Year: 1888

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by THE WATSON AND DENNY GOLD AND SILVER
EXTRACTING COMPANY, Limited, of 115, Collins Street West, in the City of
Melbourne, Colony of Victoria.]
MACHINES.
I PHILIP ARTHUR NEWTON of tho Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in combined grinding, classifying and
amalgamating machines and is designed to produce a machine which will reduce to
an almost impalpable powder, all descriptions of ores, but especially those containing
gold and silver; and the improvements consist, first, in forming the working surfaces
of the upper and lower grinding segments of a corrugated section so as to have a
larger surface through which the material under treatment has to pass; second, in
arranging the bottom of the pan and the lower segments in such a manner as that
there is a clear space between them in which to place mercury for amalgamating
purposes; and, third, in the peculiar construction of the overflow classifier which
reduces to a minimum the possibility of losing any of the precious metals.
These improvements may be applied to any description of pan which works on the
mill-stone principle, but the grinding pans to which my first and second improve-
ments are specially applicable are those which have a central vertical revolving
spindle which carries a circular plate, to the under side of which the upper segments
are affixed. The lower corrugated surfaces of these segments grind and work upon
the lower segments of similar section placed at the hottom of the pan, which is itself
circular. By forming the grinding surfaces of a corrugated section as described in
the first improvement, it is nearly impossible for the material under treatment to pass
through them without being very finely ground. The upper and lower segments
may have either curved or straight joints or they may be made in the form of a disc.
To carry out the second improvement, the bottom of the pan is made flat for a certain

page_text: into the classifier near its one end, is designed to regulate the discharge of the material
under treatment to any desired degree of fineness, and the diverting board F is to
divert the current passing from F to F4, causing it to pass under the lower edge of
the divorting board F, by which means the very finest particles of metal, as well as
coarse particles of ore are made to sink.
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 :-
First. In grinding machines, forming the working faces of both grinding platos or
segments of a corrugated section, so that when at work the corrugations fit and work
in one another; substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in
Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings.
Second. The combination of the parts marked F to F, forming the classifier
discharge, one side of which is formed by the wall of grinding pan and is therefore
nearly vertical, whilst the other sides are formed at angles of from 50 to 65 degrees;
substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2
of the drawings.
Third. In grinding pans, the mercury well B situated between the suitably shaped
bottom A¹ and the lower grinding plate C, the rib C being interposed to support the
lowor grinding plate or segment in a horizontal position; substantially as heroin
described and explained and as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.
Fourth. In grinding pans, a mercury well B so arranged that the mercury in the
well shall not rise above the bottom level of the lower shoe.
Fifth. The general combination of the above claims with any description of grinder
or amalgamator on the millstone principle, so as to form a combined grinder classifier
and amalgamator; substantially as and for the purposes herein described and
explained.
Dated this 35th day of June One thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight.