A New or Improved Process for Amalgamating and Extracting Gold or other suitable Metals from Dry Crushed Ore.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1897
A New or Improved Process for Amalgamating and Extracting Gold
or other suitable Metals from Dry Crushed Ore.
I, EMIL LAWRENCE OPPERMANN 132 Hanley Road Finsbury Park N. Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a new or improved process for amalgamating and
extracting gold or other suitable metals from dry crushed ore and the same is
carried out as follows:-
The crushed ore is allowed to pass from a hopper or funnel & is acted upon by
mercury vapour and steam or other gas so that the gold or other suitable metal in
the ore is amalgamated with the mercury and then falls into a chamber of suitable
shape so that the amalgam of gold or other metal falls upon amalgamating plates
owing to the greater density of the amalgamı & metal than the sand or other
extraneous matter which is blown away from the amalgam by means of a blast of
'air which is blown into the chamber aforesaid by any suitable mechanism. The
amalgam is retained upon the plates in the chamber while the sand or other
extraneous matter is blown away by the blast of air.
Deted this 22nd day of February 1896.
BATON
E. EATON
Agent for Applicant.
A New or Improved Process for Amalgamating and Extracting Gold
or other suitable Metals from Dry Crushed Ore.
I, EMIL LAWRENCE OPPERMANN 132 Hanley Road Finsbury Park N. Electrical
Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to a new or improved process for amalgamating and
extracting gold or other suitable metals, from dry crushed ores aud the same is
carried out as follows:
The crushed ore is allowed to pass from a hopper or funnel and is acted upon by
mercury vapour and steam, so that the gold or other suitable metal in the ore ís
amalgamated with the mercury and then falls into a chamber of suitable shape so
that the amalgam of gold or other metal falls upon amalgamating plates owing to
the greater density of the amalgam and metal than the sand or other extraneous
matter.
Figure 1. is a sectional side elevation of my improved apparatus.
The dry crushed ore is carried in a hopper a from which it is fed through a
suitable outlet, the aperture of which may be varied to suit the required amount of
delivery of the crushed ore.

page_text: The crushed ore then enters & falls through the chamber or passage b which is
provided with the steam or other jacket c; and into which the perforated pipe or
nozzle d depends being closed at the end.
This perforated pipe d is in communication with a supply of mercury vapour and
steam at a suitable temperature and pressure which issues from the perforated pipe
or nozzle d and mixing freely with the crushed ore causes the gold or like metal
in same to be amalgamated with the mercury. The product then falls into an
amalgamating chamber e having the inclined amalgamating plates f over which the
mass passes.
The plate f is provided with a gutter 7 for the purpose of catching any excess of
mercury and against which a blast of air is directed in order to remove any
extraneous deposit.
The amalgamating chamber e at the part is provided with a blast of cold air
from the pipe i so as to condense any mercury vapour which might otherwise escape,
p being a tap for regulating the supply of cold air.
The amalgamating chamber is supplied when required with jets of steam and
mercury vapour which issues from the pipes ; having regulating taps o at k and in
addition to facilitating the further amalgamation of the gold or metal in the ore
tends to keep the plates coated with mercury and also owing to the pressure keeps
the plates clear from sand or extraneous matter. The mercury vapour and steam
are produced in suitable retorts or boilers at the required pressure, the mercury
vapour and steam being mixed together in a suitable form of injector 1, before
passing to the perforated pipe or nozzle d. The taps m and n are for the purpose
of regulating the supply of mercury vapour and steam respectively to the injector l.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combined process and apparatus substantially as described and illus-
trated.
2. In a process and apparatus for amalgamating gold and the like metals in dry
crushed ores, a perforated pipe or nozzle suspended within a suitable jacketed
chamber or passage preferably as shown, in which the dry crushed ore is subjected
during its passage through same to the action of mixed mercury vapour and steam
which issues under pressure from the apertures or perforations in the pipe or nozzle
aforesaid and upon the exit of the mass from this chamber or passage, the same
falls into a chamber provided with amalgamating surfaces set at a suitable angle
preferably that as shown, said chamber being supplied when required with blasts of
mixed steam and mercury vapour at a pressure depending upon the amount of and
nature of the ore under treatment and when required finally employing a blast of
cold air for the purpose of condensing any mercury vapour which might otherwise
escape.
3. In an apparatus for effecting the amalgamation of gold and the like metals in
dry crushed ores, by means of mixed mercury vapour and steam under pressure the
employment of a steam or other jacketed chamber or passage surrounding a
perforated pipe or nozzle in communication with mixed mercury vapour and steam
supply for the purpose set forth.
4. In combination with a chamber having inclined surfaces a steam or other
jacketed chamber or passage surrounding a perforated pipe or nozzle in communi-
cation with a supply of mixed mercury vapour and steam.
Dated this 17th day of December 1896.
E. EATON,
Agent for Applicant.