Improvements in Extracting Gold, Silver, and other Metals from their Ores and Alloys
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 1st Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 5th Oct., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Extracting Gold, Silver, and other Metals from
their Ores and Alloys.
We, ALEXANDER SCHANSCHIEFF, of Gipsy Hill, in the County of Surrey,
Electrician, and DAVID MARKS, of 4 Cornwall Mansions, Cornwall Gardens, South
Kensington, S.W., Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
In extracting gold, silver and other metals from their ores and alloys by amalgamma-
tion with metallic mercury difficulty is experienced in bringing the mercury into
intimate contact with the precious metals.
According to this invention in place of employing metallic mercury we employ a
solution of a mercurial salt, by preference, sulphate of mercury.
When an ore or alloy containing both precious and base metals is brought into
contact with the solution of a mercurial salt the acid of the salt attacks the base
metals, freeing the mercury which forms an amalgam with the precious metals. This
action is expedited by using the solution in a galvanic battery of which the ore or
alloy forms the negative element, or by electrolysis by passing a current through the
solution from the ore or alloy to the other pole.
Dated this 1st day of December 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Extracting Gold, Silver, and other Metals from
their Ores and Alloys.
We, ALEXANDER SCHANSCHIEFF, of Gipsy Hill, in the County of Surrey
Electrician, and DAVID MARKS, of 4 Cornwall Mansions, Cornwall Gardens, South
Kensington. S.W., Gentleman, 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 :-
In extracting gold, silver and other metals from their ores and alloys by amalgama-
tion with metallic mercury difficulty is experienced in bringing the mercury into
intimate contact with the precious metals.
According to this invention in place of employing metallic mercury we employ a
solution of a mercurial salt, by preference, sulphate of mercury.
When an ore or alloy containing both precious and base metals is brought into
contact with the solution of a mercurial salt the acid of the salt attacks the base
metals, freeing the mercury which forms an amalgam with the precious metals. This
action is expedited by using the solution in a galvanic battery of which the ore or
alloy forms the negative element, or by electrolysis by passing a current through the
solution from the ore or alloy to the other pole.
The way in which we prefer to work is as follows:-We take crushed iron pyrites
as it comes from the mine, from which by ordinary means gold is already extracted,
mix it with crushed carbon in equal bulk and place this mixture in a flat cast iron or
substance trough. On insulators we place a carbon slab or slabs joined electrically,
the cast iron trough with the ore representing the positive plate and the carbon the
negative plate of the electrical couple. We pour in the special solution of mercury
described in the specification of the patent 12378% so as to cover the lower surface
of the carbon slab, at the same time we mix re-oxydizing agents with the iron pyrites
and crushed carbon as say 10% of peroxide of lead.
The battery thus constructed we use for light, power, or charging storage batteries
preferring to discharge as large a current as possible.
The work of electrolysis is to replace, by the iron in the pyrites, the mercury from
the solution, the latter being deposited in the pores of the pyrites in small globules,
and thus in contact with any particles of gold which may be in the ore, or which
remains undetected or unabsorbed by the ordinary process of amalgamation. The
gold amalgam thus formed goes to the lower part of the trough and is collected from
time to time, new liquid being substituted when the liquid is exhausted and a fresh
supply of pyrites put in when the-old is dissolved.....
The exhausted liquid can be poured into flat earthenware, or cement trays and
allowed to evaporate when beautiful crystals of iron copperas (sulphate of iron)
remain.
This copperas is used largely in dyeing and calico printing as a mordant.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Extracting gold silver and other metals from their ores and alloys by means of
a solution of a mercurial salt substantially as described.
2. Extracting gold silver and other metals from their ores and alloys by means of
a solution of a mercurial salt in a galvanic battery of which the ore or alloy forms the
negative element or by electrolysis by passing a current through the solution
substantially as described.
Dated this
day of
1888.
A. SCHANSCHIEFF.
D. MARKS.
By Carpmael & Co.,
Agents.