A New or Improved Method of and Means for the Concentration or Separation and Amalgamation of Crushed Ores or Mineral Slimes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan., 1899 -
Complete Specification Left, 6th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Method of and Means for the Concentration or
Separation and Amalgamation of Crushed Ores or Mineral Slimes.
GEORGE. FISCHER. 163, Fairfax Road, Harringay, N., do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the concentration or separation of crushed ores, minerals,
tailings, or slimes, and consists of a new or improved method and apparatus for
effecting a succession of separations in such slimes or crushed ores in which
there may be a variety of minerals of different specific gravity. The operation
of concentration and separation aids the effective amalgamation of such metals
as are capable of such treatment for collection.
For purposes of illustration, I will now describe an apparatus to carry out my
invention. I provide a tank or vessel preferably having a conical bottom. This
tank or vessel is fed with the slimes or mixture of crushed minerals at suitable
intervals of time from a flushing cistern or tank which is arranged to deliver at
the required intervals. The tank or vessel aforesaid is provided at the apex of
the conical bottom with an outlet. This outlet is closed when required by means
of a valve of suitable construction. A syphon pipe is arranged so as to depend
the required distance into the tank or vessel aforesaid. The vessel or tank afore-
said is so shaped that before the syphon begins to act, the level or height of the
fluid or mixture rises rapidly in order to ensure a full flow from the syphon, thus
preventing what may be called a dribbling action of the syphon. The operation
of the tank or vessel is so arranged that the delivery of the mixture or fluid into
the tank has a swirling or agitating motion, and it will be readily understood
that the metals of the heaviest specific gravity settle towards the outlet or bottom
of the tank or vessel, and upon the valve opening, this heavier mixture will pass
from the tank or vessel through the outlet pipe aforesaid, and the liquid or
mixture containing the materials of lighter specific gravity will pass away through
the syphon aforesaid. The mixture or liquid delivered from the syphon is again
conveyed to a similar apparatus in which the same action takes place, and the
output from the outlet or the bottom of the tank or vessel aforesaid is also
conveyed to a similar apparatus. The series of apparati are so arranged as to
repeat this separating action, and the different concentrations are delivered
through suitable outlets into any convenient receptacle or receptacles.
It will be seen that the principle of the invention consists in the separation.
of ores or minerals of different specific gravity from slimes, tailings, or mixtures,
which is effected by allowing the minerals of the heaviest specific gravity to
settle and pass through the outlet or bottom of the tank or vessel, while the
minerals of the lighter specific gravity are drawn off by means of a syphon, the
output of this syphon again passing through a similar cycle and so on, until
the decided concentration is effected.
LT1000
E. EATON;
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: A New or Improved Method of and Means for the Concentration or
Separation, and Amalgamation of Crushed Ores or Mineral Slimes,
I, GEORGE FISCHER, 163, Fairfax.Road, Harringay, N., 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 the concentration or separation of crushed ores, minerals,
tailings, or slimes, and consists of a new or improved method and apparatus for
effecting a succession of separations in such slimes or crushed ores in which
there may be a variety of minerals of different specific gravity. The operation-
of concentration and separation aids the effective amalgamation of such metals
as are capable of such treatment for collection.
For purposes of illustration, I will now describe an apparatus to carry out my
invention. I provide a tank or vessel preferably having a conical bottom. This
tank or vessel is fed with the slimes or mixture of crushed minerals at suitable
intervals of time from a flushing cistern or tank which is arranged to deliver at
the required intervals. The tank or vessel aforesaid is provided at the apex of
the conical bottom with an outlet. This outlet is closed when required by means
of a valve of suitable construction. A syphon pipe is arranged so as to depend
the required distance into the tank or vessel aforesaid. The vessel or tank afore-
said is so shaped that before the syphon begins to act, the level or height of the
Huid or mixture rises rapidly in order to ensure a full flow from the syphon, thus
preventing what may be called a dribbling action of the syphon. The operation
of the tank or vessel is so arranged that the delivery of the mixture or fluid into
the tank has a swirling or agitating motion, and it will be readily understood
that the metals of the heaviest specific gravity settle towards the outlet or bottom
of the tank or vessel, and upon the valve opening, this heavier mixture will pass
from the tank or vessel through the outlet pipe aforesaid, and the liquid or
mixture containing the materials of lighter specific gravity will pass away through
the syphon aforesaid. The mixture or liquid delivered from the syphon is again
conveyed to a similar apparatus in which the same action takes place, and the
output from the outlet or the bottom of the tank or vessel aforesaid is also
conveyed to a similar apparatus. The series of apparati are so arranged as to
repeat this separating action, and the different concentrations are delivered
through suitable outlets into any convenient receptacle or receptacles.
It will be seen that the principle of the invention consists in the separation
of ores or minerals of different specific gravity from slimes, tailings, or mixtures,
which is effected by allowing the minerals of the heaviest specific gravity to
settle and pass through the outlet or bottom of the tank or vessel, while the
,minerals of the lighter specific gravity are drawn off by means of a syphon, the
output of this syphon again passing through a similar cycle and so on, until
the decided concentration is effected.
In a modified form of my apparatus the pulp from the stamps or other crushing
or mixing device, or slime containing heavy minerals to be concentrated or
separated, is conveyed to a suitable tank adapted as in a flushing tank or in
other convenient manner to fill only after it has been discharged and to discharge
promptly when full into an adjoining vessel at a lower level so that there is a
period for settling between successive deliveries from tank to vessel and .from
vessel to vessel as hereinafter described.
The first vessel receiving the contents of the tank is provided with two or

page_text: more syphon discharge pipes, whose inner legs are of different lengths and whose,
outer legs, reaching below the bottom of the supply vessel, discharge the contents.
of the first vessel so soon as it has been filled above the bend of the syphons into
two or more other vessels at a lower level.
In this way the discharge through the various syphons of different length of
inner legs, makes a selection from the contents of any vessel; that syphon or
syphons with the longer inner leg or legs discharging into a further selected
vessel, the lower portion of the pulp or slime with the heaviest mineral particles
therein; and the syphon or syphons with the shorter inner leg or legs delivers to
another selected vessel only the upper part of the pulp or slime containing only
the lighter mineral particles, such as gangue sand etc.
This successive selection or separation is continued by a similar system of
short and long legged syphons from the vessel receiving the lower portion of the
pulp or slime from the first vessel, and a similar separation, and thus concen-
tration of the pulp or slime may be continued through any desired series of
vessels by the said syphon system until a desired concentration has been secured.
My series of vessels as above described may be used as amalgamating pans
since the delivered stream from the syphon disharging the most concentrated
pulp or slime, is repeatedly directed with force or discharge in the successive
series of vessels upon the mercury bath ensuring agitation, and the contact of
the lightest float gold therewith and the tailings are rapidly removed from the
surface of the mercury bath by the syphons to the next vessel in the series. This
produces a better amalgamating effect than in the ordinary ripples of amalgamat-
ing pans where pyrites and other heavy materials are always in contact with
the surface of the mercury.
For purposes of illustration I will now refer to the annexed drawings, in
which:-
Figure 1, is a sectional elevation shewing an apparatus for carrying out the
principle of my invention.
Figure 2, side elevation of modified arrangement.
Figure 3, diagramatic plan view of a series of apparati.
and
Referring to Figure 1, a is what I term a flushing tank which is filled from
the source a', and is provided with any convenient form of flushing arrangement
so that it will empty or discharge when filled to the required height. The
crushed ores, minerals, tailings, or slimes which I will hereinafter designate
the mixture or liquid, will pass through the outlet 6 into the tank or vessel o
which has a conical bottom d. e is a pipe or outlet which is closed for the required
period of time by the valve f. It will be seen that the matter of heaviest specific
gravity will tend to settle or fall towards the bottom of the tank or vessel
when the mixture or liquid has risen the required height in the tank or vessel e
the action of the syphon 9 will withdraw Bame therefrom, and this
syphon action may be utilised to remove the valve f, from the outlet e
which will thus allow the matter which has settled at the bottom of the tank
or vessel to pass away through the outlet e. Although I have referred to the
valve being operated by the action of the syphon g, it will be readily understood
that this valve may be arranged as what is known as a float valve, so that when
the mixture or liquid in the tank or vessel e has risen to a certain height therein
the valve will be operated. The mixture withdrawn through the action of
the syphon g, minus the matter which has passed through the aperture e aforesaid
is then delivered into a similar apparatus, and the matter of the heaviest specific
gravity will again settle towards the bottom of the tank or vessel, and a similar
action will take place, when the tank or vessel has sufficiently filled, as to that
previously described.
Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the syphon therein is so arranged
that the syphonic action takes place when the mixture has risen at such a rate
as to ensure the full action of the syphon instead of what may be called a
dribbling" action, this being effected owing to the mixture rising at a
14

page_text: sufficiently rapid rate, due to the contracted form of the tank or vessel at the
point h.
.
с
In Figure 3, the matter of the heavier specific gravity is delivered into suitable
receptacles from the outlets e and the mixture minus those matters so far as separated
is delivered from the outlets g into suitable receptacles. It will be understood that
the statement as to the matter of heaviest specific gravity tending to settle towards
the bottom outlet of the tank or vessel c is a relative one, inasmuch as this applies
to the settling action which takes place in the various tanks or vessels, as accord-
ing to the number of settling actions which take place the more complete will
be the removal of the matter of the heaviest specific gravity from the mixture
under treatment, as the matter of heavier specific gravity which might be carried
over by the action of the syphon g aforesaid will again tend to settle in the
tank or vessel to which it is conveyed. In order to make this more clear it may
he stated for purposes of illustration that in the event of there being, say, two
or three ores or minerals of different specific gravity, the arrangement of the
apparatus would be such as to separate as far as possible from each other these
two or three ores or minerals, this being effected by the settling action described.
In a modified form of my invention, I may find it convenient in some cases
to employ two syphons h¹ and i, h having a shorter limb than in the tank or
vessel. This tank or vessel is filled at required intervals by means of the
pipe from a flushing tank or cistern of any convenient construction, and it
will be seen that when the syphons come into action the syphon i, having the
longer limb will withdraw the matter of heavier specific gravity which has settled
towards the bottom of the tank or vessel j, and the syphon will withdraw the
matter of lighter specific gravity, the amount to which the syphons depend into
the tank or vessel being arranged as found necessary. The output from these
syphons is conveyed to tanks having syphons arranged so as to again withdraw
the matter of heavier specific gravity, and that of lighter specific gravity, and
so on, according to the number of tanks required to obtain what may be called
the required concentration of the mixture under treatment. The inlet through
which the mixture enters the tank e as shewn in Figure 1, and the tank ; as
shewn in Figure 2, may be arranged as will be readily seen so as to give a required
swirling or agitating motion.
Although for purposes of illustration I have shewn two syphons in the tank j
it will be readily understood that I may increase this number if desired without
departing from the principle of my invention. The dimensions of the flushing
lank may be so arranged, if desired. as to supply the required number of tanks c
or simultaneously in order to fill them to the required height for syphonic
action to take place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The new or improved method for the concentration or separation of crushed
ores, minerals, tailings, or slimes as described herein and for the purpose set
forth.
2. The new or improved method and apparatus for the concentration or separa-
tion of crushed ores, minerals, tailings or slimes in combination, as described
and illustrated herein and for the purpose set forth.
3. In apparatus for the concentration or separation of crushed ⚫ores, minerals,
tailings or slimes for use with the method herein described: a tank or vessel
having a bottom of a conical shape; an outlet in said conical bottom; a valve
for closing said ontlet, through which the heavier matter which settles- in the
tank passes when the valve is open: a syphon for the withdrawal of the required
contents of the tank or vessel containing lighter matters; a flushing cistern in
communication with said tank or vessel and adapted to deliver at pre-arranged
intervals the mixture containing crushed ores, minerals, tailings, or slimes through

page_text: an inlet arranged so as to give a swirling or agitating motion during delivery
to the vessel or tank; a contracted portion upon said tank for ensuring the full
flow of the syphon when in action. substantially as described and illustrated
herein and for the purpose set forth.
4. In apparatus for the concentration or separation of 'crushed ores, minerals,
tailings, or slimes; a settling tank; syphons having varying lengths of limbs
in communication with said tank for the purpose of withdrawing the contents
at various heights, the lowest level containing the matter of the heaviest specific
gravity, and the higher level that of the lighter; a flushing cistern adapted to
supply the mixture of crushed ores, minerals, tailings, or slimes to said settling
tank at pre-arranged intervals; an inlet through which the mixture enters the tank
with a swirling or agitating motion, substantially as described and illustrated
herein and for the purpose set forth.
6. The new or improved method for the concentration or separation in a
mixture of crushed ores, minerals, tailings, or slimes of different specific gravities,
substantially as described and illustrated herein.
6. In the new or improved method and apparatus for the concentration or
separation of crushed ores, minerals, tailings or slimes, in contbination; a series
of vessels or tanks of the class herein described supplied from a flushing cistern
for the purpose of performing the required number of concentrations or separations
dependent upon the quality of the mixture under treatment.
7. In tanks or vessels of the class herein described, a valve in said tank or
vessel adapted to open and allow the matter of heavier specific gravity to pass
from the said tank or vessel through an outlet; a syphon, which withdraws the
matter of the lighter specific gravity from the tank or vessel and the action
of this syphon facilitates the opening of said valve, substantially as described
and illustrated herein and for the purpose set forth.