IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING METALS AND METALLIC ORES FROM OTHER MINERAL
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Borlase, of St. Just, near Penzance, in
the County of Cornwall, Mining Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING METALS AND METALLIC ORES FROM OTHER MINERAL
"
Sealed the 20th August 1858, and dated the 24th February 1858,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Borlase at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
February 1858. .
I, EDWARD BORLASE, of St. Just, near Penzance, in the County of Corn-
wall, Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING METALS AND METALLIC ORES FROM OTHER
MINERAL SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the arrangement of a series of conical reservoirs
in combination with sieves or other analogous contrivances, and a piston or
plunger for the purpose of agitating the substances submitted to the operation
of the apparatus as herein-after mentioned. The following is a concise
description of the nature of the Invention.
The minerals from which it is desired to separate the metal or metallic ores,
having been crushed or pulverised, are conducted into a reservoir in the form
of an inverted cone, the same having within it another cone of such dimen-
sions as to leave a space between it and the outer cone. A feed pipe is in-
serted near the bottom of the last-mentioned reservoir, which admits a proper
supply of water with such a degree of force as to agitate the minerals or

page_text: substances introduced into the reservoir as before-mentioned, and so as to
cause the lighter or slimy portion thereof to be carried upwards between the
internal cone and the external reservoir until the same flows over the edge of
the latter, where it is received by launders or shoots, and thence carried to a
large reservoir or receiver in the form of an inverted cone, in which the slimy
matters containing the metal or metallic ore sink by reason of their superior
gravity, and are allowed to discharge themselves through a tube or tubes
connected with the bottom of the reservoir, the metal and metallic ores being
afterwards separated from the accompanying slime and water by means suitable
for that purpose.
The manner in which the larger and denser portion of the mineral sub-
stances submitted to the operation of this apparatus is treated must now be
explained. The slime and lighter particles of such substances being conveyed
from the first-mentioned conical reservoir, the larger and denser parts of such
substances descend through suitable pipes or tubes connected with the bottom
thereof, to a series of sieves which are arranged on the top of a conical reser-
voir, the latter being furnished with a feed pipe for the admission of water, and
with an outlet pipe at the bottom thereof. The last-mentioned reservoir is
placed within another reservoir, also in the form of an inverted cone, and
provided with an outlet pipe at the lower part thereof. Within the internal
reservoir is a piston or plunger working therein beneath the sieves. The
piston or plunger may be actuated by any suitable power, the length of stroke
thereof being regulated and adjusted by means of differential cams fixed on a
horizontal shaft in connection with the source of power, and which cams are
so arranged as to actuate the piston or plunger..
The operation of this portion of the apparatus is as follows:-The sieves
having been supplied with pulverised ore or minerals as before mentioned, a
stream of water is let into the inner reservoir through the feed pipe. The
water so introduced, being forcibly agitated by the piston or plunger, passes
through the meshes of the sieves, causing a continual friction of the mass of
mineral substances therein, whereupon the metallic portion, by its own gravity
separating and falling to the bottoms of the sieves, passes through the same
into the inner cone to be-discharged through the outlet pipe, while the waste
water and light substances are forced over into the outer cone, and are carried
off by the exit pipe.
It is not in all cases absolutely necessary to use every part of the above
described apparatus, as for some purposes portions thereof may be dispensed
with.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions. of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Borlase in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
BORLASE, of Saint Just, near Penzance, in the County of Cornwall, Mining
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Borlase, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Bor-
lase, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Edward Borlase, my exécutors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING METALS AND METALLIC ORES FROM OTHER MINERAL
SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said: Edward
Borlase, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Borlase, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
'formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto 'annexed, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :--
This Invention relates to certain improved methods of treating ores,.so. as
to separate the metals and metallic portions of the ore from the other minéral
substances with which they may be combined, or from each other, and princi-
pally consists in the arrangement of a series of conical reservoirs in combination
with sieves or other analogous contrivances, and a piston or plunger for the
purpose of agitating the substances submitted to the operation of the apparatus,
and of the other combinations and arrangements herein-after mentioned.
The minerals from which it is desired to separate the metal or metallic ore

page_text: (the same having been, if necessary, crushed or pulverised by means of rollers
or by any of the usual and known methods,) are conducted through a suitable
pipe or channel into a reservoir in the form of an inverted cone, the same
having within it another cone of such dimensions as to leave a space between it
and the outer cone. A feed pipe is inserted near the bottom of the last-
mentioned reservoir, by which feed pipe a supply of water is admitted with such
a degree of pressure (the quantity being regulated by means of a valve or other
contrivance) as to agitate the minerals or substances introduced into the
reservoir as before mentioned, and the effect of which is to cause the lighter or
slimy portion thereof to be carried upwards in the space or reservoir between
the internal and external cones, until the same flows over the edge of the
reservoir, where it is received by launders or shoots, and thence carried to a
depôt or depository, or to a machine or apparatus for the dressing of slime
ores, or to a large reservoir or receiver in the form of an inverted cone,
in which the slimy matters containing the metal or metallic ore sink by reason
of their superior gravity, and are allowed to discharge themselves through a
tube or tubes connected with the bottom of the reservoir, the metal and
metallic ore being afterwards separated from the accompanying slime and
water by any means suitable for that purpose, and which form no part of this
Invention.
The manner in which the larger and denser portion of the mineral
substances submitted to the operation of this apparatus is treated may be
now explained. The slime and lighter portions of such substances having been
conveyed from the first-mentioned conical reservoir as herein-before mentioned,
the larger and denser portions descend through an orifice, sluice, or valve at s
the bottom thereof, and are conducted into a distributor (which may be made
stationary or so as to revolve), and thence by suitable pipes or channels, or by
any other suitable means, into a series of sieves which are arranged on the top
of a conical reservoir, the latter being furnished with a feed pipe for the
admission of water, the same being regulated by a valve actuated by a float.
The bottom of the last-mentioned conical reservoir is also provided with 'a
valve, the object of which is to facilitate the discharge of the smaller portion of
the ore, and which in the case of lead ore is in some localities called smiddum
or hotch ore. In connection with the reservoir lastly herein-before mentioned,
and exterior thereto, is another reservoir, also in the form of an inverted cone, a
the same being provided with an outlet valve adjusted by a float. Within the
internal reservoir is a piston or plunger working therein beneath the sieves.
The piston or plunger may be actuated by any suitable power, the length of
stroke thereof being regulated and adjusted by means of a lever, an eccentric

page_text: or differential cams fixed on a horizontal shaft in connection with the source of
power, and which lever, eccentric, or cams are so arranged as to actuate the
piston or plunger. The operation of.this portion of the apparatus is as follows:-
The sieves having been supplied with ore or minerals as before mentioned, a
stream of water is admitted into the inner. reservoir through the feed pipe.
The water so introduced being forcibly agitated by the piston or plunger,
passes through the meshes of.the sieves, thus causing a continual agitation and
friction of the mass of mineral substances therein, the effect thereof being that
the metallic portion by its own gravity separates and falls to the bottom of
the sieves, and passing. through the meshes thereof into the inner conical
reservoir, is discharged by the valve before mentioned, while the lighter and
refuse substances and. waste water are carried over the fronts of the sieves,
(which are lowest on that side) into the outer cone and carried off by the exit
valve. The materials which escape by the respective valves may be conveyed
away by means of launders or shoots, or in any other convenient manner,
the mode of removing or conveying the same forming no part of this
Invention.
"
Figure I. in the annexed Drawings is an outline elevation, of the apparatus
above mentioned and described, some portions thereof being shewn in section.
A is the pipe through which the ore and mineral substances are conveyed
after passing through the crushing apparatus, the same pipe leading into the
firstly herein-before mentioned conical reservoir B, having within it the
internal inverted cone C; D is the feed pipe, with its valve for the supply of
water to the reservoir; E, E, is the launder or shoot, by means of which the
slimy portion of the minerals is carried off; F is the conductor, through which
the larger and denser portions of the minerals are conveyed to the distributor
G, G, (which is stationary or revolving, as may be desired,) thence passing
through the pipes H, H, to the sieves I, I, the latter being arranged on the
top of the conical reservoir J, J; K is the feed pipe for the admission of
water to the last-mentioned reservoir, L being the float regulating the valve L*;
M is a valve at the bottom of the reservoir, for the discharge of the finer
portion of the smiddum or hotch ore, as before mentioned; N is the internal
inverted conical reservoir herein-before mentioned, with an outlet valve
adjusted and regulated by the float O. It will be observed that the floats L
and O regulate the height of the water in the reservoirs. P, P, is the piston
or plunger within the internal reservoir; Q are the differential cams fixed on
the horizontal shaft R, R, the latter being in connection with the source of
power.
Figure 2 is a plan of the before-described apparatus, the letters of reference

page_text: thereon being the same, and referring to the same parts as in the elevation
shewn at Figure I.
I may here observe that this Invention is applicable to the treatment of
various metallic ores and minerals containing metal, and amongst others to
mineral substances containing gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, zinc, antimony;
bismuth, nickel, and iron.
Having thus described and explained the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I would observe, in conclusion,
that I do not claim all the several and distinct parts of the arrangements
herein before mentioned as being novel and original; neither do I confine or
restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have described
or referred to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating
from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but what I consider
novel and original, and therefore claim as my Invention, are, the arrangements
and combinations of mechanism and apparatus herein-before mentioned and
described, or any mere modifications or equivalents of such arrangements and
combinations, and the use and application of such arrangements and com-
binations or their equivalents for the purposes aforesaid.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Borlase, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
EDWARD BORLASE. (L.S.).