Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Crushing and Pulverizing Ores and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c., Act, 1883), as required by
the decision of the Law Officer of the 15th day of December 1896.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Crushing and
Pulverizing Ores and the like.
I, NEWTON JOHN SUCKLING, of Pretoria, South African Republic, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The modern stamp battery used in the wet crushing of ores, has proved itself
superior to all other systems, both as regards economy, durability, and efficiency.
For dry crushing however its capacity hitherto has been much less than in wet
crushing. A disadvantage of the dry crushing process is due to the dust evolved
which requires to be treated with experience and care to prevent its becoming a
nuisance. For finely crushing some classes of ore, which are of a clayey character,
the dry stamps have not yet been improved upon although a variety of new
pulverizers have been introduced.
In some instances various forms of revolving rolls, and many different types of
pulverizers, and centrifugal mills, have been used for crushing ores both by the
wet and dry process, and in several cases have given good results.
Nevertheless on the South African goldfields, and in other mining centres of the
world, the modern stamp battery is generally used for reducing the ore to the
required degree of fineness for subsequent treatment.
When the ore is basic and needs roasting, and desulphurizing, or when it requires
to be dried, a drying floor, or a kiln, or one of the various types of revolving drying,
or roasting cylinders, or some kind of furnace is generally used. The ore is some-
times fed to the stamps while still hot, less difficulty being then experienced in
passing it through the screens. The mortars heretofore have generally been made
with a double discharge to facilitate the passage of the dry pulp through the
screens, when it is dashed up against them by the action of the stamps.
But the greatest difficulty hitherto experienced when dry crushing in a stamp
mill, is to remove the pulp from the mortar as fast as it is produced by the stamps,
and hence the wet crushing capacity is unattainable.
This difficulty has been overcome and many more most important desiderata in
dry, or partly dry crushing, are attained by the stamp battery forming the subject
of the present invention.
The chief object of my invention is to provide a stamp battery so arranged that
the crushed material will be blown or drawn from the mortar-hox through a closed
delivery tube by means of steam, air, or gas, and conveyed to a chamber, tank, vat
or other receptacle for subsequent treatment. The mortar-box is made air and
dust tight, so that the dust cannot escape into the atmosphere of the battery house,

page_text: to the injury of the workmen and of the machinery besides causing loss of gold as
is the case in dry stamping as heretofore practised.
The mortar-box is furnished with a screen or with two or more screens or other
devices used in stamp batteries in lieu of screens, and with pipes for conveying
steam, compressed air, or gas, into the said box. The positions of the inlets may
be varied as required. Existing water service piping and fittings for supplying
water to the mortar box, for wet stamping may be utilized for supplying the steam,
compressed air or other gas. A box, hood, or framing is provided for covering, or
enclosing each screen, and to the said box or hood is attached a closed trough, pipe,
or channel for carrying away the pulverized material from the mortar box. The
said trough is connected to the hood by a flexible, or an expanding, and contracting
length of tubing, or by a telescopic tube.
A flexible bellows-like cover surrounding
the stem or rod of the stamp is secured at its upper end to a collar on the said
stem, and at its lower end to the top of the mortar box. This cover prevents the
escape of dust through the opening in the box around the stamp stem.
The material to be crushed is fed on a pivoted door, shelf or tray and discharged
into the mortar-box as required. The said door is controlled by a weight or spring
and is fitted with an india-rubber or other soft packing or jointing strip to prevent
the escape of dust.
The ore, rock, mineral, or other material or substance to be crushed is fed into
the mortar box by the usual methods of hand feeding, or by one of the various
types of automatic ore feeders. If the ore or other substance is too damp it is
dried before being crushed.
One or more jets or currents of steam or of compressed air, or gas, or a current
or currents of warm or cold air produced by a fan, blower, air pump, or other
device in use for such purpose or a combination of any of these, is directed into the
mortar box from one or more suitable points. The only escape for such air or gas
is through the screen, or screens and in escaping, the dry, or partly dry pulp will at
the same time be quickly carried through the said screen, and be prevented from
accumulating inside the mortar and thus the crushing capacity of the stamp battery
will be greatly increased without any unnecessary trouble or complication. This is
an important feature of my invention.
The steam, compressed air or gas, is directed into the hood, or framing aforesaid
or other covering that may be substituted for the hood, or into a continuation of
the same and thereby produces a strong sucking or lifting action through the
screens, and extending to the inside of the mortar box, whereby any pulp which is
crushed to the required degree of fineness will be drawn through the screens and
into the hood, whence it will be conveyed, or forced along by the velocity of the
currents before named through the delivery pipes and carried to a convenient
situation for further treatment. The hood may be made flexible, or, be constructed
to expand and contract, so as to enable it to be easily drawn away from the mortar
box for giving access to the screens, or to the inside of the mortar box as may be
required.
Examination of the screens and box is also facilitated by reason of the flexible
or telescopic delivery pipe. A fan, blower, air-pump, or the like may be
applied at the end, or at some other suitable place, or places along the length
of the delivery trough or pipe to produce a strong forcing, impelling, or a
drawing or sucking power, or action inside the trough, pipe, or channel. Either
the forcing, or impelling, or the drawing, or sucking power or action may be
used, or a combination of both.
For simplicity, and convenience of working, the closed delivery troughs or pipes,
from several mortars, may be combined, or brought together, and led into one or
more main, or principal closed trough, or pipe, or any other convenient channel or
pneumatic tube.
By these simple methods of rapidly removing the pulp from inside the mortar
box as fast as it is produced by the stamps, a much larger quantity of ore, rocks,.
mineral, or other material or substance can be crushed than was hitherto possible.

page_text: The dry, or partly dry pulp with very little trouble and expense, and with no
handling, or with small labour is by the aforesaid apparatus conveyed or blown
into a chamber, or box, where it settles and is immediately available for subsequent
treatment by any suitable process.
This chamber, or box, or other receptacle, is suitably provided with canvas,
or borse-hair cloth, or sieving, or other porous material, which while allowing
the steam, or other gas, or the air to pass freely through it, will at the same
time prevent the escape and loss of the pulp or other crushed material. Or the
pulp can be similarly taken into vats or tanks for direct treatment by amalga-
The vats,
mating, leaching, lixiviation, chemical, cyanide, or other processes.
or tanks in this case would be provided with a canvas, or other suitable covering
during the process of filling, and thus all dust, and loss will be avoided. They
would also be similarly provided with canvas, or horse-hair cloth, or sieving, or
other porous fabric in the walls thereof preferably near the top which while
allowing the steam, or other gas, or the air to pass freely through it, will at
the same time prevent the escape and loss of the pulp or other crushed material.
The screens can be of large, or coarse mesh, or gauge when required; as for
example with chemical, and some other treatments it is unnecessary to produce a
fine pulp, and hence the present capacity of the siamp mill would be considerably
increased when dry crushing.
By disposing of the pulp as before mentioned, the great labour, and expense of
amalgamating, concentrating, and the other mill processes are entirely dispensed
with. Any gold or other material or substance that has not passed or been carried
through the screens, will be retained in the mortar box until the usual time for
cleaning it up, when it is taken out for subsequent treatment.
The further labour, and cost of elevating, or running the pulp or tailings into
dams, or settling pits, and then having again to remove them as at present for
treatment by some amalgamating, leaching, lixiviation, chemical, cyanide, or other
processes is avoided.
By producing a dry, or partly dry pulp, (in place of a wet pulp as is at present
the practice) and treating it by direct amalgamating, leaching, lixiviation, chemical,
cyanide, or other treatment, the great loss in gold, and the difficulty and labour of
dealing with what is generally known as the "slimes" is overcome.
By these improvements the loss of gold in the battery processes, and in the
subsequent treatinent of the products as heretofore practised is considerably reduced,
so that low grade ores are brought nearer a payable value. Moreover the existing
stamp batteries, and the compressed air plants can be fully utilized, and the cost of
using steam, or gas would not be considerable. And the fans, blowers, air-pumps,
or other existing appliances for producing the required air currents are simple, and
inexpensive. The closed delivery trough, channel, or pipe is a very simple, and
effective conveyor of the dry or partly dry, pulp to its required destination, but if
preferred, or to meet the requirements of any particular case, the usual types of
endless band, worm, screw, paddle bladed, or spiral conveyors, or elevators may be
used for conveying or elevating the dry, or partly dry pulp to its required destination.
In some cases it is necessary to close the space round the stainp stems, where
they enter the mortar, so as to prevent the escape of the steam or air, and also the
dust thereat, and thereby retaining within the mortar the full force, and efficiency
of the steam, or air, used for removing the pulp as fast as it is produced by the
stamps. To accomplish the foregoing, the stems of the stamps may be made to
work through a stuffing-box or gland, or the flexible cover above described may be
provided. This device allows the stems to work quite freely.
The said cover may be of leather, india-rubber or other suitable material which
may require supporting, or strengthening by one or more bands, or rings, or a spiral
wire coil or the like, which while allowing the stems to work up and down without
hindrance, will at the same time prevent the sleeve or collar splitting, or collapsing,
or being rapidly worn out.
The opening through which the material that is to be crushed is fed into the

page_text: mortar box will usually require to be closed or partly closed to prevent the escape
of the steam, or air, and also to avoid the escape of the dust. For this purpose
I may provide that the spout, or tray, or the revolving disc or other device of the
automatic feeder, and the opening into the mortar box, be surrounded or enclosed
by a flexible, or by an expanding and contracting box, hood, or some other suitable
covering, which while accomplishing the before mentioned object will not sensibly
interfere with the freedom of the automatic feeder. Where the stamps are fed by
hand labour, pivoted shelves, ledges or trays, or other convenient devices are
arranged in or over, or near to, the opening through which the material that is to
be crushed is fed into the mortar box. The said shelves or ledges may be so
arranged that when one is open, the other is closed. They are controlled as before
stated by a spring, or by a lever and weight, which yields, and readily allows the
ore, or other material by its own weight to pass into the mortar box, and immediately
after doing so, the spring, or lever and weight, will again close the opening, thus
not interfering with the process going on inside the mortar box. This arrangement
of the pivoted shelves, ledges, or trays, may also be used when feeding the material
into the mortar box by an automatic feeder. The shelves, or ledges may be as
before stated provided with a flexible strip or lip to ensure better working results,
by avoiding any loss or escape of steam, gas, air, or dust from the mortar box.
Or in place of the foregoing, a roller having longitudinal grooves or corrugations
may be used. And this roller may or may not be connected with the mechanism of
the automatic ore feeder or with the mechanism of the stamp battery for the purpose
of supplying the required quantity of ore, or other material to the mortar box.
These improvements are equally applicable, and can readily be applied to any
type of steam, pneumatic, electric, or other class of stamp for reducing metal
bearing ores, or any other substance requiring crushing. And the waste, or exhaust
steam, or air, or any other propelling or working power used by any of these stamps,
may be utilized in the mortar box; or in the box, hood, or framing, or other device
which encloses the screens; or in the closed trough, pipe, channel, or pneumatic
tube, as herein described. Or the waste or exhaust steam, or other gas, or the air
from any engine, pump, or other appliance worked by these means may also be
utilized in the mortar box; or in the box, hood, or framing, or other device which
encloses the screens; or in the closed trough, pipe, channel, or pneumatic tube, as
herein described; or any combination of any of the foregoing.
The herein described improvements in stamp batteries are applicable to all
batteries, or mills, or other pulverizers having either a single discharge or two or
more discharges from the mortar box, or casing.
I wish it to be understood that I may vary my improvements in detail to meet
the requirements of any particular case, or class of ore, rock, mineral, or other
material or substance to be crushed, without departing from the spirit of
my invention.
And I wish it also to be clearly understood that I am aware of the systems
mentioned in the opening remarks of this Specification having been before in use,
and that I do not make any claim whatever for originality of those methods which
are merely alluded to herein to elucidate what follows.
Neither do I claim the various boilers, engines, machines, appliances, or apparatus
in use for generating, or producing the steam, or other gas, or the compressed air,
or the air currents which are applied in carrying out the improvements in stamp
batteries as mentioned herein. Nor do I make any claim to any type or system of
automatic or other ore feeders now in use, nor to any existing types of conveyors
or elevators.
DLE 00 1 1

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Crushing and
Pulverizing Ores and the like.
I, NEWTON JOHN SUCKLING, of Pretoria, South African Republic, Engineer,
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:
The modern stamp battery used in the wet crushing of ores, has proved itself
superior to all other apparatus, as regards economy, durability, and efficiency.
For dry crushing however its capacity hitherto has been much less than for wet
crushing. A disadvantage of the dry crushing process is due to the dust evolved
which requires to be treated with experience and care to prevent its becoming a
nuisance. For finely crushing some classes of ore, which are of a clayey character,
the dry stamps have not yet been improved upon although a variety of new
pulverizers have been introduced.
Various forms of revolving rolls, and many different types of pulverizers, and
centrifugal mills, have been used for crushing ores both by the wet and dry
processes, and in several cases have given good results, nevertheless on the South
African goldfields, and at other mining centres of the world, the modern stamp
battery is still generally used for reducing the ore to the required degree of fineness
for subsequent treatment.
When the ore is basic and needs roasting, and desulphurizing, or when it requires
to be dried, a drying floor, or a kiln, or one of the various types of revolving
drying, or roasting cylinders, or some kind of furnace is generally used. The ore
is sometimes fed to the stamps while still hot, less difficulty being then experienced
in passing it through the screens. The mortars heretofore have generally been
made with a double discharge to facilitate the passage of the dry pulp through the
screens when it is dashed up against them by the action of the stamps.
But the great difficulty hitherto experienced in the operation of dry crushing in
a stamp mill, is to remove the pulp from the mortar box as fast as it is produced by
the stamps by reason of which it was thought impossible to attain by this method
the same capacity as is attained when crushing by the wet method.
66
This difficulty has been overcome and many most important desiderata in dry,
or partly dry" crushing, are attained by the improvements forming the subject
of the present invention.
The chief object of my invention is to provide a stanıp battery so arranged that
the crushed material will be blown or drawn from the mortar box through a
delivery tube by means of steam, air, or gas, and conveyed to a chamber, tank, vat
or other receptacle for subsequent treatment. The mortar box is made air and
dust tight, so that the dust cannot escape into the atmosphere of the battery house,
and thereby injure the workmen and machinery and cause loss of gold as is the
case in dry stamping as heretofore practised.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a stamp battery having a mortar box of the
usual type with a single discharge, and having my improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a similar section of a battery having a double discharge.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of a modification hereinafter described, and
Figure 4 is a vertical section drawn to a smaller scale of a portion of a receptacle
for receiving the crushed ore and air purifying apparatus applied thereto as herein-
after described.
The same letters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the
drawing.

page_text: Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, A is the mortar box; B, B, are the screens,
one only being used in Figure 1, and two in Figure 2. Other devices used in
stamp batteries in lieu of screens may be substituted for the screens B and are
hereinafter comprehensively included in the term screens.
C, C, are pipes for conveying steam, compressed air, or gas, into the mortar box.
The positions of the inlets may be varied as required. Existing water service
piping and fittings for supplying water to the mortar box, for wet stamping may
be utilized for supplying the steam, compressed air or other gas. D) is a box, hood,
or framing for covering, or enclosing each screen. E is a closed trough, pipe, or
channel for carrying away the pulverized material from the mortar box. The said
trough is connected to the hood 1 by a flexible length of tubing F, as in Figure 1,
or by a telescopic tube G as in Figure 2.
His a flexible bellows-like cover surrounding the stem or rod of the stamp and
secured at its upper end to a collar h on the said stem, and at its lower end to the
top of the box A. This cover prevents the escape of dust through the opening in
the box around the stamp stem.
I is a pivoted shelf, ledge, or tray controlled by a lever and weight as in Figure 1
or by a lever and spring as in Figure 2. The material to be crushed is fed on to
this door and discbarged into the mortar box as required. J is an india-rubber or
other soft packing or jointing strip to prevent the escape of dust around the shelf I.
K is a part of the battery framing.
The ore, rock, mineral, or other material or substance to be crushed is fed into
the mortar box by the usual methods of hand feeding, or by one of the various
types of automatic ore feeders. If the ore or other substance is too damp it is
dried before being crushed.
One or more jets or currents of steam or of compressed air, or gas, or a current
or currents of warm or cold air produced by a fan, blower, air pump, or other
-device in use for such purpose or a combination of any of these, is directed into the
mortar box from one or more suitable points indicated by the pipes C. The only
-escape for such air or gas is through the screen, or screens B, and in escaping, the
dry, or partly dry pulp will at the same time be quickly carried through the said
screen, and be prevented from accumulating inside the mortar, and thus the crushing
capacity of the stamp battery will be greatly increased without any unnecessary
trouble or complication. This is an important feature of my invention.
The steam, compressed air or gas, is directed, as indicated by the arrows, into
the hood or framing D or other covering that may be substituted for the hood D,
or into a continuation of the same and thereby produces a strong sucking or lifting
action through the screens whereby any pulp which is crushed to the required
degree of fineness will be drawn through the screens and into the hood, whence it
will be conveyed, or forced along by the velocity of the currents before named
through the delivery pipes F, E or G, E as the case may be and carried to a
convenient situation for further treatment. The hood D may be made flexible, or
be constructed to expand and contract, and it can be easily drawn away from the
mortar box A for giving access to the screens, or to the inside of the mortar box
as may be required. Examination of the screens and box is also facilitated by
reason of the flexible pipe F or telescopic pipe G.
In lieu of the screens B I may use other means for controlling the fineness of
the crushed product. For example inay employ a vertical or inclined jet or
current of steam or air or gas confined within the closed trough, pipe, channel,
or pneumatic tube F, E, or F, G as the case may be as shown in Figure 3. The
pipe F is in this case arranged vertically, or nearly so, and the inlet L for the
steam or air communicates directly with the hood D; the said pipe may however
be made to communicate with the mortar box or there may be a pipe C communi-
cating with the mortar box in addition to the pipe L communicating with the
hood D. The jet or current serves to convey the crushed material through the
tube E and deliver it into the receptacle for subsequent treatment as above
mentioned. The volume and velocity of the current of steam, air or gas will

page_text: determine the coarseness or uneness of the product resulting from Lus crusing
process, because it will not have sufficient force to carry upwards into the tube E
any particles that are insufficiently crushed, and said particles would therefore fall
back into the hood D and thence into mortar-box A and would then be further
reduced in size and weight until they are sufficiently light to be carried upward by
the current into and through the tube E. By varying the volume or velocity of
the current therefore and the length of the vertical pipe F the fineness of the
crushing can be regulated.
This construction is important in that it enables the screens to be dispensed with,.
and avoids the wear and tear and enforced stoppages due to clogging or breaking
of the screens which are so prevalent when crushing by the wet process or by any
of the dry processes previously employed. I sometimes however use the screens B
in combination with the vertical pipe F and the currents of steam, gas or air for
controlling the fineness of the crushing.
The outward current in the pipes F or G and along the tube E can be increased
as desired by other jets admitted at any suitable point or points in said pipes or
tube, at L for example, to maintain or increase the force or velocity of the currents.
within the tube E and thereby ensure and maintain a constant discharge of the
crushed ore or other substance.
The inlet pipes for the steam or air in Figure 3 are shown furnished with
regulating valves.
For simplicity, and convenience of working, the closed troughs or pipes E, from
several mortars, may be combined, or brought together, and led into one or more
main, or principal closed trough, or pipe, or any other convenient channel or
pneumatic tube.
By these simple methods of rapidly removing the pulp from inside the mortar
box A as fast as it is produced by the stamps, a much larger quantity of ore,.
rock, mineral, or other material or substance can be crushed than was hitherto
possible.
The dry, or partly dry pulp with very little trouble and expense, and with no
handling, or with small labour is by the aforesaid apparatus conveyed or blown into
a chamber, or box, N Figure 4, where it settles and is immediately available for
subsequent treatment by any suitable process.
This chamber, or box, or other receptacle, is suitably provided with canvas, or horse-
hair cloth, or sieving, or other porous material O, O Figure 4, which while allowing
the steam, or other gas, or the air to pass freely through it, will at the same time
prevent the escape and loss of the pulp or other crushed material. The air escapes
from the chamber T by way of the liquid seal P which may be made by water or
a suitable chemical liquid. Any ore or crushed material which has not been
deposited in the chamber or vat N and has escaped through the fabrics O will be
caught by the liquid seal l' so that no gold is lost, and fine dust cannot escape into
the atmosphere. The liquid seal may be arranged at the floor level as shown at W,
and the air will then be conducted thereto through pipes U. By removing the
covers and R access can be obtained to the vat N and chamber T for cleaning.
purposes and for replacing the fabrics O when required.
In some instances the pulp is taken into vats or tanks for direct treatment by
amalgamation, leaching, lixiviation, chemical, cyanide, or other processes. The
vats, or tanks in this case would be provided with a canvas, or other suitable
covering during the process of filling, and thus all dust, and loss will be avoided.
They would also be similarly provided with canvas, or horse-hair cloth, or sieving,
or other porous fabric in the walls thereof preferably near the top which while
allowing the steam, or other gas, or the air to pass freely through it, will at
the same time prevent the escape and loss of the pulp or other crushed material.
The screens B Figures 1 and 2 can be of large, or coarse mesh, or gauge when
required; as for example with chemical, and some other treatments it is unnecessary
to produce a fine pulp, and hence the present capacity of the stamp mill would be
considerably increased when dry crushing.

page_text: By disposing of the pulp as before mentioned, the great labour, and expense of
amalgamating, concentrating, and the other mill processes are entirely dispensed
with. Any gold or other material or substance that has not passed or been carried
through the screens, will be retained in the mortar box until the usual time for
cleaning it up, when it is taken out for subsequent treatment.
The further labour, and cost of elevating, or running the pulp or tailings into
dams, or settling pits, and then having again to remove thein as at present for
treatment by some amalgamating, leaching, lixiviation, chemical, cyanide, or other
process is avoided.
By producing a dry pulp or what is known as a "partly dry" pulp (in place of a
wet pulp as is at present the practice) and treating it by direct amalgamation or by
leaching, lixiviation, chemical, cyanide, or other treatment the great loss in gold
and the difficulty and labour of dealing with what is generally known as the
"slimes" is overcome.
By these improvements the loss of gold in the battery processes, and in the
subsequent treatment of the products as heretofore practised is considerably
reduced, so that low grade ores are brought nearer a payable value. Moreover the
existing stamp batteries, and the compressed air plants can be fully utilized, and
the cost of using steam, or gas would not be considerable. And the fans, blowers,
air-pumps, or other existing appliances for producing the required air currents are
simple, and inexpensive. The closed trough, channel, or pipe I is a very simple, and
effective conveyor of the dry or partly dry, pulp to its required destination, but if
preferred, or to meet the requirements of any particular case, the usual types of
endless band, worm, screw, paddle bladed, or spiral conveyors, or elevators may
be used for conveying or elevating the dry, or partly dry pulp to its required
destination.
In some cases it is necessary to close the space round the stamp stems, where they
enter the mortar, so as to prevent the escape of the steam or air, and also the dust
thereat, and thereby retaining within the mortar the full force, and efficiency of the
steam, or air, used for removing the pulp as fast as it is produced by the stamps.
To accomplish the foregoing, the stems of the stamps may be made to work
through a stuffing-box or gland H fitted with collars or washers that allow a
certain amount of lateral movement of the stem or rod without destroying the
packing, as shown in Figure 3 or a flexible cover H may be provided as in
Figures 1 and 2. This cover allows the stems to work quite freely. It may be
made of leather, india-rubber or other suitable material which may require
supporting, or strengthening by one or more bands, or rings, or a spiral wire coil
or the like, which while allowing the stems to work up and down without hindrance,
will at the same time prevent the sleeves or collar splitting, or collapsing, or being
rapidly worn out.
The opening through which the material that is to be crushed is fed into the
mortar box will usually require to be closed to prevent the escape of the steam,
or air, and dust, or partly closed in which case the escape of dust is prevented by
the dust tight lid of the automatic feeder or otherwise. For this purpose I may
provide that the spout, or tray, or the revolving disc or other device of the automatic
feeder, and the opening into the mortar box, be surrounded or enclosed by a flexible,
or by an expanding and contracting box, hood, or some other suitable covering,
which while accomplishing the before mentioned object will not sensibly interfere
with the freedom of the automatic feeder. Where the stamps are fed by hand
labour, pivoted shelves, ledges or trays I, or other convenient devices are arranged
in or over, or near to, the opening through which the material that is to be crushed
is fed into the mortar box. 1 may introduce into the mortar-box at a point near
to the said shelves through one or more pipes or grids or their equivalent a jet or
jets of steam, compressed air or gas to ensure that there shall be no escape of dust
at the feed opening. In Figure two shelves or ledges I are provided. They are
so arranged that when one is open, the other is closed. They are controlled as
before stated by a spring, or by a lever and weight, which yields under the load

page_text: of material on them and readily allows the ore or other material to pass into
the mortar box, and immediately after doing so, the spring, or lever and weight,
will again close the opening, thus not interfering with the process going on
inside the mortar box. This arrangement of the pivoted shelves, ledges, or trays,
may also be used when feeding the material into the mortar box by an automatic
feeder, and if desired, the shelves inay be opened and closed by suitable mechanism
controlled by the automatic ore feeder or the stamp battery motive power instead
of relying on the weight of the ore to open them. The shelves, or ledges may
be as before stated provided with a flexible strip or lip J to ensure better working
results, by avoiding any loss or escape of steam, gas, air, or dust from the mortar
Or in place of the foregoing, a roller having longitudinal grooves or
corrugations may be used. And this roller may or may not be connected with the
mechanism of the automatic ore feeder or with the mechanism of the stamp battery
for the purpose of supplying the required quantity of ore, or other material
to the mortar box.
box.
These improvements are equally applicable, and can readily be applied to any
type of steam, pneumatic, electric, or other class of stamp for reducing metal-
bearing ores, or any other substance requiring crushing. And the waste, or
exhaust steam, or air, used by any of these stamps, may be utilized in the mortar
box; or in the box, hood, or framing, or other device which encloses the screens;
or in the closed trough, pipe, channel, or pneumatic tube, as herein described. Or
the waste or exhaust steam, or other gas, or air from any engine, pump, or other
appliance worked by these fluids may also be utilized in the mortar box; or in the
box, hood, or framing, or other device which encloses the screens ; or in the closed
trough, pipe, channel, or pneumatic tube, as herein described; or any combination
of any of the foregoing may be used for expelling the pulp.
The herein described improvements in stamp batteries are applicable to all
batteries, or mills, or other pulverizers having either a single discharge or two or
more discharges from the mortar-box, or casing.
I wish it to be understood that I may vary my improvements in detail to meet
the requirements of any particular case, or class of ore, rock, mineral, or other
material or substance to be crushed, without departing from the spirit of my
invention.
And I wish it also to be clearly understood that I am aware of the systems
mentioned in the opening remarks of this Specification having been before in use,
and that I do not make any claim whatever for originality of those methods
which are merely alluded to herein to elucidate what follows.
Neither do I claim the various boilers, engines, machines, appliances, or
apparatus in use for generating, or producing the steam, or other gas, or the
compressed air, or the air currents which are applied in carrying out the improve-
ments in stamp batteries as mentioned herein. Nor do I make any claim to
any type or system of automatic or other ore feeders now in use, nor to any
existing types of conveyors or elevators.
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 I am aware of
the Specification of Letters Patent No. 18569 of 1894 granted to Josiah Harris
and I make no claim to anything described and claimed therein, but what I
claim is:-
1. The vertical or inclined outlet pipe F Figure 3 in combination with the
mortar box and with means for producing a current of air, steam or gas in said
pipe for controlling the fineness of the crushed material without the aid of a screen,
substantially as described.
2. The combination with the mortar box of the flexible cover H, or of the
stuffing-box H' having movable collars or washers, substantially as, and for the
purposes, described.
3. The means for closing or partly closing the opening or space through which
B

page_text: the substance to be crushed is fed into the mortar box, with or without the jets of
air, steam or gas to prevent the escape of dust at the feed opening, substantially as
.described.
4. The combination, with the walls, roof or cover of the chamber, vat, or other
receptacle for the crushed material, of horse-hair cloth or other suitable porous
fabric with or without the liquid seal, substantially as described, and for the
purpose specified.
5. A stamp battery constructed substantially as described with reference to
Figure 1 or to Figure 2 or to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings, for the
purposes specified.
1
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.