Apparatus for Raising Auriferous, Diamondiferous, and other Earths, and Separating or Extracting the Valuable Constituents thereof.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 6th June. 1889
Apparatus for Raising Auriferous, Diamondiferous, and
other
Earths, and Separating or Extracting the Valuable Constituents
thereof.
I, JOHN FISHER of Starkholmes, Matlock, Derbyshire, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a combined apparatus consisting of a harge or other
floating vessel, a grah bucket digger or dredger and steam crane, and of a washing
machine, buddle, or separator for treating the silt or spoil raised by the digger from
the banks or bottom of the water on which the barge or other vessel is floated, so that
the operations of digging or dredging and of extracting the valuable contents of the
spoil, by washing or otherwise, may be carried on simultaneously and the cost of
transporting a large bulk of valueless matter to a distant place for treatment
thereby saved.
•
The crane by which the digger or dredger is worked would be preferably mounted
at the fore part or bow end of the barge, so that it may work clear of the stern, and
at either side of the bow, and so be readily brought into position to work in shallow
water or on the banks, as required.
[t
The washing machine or buddle would be immediately in rear of the crane and
within the range of the jib, so that by slewing the crane after raising the digger the
spoil can be discharged directly on the washer or buddle. The latter may be of the
centrifugal kind adapted to extract diamonds and other precious stones and also free
gold or other metal or specifically heavy particles from the accompanying gangue.
has a pan fitted with the necessary gearing arms stirrers for washing the spoil and
retaining the precious stones, metallic or other particles, it is desired to retain, a
wrought iron grating being placed above it on which the load would be discharged
from the digger. Suitable receptacles or riffles covered by gratings would be placed
beneath or around the pan, to contain mercury for the retention of the gold, the
receptacles being provided with means for drawing off the mercury; a steam boiler
and engine working a centrifugal pump would also be placed on board for supplying
water to the washing machine or buddle which is provided with means for discharging
the waste water overboard.

page_text: In some cases I may employ a pair of diggers arranged in such manner that
they may discharge into a buddle or separator common to both. For some earths,
this separator would preferably be made in the form of a hopper-shaped trough
having a curtain dipping down nearly to its bottom and dividing the trough into
two compartments, the earth being fed into the one compartment and discharged from
the other after passing beneath the curtain, a cylinder armed with tines being
mounted to rotate at the bottom of the curtain to prevent choking. The trough
would contain mercury for amalgamating the gold.
Data: 1
T
1000

page_text: I, JOHN FISHER, of Starkholmes, Matlock, Derbyshire, 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 combined apparatus consisting of a barge or other
floating vessel, a grab-bucket digger or dredger and steam or hand crane and of
a washing machine, buddle, or separator for treating the silt or spoil raised by
the digger or dredger from the banks or bottom of the water on which the barge
or other vessel is floated so that the operations of digging or dredging and of
extracting the valuable contents of the spoil, by washing or otherwise, may be
carried on simultaneously, thereby saving the cost of transporting a large bulk of
valueless matter to a distant place for treatment.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification, wherein figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation, figure 2 a plan, and
figure 3 a bow end elevation, of a barge furnished with dredging and washing
apparatus in accordance with my invention. Figure 4 is a cross-section of a
barge shewing the buddle or separator on a larger scale, and figure 5 is a plan
view of the buddle or washer separately. Figures 6 and 7 are cross-sections of
inodified constructions of the washer. The same letters of reference indicate like
parts in all the figures.
The steam crane A, by which the digger or dredger B is worked, would be
preferably mounted at the fore part or bow end of the barge, the radius of the
crane jib being such that the digger or dredger B may swing clear of the stem
and bow and so be readily brought into any required position to work according
as it is required to dredge in shallow water directly ahead of the vessel or at
either side on the banks or otherwise as required. The crane and digger may
be of any suitable known kind and need no special description except that a
digger worked by a single chain would be preferred and one which discharges its
load at the greatest possible height for a crane jib of a given height, so as to
avoid an unduly high crane jib and yet allow the load to be deposited upon the
Such a dredger or grab is
grating above the washing apparatus next described.
described in the specification of Letters Patent No. 1927 of 1888, but I would
have it understood that I do not limit myself to the employment of this particular
ivne of grab.

page_text: The washing machine or buddle would be immediately in rear of the crane
and within the range of the jib so that, by slewing the crane after raising the
digger, the spoil can be discharged directly from the digger on to the washer or
buddle, a wrought iron grating being erected above the washer for the purpose
of first receiving the spoil and breaking its fall and distributing it in small
quantities to the washer. The latter may be of the centrifugal kind adapted to
extract diamonds and other precious stones and also free gold or other metal or
specifically heavy particles from the accompanying gangue. The pan d of the
washer has a slightly conical annular bottom over which revolve rakes ог
stirrers e carried by radial arms f fixed to the top of a contral vertical shaft
driven by gearing 7 beneath the pan. Suitable pockets or riffles i, covered by
gratings j, are formed in the bottom of the pan at its circumference, to receive
the precious stones washed out of the spoil, or to contain mercury for the reten-
tion of the gold, the pockets or receptacles being provided, with locked doors,
accessible from beneath the pan, for access to the contents or with means for
drawing off the mercury. A centrifugal pump D supplies water by a pipe k to
the grating c above the washing machine or buddle whereby the spoil is carried
down in regular quantities into the pan along with the washing water.
The pan
is provided with an outlet 7 for discharging overboard the waste water which
overflows the inner rim m of the pan. The washer and the centrifugal pump are
driven by a steam engine E supplied with steam from a boiler which also
. supplies steam to the engine on the crane through a pipe rising through the
central crane post.
In some cases, I may employ a pair of cranes and diggers arranged in such a
manner that they may discharge into a buddle or separator common to both.
For some earths, this separator would preferably be made, as represented in
figure 6, in the form of a hopper shaped trough G having a curtain a dipping
down nearly to its bottom and dividing the trough into two compartments op, the
earth being fed into the one compartment and discharged from the other, after passing
beneath the curtain, a cylinder r armed with tines s being mounted to rotate at
the bottom of the curtain to prevent choking. The trough would contain mercury
for amalgamating the gold.
Figure 7 is a cross-section of a modified form of washer and separator, in which G
is a tank divided by a vertical dip curtain n into two compartments o p communicating
at bottom as before, the earth and water being fed into the compartiment o through a
grating g and after passing beneath the curtain, overflowing at a lower level from the
other compartment p. In the latter compartment is mounted a revolving vertical
shaft rarned with agitating arms s at the lower end for preventing the choking of
the aperture and with a screw blade t to assist in raising the refuse material in the
comparuinent p to the point of discharge. Mercury is placed in the well at the bottom
of the other compartment o.
Under some circumstances, it is impracticable to employ a digger or grab for
raising the spoil, and when this is the case I should use a suction or other dredger in
.lieu thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1st. The combined employment upon a barge or other floating vessel, of a suction
or other dredger for raising and depositing spoil and of a washer, buddle, or separator,
for direct and immediate operation upon the spoil raised and deposited by the dredger,
substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
2nd. The combined employment upon a barge or other floating vessel, of a grab-
bucket or digger for raising and depositing spoil and of a washer, buddle, or
separator, for direct and immediate operation upon the spoil raised and deposited by
the bucket or digger, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.

page_text: 3rd. The herein described construction of washer or buddle, the pan being of conical
annular form with pockets or receptacles covered by gratings at its circumference for
the interception of the valuable constituents of the spoil, as specified.
4th. A bundle or separator, consisting of a trough having a division plate or curtain
and provided with means for preventing choking constructed substantially as described
and represented in figures 6 and 7.