Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating minerals such as coal in a jig bed having a downwardly opening air chamber beneath the bed wherein the chamber has an air compartment at the upper end retaining a cushioned pillow of air between each jig pulsation with controlled air admitted and relieved from the chamber so that when air is relieved, the water rising in the chamber compresses the air at the upper end and a cushion of air is retained so that with admission of pressurized air, the cushion aids in forcing the column of water from the chamber, particularly at the beginning of operation of the jig.

Abstract: A control apparatus for a rotary valve-driven jigging machine for processing coal or other minerals, particularly for a rotary valve-driven throughput jigging machine whose pulse chambers periodically are charged with compressed air in order to generate a pulse motion and are disposed under the jig screen, is characterized in that the level of the working air pressure in the pulse chambers is changed as a function of changes of the size of the stroke of the separating liquid. The change of the level of the working air pressure in the pulse chambers occurs by a controlled throttling of the outgoing air and/or of the incoming air.

Abstract: An air valve for a wet settling machine includes a trapezoidal cross-section valve seat and a valve disk carried on a shaft. The shaft is directly actuated in alternate directions via an electromagnet surrounding the shaft and including a pair of oppositely poled magnetic sections.

Abstract: A starting method for an electro-pneumatically actuated wet-settling machine, for the separation of mineral mixtures, particularly coal, into their constituent components, in which the separation of the mineral mixture takes place through the pulsation of a separating liquid which is energized and controlled by means of compressed air in pulsation chambers which have electrically controlled air inlet and outlet valves, and in which the initiation of the wet-settling process takes place after a standstill, at least partially automatically, particularly through an electrically or electronically operating automatic starter, which starts at least some settling machine apparatus and/or their components in a predetermined dependency upon one another.

Abstract: A discharge-controlled method for a compressed air-controlled wet settling machine for the preparation of mineral mixtures, particularly for the washing of raw coal, is carried out such that the preparation takes place by means of pulsation of a separating liquid in a work chamber, whereby the pulsation is controlled by means of inlet and outlet valves and results in a stratification of the minerals on the settling machine carrier such that the heavier materials are stratified below the lighter materials. The layer level of the heavier material is measured by a scanner, in particular a float, and an actual-reference regulation controls a discharge apparatus for the heavier minerals. Measurement of the actual value of the heavier material layer level takes place by way of the scanner during a period of time which lies asymmetrically between the opening time of the outlet valve and the opening time of the inlet valve, and in particular shortly before the opening time of the inlet valve.

Abstract: An automatic control for an electropneumatic wet settling machine, for the separation of mineral mixtures, in particular coal, through the pulsation of the separating liquid, provides that the separating liquid is energized and controlled by means of compressed air in pulsing chambers, and that measuring devices for measuring the movement of the separating liquid are provided to signal, advantageously on an analog basis, the movement of the separating liquid in order to control the introduction and exhaust of compresssed air from the pulsing chambers.