IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF METALLIC ORES BY THE COMBINED ACTION OF ELECTRICITY AND WATER AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR THE PURPOSE PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William John Tanner, of Argyll Road, Kensington, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
TREATMENT OF METALLIC ORES BY THE COMBINED ACTION OF ELECTRICITY
AND WATER AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR THE PURPOSE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William John Tanner at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th February 1883.
WILLIAM JOHN TANNER, of Argyll Road, Kensington in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF METALLIC ORES
BY THE COMBINED ACTION OF ELECTRICITY AND WATER, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED FOR THE PURPOSE,
My invention relates to an improved method of treating metallic ores, with the
object of effecting wholly or partially the required disintegration of the substances
treated, by the combined action of electricity and water, and to apparatus employed
for that purpose.
In carrying out my invention I construct a vessel or receptacle
of any shape or size, and of any material, whether the same be a conductor of
electricity or not. In the case of the vessel or receptacle being a conductor of
electricity, I make such vessel answer the purpose of the negative pole (or cathode)
by attaching the same to the negative pole of the battery, or other source of
electricity; and in the case of the vessel not being a conductor of electricity, I
place within such vessel, either at the bottom or sides thereof, or in any other
convenient position, suitable electric conductors according to the nature of the ore
to be treated, such conductors being in the form of plates, bars, rods, or the like,
and either stationary or moveable, and I connect the same to the negative pole of
the battery, or other source of electricity.
I place inside the vessel copper plates, bands, rods, wires, (moveable or stationary)
or other suitable electric conductors, and I connect such conductors with the
positive pole of the battery, or other source of electricity, thus making such copper
rods, plates, bands or wires, the anode.

page_text: The anode herein described must not directly touch, or come into contact with
the negative pole or cathode, as hereinbefore described, but may be above, or at the
side, or around the same.
The vessel must be filled either wholly or partially with water, so that the
electricity is carried from one pole to the other, through and by means of the
water, so that the positive and negative poles of the battery, or other source of
electricity, which had not been in circuit before shall be joined in circuit by the
intervention of a stratum of water.
In the water contained in the vessel, I place the metallic ore, after the same has
been ground or pulverized, allowing it to be moved by stirrers or not.
The water may be allowed to remain in the vessel, or a stream of water may be
kept flowing through it.
By employing the electric current, as herein described, each individual unit or
particle of the ground or pulverized ore is acted upon by the electricity contained
in the water, and this tends to decompose or disintegrate the substances acted
upon.
By this treatment, the expensive and laborious processes now in use for the
reduction of metallic ores into their component parts are greatly facilitated, thus
rendering the final separation easy by the most simple processes in use.

page_text: W.
op i
J.
0
i
· I:
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William John Tanner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th August 1883.
WILLIAM JOHN TANNER, of Argyll Road, Kensington, in the County of Middlesex,
'Gentleman, IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF METALLIC ORES BY THE
COMBINED ACTION OF ELECTRICITY AND WATER, AND IN. APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR
THE PURPOSE
0
:
t
९
T
My Invention relates to an improved method of treating gold and silver ores,
with the object of. effecting wholly, or partially, the required disintegration of the
substances treated, by the combined action of electricity and water, and to apparatus
employed for that purpose.
In carrying out my Invention, I construct a vessel or receptacle of any shape or
size, and of any material, whether the same be a conductor of electricity or not.
In the case of the vessel or receptacle being a conductor of electricity, I make such
vessel answer the purpose of the negative pole (or cathode) by attaching the same
to the negative pole of the battery, or other source of electricity, such vessel being
stationary or moveable, and in the case of the vessel not being a conductor of
electricity, I place within such vessel, either at the bottom or sides thereof, or in
any other convenient position, suitable electric conductors, according to the nature
of the ore to be treated, such conductors being in the form of plates, bars, rods,
or the like, and either stationary or moveable, and I connect the same to the
negative pole of the battery, or other source of electricity.
I place inside the vessel, copper plates, bands, rods, wires (moveable or stationary)
or other suitable electric conductors, and I connect such conductors with the
positive pole of the battery, or other source of electricity thus making such copper
rods, plates, bands, or wires the anode.
The anode herein described must not touch or come into contact with the negative
pole, or cathode, as hereinbefore described, but may be above, or at the side, within,
or around the same.
The vessel must be filled either wholly or partially with water, so that the
electricity is carried from one pole to the other through and by means of the
water, so that the positive and negative poles of the battery, or other source of
electricity, which had not been in circuit before, shall be joined in circuit by the
intervention of a stratum of water.
With the water contained in the vessel I place the metallic ore, after the same
has been ground or pulverized, allowing it to be moved by stirrers, or not.
The water may be allowed to remain in the vessel, or a stream of water may be
kopt flowing through it.
By employing the electric current as herein described and by using a revolving
stirrer in connection with the source of electricity, each individual unit or particle
of the ground or pulverized ore is acted upon by the electricity contained in the
water, and kept in motion by the stirrer, and this tends to decompose or disintegrate
the substances acted upon; an addition of an acid or an alkali in the water, will,
as is well known, increase the energy of the electricity.
By this treatment, the expensive and laborious processes now in use for the
reduction of gold and silver ores into their component parts are greatly facilitated,
thus rendering the final separation easy by the most simple processes in use.
In order to carry out my Invention it is necessary that the water, in which the
pulverized ore is placed should be charged throughout by the electric current and
it is also advantageous to keep the pulverized ore in agitation, so that it may be

page_text: more readily acted upon by the electrically charged water when the particies of one
are in suspension in it.
I now proceed with reference to the accompanying drawings to describe
apparatus for carrying out my Invention.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one form of apparatus which I find
advantageous for carrying out my Invention, fig: 2, a plan, in section, taken on
the line a, b, of fig: 1, and fig: 3, is a cross section taken on the line c, d of
'fig. 1.
The ore to be operated upon is placed in the vessel A, and is there kept in
agitation by means of a stirrer. consisting of the shaft B, along which are
secured copper, spokes, tines, or arms C, D, which are fastened on opposite
sides of the shaft in the manner shewn in fig: 4. The shaft B, has an iron
bar E, running through its centre, and which bar forms a butt for. two steel
ends F, centered so as to rotate on the points of the screws G, G, which are
provided with nuts H, H, for taking up wear. The shaft is revolved by means
of pullies K, K¹, connected by an endless band L, and revolved by means of the
handle M; but this shaft may be revolved by connecting the pulley thereon, by
means of a strap or band to any prime mover.
>
The electricity is conducted to the spokes, tines, or arms of the stirrer, in the
following manner. Down opposite sides of the shaft are strips of copper N, O,
which are inserted therein as shewn in figs: 2, 3 and 4; one strip, that marked N,
extending from the pulley K to the opposite end of the shaft, where it is fastened to
a copper ring P. The other strip O, starting an inch or so away from the ring P,
and extending as far as the pulley where it is bent up on one face of it at Q.
Through the pulley K, is passed a copper bolt or screw R, connected to the bent up
part of the strip 0, on one face of the pulley to a copper or brass spring S, on the
opposite face of it; this spring S, presses in contact with a copper ring T, fastened
inside the end of the vessel A, and the ring T, is connected through the vessel to
one pole of the battery, or other source of electricity. The strip N, is connected to
the ring P, upon which presses the copper spring or brush V, at the end of the
screw W, which is connected through the vessel with the other pole of the battery,
or other source of electricity.
The strips are now connected with the opposite poles of the battery and the
spokes, tines, or arms fastened to the strips are consequently alternately connected
with the opposite poles, viz: C, C, C, with one pole and D, D, D, with the other
pole, and thus the current of electricity is continually passing from the one spoke,
tine or arm to the other, through the water.
It is preferable to employ an even number of spokes, tines or arms.
The vessel A, is provided at bottom with a pipe c, for running off the stuff, when
required
In Figure 5 which is a longitudinal section of another form of apparatus, the ore
to be operated upon, together with the necessary quantity of water, is introduced
into the drum-shaped vessel A, through the sliding door B. This vessel A, is made
of a non-conducting material, and is wholly or partially lined with a conducting
material. In the drawing, the vessel is shewn partially lined with copper strips C,
which are.slidden into grooves cut in the inner surface of the vessel, and are held
in place by the copper bands D, D. The vessel A, is revolved in the bearings E, E',
by the pulley F. On the outside of the vessel is placed a copper band or hoop G,
exactly over one of the inner bands D, D, and copper screws H, are passed through
the band or hoop G, and body of the drum A, into the inner band D. As the
drum revolves the outer band or hoop G presses in contact with an ordinary copper
brush, connected with the positive pole of a battery, or other source of electricity,
and the electric current passes through the outer band or hoop and the copper
scrows H, H, into the inner band, and from this is distributed all over the inner
surface of the drum by the strips of copper C, C, C.
Inside the drum is a helicoidal piece of metal J, J, which is hung on the shaft K.
This shaft is let into a socket L, at one end, and runs through the stuffing box M,

page_text: .
into the bearing N, at the other end. The shaft and the helicoidal piece J may be
revolved, if thought necessary, by the 'pulley O. The negative pole of the battery,
or other source of electricity, is connected with the shaft K, and the current passes
through it to the helicoidal piece inside the drum.
By removing the bearings E and N, and the pullies F and O, which are made in
halves, so as to be readily taken off, the helicoidal piece J, can be drawn out of the
vessel through the removeable end P of the drum A.
In figure 6, which is a longitudinal section of another form of apparatus, the
material to be operated upon is placed in the pan or vessel A, which is made either.
entirely of a good conductor, or of some non-conducting material lined wholly or
partially with a conductor. The drawing shews the pan or vessel A, made entirely
of a conducting material. In the centre of this pan or vessel is fixed the non-
conducting sleeve B, which is passed over the rod C. This rod C, is screwed into
and forms part of the shaft D, which is fixed to the ball E, working in the socket F.
The parts D, E and F, are made of a good conducting material, and are connected
with the positive pole of a battery, or other other source of electricity, and the current
passes through the rod C, to the radial arms G, G, and passes out and is distributed
in all directions through the ore and water contained in the pan or vessel, by the
tines H. These tines H are set at any desired angle to the arms, and are so fitted
on the arms that no two tines are at the same distance from the centre of the pan
or vessel. At the bottom of the pan or vessel is fixed the ring K which is made of
copper, and is connected with the pan, or its lining, by means of the copper
screws J.
The pan or vessel A, is revolved by the bevil wheels L and M. On the upper
surface of the wheel M is a socket Ŏ, placed away from the centre of the wheel,
towards the periphery, in which the end of the shaft P works freely. This shaft P
is made of a bad conducting metal, and is fitted into the ball E, so that the axis
of P, D, C, is identical. The object of placing the socket O, away from the centre
is to give the pan or vessel a wabbling motion during its revolution, and thus
further to agitate the ore and water contained in it.
As the pan or vessel revolves, the ring K runs on another ring Q, fixed on the
top of the table R, but separated from it by a slab of non-conducting material S.
The ring is connected with the negative pole of the battery, or other source of
electricity, and as the ring K, on the bottom of the pan or vessel, is always in
contact with it, at one point, the electric current passes through it to the pan or
vessel, and is thus distributed over its surface.
The space between the ring Q, and socket F, is also filled with a non-conducting
material.
In figure 7, which is a vertical section of another form of apparatus, the
material to be operated upon is put into the vessel A, which is made of a non-
conducting material, this vessel is wholly or partially lined with a conducting
material B, and the lining is connected with the negative pole of the battery, or
other source of electricity. Passing centrally through the vessel A, and fixed to
the bottom thereof, is a rod C, over which is placed a sleeve D, made of a
conducting material, and this rod passes through the collar E, and is attached to
two or more arms F, which are fastened to the sides of the vessel A. The sleeve D,
is turned round the central rod C, of the pulley G, and carries with it, as it
revolves, the radial arms H, H, to which are fixed the hanging tines J, which are
set at an angle with the arms, and always so that they never move in each other's
track. The sleeve D, being connected with the positive pole of a battery, or other
source of electricity, the current passes through it and the arms H, and out
through the tines J, and is thus distributed through the ore and water contained
in the vessel A,
In order to raise the arms H, to any desired height within the vessel A, and
also to prevent the sleeve D, slipping down and bringing the tines J, into contact
with the bottom of the vessel, the sleeve has an internal screwthread cut at its
upper end, inside which the screw works, the bottom of it always resting on the

page_text: top of the rod C, and by turning the screw K, the sleeve together with the arms H
is raised or lowered to the desired distance from the bottom of the vessel.
.
In figures 8, 9 and 10, which shew respectively, a longitudinal section, a plan,'
and a cross section, the ore and water to be operated upon is put into the semi-
circular bottomed vessel A, which is made of a non-conducting material, and.
wholly or partially lined with a good conductor of electricity connected with the
negative pole of a battery, or other source of electricity. In the drawing the
vessel is shewn partially lined with a helicoidal copper band f. The shaft B, to
which is fastened the stirrer C, passes longitudinally through the vessel A. This
shaft and its stirrers are made of a good conductor of electricity, and are caused to
revolve by means of the pulley D. This shaft is connected with the positive pole
of a battery, or other source of electricity and the copper band with the negative
pole thereof, and the current passes through the shaft and out through the
stirrers C, and is thus distributed throughout the material
the vessel A.
contained in the
In order to remove any film or scum which may arise during the agitation of
the ore and water, the vessel A, has one of its ends E made lower than the two
sides, and the opposite end; outside the lower end E is constructed the trough F,
having a sloping bottom G, and an open end J, and when it is required to remove
the film or scum, sufficient water is passed into the vessel through the pipe H, to
bring the level of the ore and water contained in A, above the height of the end E,
and the excess of material having no other means of escape, passes over the lower.
end E into the trough F and out through, the open end J, carrying with it all the
film or scum.
...)
I..
:
Having.now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same may be performed, I declare that I claim,
"
1. The apparatus herein described and shewn in figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings
for separating or disintegrating gold and silver ores, the said apparatus consisting
of a vessel provided with a stirrer revolving in water and furnished with spokes,
tines or arms which are connected alternately with the positive and negative poles
of a battery, or other source of electricity, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth, the said vessel being either a conductor of electricity or not.
2. The herein described method of treating gold and silver ores by the combined
action of electricity and water, for the purpose of effecting wholly, or partially, the
disintegration of the same, substantially as set forth.
3. The construction and use of apparatus, such as herein described and illustrated
in figure 5; of the drawings, for the purpose of effecting the disintegration of gold
and silver from their ores, in the manner above indicated.
4. The construction and use of apparatus such as herein described and illustrated
in figure 6, of the drawings, for the purpose of effecting the disintegration of gold
and silver from their ores, in the manner above indicated.
5. The construction and use of apparatus, such as herein described and illustrated
in figure 7, of the drawings, for the purpose of effecting the disintegration of gold
and silver from their ores, in the manner above indicated.
6. The construction and use of apparatus, such as herein described and illustrated
in figures 8, 9 and 10, of the drawings, for the purpose of effecting of disintegration
of gold and silver from their ores, in the manner above indicated.
In witness whereof I the said William John Tanner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twentysecond day of August in the year 1883.