1. A system, comprising:
a packer wheel assembly configured to be disposed rearward of a hoe opener assembly, wherein the packer wheel assembly comprises a packer wheel mounted to a bracket, the packer wheel assembly controls a depth of a valley formed by a hoe opener of the hoe opener assembly while the hoe opener is in a ground engaging position, and the bracket is coupled to a packer wheel arm extending between the bracket and a linkage assembly; and
an adjustment mechanism that shifts the packer wheel horizontally from a first position directly behind the hoe opener to a second position rearward of the first position when the hoe opener encounters an obstruction and moves in a rearward direction toward a disengaged position, wherein the adjustment mechanism does not permit the packer wheel to move vertically.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism shifts the packer wheel horizontally from the second position to the first position as the hoe opener transitions to the ground engaging position after the obstruction has been passed by the hoe opener.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism shifts the packer wheel in the rearward direction such that the packer wheel does not contact the hoe opener as the hoe opener moves in the rearward direction toward the disengaged position.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism shifts the packer wheel in the rearward direction about 8 to about 12 inches.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a biasing member that urges the packer wheel in a forward direction.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the hoe opener and packer wheel are about 6 to about 10 inches apart when the hoe opener is in the ground engaging position.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the packer wheel assembly controls the depth of the valley between about 3 to about 6 inches.
8. A system comprising:
a packer wheel assembly configured to be disposed rearward of a hoe opener assembly, wherein the packer wheel assembly comprises a packer wheel mounted to a bracket, the packer wheel assembly controls a depth of a valley formed by a hoe opener of the hoe opener assembly while the hoe opener is in a ground engaging position, and the bracket is coupled to a packer wheel arm extending between the bracket and a linkage assembly; and
an adjustment mechanism that shifts the packer wheel only horizontally from a first position to a second position rearward of the first position when the hoe opener encounters an obstruction and moves in a rearward direction toward a disengaged position;
wherein the hoe opener and packer wheel are about 6 to about 10 inches apart when the hoe opener is in the ground engaging position.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the adjustment mechanism shifts the packer wheel horizontally from the second position to the first position as the hoe opener transitions to the ground engaging position after the obstruction has been passed by the hoe opener.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the adjustment mechanism shifts the packer wheel in the rearward direction such that the packer wheel does not contact the hoe opener as the hoe opener moves in the rearward direction toward the disengaged position.
11. The system of claim 8, wherein the adjustment mechanism shifts the packer wheel in the rearward direction about 8 to about 12 inches.
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a biasing member that urges the packer wheel in a forward direction.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the packer wheel maintains contact with a soil surface while the packer wheel is in the first and second positions
14. The system of claim 8, wherein the packer wheel assembly controls the depth of the valley between about 3 to about 6 inches.
15. A system comprising:
a packer wheel assembly configured to be disposed rearward of a hoe opener assembly, wherein the packer wheel assembly comprises a packer wheel mounted to a bracket, the packer wheel assembly controls a depth of a valley formed by a hoe opener of the hoe opener assembly to a depth of between about 3 to about 6 inches while the hoe opener is in a ground engaging position, and the bracket is coupled to a packer wheel arm extending between the bracket and a linkage assembly; and
an adjustment mechanism that shifts the packer wheel only horizontally from a first position to a second position rearward of the first position when the hoe opener encounters an obstruction and moves in a rearward direction toward a disengaged position.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the adjustment mechanism shifts the packer wheel in the rearward direction such that the packer wheel does not contact the hoe opener as the hoe opener moves in the rearward direction toward the disengaged position.
17. The system of claim 15, wherein the adjustment mechanism shifts the packer wheel in the rearward direction such that the packer wheel does not contact the hoe opener as the hoe opener moves in the rearward direction toward the disengaged position.
18. The system of claim 15, wherein the adjustment mechanism shifts the packer wheel in the rearward direction about 8 to about 12 inches.
19. The system of claim 15, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a biasing member that urges the packer wheel in a forward direction.
20. The system of claim 15, wherein the packer wheel maintains contact with a soil surface while the packer wheel is in the first and second positions.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of recovering minerals comprising:
heating aggregated minerals with microwave energy, wherein the aggregated minerals consists of at least a first and a second mineral bound together, the first and second minerals each having different differential thermal expansion rates such that fractures occur between the minerals of the aggregated minerals;
subjecting the fractured minerals to ultrasound energy causing further size reduction; and
heating the fractured and size-reduced minerals with microwave energy, wherein the fractured and size-reduced minerals consist of metal-containing materials, such that metal-containing materials are heated to at least the melting temperature of one of the metals in the metal-containing materials.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein heating aggregated minerals further comprises:
introducing the aggregated minerals into a microwave oven;
conveying the aggregated minerals past a waveguide;
generating microwave energy into the waveguide and focusing the microwave energy onto the aggregated minerals using the waveguide such that the aggregated minerals are heated rapidly such that fractures are induced in the bonded aggregated minerals due to the different differential thermal expansion rates.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein subjecting the fractured minerals to ultrasound energy further comprises:
pumping a slurry of the fractured aggregated minerals through a pipe system comprising at least one elutriator;
forcing the slurry through the elutriator thereby separating lighter particles in the slurry from heavier particles in the slurry; and
milling the heavier particles that are separated by the elutriator by subjecting them to ultrasound energy.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein heating the fractured and size-reduced minerals with microwave energy further comprises:
conveying a hearth layer of materials into a furnace;
adding metal-containing materials from the fractured and size-reduced minerals to the hearth layer conveyed into the furnace;
heating the metal-containing materials on the hearth layer with microwave radiation;
subsequently heating the metal-containing materials on the hearth layer with a direct heat source, wherein the heating and subsequently heating comprise heating to at least the melting temperature of one of the metals in the metal-containing materials.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to heating aggregated minerals with microwave energy, mechanically crushing the aggregated material into smaller pieces of aggregated minerals.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising, prior to mechanically crushing, screening the aggregated minerals to remove materials larger than a predetermined size.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein subjecting the fractured minerals to ultrasound energy occurs with a sonic crusher, and further comprising forming green pellets using the fractured and size-reduced minerals received from the sonic crusher.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising forming green pellets using binder, reductant, and flux.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein subjecting the fractured minerals to ultrasound energy occurs with a sonic crusher, and further comprising sorting the fractured and size-reduced minerals from the sonic crusher to separate off selected minerals.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein heating aggregated minerals with microwave energy includes heating the aggregated minerals consisting of iron ore.