Patents by Inventor Gerald W. Toop

Gerald W. Toop has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method for making low alpha count lead
    Patent number: 4915802
    Abstract: Lead with a low alpha particle emission is produced by selecting an orebody wherein lead mineral is present in a coarsely disseminated form and substantially free of impurities. The ore is selected from a host rock that is relatively low in alpha emitters, such as a carbonate rock. The ore is mined and is milled such that the lead mineral can be separated from the host rock and any other minerals. The ground ore may be screened into one or more fractions having a narrow range of particle sizes. Each fraction is formed into a fluid suspension, and each suspension is subjected to gravity separation to remove the host rock and any other minerals which substantially contain the alpha particle-emitting substances, and to recover the lead mineral as a concentrate with a low alpha count. The lead concentrate is subjected to a suitable reduction operation that may include a conversion of the concentrate into a reducible form, without the introduction of alpha emitters, for the recovery of a low alpha lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: Comino Ltd.
    Inventors: John A. Dunlop, Edward F. G. Milner, Robert W. Smyth, Gerald W. Toop
  • Method for making low alpha count lead
    Patent number: 4887492
    Abstract: Lead with a low alpha particle emission is produced by selecting an orebody wherein lead mineral is present in a coarsely disseminated form and substantially free of impurities. The ore is selected from a host rock that is relatively low in alpha emitters, such as a carbonate rock. The ore is mined and is milled such that the lead mineral can be separated from the host rock and any other minerals. The ground ore may be screened into one or more fractions having a narrow range of particle sizes. Each fraction is formed into a fluid suspension, and each suspension is subjected to gravity separation to remove the host rock and any other minerals which substantially contain the alpha particle-emitting substances, and to recover the lead mineral as a concentrate with a low alpha count. The lead concentrate is subjected to a suitable reduction operation that may include a conversion of the concentrate into a reducible form, without the introduction of alpha emitters, for the recovery of a low alpha lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1989
    Assignee: Cominco Electronic Materials Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Dunlop, Edward F. G. Milner, Robert W. Smyth, Gerald W. Toop
  • Method for slag fuming and reduction
    Patent number: 4820340
    Abstract: The slag fuming process for the recovery of metal values from a slag from the smelting of non-ferrous metal concentrates is carried out more efficiently with lower quantities of fuel-reductant by injecting a portion of the fuel/reductant through one or more high-velocity tuyeres which replace or are in addition to a number of the standard tuyeres in the fuming furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignees: Cominco Ltd, University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Gregory G. Richards, Steven L. Cockcroft, James K. Brimacombe, Gerald W. Toop
  • Method for making low alpha count lead
    Patent number: 4770698
    Abstract: Lead with a low alpha particle emission is produced by selecting an orebody wherein lead mineral is present in a coarsely disseminated form and substantially free of impurities. The ore is selected from a host rock that is relatively low in alpha emitters, such as a carbonate rock. The ore is mined and is milled such that the lead mineral can be separated from the host rock and any other minerals. The ground ore may be screened into one or more fractions having a narrow range of particle sizes. Each fraction is formed into a fluid suspension, and each suspension is subjected to gravity separation to remove the host rock and any other minerals which substantially contain the alpha particle-emitting substances, and to recover the lead mineral as a concentrate with a low alpha count. The lead concentrate is subjected to a suitable smelting operation, without the introduction of alpha emitters for the recovery of a low alpha lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: Cominco Ltd.
    Inventors: John A. Dunlop, Robert W. Smyth, Gerald W. Toop
  • Method for making low alpha count lead
    Patent number: RE33313
    Abstract: Lead with a low alpha particle emission is produced by selecting an orebody wherein lead mineral is present in a coarsely disseminated form and substantially free of impurities. The ore is selected from a host rock that is relatively low in alpha emitters, such as a carbonate rock. The ore is mined and is milled such that the lead mineral can be separated from the host rock and any other minerals. The ground ore may be screened into one or more fractions having a narrow range of particle sizes. Each fraction is formed into a fluid suspension, and each suspension is subjected to gravity separation to remove the host rock and any other minerals which substantially contain the alpha particle-emitting substances, and to recover the lead mineral as a concentrate with a low alpha count. The lead concentrate is subjected to a suitable smelting operation, without the introduction of alpha emitters for the recovery of a low alpha lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Assignee: Cominco Ltd.
    Inventors: John A. Dunlop, Robert W. Smyth, Gerald W. Toop