Improvements in Apparatus for Extracting Gold from Ores and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb.,.1898
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1000
1000
Date of Application, 22nd Feb.,.1898
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Nov, 1898–Accepted,
Jan.
2000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Extracting Gold from Ores
and the like.
I, HENRY JAMES KIRKMAN, of 129, Pentre Treharne Road, Landore, Swansea,
in the County of Glamorgan, South Wales, Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for extracting gold from
ores and the like by means of which certain advantages are obtained.
My invention consists broadly in apparatus by means of which slimes, crushed
ores or the like may be forced through a body of mercury and subsequently
between bodies bearing mercury in the form of thin films whereby a greatly
extended surface is presented to the said slimes, crushed ores or the like.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood I shall now proceed
to describe by way of a type or example one form of my invention which will,
I anticipate, give good results in practice.
In the said typical form of my invention I employ a U-tube filled, or partly
filled, with mercury. To one limb, hereinafter for the purposes of this specifi-
cation termed the entrant limb, I connect by any convenient means a propelling
device of any known type by means of which the slimes or crushed ores or the
like may be forced into the said U-tube and through the body of mercury. To
the other limb of the U-tube, hereinafter for the purposes of this specification.
termed the exit limb of the U-tube, I affix a hollow vessel of the form of an
inverted cone. In the said cone I place a number of amalgamated copper balls,
which, if desired, I may confine between grids or other septa. These balls may
float on the mercury.
When the propelling device is brought into operation the slimes or crushed
ores are forced down the entrant limb of the U-tube containing the mercury;
along the yoke or horizontal part of the said U-tube and up through the exit
limb and the conical vessel. In passing upwards through the latter they traverse
the interstices between the amalgamated balls and are brought into close contact
with the extended amalgamated surfaces thereon.
In practice I contemplate using a number of devices as aforesaid placed in
series and for this purpose I find it convenient to close in the upper parts of the
conical vessels. From the top of the first conical vessel I lead a bent pipe
passing to the top of the entrant limb of the second U-tube and from the top
of the second conical vessel I lead off a second bent tube to the entrant limb of
the third U-tube and so on if a greater number of elements be placed in series,
I have hereinbefore spoken of U-tube and of bent pipes but in practice I
contemplate that instead of having. such tubes or pipes bent in curves they
shall be deflected at right angles and at these angles I contemplate placing
clearing-out openings closed by any convenient devices. I also contemplate
employing drawing off taps at the bottom of the U-tubes so that the mercury
can be withdrawn or even inserted at will by means thereof.

page_text: When desired I may insert a sufficient quantity of mercury in my apparatus
to extend for some distance upwards into the conical vessel.
I contemplate mixing the slimes or crushed ores with a sufficient quantity of
water to enable them to pass easily through the apparatus.
D
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001
Wahma
1900
Improvements in Apparatus for Extracting Gold from Ores
and the like.
I, HENRY JAMES KIRKMAN, of 129, Pentre Treharne Road, Landore, Swansea,
in the County of Glamorgan, South Wales, Analytical Chemist, 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:—
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for extracting gold from
ores and the like by means of which certain advantages are obtained.
My invention consists in apparatus by means of which slimes, crushed ores or
the like may be forced through a body of mercury and subsequently between
bodies bearing mercury in the form of thin films whereby a greatly extended
surface is presented to the said slimes, crushed ores or the like.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood I have appended
hereto a sheet of drawings illustrating my said invention.
Of these drawings,
Figure I is a diagrammatic vertical section of a simple form of my invention.
Figure II is a modification thereof.
Figure III is a practical form of my invention in which two or more elements
are shown as joined in series.
Referring now to Figure I, 1 is a U-tube filled, or partly filled, with mercury 2.
To one limb 3, hereinafter for the purposes of this specification termed the entrant
limb, I connect by any convenient means a propelling device of any suitable
type by means of which the slimes or crushed ores or the like may be forced
into the said U-tube and through the body of mercury. This propelling device
I have diagrammatically represented in the drawing by the circle 4. To the
other limb 5 of the U-tube, hereinafter for the purposes of this specification
termed the exit limb of the U-tube, I affix a hollow vessel 6 of the form of an
inverted cone. In the said cone I place a number of amalgamated copper balls 7
which, if desired, I may confine between grids 8 or other septa as shown in
Figure II. In the said figure I show two grids, but one only may be employed
if desired or they may be dispensed with altogether. The balls may float on
the mercury.
When the propelling device is brought into operation the slimes or crushed
ores are forced down the entrant limb of the U-tube containing the mercury,
along the yoke or horizontal part of the said U-tube and up through the exit
limb and the conical vessel. In passing upwards through the latter they traverse
the interstices between the amalgamated balls and are brought into close contact
with the extended amalgamated surfaces thereon.
In practice I contemplate using a number of devices as aforesaid placed in
series as shown in Figure III where the devices are indicated in a purely

page_text: diagrammatic manner. In this figure it will be seen that the slimes, after pass-
ing upwards through one of the vessels C, pass in the same direction through a
second vessel of similar construction and it may be through a third or fourth.
In this figure it will be seen that instead of constructing the tubes as shown
in Figure I, I arrange them with their ends intersecting at right angles, each
end being outwardly flanged and open so as to be adapted to be closed by remov-
able covers 9 of well known type. By this means the tubes can be readily
cleaned when required as brushes or other cleaning devices can be passed through
them from end to end.
In order that the slimes may pass from one vessel to another in the manner
indicated it is obvious that covers must be attached to the vessels G and these
covers are indicated at 10, 10. The said covers are preferably of conical shape
with their apices pointing upwards and from each cover a short length of pipe 11
communicates with the tubes before mentioned. These covers are conveniently
attached to the bodies of the vessels by means of bolts 12 passing through flanges
and secured by nuts in the usual well known manner.
The vessels 6 may be
similarly attached to the exit tubes 5 by flanges and bolts as shown at 13 and
similar means may be employed at the parts 14. 15, 15 are draw-off cocks for
the mercury.
In practice I prefer to mix the slimes or crushed ores with a sufficient quan-
tity of water to enable them to pass easily through the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In apparatus for extracting gold from ores and the like, the employment
of amalgamated balls substantially as set forth.
2. In apparatus for extracting gold from ores and the like, the combination
of U-tube, mercury and balls substantially as set forth.
3. In apparatus for extracting gold from ores and the like, the combination
of U-tube, mercury, balls and conical vessel substantially as set forth.
4. In apparatus for extracting gold from ores and the like, the combination
of U-tube, mercury, balls, vessel containing the balls and a septum or septa
substantially as set forth.
5. In apparatus for extracting gold from ores and the like, the combination
of U-tube, mercury, balls, vessel for containing the balls, septum or septa,
and propelling device substantially as set forth.
6. In apparatus for extracting gold from ores and the like, the combination
of U-tube, mercury, balls, covered vessel, septum or septa and propelling device
substantially as set forth.
7. The arrangement and combination of parts substantially as set forth with
reference to Figure III.