tank having a laterally oriented piston and cylinder assembly mounted therewithin. The piston and cylinder assembly defines two compartments, with reciprocating motion of the piston causing pulsating action of the water within the two respective compartments. The piston and cylinder assembly includes a cylinder, a piston assembly and a piston rod connected to the piston assembly. The piston rod includes an internal channel to convey make-up water to the tank from an external water source. The piston rod is supported for lateral reciprocating motion by at least two downwardly hanging leaf springs. The piston assembly comprises a pair of separated piston plates oriented transversely relative to the cylinder. The separated piston plates defining a space therebetween as well as a separation distance between the piston plates. The piston rod is connected to one of the piston plates. The internal piston rod channel communicates with the space between the piston plates to expel make-up water thereto. The cylinder has a length which is approximately equal to the separation distance between the piston plates. One of the piston plates is moved into the cylinder upon a given piston stroke, while the other of the piston plates is moved away from the cylinder upon the given piston stroke. The mineral jig apparatus further comprises a drive mechanism for imparting reciprocating action to the piston.

Mineral jig apparatus

A floating dredge and hydraulic dredging apparatus for mining underwater mineral bearing deposits is disclosed. The dredge includes an overburden excavator and an ore excavator mounted to a pontoon for removing overburden and ore material, respectively. Processors on the pontoon receive material from the excavators. Dredging control components coordinate the operation of the ore and overburden excavators to efficiently remove and mine the desired material.

Dredging apparatus

A mechanical drive mechanism is designed for imparting pivotal motion to the frame arm or walking beam of a mineral jig. Rotary cam action is employed to mechanically pivot the walking beam or frame arm which supports a cone and flexible diaphragm at one end for imparting jigging action to the jig bed. Adjustment features are preferably provided to enable the amplitude of the reciprocating motion imparted to the diaphragm and cone to be selectively varied. In the preferred embodiment, the cam is constructed to be pivotal when at rest for enabling the amplitude of the camming action, and correspondingly the pivot stroke, to be varied.

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Spokane, WA, United States of America

Wayne F Crockett