IMPROVEMENTS IN CRUSHING AND WASHING ORES AND EARTHS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Dalton Smith, of Hertford Street,
May Fair, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CRUSHING AND WASHING ORES AND EARTHS."
Sealed the 18th January 1854, and dated the 20th July 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Dalton
Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 20th July 1858.
I, EDWIN DALTON SMITH, of Hertford Street, May Fair, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CRUSHING AND WASHING ORES AND EARTHS" to
be as follows:-
This Invention consists in combining apparatus for crushing and
washing ores and earths. One part of the apparatus is suitable for
crushing and washing materials of a hard or dense character, and the
other part of the apparatus is suitable for matters of a lighter and
looser character. That part of the apparatus which I employ for
crushing and washing the harder materials consists of a vertical axis,
supported by suitable framing within a box or chamber to which water is
supplied; this axis is driven by suitable power, and a cross frame on the

page_text: axis supports a series of hanging frames, each alternate frame carrying
rollers composed of toothed and spiked discs and knives turning loosely
on the suspended axes; the other suspended frames have curved blades
at their lower ends, which in their revolution plough up and agitate the
materials under treatment; below the rollers and blades there is a
rough and perforated plate through which the finer particles of the
matters pass away to the under part of the box or chamber, and from
which they flow away with the water, and are received in pockets or
receivers, the water passing to a chamber in which there is a rotating
stirrer; the same chamber also receives the water which flows from
another part of the apparatus, and it finally passes away through a sieve
or strainer into a conduit having cross bars on the bottom to arrest any
fine particles of the matter which may have escaped with the water.
That part of the apparatus which is intended to wash and reduce the
lighter materials consists of a drum or wheel revolving within a cham-
ber to which water is supplied; this drum has an opening by which the
materials are supplied to the interior, the circumference being composed
partly or wholly of bars with small spaces between them. The axis of
the drum supports two swinging frames with an axis having spiked
discs which revolve loosely thereon, as previously described; motion
being communicated to the axis of the drum in one direction the
materials are agitated and reduced by the action of the swinging
frames and rollers, and the water and finer particles pass away at
the upper part of the box or chamber, and thence to the chamber
previously described; and when the drum is caused to revolve in the
opposite direction its contents will be discharged into the box by
the peculiar arrangement of the orifice by which they were intro-
|duced, and by raising a sluice the contents of the box may be removed.
The axis of the drum gives motion by suitable mechanism to the
vertical axis of the crushing apparatus and to the stirring and agitating
apparatus, and the pump for raising water to the several chambers may
be worked thereby; each of the chambers are closed by covers capable"
of being locked or otherwise secured to prevent the abstraction of the
materials.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
.
filed by the said Edwin Dalton Smith in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 20th January 1854.
=
1. TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
EDWIN DALTON SMITH, of Hertford Street, May Fair, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors.
give and grant unto me, the said Edwin Dalton Smith, Her special
licence that I, the said Edwin Dalton Smith, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edwin Dalton Smith, 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, 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 CRUSHING AND WASHING ORES AND EARTHS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edwin Dalton Smith, 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 performer, 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 Edwin Dalton Smith, 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):
This Invention consists in combining apparatus for crushing and
washing ores and earths. One part of the apparatus is suitable for
crushing and washing materials of a hard or dense character, and the
other part of the apparatus is suitable for matters of a lighter and
looser character.
That part of the apparatus which I employ for

page_text: crushing and washing the harder materials consists of a vertical axis,
supported by suitable framing within a box or chamber to which water
is supplied; this axis is driven by suitable power, and a cross frame on
the axis supports a series of hanging frames, cach alternate frame carry-
ing rollers composed of toothed and spiked discs and knives turning
loosely on the suspended axes; the other suspended frames have curved
blades at their lower ends, which in their revolution plough up and
agitate the materials under treatment; below the rollers and blades
there is a rough and perforated plate through which the finer particles
of the matters pass away to the under part of the box or chamber, and
from which they flow away with the water, and are received in pockets
or receivers, the water passing to a chamber in which there is a rotating
stirrer; the same chamber also receives the water which flows from
another part of the apparatus, and it finally passes away through a sieve
or strainer into a conduit, having cross bars on the bottom to arrest
any fine particles of the matter which may have escaped with the water.
That part of the apparatus which is intended to wash and reduce the
lighter materials consists of a drum or wheel revolving within a cham-
ber to which water is supplied; this drum has an opening by which the
inaterials are supplied to the interior, its circumference being composed
partially or wholly of bars with small spaces between them. The axis
of the druin supports two swinging frames with an axis having spiked
discs which revolve loosely thereon, as previously described; motion
being communicated to the axis of the drum in one direction the ma-
terials are agitated and reduced by the action of the swinging frames
and rollers, and the water and finer particles pass away at the upper
part of the box or chamber, and thence to the chamber previously
described; and when the drum is caused to revolve in the opposite
direction its contents will be discharged into the box by the peculiar
arrangement of the orifice by which they were introduced, and by
raising a sluice the contents of the box may be removed. The axis of
the drum gives motion by suitable mechanism to the vertical axis of
the crushing apparatus and to the stirring and agitating apparatus,
and the pump for raising water to the several chambers may be
worked thereby each of the chambers are closed by covers capable

page_text: of being locked or otherwise secured to prevent the abstraction of the
materials.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
N° 1, is a chamber about 3 feet 6 square, and about 2 feet deep,
inclining a little down towards the centre, where the fixed vertical axis
is placed, near the top of which I have a shoulder to carry a cross
frame, to which a horizontal cog wheel is fixed by screw bolts and
nuts, with an opening in the centre to receive the upper part of the
fixed axis.
N° 2, is a chamber similar to the former, and of the same size,
having on one side a sluice which is raised by means of a wheel and
rack worked by a handle at the side of the chamber. This chamber
has a movable top with sides to fit close on the top of the chamber,
to prevent the water being thrown out during the revolution of the
drum; it has also an opening in the top to allow the drum being
supplied with material for being washed. The chamber N° 2, has
also openings over the sluice to allow the waste water to run off when
it reaches a certain height in the chamber, and fixed to this is a trough
about 6 feet long, and of the same width; this trough or conduit has
cross bars on the bottom to arrest any stones or particles that it may
be desirable should not pass into the last portion of the machine; it
has also a strainer at or near its extreme end for the same purpose.
This chamber with its fixed trough should be made in one for the
convenience of removal, and attached to chamber N° 1, by means of
screws and nuts to keep them firm. The water is supplied by hand or
pump worked by means of wheel or band from the axis of the drum.
The supply to N° 2, may be continuous, while to No 1, at intervals, as
I consider it desirable that it should not have so much.
No 1, being supplied with gosson or clay are, and the looser earths
to the drum No 2, the handle is turned round, which gives motion to
the discs and knives in No 1, also at the same tinic revolving the
wheel or drum N° 2. the crushers in which coming in contact with

page_text: the material contained in them is soon reduced to a floating pulp. The
agitating plates No 3, being pressed down on their inner side causes
the water to rush up and down through their perforations. This mo-
tion of the plates is promoted by their being heavier on the outer side,
and being supported upon two obtuse pins at the opposite corners
No 4. The double action of the discs is given by their being suspended
by an axis working in bolts screwed to the cross frame, and the in-
sertion of the discs axis working up and down in an elongated
opening in the side. This allows of thic discs to rise over any mass
that may obstruct them. By the removal of the agitating plates
and the introduction of mercury this part of the machine becomes
an amalgamator; I then use woollen or wooden wheels of a larger size.
The drum No 2, has a fixed board on one side of the opening at
the top, which prevents the stones or other material from leaving it till
perfectly washed. The contrary motion of the drum allowing all stones
to pass off into the chamber below. The drum is closed in at the ends,
and round which are fixed the bars at a small distance from each other.
This
niay all be made of wood. The tap a, to the pipe leading from
No 1, and the sluice b, to the chamber No 2, being opened from time
to time, allows the contents to pass off into the machine N° 5, where,
mercury be introduced, a perfect amalgamation takes place of all fine
gold that
may be light enough to float. Those particles of gold which
are too heavy being stopped in their way by the pockets in the pipe, and
by the cross bars in the trough of N° 2. The pipe has a fixed inter-
ruption d, half way down, inclining on one side, and placed over the
pockets. The floating particles in the water passing into the machine
No 5, are caught by the wooden balls, of which I use three or four in
cach compartment, and diped into the mercury, and when the flow of
water be too great it is carried off by means of openings e, under the
cog wheel in the pipe, down which it passes to the bottom part of the
machine, where coming in contact with the mercury there by means of
the toothed washers, of which there should be four or six attached
to the under part of the convex cover, leaves the gold behind, and rises
up the side of the lid or convex cover, and escapes out of the opening in
he side of the tub or machine. In the bottom of this niachine, and
if

page_text: also in No 1, a stop cock is fixed to completely empty them; a motion
is given to this part of the machine by means of a band worked by the
axis of the drum of No 2.
No 3, is one of the agitating plates removed from its situation in
chamber No 1. N° 6; is one of the hanging frames. The axis of the
discs is secured in the elongated opening by means of a pin working in
the end of the last discs. N° 7, one of the swinging frames removed
with a portion of the axis of the drum. N° 8, is a portion of the pipe
with the pocket or receiver, and showing the interruption d, over the
pocket. No 9, is a section of part of the machine N° 5, with its fixed
axis, and the trough running round the top by which any mercury
thrown out by the revolution of the bason No 10, may be caught.
No 10, also a section of the inner part of the inachine N° 5, showing
its connection by means of a tube with the convex cover at the bottom,
underneath to which the four or six washers are attached. No 11, two
of the movable flaps from the same machine, attached to the cross
frame which is fastened to the flat part of N° 9, by means of bolts
and nuts.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do
not claim the mechanical parts separately. But what I claim is, the
combination of the machines to obtain more perfectly all the gold the
aurifirons carth may contain.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Dalton Smith, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
Witness,
FRED* HARRIS.
EDWIN D. SMITH. (L.S.)