IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CRUSHING, WASHING, AND AMALGAMATING GOLD AND OTHER ORES AND SUBSTANCES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to R. B. Huygens, of Holland, now of 89,
Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CRUSHING, WASHING, AND AMALGAMATING GOLD AND
OTHER ORES AND SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said R. B. Huygens
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th December 1858.
1, R. B. HUYGENS, of Holland, now of 89, Chancery Lane, London,
5 do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR CRUSHING, WASHING, AND AMALGAMATING GOLD AND
OTHER ORES AND SUBSTANCES " to be as follows:-
The principle on which this Invention is based is the moving of a
cylindrical, spherical, or conical heavy body ascending & descending

page_text: one or more horizontal curves, either within a circumference or in a
straight direction, by the motion of a pendulum.
A powerful vertical shaft is the pivot which supports by means of
cranks a horizontal trough, the bottom of which represents one or more
curves. This shaft may remain fixed, or be made moveable, at pleasure,
by either the apex or fulcrum, or both, being placed in sockets, or
preventing its motion by bolts, brackets, and pins. The shaft will be
hollow, and through it will be forced vertically a stream of any liquid
to spout through its upper part, and through one or more arms, into a
basin, so as to wash, condense, expand, or dissolve such substances as
the trough may contain. The inside of the shaft may be coated with
a vitreous substance, so as to allow the passing of corrosive matter.
The trough may be made to revolve at pleasure or remain fixed. It
will be supported by and be attached to the shaft by means of strong
stays at its upper and lower extremities. The outside wall of this
curvilinear bottomed trough is to be higher than the inside wall nearest
to the shaft, and at the top of this inside wall there will be one or
more apertures for any superabundance of dry or liquid substances, of
whatever nature, to escape down a pipe placed between the trough and
the shaft so as to allow such dry or liquid substances to be led to a
saving apparatus, or be allowed to run to waste. Under this trough
there is to be an arrangement for giving heat. One or more heavy
bodies, conical, cylindrical, or spherical, will run up and down the
curves inside the basin, or along such curves in a straight direction.
These heavy bodies will describe curves by revolving on their own axes.
The lengthened axes of these bodies will be fastened to the shaft by
strong rings or by means of stays. This elongation will be made by
loose connecting links fitting in each other, and some revolving also on
their own axes. The whole of this machinery is to be supported by a
substantial framework.
I do not confine myself to the precise arrangements herein-before
set forth, but substantially the same is a description of my Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said R. B. Huygens in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th June 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
R. B. HUYGENS, of Holland, now of 89, Chancery Lane, London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said R. B. Huygens, Her special
licence that I, the said R. B. Huygens, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said R. B. Huygens, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHI-
NEBY FOR CRUSHING, WASHING, AND AMALGAMATING GOLD AND OTHER ORES
AND SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
R. B. Huygens, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, 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 R. B. Huygens, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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 consists partly of a novel construction of the basin
or trough used in the process of reducing ores or other hard sub-
stances, and partly of new arrangements of the machinery or apparatus
employed therein. The novelty in the construction of the trough or

page_text: basin consists of forming, one or more parabolic curves therein, pre-
'senting angles of ascent and descent for facilitating percussion. I am
aware that basins or troughs oscillating on a shaft set at an acute angle
have been used for a similar purpose; but in this arrangement of
.machinery for reducing ores, as in others for a similar purpose, the basins
or troughs are made with a plane surface. These machines are open
to several objections, one of the most prominent is, that the spheres or
other rotatory bodies employed to crush the ore become clogged.
Now in order that my Invention may be well understood, I will
proceed to describe the manner in which I carry it into effect, referring
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say:-Fig. 1, Sheet A, represents an
'elevation of a machine constructed according to the principles of my
-Invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section; and Fig. 3, Sheet B, a plan
of the same. A, A, is a central hollow shaft, to which the framework
:is fixed; B is a flange collar, or collar fixed to the shaft A; upon this
.projecting part a collar C rotates, to facilitate which it is fitted with a
number of friction rollers. These travel upon the face of the flange or
-collar B, the face of which may be a plate of hardened steel. To the
collar C are fitted the brackets D, D, which support the circular basin
E, and to the inner edge of this basin or trough where it encircles the
shaft A, is fitted a toothed wheel F, which gears with the bevil wheel
.G, placed at right angles to the wheel F. The shaft of the wheel G
.is connected with a steam engine, by which the basin is set in motion,
or if manual power be used a handle is fitted to the axle of the wheel
.G, as shewn in the Drawing. At the upper part of the shaft A, is a
wheel H, which is also in gear with the wheel G. This gives motion to
an Archimedian screw I, which revolves within the shaft A, for. raising
water. The lower part or bed of the basin in which the crushing
.bodies rotate is formed of one or more parabolic curves, having steep
descents and gradual ascents. For example, the ball or other crushing
body is caused by given momentum to ascend an incline of 12 or 18
-degrees, and falls. suddenly at an angle of 45°. The number of curve
Emade in each basin will vary according, to the nature, of..the work
Where only a rolling motion with moderate force is required, as in

page_text: colour grinding, one curve, or ascent and descent in the circumference
of the basin, will be sufficient; such an arrangement is shewn by. Figure
5; Sheet C. Where a greater amount of percussive force is required,
two curves will accomplish it; this arrangement is shewn by Figure 6.
To pulverize mineral ores and other similar substances, a constant
succession of blows, accompanied with a grinding motion, is found most
suitable for the purpose, and this is effected by making the basins
with three, four, or more curves or hollows, as shewn by Fig. 7.
Figures 8, 9, are sections representing the peculiar form of the curves.
The velocity with which the ball or other crushing body is carried
over the apices of the curves produces a rapid succession of blows,
while the ball also exerts a crushing force in proportion to its weight
as it ascends the inclines. To the central shaft A, are fixed three
or any convenient number of arms K, K, Figures 1, 2, 3, which
project over the basin, and propel the balls or other crushing bodies
over the inclines, at the same time they do not interfere with the sub-
stance to be crushed, which lies in the hollows of the basin. If water
be required in the operation, it is carried up by the Archimedian screw,
and flows through the pipes L, L, into the basin, where it is agitated
with the substance to be crushed. The surplus water and. powdered
substances are carried off from the basin through the pipes M, into the
receiver N. When the machine is constructed for crushing ores con-
taining gold, the spaces O, Figures 1, 2, beneath the curves or hollows,
may be fitted and used as furnaces for heating the mercury required in
the process of amalgamation. P, P, are tubular vessels closed at the
lower end; these serew into the basin at the lowest part of the curve,
and are intended to receive the amalgam as it accumulates. In some
cases steam may be preferred for heating the mercury; an arrangement
of this kind is shewn by Figure 13, Sheet C. a is the steam pipe con-
veying the steam to the hollow recesses beneath the curves.
b is a
vessel to receive the condensed water which may at intervals be allowed
to run into the receiver beneath by the tap c, or jets of gas may be
used for the purpose of heating. In most cases it may be desirable to
curve the edge of the basin inward, as shewn in the Drawings, to pre-
vent any particles of the substance or material in the basin being

page_text: thrown out. I propose to use metal balls or spheres, cylinders, or
cones, as shewn by Figures 10, 11, 12, Sheet C, for the crushing
bodies. These I prefer being free; but in some cases. it may be
necessary to secure the cylinders or cones to the central shaft by links
or chains in such manner that they may roll freely over the inclines.
The curve of the circumference of the spheres should correspond as
nearly as possible with the curves of the basin, in order to increase the
grinding surfaces. In some cases a heavy metal ball, fitted to a rod
with universal joints, Figure 14, Sheet C, will be found useful, the
motion being similar to a pendulum. Where a vertical percussive
force, or direct stamping motion, is required, I use the arrangement
shewn by Figure 4, Sheet B. Q, Q, are metal cones, to the apices of
which are fitted steel rods or wires R, R; one of these cones is shewn
separately by Figure 15, Sheet C. S, S, are arms projecting from the
shaft A, to the ends of which are fitted revolving joints, perforated with
a hole to receive the rods R, R. The base of each cone is made to
correspond with the curve of the basin, and if necessary should be cased
at the lower part with a hardened steel plate. As the cones are
carried over the inclines they fall directly upon the substance below,
producing a series of blows recurring with great rapidity.
A
I will now proceed to describe the action of the machine.
quantity of quartz or other substance to be crushed is placed in each
hollow of the basin, and a ball, cone, or cylinder is placed thereon. The
wheel G is put in motion, which causes the basin to rotate; the arms
K, K, impel the balls, cones, or cylinders up the inclines, from whence
they fall suddenly and with considerable force upon the material in the
basin. The grinding motion may be varied by placing two balls in the
curves, or the stamping motion may be combined therewith by using
one of the cones above described, in conjunction with the other crushing
bodies. The particular mode of using as well as the combination of the
spheres and cones will depend greatly upon the nature of the material
to be pulverized. When the machine is used for grinding substances
liable to clog, as resins or gums, for example, I attach to the arms
K, K, or other convenient part of the machine, a toothed scraper,
shewn by Fig. 16, Sheet C, which adjusts itself to the curved surface

page_text: of the hollows of the basin, and loosens or agitates any substance placed
therein. In the foregoing I have described the water as being raised
by an Archimedian screw; but I do not confine myself to this particular
method of supply, as water may be conveyed, where convenient, to a
receiver, fitted to the upper part of the shaft A; or it may be supplied
by pipes from a tank, and flow from thence through the pipes to the
basin. Another method I propose is by fitting to the vertical stampers
a lever, connected to a pump, fixed within the central shaft, as shewn
by Fig. 4, Sheet B. In this Figure the wheels for giving motion to
the basin are fitted below. This arrangement will be found very
useful where the upper part of the basin is required to be free and
unincumbered, or in cases where it is necessary to cover the basin, as
in grinding certain drugs or colors. The arrangement of the receivers
will depend in a great measure upon the nature of the work. They
may be circular or rectangular, or arranged in series, the water passing
through them, and depositing in each a portion of the substances with
which it is charged, until it passes off quite clear; but in many cases a
single receiver will be sufficient. Although I have described in what
manner mercury may be treated so as to carry on the separato processes
of pulverizing, washing, and amalgamating in one and the same basin,
I do not recommend the mode of treatment, but prefer to amalgamate
the precious metals in another and separate vessel or receiver in the
ordinary manner.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangement of details as herein described
and shewn, so long as the distinctive features of my Invention are
adhered to. And that I make no claim to the exclusive use of several
parts of the above described machinery taken by themselves, and apart
from their combination in the peculiar manner described and shewn.
But what I claim as of my Invention and desire to secure by these
Letters Patent is,―
Firstly, the construction of a trough or basin formed with hollows
or recesses therein, of a parabolic or other curved figure, in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before described, and shewn by the
Drawings.

page_text: Secondly, I claim the construction and general arrangement of "a
machine for crushing, "washing, and amalgamating ores and other
substances, substantially in the manner herein-before described, and
shewn by the Drawings.
Thirdly, I claim the arrangement for giving a vertical stamping
motion, and the modes of raising water to the machine by the
Archimedean screw, and the pump motion, as described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said R. B. Huygens, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
Ć. BARLOW,
Patent Agent,
89, Chancery Lanc.
R. B. HUYGENS. (L.B.)