IMPROVEMENTS, TO REDUCE AND WASH MINERALS TO EXTRACT METAL THEREFROM, ESPECIALLY GOLD
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Stopford Thomas Jones at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
February 1854.
I, STOPFORD THOMAS JONES, of 3, Union Court, Old Broad Street, City of
London, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS, TO REDUCE AND WASH MINERALS TO EXTRACT
METAL THEREFROM, ESPECIALLY GOLD," to be as follows:-
I make a metal pan of any sufficient dimensions. I prefer it to be inter-
nally about five feet in diameter at the lip, tapering to about four feet at the
bottom, & about three feet deep, and made of iron, the bottom to be very
substantial and concave inside, with an aperture in the centre for a spindle
about five inches in diameter to pass through air-tight, the object of which is
herein-after described. I make a crusher or pulveriser of cast metal, about
three feet in diameter, and about eighteen inches deep, tapering to the top
with a hollow neck, but convex underneath to fit in the concavity of the pan.
In the neck of the crusher I firmly fix a spindle, which I secure and work
through brasses fastened to a strong iron bar firmly fixed from lip to lip across
the diameter of the pan; to this spindle I give an up-and-down motion by
tappet or lever, to raise and let fall the crusher in stamping the ore; I place
a drum or cog wheel on this spindle, and gear it with the engine power, to
revolve the crusher when required to pulverise, wash, and amalgamate; but to
facilitate and effect this process I make a hole in the centre of the bottom of
the crusher or pulveriser, into which I pass the spindle through the bottom

page_text: of the pan; this spindle rests upon a bar underneath the pan. I raise and
depress this bar at pleasure by means of strong bolts (wormed) and attached
to both ends of the bar; these bolts pass through lugs or brackets fastened to
the exterior of the pan; these bolts (supporting the bar and spindle) I work
up and down by the well-known manner by nuts and spanners or screws. This
spindle will take the weight of the pulveriser off the bottom of the pan, and by
raising or depressing it the washing water (which may be tepid if thought fit)
will concentrate the mineral and quick quicksilver under the pulveriser, and
promote amalgamation. The pulveriser may be worked forwards and back-
wards by reversing gear. I make several washing ports round the pan, about
one foot from the bottom. I draw off the quicksilver and amalgam through a
hole bored in the lower end of the under spindle to about twelve inches. One cr
more apertures will be made communicating with this hole through the side of
the spindle; when the washing is finished, I raise the spindle by the regulating
screws about six inches, to open the side apertures cr passages above the
bottom of the pan, the quicksilver and amalgam then lying in the bottom
& concavity of the pan are immediately and totally drawn off through the
spindle into a vessel underneath.
Having now described my improvements, I wish it to be understood that I
do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth, but do so to the
general principles herein contained.