AMALGAMATING APPARATUS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ADAM MILLER of Lime Street in the City of London, Engineer, do herebý
declare the nature of my invention for "AMALGAMATING APPARATUS" to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for extracting by amalgamation, precious
metals from ores; tailings or other materials containing them. For this purpose,
I provide a vessel made in the form of an inverted siphon or U, the one limb
being preferably larger in sectional area than the other. I charge this vessel with
mercury when the amalgamation is to be carried on in the cold; or with molten
lead or other suitable metal when the amalgamation is to be carried on at a high
temperature, and in that case, I place the apparatus over a fire or in a flue to keep
its contents hot.. At or near the mouth of the smaller limb of the siphon, I provide
a lateral feed aperture surmounted by a bopper or feed tube containing the
pulverised ore. or the tailings or other material to be operated on, and within tho
limb of the siphon or a branch from it, I fit a plunger to reciprocate to and fro
below or across the feed aperture. When this plunger retreats, a charge of the
material enters the limb in front of the plunger, and as the plunger advances, this
charge is pushed before it into the limb and is thus caused to descend, rising again
through the mercury or molten metal in the larger limb. I find it advantageous
to provide in the limbs of the amalgamator perforated screens, through which the
material is made to pass, becoming thereby thoroughly distributed among the
amalgamating metal: When it is desired to operate several times on the material,
the top of the rising limb of one apparatus may be covered, and a communication
may be, made from the covered-in space at the top to the feed aperture of a second
amalgamator; and in a similar way from the second to a third, and so on through
as many as may be necessary.
"

page_text: I, ADAM MILLER of Lime Street in the City of London, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "AMALGAMATING APPARATUS" and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof :-
My invention relates to apparatus for extracting by amalgamation precious
metals from pulverized ores, tailings or other material containing them. The
object which I have in view is to provide for thorough exposure of the metallic
particles to the action of the amalgamating metal, and for conducting the operation
in a continuous manner. I will describe my invention referring to the accom-
panying drawings which represent) an apparatus' suitable for amalgamating by
mercury. When molten metal, such as, molten lead or alloy, is used instead of
mercury, the apparatus is generally similar to that shewn, but is placed over a fire
or in a heated flue to keep the ainalgamating metal in a fluid, condition, and, in
order to prevent oxidation of the molten metal, I keep the apparatus above its
level supplied with combustible gas, such as that obtained from a gas producer.
.
Referring to the drawings, 'Fig. 1 is a vertical section of amalgamating apparatus
according to my invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on X X and Fig. 3 is a plan
on Y Y. The apparatus consists of a vessel in the form of an inverted siphon
or U, having one limb A preferably smaller in diameter than the other limb B.
Both limbs are closed at the top, and have mounted centrally within them vertical
shafts C and D carrying several sets of inclined or helical blades E and F. In the
limb A there are several grids G, and at the bottom of the limb B there is also a
grid H. In this limb also are fixed inclined or helical blades K. to prevent the
contents from: acquiring rotation from the movement of the blades F.
At the top
of the limb A there is a lateral passage in which a plunger L is made to reciprocate
to and fro under the mouth of a feed hopper M. At the top of the limb B there
is a lateral opening N for discharge of the spent material. Also from the bottom.
bend there is a passage O for drawing-off-the-amalgam. The vessel being charged
with mercury and the shafts C and D being caused to revolve and the plunger I
being caused to reciprocate by connection to any suitable motor, the ore, tailings
or other material to be treated is fed into the hopper M, and is acted on as
follows. At every back stroke of the plunger L, a portion of the material descends
from the hopper. By the forward stroke of L this is forced into the upper part
of the limb A, and, partly by the pressure due to the stroke of the plunger, and
partly by the action of the revolving blades E, the material is made to descend
through the mercury, the grids G subdividing and distributing it as it descends.
From the bottom bend of the apparatus the material ascends through the mercury
in the limb B, and is finally discharged by. the opening N, having, in its course
through the mercury, left a large portion of the precious metal which it contained
amalgamated with the mercury. Should farther amalgamation be required, the
material discharged at N may be led to the hopper of another similar apparatus
to be operated on a second time, and from this it may be led to a third or
to several successive amalgamators, arranged so that the process may go on
continuously. The amalgam or the mercury can, when required, be withdrawn
by opening a valve in the outlet pipe O.
Figs. 5, 6 and 7 shew respectively a vertical section and cross sections at X X
and Y Y of a modified arrangement, in which a screw L is employed, in place of
the plunger in the foregoing arrangement, for forcing the material from the hopper

page_text: into the amalgamating vessel, which instead of being of a U shape consists of the
central part A with shaft C blades F and grids G through which the material is
caused to descend, and which is supported by feet H on the bottom of the outer
vessel B, into which the material issues from the bottom of A in a finely divided
state. In this outer vessel, which is filled with mercury the material ascends,
giving off the precious metals contained therein to the mercury, and escaping
through the opening N.
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 shew the same views of a modification of the last described
arrangement, in which the hopper M is arranged directly over the central vessel A,
the screw L which forces the material down into A being fixed on the same shaft C
that drives the blades F.
In the arrangement shewn at Figs. 11, 12 and 13, the hopper M is made of such
a depth that the weight of the column of material contained therein will be
sufficient to force it down into the vessel A without the aid of a screw or plunger.
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 construction of amalgamating apparatus consisting of a vertical vessel or
chamber charged with mercury or other liquid amalgamating metal, into the upper
end of which vessel the ore or material to be operated upon enters, and in which
it is caused to descend by the action of revolving helical blades, so as to issue at
bottom into a second vertical vessel also charged with mercury or other metal, in
which the material is caused to ascend, transverse grids being provided in the first
named vessel for dividing and distributing the material as it descends, so as to
bring it into intimate contact with the mercury, substantially as herein described.
2. In combination with amalgamating apparatus, constructed and operating as
set forth in the preceding claim, the use of a plunger or equivalent device for
forcing the material from the charging hopper into the amalgamating vessels,
substantially as herein described.
3. In amalgamating apparatus, the combination of the vessels A and B with
grids GH, shafts CD, blades E F, hopper M and charging device L arranged and
operating substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the
Drawings.
4. In amalgamating apparatus, the combination of the concentric vessels AB
with grids G, shaft C, blades F and hopper M arranged and operating substantially
as herein described with reference to Fig. 5 to 13 of the drawings.
Dated this 90th dow of Contouchan
ABEL & INRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.