Apparatus for Separating and Saving Gold.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 9th May, 1895
Apparatus for Separating and Saving Gold.
I, JOSEPH MAIT, of No. 603 Sixteenth Street, in the City of Oakland, County
of Alameda, State of California, U.S.A. Builder, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to an apparatus which is especially designed for separating
gold from lighter worthless particles and gangue, and arresting and obtaining the
gold while allowing the waste particles to pass away.
The invention consists of an inclined table having peculiarly shaped grooves or
channels made transversely in it at intervals, stationary spoons or stirrers supported*
from above the table so that the blades dip transversely into the depressions and
supports upon which the table is carried, with mechanism by which it is given an
oscillating motion from side to side, and at the same time a tossing or bumping
vertical motion so that the pulp, sand, or gravel flowing down over the table is
spread and agitated, and as it passes into the depressions in the table the movement
of the table produces a constant agitation of the pulp, sand, or gravel, and an
eventual settling of the gold and heavy metals and sulphurets to the bottom
and into a supplemental retaining channel. It also consists in details of
construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying
drawings-
Figure 1 is a view of my complete apparatus.
Figure 2 is a view showing the means for operating the table.
Figure 3 is a detail of one of the concentrating plates.
Figure 4 is a cross section of the same with the spoon in its place.
Figure 5 is a lateral section of the table with its connections.
A is a frame-work of any suitable construction. Upon this frame-work are
journaled rollers B, B. These rollers stand transversely and have flanges at the
sides.
C are transverse bars having the edges adapted to rest upon the rollers B, and
at the points where they do so rest upon the rollers, the bars are cut or grooved
as shown at e, so that when the bars are caused to move back and forward over the
surface of the sellers, the notches or grooves will produce a vertical bumping
motion.
Upon these bars are fixed the inclined bars D which stand longitudinally of the
machine and serve to support the inclined table E which is suitably fixed to these
bars, so that the table and the bars C and D may have a side shaking motion given
to them by any suitably arranged mechanism.
In the present case I have shown a longitudinal inclined shaft F journaled
centrally upon the main frame of the machine having a crank or rocker arm G
extending upwardly at each end and connected with the transverse bar C.
From some part of this shaft projects a rocker arm H, and this is connected by
a red or pitman I with a crank J upon the power shaft K.
Through this shaft power may be applied in any suitable or convenient way to
oscillate the shaft F, and through the rocker arms to produce a transverse

page_text: movement of the bar C, as above described, and through them the supporting
bars D'and the table E.
The surface of this table is fitted with metal plates L, which are formed with
depressed transverse channels M extending across from side to side of the
table E.
In the bottom of each of these channels M is a supplemental deep narrow
channel N, and at the lower edge of the channels is an upwardly projecting lip O
over which the pulp and material, escaping from the channels M, flow upon the
plate L below each channel.
The pulp or material to be treated is placed in any suitable chute or hopper, as
shown at P, and delivered upon the table either in a dry state or, as shown in the
present case, a sufficient quantity of water is introduced to make it flow, and it
passes into a distributing box Q situated above the upper end of the table E and
supported upon rollers so that it may be caused to travel or oscillate from side to
side, thus distributing the pulp, sand, or gravel, through openings or screens in the
bottom and allowing it to fall upon the upper part of the table. The oscillation
of this distributor Q may be effected by means of a lever attached to or in
connection with the table E or by any other suitable means.
Flowing down over the table, this pulp passes into the transverse troughs or
depressions M, and as it accumulates flows over the upwardly projecting lips O and
.so on down the table.
The table is all the time constantly agitated from side to side, and with a
vertical bumping movement, as above described, thus keeping the material agitated
and spread upon the table surface.
The simultaneous combination of these two movements, as above described,
enables the machine to work dry ground on a desert, and save the gold without
the use of water until the final clean up of the deposit in the transverse channels M.
This final clean up requires but a few gallons of water which can be used over and
over an indefinite number of times.
In order to prevent the material from packing and becoming clogged in the
troughs or depressions M, I have shown a series of spoon-shaped blades R, the
upper ends of which are secured to transverse bars S, which bars are fixed to and
supported from stationary side frames T on the main frame, so that the hars extend
across above the moving table, but out of contact with it, and each of the blades or
spoons R dips into the material in the troughs M.
Each bar S has a series of these spoons at a short distance apart, and each
spoon has a spur or lip R¹ projecting upwardly from it and just above the surface
of the table immediately behind the edge of the depression M.
These projecting lips agitate and stir up the material before it enters the
depressions M, and insures its being distributed and loosened up at that instant,
while the blades or spoons themselves constantly stir and agitate the material,
within the depressions M, and by this agitation all gold and heavy metals will be
gradually settled to the bottom and deposited in the deep narrow channels N, while
the lighter pulp will be displaced by the constantly inflowing pulp, sand, or gravel
from above and caused to flow over the lips O and so on down the table.
There are as many of these transverse depressions and agitators as may be found
necessary to save all the valuable material by several repetitions of the action above
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
An apparatus for settling and saving gold consisting of an inclined table having
grooves or depressions made transversely at intervals between the upper and lower
end, mechanism by which the table is oscillated from side to side, and at the same
time given a vertical bumping movement, and stationary blades or spoons supported

page_text: above the depressions and dipping into them to agitate the material as it flows
through them.
1000
For the Applicant,
GEDGE & FEENY,
60 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents.