Improvements in Apparatus for Washing or Leaching Granular or Powdered Substances, and Separating the same from the Liquids used.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Nov., 1897-Accepted, 20th May, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Washing or Leaching Granular or
Powdered Substances, and Separating the same from the Liquids
used.
I, ROBERT MOODIE, of 41, Alkham Road, Stoke Newington, London, N.,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the providing of a continuous and economical
apparatus for washing or leaching granular or powdered materials, and consists
of a tank or receptacle rectangular in plan, having in vertical cross section a semi-
circular bottom, and is divided into cells or compartments by partitions running
across and jointed to the sides and bottom of the tank.
In each of these partitions and near to the sides of the tank is a hole or opening,
the opening in one partition being near to one side of the tank, and the opening
in the next partition being near the opposite side of the tank, and so on for as
many cells as may be necessary for the proper treatment of the solids and liquids
used.
A rocking shaft running lengthwise on the top and in the centre of the tank is
carried on bearings and made to partly rotate or oscillate, by suitable mechanism.
Fixed to this shaft and projecting downwards into each of the cells are arms
or stirrers of a form suitable to stir and propel the materials through the liquids
from one side of the tank to the other, and to discharge it through the said opening
into the next cell. The semi-rotative movement of the shaft is adjusted so that
each propellor stops opposite the hole in the partitions to discharge some of the
materials through it into the next cell.
Near each of these openings may be suspended a wiper to scrape the material
off the propellor and assist in discharging it into the next cell.
The liquid being run into the cells to a suitable depth, the material to be treated
is fed into the cell near one end of the tank and is caused to travel through the
liquid in a zigzag direction through all the cells to the other end of the tank where
it is discharged through an opening or over the edge of the last cell.
The liquid used to wash the material is run into the cell from which the solids
are discharged, runs through all the cells by gravitation carrying with it what is
washed or leached from the solids and overflows from that cell into which the
solids were first fed.
The bearings carrying the shaft and propellors are made adjustable in a vertical
direction, so that in the event of the apparatus being stopped with a full charge
of material the stirrers or propellors may be lifted partly free from it to assist in
again starting.
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page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Washing or Leaching Granular or
Powdered Substances, and Separating the same from the Liquids
used.
I, ROBERT MOODIE, of 41, Alkham Road, Stoke Newington, London, N.,
Engineer, 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 has for its object the providing of a continuous and economical
apparatus for washing or leaching granular or powdered materials, and consists
of a tank or receptacle rectangular in plan, having in vertical cross section a semi-
circular bottom, and divided into cells or compartments by partitions running
across and jointed to the sides and bottom of the tank. In each of these partitions
and near to the sides of the tank is a hole or opening, the opening in one partition
being near one side of the tank, and the opening in the next partition being near
the opposite side of the tank, and so on for as many cells as may be necessary for
the proper treatment of the solids and liquids used.
A rocking shaft running lengthwise on the top and in the centre of the tank
is carried on bearings and made to partly rotate or oscillate by suitable mechanism.
Fixed to the said shaft and projecting downwards into each of the cells are arms
with stirrers and propellors of a form suitable to stir and propel the materials
through the liquid from one side of the tank to the other side, and to discharge
it through the said opening into the next cell. The semi rotative movement of
the shaft is adjusted so that each propellor stops nearly opposite the opening in
the partition to discharge some of the material through it into the next cell. Near
each of the said openings is suspended, on a pivot, a scraper or brush to assist in
removing the material from the propellor into the next cell. The liquid being
run into the cells to a suitable depth, the material to be treated is fed into the cell
near one end of the tank, and is caused to travel by the propellors through the
liquid in a zigzag direction through all the cells to the other end of the tank, where
it is discharged through an opening or over the edge of the last cell. The liquid
used to wash or leach the material is run into the cell from which the solids are
discharged and, by the afore-mentioned holes or openings, runs in an opposite
direction to the material through all the cells by gravitation carrying with it what
is washed or leached from the solids, and overflows from the cell into which the
solids were first fed. The bearings carrying the shaft are made moveable in the
pedestals in a vertical direction by a lever so that in the event of the apparatus
being stopped with a full charge of solids the stirrers and propellors may be lifted
partly free from it to assist in again starting. The apparatus may be made of
any suitable material.
And in order that this invention may be more fully understood I will now refer
to the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference indicating the same
parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1 is a plan of a washer or leacher with ten cells a¹ to a¹0. The cell a¹ in
this case is used to feed the dry material which runs from the hopper o, and is
lifted and thrown over into the first wet cell a² by the arm and scoop b¹. In
cells a² to a the materials are stirred in the liquid and moved from the one to
the other by the propellors b³ to 6%, and in the cell a¹0 the materials are stirred

page_text: and discharged over the side by the scoop 610. The scrapers c² to c³ are actuated
by the scoop part of the propellor coming into contact with them from below. The
propellors to 69 are alternately right and left, thus, when they are caused to
move to one side, those in cells a³, a, a and as discharge solids into cells a³, a³, a7
and a, and when moved to the other side the propellors in a³, a³, a7 and a dis-
charge into cells a, a, a8 and a 10. Movement is imparted to all the propellors
and lifters by the shaft e, crank f, connecting rod g, and suitable mechanism.
By pressing the handle h, movement is transmitted through the spindle i to the
levers to lift the shaft e by its bearings. is the inlet pipe for the liquid and/
is the outlet or overflow pipe for the liquid. Fig. 2 is a cross section of apparatus
through the cell al with over-edge discharge scoop near highest point of travel.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through a wet cell with propellor near highest point,
the dotted lines showing the relative position of the propellor in the next cell.
Fig. 4 is a cross section through Fig. 3 showing propellor and scraper discharging
solids into the next cell. The scraper is preferably a loose fit on its pivot to allow
of a free lateral movement. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section through the dry feed
cell a¹ with feed lifter 6' in position to discharge materials into the first wet cell.
The outer part of the lifter is scoop-shaped the inner part curved at an angle to
guide the material in the proper direction, and attached to the arm by a moveable
Joint and spring to allow it to glide over the material on the back stroke, and
to dig into it on the forward stroke. A projection n on the scoop and a stop m
on the top of the cell hasten the discharge by quickly altering the angle of repose
in the scoop. Fig. 6 is a cross section through a wet cell, dry feed cell and feed
hopper o.
I do not bind myself to the exact details of the drawings in carrying this inven-
tion into effect, as they may be varied to suit the nature of the materials to be
treated. For instance, the number of cells may be increased or diminished. The
first cell may be wet, and the material fed into it, dry or damp, by a conveyor or
other suitable means. For washing purposes the opening between each cell may
be broad and shallow, and the opening for overflow liquid likewise. The form
of the propellors may be modified to suit inert or lively materials. In chemical
leaching as, for instance, alkaline materials, or in the cyanide process of leaching
gold from ore and such like, where it is desirable to maintain the outflowing solu-
tion at a certain specific gravity a float or hydrometer may be suspended in the
outflow cell and connected by suitable appliances to the inlet stopcock or valve
to control automatically the quantity flowing in. The inner end of the outlet pipe
for liquid may be arranged to draw from any suitable part of the liquid in the
cell. The washed or leached material may be discharged from the last cell by a
propellor, wiper and opening as in the other wet cells, set higher than the water
line, and where it is desirable that the materials should not be exposed to the air
during the process of washing or leaching, the openings and propellors may be
entirely under the surface of the liquid in the cells. The cells may be constructed
separately, and joined together to form one tank. The contents may be heated
by a steam jacket or hot air or by a steampipe in each cell.
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 apparatus for washing or leaching granular or powdered materials,
with liquids in adjoining cells or compartments, a propellor and stirrer, and wiper
in proximity to the plate or partition forming one side of such cells, and arranged
to stir and convey the solid matter from the bottom of said cell and discharge it
through said side plate, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Second. In apparatus for washing or leaching granular or powdered materials,
the method of feeding dry materials to the first wet cell substantially as shewn
in Figs. 5 and 6 and as hereinbefore set forth.

page_text: Third. In apparatus for washing or leaching granular or powdered materials
the arrangement and combination of parts substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 20th day of November 1897.
ROBERT MOODIE,
Applicant.