US 12,030,061 B2
Conveyor sluice system
Matthew StJohn, Denver, CO (US)
Filed by Matthew StJohn, Denver, CO (US)
Filed on Mar. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/706,238.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/169,468, filed on Apr. 1, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0314232 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B03B 5/26 (2006.01); B03B 5/34 (2006.01); B03B 5/72 (2006.01); B03B 9/00 (2006.01); B65G 45/22 (2006.01)
CPC B03B 9/00 (2013.01) [B03B 5/26 (2013.01); B03B 5/34 (2013.01); B03B 5/72 (2013.01); B65G 45/22 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A conveyor sluice comprising:
a belt having a belt width that is defined between a first belt side and a second belt side, the belt comprising a textured outer surface and a first flexible rail extending essentially orthogonally away from the textured outer surface at the first belt side and a second flexible rail at the second belt side that is essentially parallel to the first flexible rail,
the belt is partially wrapped around a head pulley roller and a tail pulley roller,
at any given time, the textured outer surface comprises a sky facing portion, a ground facing portion or an upper in-transition portion while the belt is cooperating with the pulley rollers, the sky facing portion contains more heavy concentrated aggregate trapped in the textured outer surface than the ground facing portion, the heavy concentrated aggregate is from conveyor sluice slurry solids;
the conveyor sluice defines a sluice length as extending from the head pulley roller to the tail pulley roller and a conveyor sluice width defined as greater than or equal to the belt width;
a conveyor sluice angle that is between −5° and −45° from a horizontal plane, the conveyor sluice angle is defined by the sky facing portion between the head pulley roller and the tail pulley roller, the head pulley roller is above the tail pulley roller;
a post hydrocyclone aggregate distributor is configured to feed conveyor sluice slurry containing the heavy concentrated aggregate onto the sky facing portion within 12 inches of the head pulley roller, wherein the first and the second flexible rails are corrugated and are configured to confine the feed conveyor sluice slurry to the sky facing portion of the belt;
at least one belt cleaning rinse nozzle directed at the textured outer surface either at the upper in-transition portion at the head pulley roller or at the ground facing portion;
a concentrate launder located under the ground facing portion;
a concentrate pump in communication with the concentrate launder and a concentrate hopper; and
a belt motor configured to drive the sky facing portion only towards the head pulley roller at a velocity.