[1]United States Patent Office 21727,390 2,727,390 SAAHLER Jacques B. Houston and Ralph V. Hopper, Bzton Ro u,-ei La., assi,-nors to Kaiser Aluniinum & Chc,.mcal Corporation, Oakland, Calif., a corporatioxi L-E Deiaware Application December 12, 1951, Serial No. 261,256 8 Claims. (C]. 73-423) This invention relates to devices for collocting samples of ore or other granular and pulverulent maL,-rial. More particularly, it concerns apparatus for obtaining a sample of ore or other lik-c material, wherein a sariipling buck-et or receptacle is moved into and out of a movin.stream of the material to be sampled, togelier with novel means for actuatin.- the sampling receptacle. Many sampling devices have be,-n dev-.Ioped in the past for taking samples from a continuous movin.- stream of ore material. These sampling de,@,ices were so constr,,icted that they would first move into the movin@ stream of iiiaterial and th--n out, while carrying a sample of the material collected. Various timing devices were used for actuati.ng such samplers at a predetermined time. However, these sampling devices ordinarily delivered a represertative portion or cut collected or taken Lrom the moving stream to points well below the elevation of the initial sampling point. This necessitated the use of further alxiliary equipment for elevatin@, the cut o.- sarrple so that it could be treated later by means of riffles or other secoiadary samplers, if it was desired to have primary rejects flow by gravity back into the main streani of material. Also, the samplers of the past -encrally moved horizon'Lally throlgh the falling st@-eam of material, thereby collectin- one side of the stream of material at ar. carli-.r period of time than the other side with the result that a truly representative cross section of material was not obtained. In the case of ore material fallin.@ off an endless conveyor belt, ore material of diit,-rent coarseness or density generauy moves along the belt and there ar-. times, Nvhen at one section of the moving belt there is material, ivhile at other sections there is no malerial. In taking sam. ples of such iraterial, it is hi-,hly desirable to @et a representative portion of the whole. For this purpose, a simple timer operat-@d samplin.- device is ordinarily unsatisfactory. In addition, a more representativ-- analysis may b.- obtained, if samples are taken from wei.-hed portions of the whol.-. The sampling d--vice of the insta-it invention overcomes the above disadvanta-,es of other samplers. This sarnpler is -enerally comprised of an open-top container t@@at is adapted to be moved vertically down into the falliii.stream of a material to be sampled, then Lipwardly and out of the moving streain to an elevated position. 'V@7nereas other sainplers deliver repres,-ntative portions or cuts c,f material at points considerably b-,Iow ttie elevation of the sarnpling point, the sampler of the instant invention delivers its cuts to a point that can b.- anyconvenient number of feet above the elevation of the sampling point. This feature allows convenient treatment of each cut by means of riffles or other secondary samplers at any suitable elevacon from which all rejects can be made t-o flow by gravity back into the main stream of material. There is, therefore, no need for accessory equidment to elevate primary rejects for disposal. This feature also allows ample head room forappropriate treatment of th-cuts or fractions thereof by a crusher and secondary P--t-eiited Dec. 20, 1955 2 sampler, such as riffles or other forms of splitters, aH of which are well known in the art. To insure catching no more of the material from the upper part of the stream than is proper, the velo.city of downward travel of the top edge of the container part of the sampling device can be advantgeously adjusted so that it will be slightly faster than the greatest velocity of a free falling particle of material to be sampled. When the container is moved at the proper minimum velocity, 10 no material falls into it until the sampling point is reached, then the entire stream may be caught and the container filled. The open top of the container may also be made larger than the horizontal cross section of the fawng stream at the sampling point, so that a truly representative. 15 cross seci@lor@ of the stream may be collected. The sampler may be actuated by any suitable means, such as an air cylinder, said air cylinder being actuated iii respoise to one of a series of electrical impulses from a vveigh;n.- device, si-ich as Weightometer, which contin20 ously weiglis the material to be sampled as it is moved past a designated weighing point by the conveyor. In this way, samples may be taken directly from weighed portions of the whole, thereby remedying the defects of other timer operated samplers. 25 Accord;n.-ly, one object of this invention is to prov;dc a r@ovel sarnplin.- device, which is adapted to discha@-ge t'iie re@i)resentative portions or cuts collected at a point well above the elevation of the sampling poi-nt. Another cbject o-L' this invention is to provide a novel 30 opeii-top sap.-.pling container or receptacle th-,lt is n-ioved verticaliy down into a faliing stream of material, the contairier's top open;ng b.-ing laraer 'than the horizontal cross secl-lor. of th-- falling stream at the sampling point and v,,ith the velocity of downward travel of the top edge of 3.3 tl,,e contaiper throu,-h the falling material bein.- adjusted so that it is iriade sl-lghtly faster than the -reatest velocity of a free falling particle of the material, thereby preventing material from falling i-@ito the container until the samplin- point is reached, and obtaining a truly representative 40 cross sectior of the entire stream being sampled. Another obiect of this inv-,ntion is to provide novel means for actuating the sampling recentacle of a sampler device so that it Nvill collect sa-inples of naterial directly from previously weighed port'ons of the r-riaterial as these 45 portions are ejected off the end of an endless conveyor belt. Apother object of this invention is the proiision of a novel sampling receptacle havin.a an end member or gate pivotally mounted at the bottom thereof, along with ex50 ternal guide means for keeping the gate mernber closed until the receptacle has been properly elevated to the dumpin.- point, at Nvhich time the guide means terminate and the weight of the loose material inside the receptacle is then allowed to force the pivotally mounted end mem55 ber open, whereby the con'lents of the receptacle can be discharged therefrom. A further object of this invention is to provide a novel sampling receptacle, which is adapted to move into and out of a falling strearn of material, together with novel 60 means for automatically operatin.- the samplin.- receptacle at predetermined times. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying 65 drawing wherein: Figure 1 is a side elevational view partially broken of the sampling device located at the head end of,an endi6ss belt conveyor; Figure 2 is an end elevational view partially broken of 70 the sampling device, when taken along th.- line 2-2 o-f Figure 1, and with parts removed for the sake of clarity;
[2]3 Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the container orreceptacle for the sampling device; Figure 4 is a plan vie,,v of the sampling device and conveyor of Figure 1, when taken along line 4-4 thereof; and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of one type of electrical circuit which may be employed for making the operation of the sampling receptacle automatic. Referring more particularly to the drawings in -,vhich the same reference numerals have been applied to the like parts in the various views, it will be observed that the sampling device of the instant invention is generally comprised of a suitable upstanding framework 1. This framework in turn may be comprised of a pltirality of upstanding spaced frame members 4, 5, 6 and 7 and horizoiatal frame members 4', 5', 6', 7' aiid 8'. Thesi, frarne members are so arranged as to form a suitable ver,ical shaft 8 for the container 9 of the sampling device. The upstanding frame members may be connected by suitable bridging and reinforcing members 10 and 10' located therebetween. By referring to Figure 1, it will be noted that these frame members are advanta-,Cously located near the head purey 2 o'l an endless conveyor belt 3 at the point where the conveyor discharges into a main delivery chute 11. This main chute 11 is in turn provided with a main auxiliary chute 13 and secondary chutes 14 and 115. Chutes 14 and 15 are connected to a suitable primary sampling splitter 16, well known in the art, in such a way that the material ultimately to be sampled can be carried off by chute 14 to a suitable samplin.- point and the primary rejects of the sample taken may be returned by auxiliary chute 15 to the main stream flowing through chute 13 to another conveyor, secondary auxiliary chute 15 being in open communication with main auxiliary chute 13. The sampling container 9, which is adapted to be lowered and raised in the shaft 8 into and out of the moving stream of material 17, being discharged from the con@ veyor 3, is coiriprised of a sloping end waH 18, upstanding side wafls 19 and 20 and a second end wall 21 which also serves as a discharge gate. This gate 21 is advantageously pivotally attached at the bottom thereof between the s,de walls 19 and 20. Carrier arms 22 and 23 are connee@ed to and project upwardly from the side walls 19 and 20. The arms are also connected to a cross bar 24 and the intermediate part of this cross bar is afflxed to a piston rod 25 adapted to reciprocate in the pneumatic cylinder 26 attached by suitable nieans to the frame members 5 and 7. A pair of short guide members 28 and 29 also disposed within the shaft 8 extend along the path taken by the container 9 being located on the same side of the shaft as the pivoted end or gate 21 of the container 9. These guide members can be attached if desired to the cross braces 10'. It wiR be observed by referring to Figure 1 that the upper extremities of guides 28 and 29 terminate approximately at the point where it is desirable to discharge the sample collected from the moving stream of material into the splitter 16. The sloping end member 18 of the sample container 9, whose top opening is larger than the horizontal cross section of the falling stream at the sampling point, is positioned at an angle to the horizontal plane, which angle is substantially steeper than the angle of repose of the material to be sampled which collected in the receptacle, thereby facilitating the flow of material out of the container at the time it is discharged into the splitter 16. From the above discussion, it will be seen that saniple container IS travels up and down in shaft 8 and into and out of the moving stream of material 17, being actuated by the pneumatic cylind--r and piston 26 and 25 in a manner to be more fully described later. During the tiine the sample is being taken, guides 28 and 29 prevent the ,@ate 21 from opening until the container is elevated to the point where the splitter 16 is located. At this point the guides 28 and 29 terminate, and the force of samplin.- 2,727,390 4 material within the container which presses against the gate 21 is no longer restrained. The gate then flops down, thereby discharging the sample cut of material into the splitter 16. 5 In the preferred embodim-,nt of the invention, the sampling container 9 is actuated and moved down into the moving stream of ore material, which is discharged in a trajectory and falls into the space or shaft 8, by means of a pneumatic cylinder 26, and piston rod 25. Cylinder 26 io is advantageou e ctric connected to a conventional Wei,-,htometer 0 associated with conveyor belt 3. By the electrical connections, which wffl be more fury discussed later, between the air cylinder 26 and Weightometer 30, the sample container can be brought to the low or i.,5 sampling point position and held there for a longer time than is required for filling. The holding time can be made adjustable to suit any rate of delivery by the conveyor. As 'he contp-,'@tier is moved into the sampling position, 20 the open top of the container passes through horizons 5t) and Si. If it were held at horizon 50, the upper pa@rt of the fallin.- stream would barely be,@in to be caught in the container. If it were held at horizon 51[, the coii'@ainer wo-,ild barely begin to ea' Ch the lowest part 25 of the fa!Eng stream. To insure catching the sample froiii all parts of the stream at once, the dowiiward strolze of Diston rod 25 can b-, adjusted so that the sampling wilf take place a little below horizon 51. To inslre catchin- no more of the ma,erial from the upper part 30 of the s@ream than is proper, the dowiward stroke of pistor. rod 25 can also be adjusted so that the velocity c-F downl7,,ard travel of the top edge of the container through the distance from horizon 50 to horizon 51 @Nill @e slightly faster than the - u reatest velocity of a free 35 i'allin.@ particle of material past horizon 51. When the conta-iner is moved at the proper minimum velocity, no ma@'erial falls into it until the sa-@npling point is reached, then the entire slream is caught and the container 9 is flied. 40 After 'Lhe preselected holding time, the air c-ylinder (,,I@erates to draw the filled contain--r to its high or dlmping point. As stated above, the pivotally mounted end merqber 21 is prevented from opening by the guides 28 and 29 tintil the container passes the Lipper end of 45 !L'iose guides irnmediately below the di-,mping point. After those guides have been passed, the pivotally mounted end member is forced outward by pressure of the loose material inside. End rnei-iber 21 then fal,'.s by gravity to a sloping positioii within the del;very 50 clilite aiid the sample cut flows cat of the container by qravity. End mernber 21 remains open utitil the n-.xt descent of the container when inovement past giiie@es 28 a-@d 29 @'Crces it to close. Figure 4 is a schematic electrical dia,-ram showing @5 one way in whici, an electrical impulse from a weighing devicf.-, s-,ich as a Weightometer, associated with the co-@iN,eyor belt may be used to actil-ate the sampling r,-ceptacle 9. Th@- type of wei.-hing device or Weightometer employed sends out electrical impulses, e--ch impulse co represcnfin.- a fixed unit of weight. In using a conveitional Weightometer, the weight oj' material passing the weighing point is determined by the speed of ',he conveyor and the relative deflection of the belt downward t,@,,i7ard the Weightome' er under the weight of the 6,- material on the belt. The terni "Wei,@htometer" is a re-istered trade-marl, of the Merrick Scale Co.-pany, Passaic, New Jersey, and is illustrative of t'@ie type of apparatlis which may be emp'@oyed in association with rur co-.iieyor belt for the purposes o-' carrying out this 70 irvent@on. A @lleightomcier Model No. E niay be employed -with satisfactory results. The operation of such a, devic-- is fully disclosed and described in Patent @1,367,775. V@hile the use of a Weightometer of the typ,- aforesaid is preferred, it is to be understood that 75 otber suitable devices possessing the functions of a
[3]5 Weightometer may be employed in Eeu thereof. The circuit of Figur.- 4 is merely an illustration of one means of accompeshing the automatic operation of the sampling receptacle or bucket 9. In one mode of operation the Weightometer can be selt so that it sends otit one impulse for every ton of material which passes the weighing point. The circuit disc'iosed may be used where it is desired to tak-e a sample of material for a specific number of tons, for example, a sample from every 20 tor@s, passing the weighmg point, and in particular to take a sarnple of the material which was weighed on the weighing device or Weigh',omcter, i. e. the 20th t-,n. To do this, some means is necessary for taking the desired inpulso and @olding the same signal for ti---. length oi' tirne necessary for the sample to travel the length of the belt frorq the weighing point to the head of the conveyor where the $ample is taken. Accordingly, the Weightometer 30 is set so that every time a ton of inaterial passes the weighing point cam 30.,7 of the 'Y@leightometer is actuated so as to moinentarily close switch 30b whereby an impulse is s-.nt out which momentarily closes the circuit from i'@ne L-2 throu.-h terminals C and M on a motor driveii ratchet t ype counter 70 of conventional design, ter.-ninal C being connected to line L-2 and terminal M in turn leading to line L-1, thereby moving the ratchet R of the coil-nter one count. Each of these impulses is thus registered on the counter and at a predetermined settin-, for example, 20, a cam 80 alfixed to the ratchet R of the counter is adapted to close the spring-type s@xitch 81 long enough to close the circuit between teri-iiial N and terminal P of the counter and cause '@he energization of relay 83. "When re@'ay 83 is energized, it acts to close its normahy open s@,vitch 83a aild to open norrnally closed switch 83b, thereby causing the energization or relay 84, Nvhereupon relay 84 acts to close normahy open switches 84a and 84c and to open normally closed switch 84b, switch 84a being a holdina type of switch. Pelay 84 maintains itself through the'norirally closed switch 86a and through the normafly open svi@tch 84a, which is now closed. ";Vhen relay 84 is energized, it closes normally open switch 84c, thereby starting the timer 90 while opening normahy closed switch 34b, thu openijig the circuit to terminal S on the counter 70 which releases a suitable magnetic cl-Litch "A" between the ratchet counter and th,- inotor for operatiug the ralehet i thereby stopping the counter, which then resets itself. In the ineantime relay 83 has been de-ener.-ized, as cam 80 on the ratchet R loses contacl, with switch 81, thereby openin- the circuit to relay 33. As relay 83 becomes deener.aized it causes normauy closed swilch 83b to close again impressing Ene L2 voltage on terminal S. The counter is again made ready to receive impalses 'Lrom the " ,Veightometer. In the meaiatime, the timer 9,0, which was in,.tially actuated by the closing of switch 84c and is adjusted so that it is synchronized viith the speed of the ccnveyor belt, delays the action of the sampling receptacl-. until the material Nvhich caused the counter 70 to indicate the predetermined weight (in tiiis case, the weigiat of the 20th ton) has reached the point @vhere it is discharged from the conveyor belt. The timer then operates to close a contact, whereby volta.-e is impressed on relay 85 throtigh terminals E or F of the timer, thereby energizing the same. When relay 85 is energized, it closes switch 85a, thereby causing action of a suitable solenoid-cperated valve 95 on the air cylinder 25, thereby actuating piston 26 and the samp!idg bucket. Relay 85 is ener-ized for a sufficient time to allow the sampling b,,icl-et'io move downward to the sampling position. After a suitable t-ime interval has elapsed, the timer then operates to cause the energization of relay 86 by closin.- a contact between terminals F and B. NW@en relay 2,727,390 6 b breaking the circuit on relay 84 and de-ene izin relay I y rg 9 , 34. NVhen relay 84 drops out, it opens switch 84c, breaks the circuit to the tiuer, and allows the timer to reset itself automatically, thereby clearing the way for the -uext operation. In the meantime as the timer 90 is deenergized, relays 85 and 86 also become de-energized and switch 85a is opened, whereby valve 95 is then operated to cause the retraction of piston rod 26.which then moves the sampling container upward to its discharge position. 10 While the form of apparatus herein described and the circuits for controfling said apparatus constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that various chan.-es and modifications may be made therein without 15 departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. What is
