and Separating Precious Metals from Powdered Ore or Earth.
Year: 1887

page_text: and Separating Precious Metals from Powdered Ore or Earth.
I, CHARLES EASTMAN TRIPLER, (Gentleman), of 105th Street and 11th Avenue, in
the City, County and State of New York, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATING
AND SEPARATING PRECIOUS METALS FROM POWDERED ORE OR EARTH," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object the provision of a simple and effective apparatus
whereby substantially all of the metal contained in the pulp passing through the
machine may be secured without appreciable loss of mercury, and by the expenditure
of little power.
My invention consists essentially in a conduit for powdered ore or earth, wherewith
a mercury vaporizing retort is connected, said conduit leading to a hopper from whence
the ore pulp is elevated through a conduit by means of a revolving shaft wherein are
located a series of curved blades which thoroughly stir and mix the pulp as it is
elevated. At the top of the conduit a chute leads to a tank having a perforated
bottom; beneath said tank is a closed trunk or case, near the bottom whereof is located
a receptacle, having a slightly inclined bottom. The walls of this receptacle are not
amalgamated, but a series of transverse, sloping, amalgamated plates fit into slots or
grooves in the sides, and are elevated sufficiently above the bottom of the receptacle
to permit the pulp to pass there-beneath to a hopper from whence it is again elevated
as above described, to a second tank, having a perforated bottom, wherefrom it showers
upon a pan, the bottom and sides whereof are amalgamated.
Within this pan are
longitudinal, sloping, amalgamated plates, placed at an angle, the lower end of the pan
being connected with a trough to receive the amalgam and carry it to a convenient
receptacle. As many of these collecting pans may be used as desired.
In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my amalgamator and separator, some
of the parts being shown in section.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of my improved collecting pans.
A is the mercury retort, supported within a furnace A¹. B is a pipe, passing from
said retort to a cold water tank, C, and from thence to a glass tube, D, said tube being

page_text: surmounted by a feeding funnel, E. By this arrangement, the mercury may be
supplied to the retort, and its height therein ascertained at a glance, and by passing
the supply pipe through cold water, there will be no danger of overflow or heating the
supply outside of the retort. F is a pipe leading from the retort to a conduit, G.
Within pipe, F, I place a three-way cock, F¹, having connection with a pipe G¹, which
leads to a coil within the cold water tank, having an outlet at the end of the coil upon
the exterior of the water tank. The object of this arrangement is to control the flow
of vapor of mercury, and in case it is desired to stop the flow into the ore conduit,
while the vaporization is still taking place, the cock is turned so as to conduct said
vapor through pipe G₁, and condensation will take place before the outlet from said
pipe is reached, and no mercury will be lost.
Powdered ore or earth is supplied to conduit G, through funnel H, and as it falls
into said funnel it is stirred by the revolving arm H', fixed upon a shaft h, which is
driven by a pulley h¹, sifting the ore through the perforated bottom of funnel H, the
mercury vapor being taken up by the ore in its downward passage to hopper I. i is
a pipe for drawing off any amalgam which collects in hopper I.
Extending upward from hopper 1, is a conduit J, wherein is a vertical_shaft K.
Upon said shaft at intervals are fixed curved blades L, and within hopper I, stirring
arms, M. Shaft K is shown as driven by a pulley P, at the lower extremity thereof,
but if desired the pulley may be placed at the top of the elevator. I have found the
curved blades superior to a screw or other means for elevating the pulp, as in its
passage up the conduit, it is thrown from one set of blades to the next, and is
thoroughly mixed, insuring a proper amalgamation of the ore.
At the top of conduit J, is a chute, Q, leading to a tank, R, said tank being provided
with a perforated bottom, S, from which the pulp escapes in minute streams or drops.
Within tank R are a series of swinging bars r, pivoted at or near the top of the walls of
the tank, and connected together by a cross bar s. At each side of the swinging frame
are arms t, from which a pitman v passes to a crank shaft w, whereon is located a
driving pulley y. It will be seen that I thus impart a slight agitation to the pulp,
and prevent lodging of the particles, forcing it all to pass throub the perforated
bottom.
Beneath tank R is a trunk T, and near the bottom thereof is a receptacle or pan U ;
the bottom of receptacle U, slopes to a second hopper I, the end next said hopper
being open. In the sides of receptacle U are diagonal slots V, extending nearly to
the bottom of the receptacle, arranged to receive removable amalgamated plates, W.
These plates are so arranged that the bottom of the first is overhung by the top of the
second, and so on through the length of the receptacle. The office of this arrange-
ment is to thoroughly amalgamate the metal before separation from the pulp, and by
the peculiar arrangement of the plates W, each stream or drop of falling pulp finds
a clean amalgamated surface to strike, and must pass over such surface before
escaping from the receptacle. Tank R is located at such a height above receptacle U
as to give sufficient force to the falling pulp to insure the contact of each particle of
mercury and metal with the amalgamated surface of plates W, and consequent thorough
incorporation of the metal with the mercury.
also
Leading from the second hopper is an elevator, arranged as before described, which
conducts the pulp to a second tank R. Beneath this tank is located a separating pan,
consisting of an amalgamated body Y, the bottom sloping to one end, and terminating
at a trough K, having a conduit m leading to a receptacle c. In the back end of
pans Y are formed diagonal grooves, d, and at the front end is a cross bar e,
diagonally grooved. Removable amalgamated plates are supported in said grooves,
and rest upon the bottom of the pan. The distance between the separating pan and
the tank above should be such that the pulp will be gently showered onto the
plates, preventing scattering and floating, and consequent loss of amalgam and
mercury.
A second or third gathering pan may be supplied if found necessary. From the
peculiar construction of my improved gathering pan, the collection of the amalgam
is quickly and thoroughly accomplished; a clean amalgamated surface is provided

page_text: throughout the entire area of said pan, and the sloping longitudinal plates being in
contact with the bottom thereof, a channel for the amalgam is formed at the junction
of the edge of each plate with the pan bottom in such a manner as to convey the
amalgam off in streams, corresponding in number to the plates in the pan, a
process much more rapid and effectual than if the amalgam was spread over a single
plate in a thin sheet. These pans Y are arranged to slide out of their supporting
frames, and when it is desired to scrape the plates, a fresh pan may be substituted for
the pan removed, without loss of time, and as said pans are enclosed, there is no
danger of the amalgam being abstracted by unauthorised persons.
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 herein described process of amalgamating and separating precious metals
from earth or powdered ore, that is to say: by first subjecting the ore pulp to vapor
of mercury, then mixing the mass in a suitable chamber or hopper, showering the
pulp into a pan provided with amalgamated plates, arranged as set forth, then
showering the pulp into a collecting pan provided with sloping, removable,
amalgamated plates, and then conducting the amalgam to a receptacle.
2. The combination with the mercury retort A, of the supply pipe B, provided with
transparent extension D, and cold water tank C, the whole arranged substantially as
shown.
3. Receiving hopper I, connected with a conduit, J, wherein is located a revolvable
shaft, provided at intervals with curved blades, as set forth.
4. Receiving hopper I, connected wherewith is a conduit, J, wherein is located a
revolvable shaft, provided at intervals with curved blades, stirring arms being fixed to
said shaft within hopper I, as set forth.
5. The combination with an elevated tank having a perforated bottom, of a
receptacle located there-beneath, said receptacle having a sloping bottom, inclined
amalgamated plates being placed across said receptacle, substantially as shown.
6. The combination with an elevated tank having a perforated bottom, of a
separating pan located there-beneath, said pan having a bottom sloping towards one
end, terminating at a collecting trough, longitudinal, inclined amalgamated plates being
placed within said pan, substantially as shown.
7. In an amalgamator, a separating pan Y, the bottom whereof is amalgamated,
cross bar e, diagonal grooves d being formed therein, and in the end of the pan, in
combination with removable amalgamated plates f, as shown.
Dated this Eleventh day of October 1887.
CHARLES E. TRIPLER.