IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR WASHING METALLIC ORES AND SEPARATING METALS FROM EARTHY AND OTHER MATTERS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR WASHING
METALLIC ORES AND SEPARATING METALS FROM EARTHY AND OTHER
MATTERS."-A communication from abroad by John Collom, of
Houghton, in the State of Michigan, United States of America.
Sealed the 4th August 1871, and dated the 28th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 28th March 1871.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR WASHING
METALLIC ORES AND SEPARATING METALS FROM EARTHY AND OTHER MATTERS,"
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to separate the precious metals from
the earthy, stony, and other matters with which they are combined when
obtained from the mine.

page_text: The Invention is also applicable for obtaining other metals, such as
copper, lead, and other metals of high specific gravity from their ores.
To effect the separating of the metals from the earthy and other im-
purities the ore is first pulverized, and the separation of the metals is
effected by means of a peculiar process of washing, which will have the
effect of bringing to the surface such earthy and other substances as are
of less specific gravity than the metals. The earthy impurities will be
washed off by the water leaving the metallic substances behind.
The operation of the machinery is as follows:-The crushed ore is
carried by water through inclined spouts and deposited upon screens,
and while upon the screens the pulverized mass is agitated by the action
of a pair of plungers upon water which is let into spaces below the
screens. The water at each descent of the plungers is forced up through
the screens and lifts or agitates the earthy matters thereon. This
agitation of the pulpy mass on the screens causes the heavier particles to
sink to the bottom of the stratum of ore, and the finer portions will pass
through the screens into the cistern below, from which it may escape
through openings into any proper receptacle prepared to receive it, and
if necessary may be subjected to a second washing, or be disposed of at
once for subsequent use. The carthy non-metallic substances contained
in the ore are washed out of the screens at the outlets by the flow of
the water and are carried to the place provided for its deposit. If the
cistern be divided into two compartments, two kinds of ore differing in
quality or size of grain may be washed simultaneously without becoming
mixed. In washing ores of different sizes as they come from a screen
it is necessary that the coarser kind should receive a greater degree of
force from the water than the finer kind and often the metallic particles
accumulate faster in one screen than in another, and often it is needful
to keep more bottom" (coarse grain of ore) in one screen than in the
other, therefore the force exerted by the water on the ore in the two
screens must be unequal. There being two plungers and two compart-
ments in the cistern a separate action of the plungers on the contents
of each screen may be maintained, while by adjusting thimbles higher
or lower on the rods the action of each plunger may be regulated or
modified as desired. When the pulp or ore passes upon the screens
much of the very fine ore floats on the surface of the water and has a
tendency to pass off at the outlets and is lost. To prevent this, cross
bars, the lower edges of which sink a little below the surface of the pulp,
retain the fine ore sufficiently long to enable it to sink, and therefore
66

page_text: be saved. At the discharge ends of the screens the running of the water
causes the surface of the ore to slant towards the outlets, so that at these
points the depth and weight of the layer of ore is less than it is elsewhere.
The water consequently rises here with a force sufficient to bring to the
surface some of the heavier particles of ore, and as they rise they would
be carried off by the water and lost if not prevented by inclined bars,
which may be raised and lowered as desired in order to keep a certain
depth of water on the screens to prevent the former passing too rapidly
over the ore so as to carry off the fine metallic particles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 26th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, 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 MACHINERY FOR WASHING METALLIC ORES AND SEPARATING
METALS FROM EARTHY AND OTHER MATTERS," being a communication to me
from abroad by John Collom, of Houghton, in the State of Michigan,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Edward Newton, 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,

page_text: 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 William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) —
The "Improved Machinery for Washing Metallic Ores and Separating
Metals from Earthy and other Matters" which forms the subject of the
present Invention consists of an arrangement of screens in connection
with spouts and a cistern provided with a partition and discharge
apertures and reciprocating pistons or plungers operated in a novel
manner, as will be hereafter explained. These several parts are com-
bined and arranged in such a manner that several advantages are
obtained over the ordinary ore washing machines in use, as will be
herein-after fully set forth.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an ore
washing machine constructed according to the present improvements;
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig. 4 is
a transverse vertical section taken through the central part of the
machine in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical
section of the machine taken through the washing chambers and screens
in the line 3, 4, of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section of
the machine through one of the washing chambers, screens, and spouts
taken in the line 5, 6, of Fig. 3.
a, a, represents a framing which may be constructed either of wood
or iron and in any proper manner to support the working parts. Two
cisterns b, b, are fitted in the framing a, and are formed with inclined
sides, as shewn in the Drawing. Each cistern is provided with dis-
charge openings c in its bottom, and in these openings hollow plugs d
are inserted. At the upper part of each of the cisterns b, b, a horizontal
sieve or screen e, Figures 5 and 6, is fitted. In the space between the
two cisterns b, b, is placed the vessel f,f¹, Figures 4 and 5, which is
divided into two equal compartments f, f¹, by a cross bar g, as shewn
in Fig. 4. These compartments f,ƒ³, have each an opening / in its

page_text: bottom, so that they may communicate with the cisterns b, b, one with
each, as shewn in Fig. 5. In each of the compartments f,f', there is
fitted a plunger i, , Fig. 4, to which plungers are attached the vertical
rods j, j', which pass up through guides or boxes on an A shaped
framing k, k, which is bolted on to the sides of the water chambers ƒ, f¹.
The upper part of the rods j, j', are surrounded with coiled springs
which rest on the guides . Each of the rods j has a collar j* upon it,
against which the upper end of the coiled spring bears; and on each
rod above the collars j there is a thimble 1, shewn in section at Fig. 4,
which is screwed on to the rod, and is held in place by a set screw j³.
The upper surfaces of the thimbles have recesses made in them to receive
pieces of india-rubber or other yielding or elastic material, as seen at
Fig. 4. A rocking bar or lever m is mounted on an axle, the journals
or trunnions of which are fitted to work in bearings m³ on the framing k.
This rocking bar or lever m carries at the upper end an arm m², which
passes through and works in a brass carried by the crank of the driving
shaft, so that by the rotation of the crank shaft the bar or lever m will
be made to rock upon its axis, and by so doing the opposite ends of
the lever will be alternately brought down on to one or other of the
thimbles at the top of the piston rods j, and thus depress the latter
and cause the plungers to force down the water in one of the compart-
ments for f. The length of stroke of the pistons or plungers i, 1,
may be varied as desired by raising or lowering the thimbles at the
top of the piston rods, and turning the adjusting screws n, n³, which
pass through holes tapped in the guides ¹, Fig. 4, and are capable of
being raised or lowered as may be required for the purpose of arresting
the upward motion of the plungers i, . Screwing the adjusting
screws n, n¹, up or down will also have the effect of regulating the
tension of the coiled springs. It will be seen that the rocking bar or
lever m has a certain extent of motion which does not affect the piston
or plungers and their rods, which are only actuated when the end of the
lever m comes in contact with and depresses them. It will be evident,
therefore, that by screwing up or down the thimbles and also the
adjusting screws n the extent of motion of the plungers may be regu-
lated at pleasure. The pulverized ore is fed into the machine down
two inclined spouts o, o, which are attached to the framing at points in
line with the screens e, e, Figures 4 and 6. These spouts may, if desired,
be each provided with buttons or distributors of diamond or other
shape, which when attached to the bottoms of the spouts will serve as

page_text: distributors to equalize the flow of the ore on to the screens e, e. In
order more effectually to distribute the pulverized ore uniformly on
the screens e, e, it is first made to fall on to the platform p, in which
are made a number of holes through which the ore will drop on to the
screens beneath. Cross bars q, q, are fitted into the washing chambers b
(see Figures 3 and 6), and extend transversely over the screens, and in
such a manner as to project down below the surface of the water, and
to serve as skimmers to prevent any portion of the ore being floated
over at the discharge end of the machine. The waste material is
discharged at a spout b², which extends beyond the screens of the
washing chambers over which the earthy matters pass, and consequently
any ore which may collect near the spout will not be agitated by the
action of the plungers on the water, and will not therefore be carried
over the spout and out of the machine. Two pipes or tubes r, r, conduct
water into the spaces below the screens in the compartments f, f¹, so
that the washing chambers b, b', are kept supplied with water below the
screens e, e.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The crushed ore mixed
with as small a quantity of water as possible is carried by the water
on to the inclined spouts o, o, and is delivered upon the platforms p,
from whence it drops on to the screens e, e, and while upon the screens
it is agitated by the action of the plungers i, i, the latter by their up
and down motion acting upon the water which is let into the com-
partments b, b', through the pipes or tubes r, r. This water at each
descent of the plungers is forced up through the screens e, e, and lifts
up the pulverized ore placed thereon and thus forces the lighter particles
to the top of the mass. As the agitation of the pulp or orc on the
screens e, e, causes the heavier particles to sink to the bottom of the
stratum of ore the smaller particles will pass through the screens e, c,
into the cistern or compartment b below, from which they may be
allowed to escape through the perforated plugs d in the openings c,
and will be received in any proper receptacle prepared for them. If
necessary the ore thus obtained may be subjected to a second washing
or be disposed of at once for subsequent use. The carthy non-metallic
and lighter substances contained in the ore will be washed out of the
screens and will be delivered at the outlets be and will be carried by
the water to the place provided for their deposit or reception. There
being two compartments b, b', two kinds of ore differing in quality or

page_text: size, or grain or specific gravity may be washed simultaneously without
becoming mixed. In washing ores of different sizes it will be necessary
as they come from a screen that the coarser kind should receive a
greater degree of force from the water than the finer kind. It is
morcover often found that the metallic particles accumulate faster
on one screen than on another, and it is often needful to keep more
"bottom" (coarse grain of ore) on one screen than on the other, there-
fore the force exerted by the water on the ore on the two screens must
be unequal. To regulate all these things, or rather to adjust the
apparatus to suit all these varying circumstances is the object of this
Invention. The two plungers i and i¹, and the two compartments or
washing chambers b, b', admit of a separate action of the plungers on
the contents of each screen, while by adjusting the thimbles 7 higher
or lower on the rods j, j', the action of each plunger may be regulated
or modified as desired. This mode of operating the plungers is pre-
ferable to the direct action of the crank or excentric as it gives the
requisite sudden jerks without working so rapidly and with such long
strokes as the crank or excentric would impart. It has been found
that the continuous motion produced by the crank or excentric has a
tendency to prevent the proper action of the water on the ore and the
proper settlement of the latter on the screens. The coiled springs
round the rods j, j³, are designed to raise the plungers i, ¹, after they
have been depressed or forced down by the action of the rocking bar m
in the manner described. When the pulp or ore passes upon the
screens much of the very fine ore floats on the surface of the water
and has a tendency to pass off at the outlets 6² and is lost. To prevent
this the cross bars q, q, the lower edges of which sink a little below the
surface of the pulp, retain the fine ore sufficiently long to enable it
to sink into the mass and therefore pass through the screens and be
saved. At the discharge ends 62 of the screens the running of the
water causes the surface of the ore to slant towards the outlets so that
at these points the depth and weight of the layer of ore is less than it
is elsewhere. The water consequently rises here with a force sufficient
to bring to the surface some of the heavier particles of ore, and as they
rise they would be carried off by the water and lost if not prevented by
the peculiar formation of and mode of adapting the exit spout 6º.

page_text: of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me
by Letters Patent as aforesaid,-
-
The arrangement, construction, and mode of operating the several
parts of the ore washing machine, as herein shewn and described.
I claim particularly combining the double ore washing chambers
provided with perforated screens and distributing boards or platforms,
and exit openings or passages as described, with a divided water chamber
which communicates with the compartments beneath the screens in the
manner and for the purpose set forth.
I also claim the use of transverse bars dipping down into the water
on the screens for the purpose of preventing the fine particles from
being carried over the spout or other exit aperture.
I further claim working or actuating the plungers by means of a
rocking bar or lever as herein shewn.
I claim particularly the use of this rocking bar or lever in com-
bination with spring plunger rods so arranged and constructed as to
be adjustable in their several parts, so that the extent and mode of
action of the plungers may be regulated at pleasure according to the
nature of the minerals to be operated upon as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-