Iы- PROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING, DRESSING, OR SEPA- DAMING METALS OR METALLIC ORES FROM OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Frederick Collom, of Calstock, in the
County of Cornwall, Mining Engineer, for the Invention of “Iы-
PROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING, DRESSING, OR SEPA-
DAMING METALS OR METALLIC ORES FROM OTHER SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 15th August 1871, and dated the 18th February 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Frederick
Collom at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th February 1871.
I, CHARLES FREDERICK COLLOM, of Calstock, in the County of
Cornwall, Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING, DRESSING,
OR SEPARATING METALS OR METALLIC ORES FROM OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in means or apparatus
for cleaning, dressing, or separating metals or metallic ores from other
substances similar to that described in a Provisional Specification filed

page_text: by me, and for which I have obtained Letters Patent bearing date the
20th of August 1870, No. 2307, and consist in dividing the revolving
table described in the Specification before referred to into two parts or
concentric circles, one part being arranged by preference at one angle
whilst the other is arranged at a different angle. A pipe for washing off
the ore is so formed as to wash off the ore from the different portions of
the table at separate points, the ore from the upper portion of the
table being washed off by one portion of the washing off pipe into a
launder or shoot and carried thereby into a receiver or hutch without
touching the lower portion of the table, whilst the ore from the lower
portion of the table will be afterwards washed by another portion of the
washing off pipe into another receiver or hutch. The water and the
refuse or tailings from the general surface of the table will be washed
into circular receivers or hutches. The table may be divided into two
or more parts or concentric circles arranged at the same or different
angles, and may be provided with several washing off tubes, which may
be arranged to operate alternately or together. The ore is fed to tho
apparatus by means of a launder or shoot through which a stream of
water flows, and the orc is washed, dressed, or cleaned by means of a
continuous flow of water from a circular tube such as described in the
Specification before referred to.
My Invention relates, secondly, to improvements on the Invention
before referred to, and which are particularly applicable to cleaning or
dressing gold and silver. In this case I prefer to employ a single
circular table in which I form grooves or chanuels for the reception of
mercury arranged (in concentric circles or otherwise) in position to take
up or absorb the greater portion of the metal washed over the table,
whilst the remainder will be washed off by jets of water from washing
off tubes into suitable. hutches or receivers. The water and the refuse
or tailings from the general surface of the table will be washed into
circular receivers or hutches. Tables for washing, dressing, or cleaning
ores or metals provided with grooves for the reception of mercury may
be formed in separate parts or concentric circles at the same or different
angles if desired. The tables in each case may be arranged to incline to
or from the centre.
3

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Frederick Collom in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
FREDERICK COLLOM, of Calstock, in the County of Cornwall, Mining
Engineer, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Charles Frederick Collom, Her special
license that I, the said Charles Frederick Collom, my executors, adminis
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Frederick
Collom, my executors, administrators, 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,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING, DRESSING, OR SEPARATING
METALS OR METALLIC ORES FROM OTHER SUBSTANCES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Frederick Collom, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, 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 Charles Frederick Collom, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in means or apparatus
for cleaning, dressing, or separating metals or metallic ores from other
substances similar to that described in a Provisional Specification filed
by me and for which I have obtained Letters Patent bearing date the
20th of August 1870, No. 2307, and consist in dividing the revolving
table described in the Specification before referred to into two parts or

page_text: concentric circles, one part being arranged by preference at one angle,
whilst the other is arranged at a different angle. A pipe for washing
off the orc is so formed as to wash off the ore from the different portions
of the table at separate points. The ore from the upper portion of.
the table being washed off by one portion of the washing-off pipe &
into a launder or shoot and enrried thereby into a receiver or hutch
without touching the lower portion of the table, whilst the ore from
the lower portion of the table will be afterwards washed by another
portion of the washing off pipe into another receiver or hutch. The
water and the refuse or tailings from the general surface of the table 1
will be washed into circular receivers or hutches. The table may bo
divided into two or more parts or concentric circles arranged at the
same or different angles, and may be provided with several washing off
tubes which may be arranged to operate alternately or together. The
ore is fed to the apparatus by means of a launder or shoot through which 1
a stream of water flows, and the ore is washed, dressed, or cleaned by
means of a continuous flow of water from a circular tube such as described
in the Specification before referred to.
My Invention relates, secondly, to improvements on the Invention
before referred to, and which are particularly applicable to cleaning or
dressing gold and silver. In this case I prefer to employ a single circular
table in which I form grooves or channels for the reception of mercury
arranged (in concentric circles or otherwise) in position to take up or
absorb the greater portion of the metal washed over the table, whilst tho
remainder will be washed off by jets of water from washing off tubes into
suitable hutches or receivers. The water and the refuse or tailings from
the general surface of the table will be washed into circular receivers
or hutches. Tables for washing, dressing, or cleaning ores or metals pro-
vided with grooves for the reception of mercury may be formed in separate
parts or concentric circles at the same or different angles if desired. The
tables in each case may be arranged to incline to or from the centre.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings

page_text: having a bevilled wheel at its upper end gearing with a similar on an
horizontal shaft b, which is driven in any convenient manner, and in this
way the axis a is caused to revolve at a speed of about two or three
revolutions per minute. On the axis a'a table is mounted,
it may bc
conveniently about 25 feet in diameter, and this table in place of being
a single annular platform as is described and shewn in the Specification
of my former Patent, dated the 20th day of August 1870, No. 2307,
consists of two rings c' and c³, as shown in the Drawings, or it may be
of three or more rings if it be desired to sort the ore or material into a
greater number of qualities. d is a trough or launder through which
the orc or material in a finely divided state and mixed with water is
run on to the inner side of the smaller ring c¹ of the table; e, e, are
perforated pipes from which jets of water issue, these pipes are omitted
in Figure 2. As the table revolves the ore upon it is subjected to these
jets and the particles are carried a greater or less distance down the
table according to their relative densities and the strength of the jets
of water, which can be regulated by stop-cocks in such manner that
as the table moves round the material upon it becomes exposed to
stronger and stronger jets, but yet the jets should not be so strong as
to wash any considerable proportion of the more valuable material
cutirely off the lower ring c of the table; f, f, are brushes resting
loosely on the table and serving to move and distribute the material;
the brushes are held and kept in their places by cords or light rods,
they should not bear so heavily on the table as to cause the material to
accumulate against them. In the course of the revolution of the table
all but the heaviest and best of the material is washed off the upper
and inner ring e' of the table on to the lower and larger ring c², the
slope of which is by preference somewhat steeper than that of the upper
ring; here a second sorting takes place, the lighter parts being washed
over the edge of the table, whilst those which are heavier remain, being
able to resist the flow of the water; e*, e**, are perforated pipes
throwing jets of water, and so arranged and adjusted as to wash all
the material from the table as it passes beneath them. When the
material arrives opposite to these pipes it is already sorted. The jets
from the pipes e* wash down the best quality into the trough or
launder g which conveys it into a receiver h, and the jets from the
pipes e** wash down the material of second quality from the lower
and outer ring c² into the receiver i. k is a channel all round the
x

page_text: table which leads off the water and the lighter material to settling
points.
Figure 3 shows a transverse section of a portion of a table which is
grooved all round to receive mercury. The grooves, which are marked ¢*,
may conveniently be three in number and each about three inches wide
by half an inch deep. The mercury with which they are filled takes
up particles of gold or silver which there may be in the material washed
over the table. When the mercury becomes fully charged, which will
only be at long intervals, it is drawn off and renewed. The gold and
silver is afterwards separated from the mercury by ordinary methods.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
claim, the construction and use of apparatus for cleaning, dressing, or
separating metals or metallic ores from other substances with rotating
washing tables consisting of two or more rings or parts arranged and
operating substantially as described.
I also claim the construction and use of such apparatus with rotating
washing tables having mercury grooves arranged and operating sub-
stantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Frederick Collom, have!
hereunto set my hand and scal, the Eighteenth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-one.