IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PULVERISING AND TREATING OF DIAMONDIFEROUS BLUE-GROUND' AND OTHER SIMILAR EARTHY MATTERS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
Year: 1881

page_text: '
LETTERS PATENT to Alexander James Struthers, of Hawick, in the County of
Roxburgh, North Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PULVERISING AND TREATING OF DIAMONDIFEROUS BLUE-GROUND' AND OTHER
SIMILAR EARTHY MATTERS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE
EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander James Struthers
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd September 1881.
ALEXANDER JAMES STRUTHERS, of Hawick, in the County of Roxburgh, North
Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PULVERISING AND TREATING OF DIAMONDIFEROUS
'BLUE GROUND' AND OTHER SIMILAR EARTHY MATTERS, AND IN THE MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the mode of treating and
pulverising diamondiferous "blue-ground" and other eathy matters containing
diamonds and precious stones, and to a new construction of machine or apparatus,
or combination of mechanism, specially designed for pulverising and preparing
such ground or earth, for the washing or other after treatment, without crushing
or injuring the diamonds or other precious stones in the material.
In carrying out the Invention the diamond bearing earth is first softened or
treated by means of steam, hot water, or very dilute acid, or a combination of any
of these, within the improved machine or apparatus, in which it is conveyed or
fed forward to beating rolls to be broken up, and thence to sieves or gratings and
a crushing cylinder or cylinders to break down the softer earthy matter while
leaving the diamonds or hard stone unbroken.
The improved machine comprises a rectangular box-like chamber into which the
earth is fed by a hopper at one end on to a travelling endless band of lattices or
perforated boards carried and supported by two end rollers or wheels, and a series
of intermediato supporting rollers, wheels, or drums on transverse shafts, the
wheels or rollers on one or both of the end shafts being fitted with sprocket teeth
Price 6d 1

page_text: to engage in and traverse the endless web or lattice chains, one of the said shafts
being driven from the outside of the box and fitted with stuffing gland to make
it fluid tight, and the steam is admitted into the box, chamber, or cistern through
transverse perforated pipes between the endless chain carrying the material con-
nected with branch pipes on the side of the cistern from a common supply pipe to
an adjacent steam boiler or generator, and the steam enters the branches of the
transverse perforated pipes and passes through the perforations in their peripheries,
and softens the mass of earthy material which is carried along in a layer of con-
siderable thickness on the lattice board or web above the transverse pipes, and
heats the water at the same time when that is used in the cistern.
The material in a softened condition is carried along to the end roller of the
lattice, where it falls over into a deep semi-cylindrical chamber, the inner surface
of which is flutted or serrated, or fitted with segmental, serrated, or V plates of
iron or steel. In this chamber there rotates at a high speed a beating roll or
wheel, having its periphery concentric with the inner surface of the chamber, but
quite clear of contact with it, at least to an extent sufficient for the largest sized
diamonds to lie in the space between the wheel or roll and the casing. The
rotating roll or wheel is formed or fitted with flat or rectangular steel or iron
beating plates which strike and drive forward the earthy material in the circular
chamber, and delivers it at the opposite side from which it enters into the rising
buckets of a chain elevator, the buckets of which are preferably formed of netted
or woven wire cloth or material, and driven at a suitable speed to carry off the
material as it is delivered from the beating roll. This elevator in turn raises and
delivers the material over a shoot into a hollow or curved chamber formed with a
grating, over which a fluted or serrated roll revolves inounted on spring bush
bearings; and the soft and broken earthy matter is by the action of this roll
partially crushed and forced through the grating on to a shoot which delivers it to
a large pair of crushing rolls carried beneath in bearings which are made adjust-
able by screws, and are also made capable of yielding to considerable pressure by
being fitted with springs. One or both of these rolls are covered with vulcanised
rubber, which may be protected by an outer covering of articulated soft iron or
other metal, or it might be by a coil or layer of soft metal wire rope so as to yield
to local pressure of hard substances, such as diamonds or similar precious stones,
while effectually crushing the less refractory material. The material in a pulverized
state is delivered from the crushing rolls ready for the usual washing process, or
after treatment for separation of the diamonds or precious stones from the softer
mass.
The chambers and other various parts of the machine where the material is
acted upon by the steam or water are enclosed throughout, and are made by
preference of sheet-iron or other metal. The axis of the rotating beaters, rolls, and
wheels to bo driven outside by gearing are carried out through stuffing bearing
boxes in the sides of the chambers, and in bush bearings in strong standards or
side frames.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander James Struthers in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th March 1882.
ALEXANDER JAMES STRUTHERS, of Hawick, in the County of Roxburgh, North-
Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PULVERISING AND TREATING OF DIAMONDIFEROUS
'BLUE-GROUND' AND OTHER SIMILAR EARTHY MATTERS, AND IN THE MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
My said Invention relates to certain improvements in the mode of treating and
pulverising diamondiferous "blue-ground" and other earthy matters containing
diamonds and precious stones, and to a new construction of machine or apparatus
or combination of mechanism specially designed for pulverising and preparing such
ground or earth for the washing or other after treatment, without crushing or
injuring the diamonds or other precious stones in the material.
In carrying out the Invention, the diamond bearing earth is first softened or
treated by means of steam, hot water, or very dilute acid, or any combination of
these, within an improved machine or apparatus, in which it is conveyed or fed
forward to beating rolls to be broken up, and thence to sieves or gratings and a
crushing cylinder or cylinders to break down the softer earthy matter while
leaving the diamonds or hard stone unbroken.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended for that purpose a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be hereinafter referred to, and representing a modification
of my improved machinery for treating and pulverising diamondiferous "blue-
ground" and similar hard earthy matters. In these Drawings the same reference
letters are used to mark the same or like parts where they are repeated.
Figure 1 of these Drawings is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is a plan showing
the general arrangement of the improved machine or apparatus; Figure 3 is a
longitudinal section of part of the machine on a larger scale showing the carrying
band, disintegrating, elevating, sifting, and crushing appliances; Figure 4 is a
horizontal section of the disintegrator partly broken away; Figure 5 is a cross
section of the pulverising chamber and the carrying band on which the earthy
matter is treated and pulverised, and Figure 6 is a view showing a different mode
of traversing the band; Figure 7 is a horizontal section of one of the crushing
rolls through which the pulverised earthy inatter finally passes.
Referring to these Drawings, the improved machine or apparatus comprises a
long rectangular box-like chamber A, A, formed of rivetted plates and carried by
preference on a girder framing A' supported by pillars or standards A", A", above
the ground for convenience of fitting the steam boiler below, and of delivering the
material from the crushing rolls. The diamondiferous earthy matter is fed into a
hopper A at one end, preferably by means of a carrying band A³ which carries
forward and delivers it thereinto. This hopper A is fitted with a fixed angled
board a extending down into the tank A, and a hinged or oscillating board a'
forming with the first a V-like bottom. The board a¹ oscillates on a centro
spindle at a on which a lever and counter-weight a³ are fixed outside to keep the
board up and tight against stops on the other a, but giving way to the weight
of earthy matter fed into the hopper, so that it may fall down on to the upper
surface of a travelling endless band B extending the entire length of the tank or
chamber A, A. This endless band is formed of Inttices or perforated boards B
jointed together at b, as shown more particularly in Figures 3, 5, and 6, and carried
or supported by means of three rollers or wheels B¹ at each end, and a number of
intremediate rollers or drums B2, the spindles of the former rollers being fitted in

page_text: stuffing-box bearings 6' in the sides of the chamber A, while bearing brackets b
inside the chamber A are provided for the spindles of the rollers B¹. For the
purpose of traversing the endless band B, one or both of the shafts of the end
rollers B¹ are fitted with sprocket wheels, or the rollers formed with teeth b", as
shown in Figure 3; or the band may be driven by means of a toothed whicel B*
on each side or in the centre in gear with teeth formed on the underside of the
lattice boards as a rack, as indicated in Figure 6. The shaft b³ of one of the end
rollers B¹ is fitted with worm gearing B³ from a longitudinal shaft B*, which is in
turn driven by worm gearing B³ from the disintegrator shaft e" or from any other
convenient shaft.
Steam is admitted into the box chamber or cistern A, A, through transverse
perforated pipes C between and above the endless chain B carrying the material
connected with longitudinal and vertical branch pipes C₁ on the sido of the
cistern A from a common supply pipe connected to the main steam pipe from a
steam boiler or generator also supplying the engine. The steam enters the branches
of the transverse perforated pipes and passes through the perforations in their
peripheries and softens the mass of earthy material which is carried along at a slow
speed in a layer of considerable thickness on the lattice boards or web B above and
below the transverse pipes C, and heats the water at the same time when that is
used in the cistern, or when the condensed steam is allowed to remain in it.
The material in a softened condition due to the action of the steam or hot
vapour is carried along to the end roller B¹ of the lattice B, where it falls over into
a deep semi-cylindrical chamber D, the inner surface of which is Buted or serrated,
or fitted with segmental serrated or V plates of iron or steel d at the feeding-in
part, as shown in Figure 3, the remaining part of the chamber being formed of a
plain iron plate or plates. In this chamber D there rotates at a high speed a
beating roll or disintegrating wheel E, having its periphery concentric with the
inner surface of the chamber D, but quite clear of contact with it, at least to an
extent sufficient for the largest sized diamonds to lie in the space between the
wheel or roll and the casing without being crushed or injured. The rotating roll
or disintegrator wheel E is formed or fitted with flat or rectangular steel or iron
beating plates e, fitted with steel face plates el capable of being reversed or replaced,
and which strike and drive forward the earthy material in the circular chamber D,
and deliver it at the opposite side from which it enters into the rising buckets F of
a chain elevator. The elevator buckets F are preferably formed of netted or
woven wire cloth, sheet iron, or similar material, and fixed on to a pitch chain F',
passing over a sprocket or toothed wheel F, which is driven at a suitable speed so
that the buckets F carry off the material as it is delivered from the beating roll
or disintegrator E. The lower end of the elevator chain F¹ passes round a
pulley F³, fitted on a spindle f¹. This elevator F, F, in turn rises and delivers
the material into a hollow or curved chamber formed with a bottom grating G,
over which revolves a fluted or serrated roll, or a roll G' fitted with prongs or
forks G mounted on bush bearings, and the soft and broken earthy inatter is by
the action of this roll G¹ or its prongs G³ partly crushed and forced through the
grating. The grating G is of open construction to allow the largest sizes of
diamonds to pass, and the larger flinty stones left unbroken by the disintegrator
are thrown by the forks G³ off the grating G into a shoot G³ with a spout leading
to one side of the machine where these stones are collected and removed. The
partly crushed material and smaller stones, including diamonds, pass through the
grating G against a board or shoot G' by which the mass is guided and delivered
to a large pair of crushing rolls H, H, carried beneath in bearings H³ in strong
side frames or standards I. The bearings may be made adjustable by screws, and
the upper one H' is also made capable of yielding to considerable pressure by being
fitted with a spring or springs H³ which rest on the bearing-bushes of the roller
spindle H, and which are pressed down by means of a screw spindle H³. One or
both of these rolls H, H¹, are covered with vulcanized rubber h, which may be
protected by an outer covering of articulated soft iron or other metal, or by a coil

page_text: or layer of soft metal wire rope h', as shown in section in Figures 3 and 7, so as
to yield to local pressure of hard substances, such as diamonds or similar precious
stones, while effectually crushing the less refractory material passing through the
rolls. The material in a pulverized state with the diamonds in it is delivered from
the crushing rolls H, H¹, over an angled board or shoot J into receptacles, ready for
the usual washing process or after treatment for separation of the diamonds or
precious stones from the softer mass.
The chambers and other various parts of the machine where the material is acted
upon by the steam or water, and where the disintegrator and elevator are fitted
are enclosed throughout, and are made by preference of plates, or it may be of
sheet-iron or other metal. The axes of the rotating beaters or disintegrator
travelling band rollers or wheels, to be driven outside by gearing, are carried out
through stuffing bearing boxes in the sides of the chamber A, A.
The moving parts of the whole machine are actuated through gearing from a
motive-power engine K, which in the modification shown in the Drawings is of the
coupled diagonal type fixed on a strong bed plate, and having its crank shaft k
supported in bearings on the engine framing and on the framing A' which carries
the tank or chamber A. The engine K is driven by steam supplied by a pipe c
from the boiler C, which supplies the steam for the pulverising chamber A, A,
and the exhaust steam is led from the engine to a tank N where it may partly
condense, and the remaining exhaust steam passes by a pipe N¹ into the pulverising
chamber A, A. A spur wheel L is fitted on the crank shaft k in gear with a spur
wheel L' on the disintegrator shaft e", whereby the disintegrator E is driven, the
endless band B being also traversed by gearing from this shaft e". The crushing
rollers H, H', are also driven from the spur wheel on the crank shaft by means of
intermediate gearing L2 and a spur wheel L' on the shaft h" of the roller H, the
opposite end of this shaft being fitted with a spur wheel L in gear with another
wheel L on the shaft of the crushing roller H. The elevator F is driven by a
pulley M on the shaft of the sprocket wheel F, the motion being obtained by
means of a belt M' from a pulley M2 on the engine crank shaft. The forked
roller G, G', is driven by a belt passing over a pulley G³ on its shaft and over a
pulley G on the shaft H of the crushing roller H.
The driving spur wheel L' on the disintegrator shaft is constructed as shown in
Figure 4 with the tyre part L' separate from the arms or central disc part 2, and
the joint where the tyre is fitted on is made V shaped, and the disc part / is split
longitudinally and fixed together by adjustable screws or bolts, so that the central
boss and disc act as a friction clutch. If when this arrangement is used any very
large and hard stone should pass into the disintegrator, the friction clutch will slip
and prevent breakage of any part of the disintegrator, or when a large diamond
enters it may cause the disintegrator to stop without injury to it or to the
diamond. Similar friction clutches may be fitted in connection with the driving
wheels of the crushing and forked rolls H, H, and G. Figure 4 also shows in
section the construction of stuffing box bearing employed for the shafts, which
pass out of the pulverising chamber A, A, to be driven outside.
When the diamondiferous or other earthy matter is to be treated with hot water
or dilute acids as well as steam, the pulverising chamber may be placed at an angle,
or the carrying endless band may be angled, so that the material may be partly
soaked in the water or dilute acid, and afterwards be subjected to the action of the
steam within the chamber A, A.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I have to say that I do not confine myself to the precise
details of construction of the machine or apparatus herein described and delineated,
but what I believe to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The treating and pulverising of diamondiferous "blue-ground" or other
similar earthy matters for the separation of diamonds or precious stones therefrom

page_text: by the use of steam, hot-water, or dilute acid within a close vessel, in the manner
and by means of apparatus substantially such as hercin described.
Second. The general arrangement or construction and combination of the parts,
substantially as herein described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, of
machinery or apparatus for treating and pulverising diamondiferous "blue-ground
or other similar earthy matters.
Third. In machinery or apparatus for treating and pulverising diamoniferous
"blue-ground" or other similar carthy matters, the construction and use of a close
chamber A, A, wherein the earthy inatter is subjected to the action of steam,
hot-water, or dilute acid while being traversed through the chamber, substantially
as and for the purposes herein set forth in reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
"
Fourth. In machinery or apparatus for treating and pulverising diamondiferous
blue-ground" or other similar earthy_matters, the construction of a disintegrating
roll or wheel (E) within a hollow chamber, arranged and actuated, substantially as
herein described in reference to the accompanying Drawings, to break up the hard
earthy inatter while leaving the diamonds or precious stones uninjured.
21
Fifth. In machinery or apparatus for treating and pulverising diamondiferous
'blue-ground" or other similar earthy matters, the construction and combination,
substantially as herein described in reference to the accompanying Drawings, of a
fluted or forked roller (G, G¹) and grating (G2) for separating the hard unbroken
stones from the softer earthy inatters containing diamonds or precious stones.
Sixth. In machinery or apparatus for treating and pulverising diamondiferous
"blue-ground" or similar carthy matters, the construction and arrangement of
crushing rolls (H, H¹) having a covering of rubber and wire or other protected
elastic substance, and fitted so as to yield or give-way for the passage of large
diamonds or precious stones, substantially as herein described in reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander James Struthers, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
Witness,
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, C.E.,
96, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow.
A. J. STRUTHERS. (L.S.)