IMPROVE- MENTS IN SEPARATING ORES FROM THEIR GANGUES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 58, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SEPARATING ORES FROM THEIR GANGUES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE
SAME." A communication from abroad by Louis Napoléon Langlois, of
29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, Gentleman.
Sealed the 9th October 1868, and dated the 11th April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
April 1863.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING ORES FROM THEIR GANGUES, AND IN
APPARATUS FOR THE SAME," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved apparatus for separating ores from
their vein stones, and consists in the application of a current of air for that
purpose. The apparatus is furnished with a hopper for conveying the
pulverized ores into a current of air produced by one or several blowing
machines.
The richest and heaviest ores, that is, those containing the greatest

page_text: quantity of metal particles, are thrown the least distance, and the whole
classed according to their density in suitable compartments or receptacles.
If a single blower is insufficient, I employ two or more, placed one above the
other, whereby the metal particles, after being partially classified by the action
of one blower, pass under the action of a second blower, which completes the
classification. The products thence pass into classified compartments. In
order to use this apparatus for classifying slick (a kind of tenacious metallic
dust), the first hopper conveys the dust on to a sieve, having a to-and-fro
motion instead of passing direct into the current of air. This sieve uniformly
distributes the dust of a certain size in order that the whole of the current of
air from one of the blowers shall be traversed by the slick in its descent, and
so effect the classification."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Clark, 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 SEPARATING ORES
PROM THEIR GANGUES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME," a communicatiom to me
from abroad by Louis Napoléon Langlois, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris,
Gentleman, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was

page_text: to be performed, 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 William Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the treatment of ores for the purpose of classifying
and separating them from the gangues with which they are mixed. The
ordinary method of proceeding is as follows:-The ore when extracted from
the mine is broken by hand into fragments of suitable size, and then pounded,
the products being imperfectly classed by means of bolting machines or other
apparatus, after which treatment the metal is separated from the gangues by
concussion on suitable tables or otherwise. Many systems based on the law
of gravity bave also been employed for the separation of the ore, the relativo
difference of gravity between the particles of metal and quartz being very
marked in air, and but slightly so in water, hence all those processes in which
water is employed occasion a more or less considerable loss of rich matters,
which is still further augmented by the imperfect classification in the bolting
machines or other apparatus used. The two most delicate, and consequently
most important operations in the treatment of ores, especially of auriferous and
argentiferous natures, are their classification and separation, and this separation
is perfect only when the ore gangue and metal are classed according to the
size of the grain.
According to the improved system of this Invention the primary classifica-
tion of the ore is effected by means of an inclined screen or sieve containing
six, eight, ten, or more wire or other cloths, of different sizes of mesh, accord-
ing to the kind of ore to be treated.
The finest wire cloths are at the highest part of the apparatus, and they
become coarser towards the lower part, while all communicate with compart-
ments into which the several sizes of ore fall. A rapid motion imparted to
the screens agitates the ore, and continually changing its position obliges it to
fall through one or other of the wire cloths; the finest particles pass through
first, and then the larger ones in succession. In this manner if all the fine
particles have not fallen into the highest compartment, that is, if they still
remain with that which is to be screened, it will immediately pass to and fall
through the next coarser screen, especially when treating a very small portion

page_text: at a time. In this manner there will never be much difference in the size of
the grains in any one compartment.
Many modifications may be made in the screen or metal cloths, as for
instance, the screen may be double, two cloths effecting the same operation
simultaneously; this may also be the case with those screens which are
suspended by flexible straps.
The arrangement of this improved classifier is such that the repairs of the
cloths, as also the inspection of the operation, may be effected without difficulty
and without occasioning any dust. The apparatus is closed on all sides, and
the covers are furnished with felt packings in order to prevent noiso and the
escape of the injurious emanations usual in the treatment of all kinds of ores.
The ore, after being classified as above, is thrown into the hopper of what I
term an "atmospheric separator," acting by means of a double current of air.
The metal by its specific gravity tends to fall in a vertical direction, while the
gangues being lighter are carried away by the draught and caused to fall in
an inclined direction, which incline is greater according to their lightness.
The sand to be treated, which is thrown into the upper hopper of the appa-
ratus, is supplied through a valve in a thin stream, which may be not more
than one-sixth of an inch in thickness; this is introduced into the current of air
created by the upper double fan, in order to rapidly treat a large amount at
one time. If any metallic particles should be carried away by the current
these are treated afresh by a second fan placed below the other, which carries
away the gangues, and allows the rich ore to fall into a separate compartment.
For the treatment of "schlammes" the hopper is furnished with a screen or
sieve at the lower part, which is filled with coarse sand or other material,
serving to assist in passing the "schlammes" through a sieve, and so that being
introduced in the form of dust into the current of air, the gangue will bo
the latter, while the metal particles will be left behind.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, which represents
the improved apparatus for the classification and separation of the ore.
carried away
Fig. 1 shows a central longitudinal section of the improved inclined sifter
for classifying the ore; Fig. 2 an elevation, Fig. 3 a plan, and Fig. 4 lateral
vertical section, of said apparatus; Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 show sections of modifi-
cations of these classifying sieves; Fig. 9 shows a central longitudinal section
of the atmospheric separator of the ore; Fig. 10, lateral section, and Fig. 11,
plan, of same; Fig. 12 shows a section of apparatus suitable for the treatment
of schlammes; while Figs. 13 and 14 show elevation and plan of an arrange-
ment of chain cups for raising and supplying the ore into the hopper of the

page_text: separator or classifier. The same letters of reference indicate like parts in the
several Figures seen in different positions.
a, classifying apparatus, properly so called, furnished at its upper part with
a hopper 6 for the introduction of the ore to be classified; c, framing of the
sieve, furnished with friction rollers d running on rails; e, metal or other
sieve cloths f, f', ƒ³, ƒ³, ƒ', ƒ³, are applied on this frame c, the finest being
placed at the upper end, and then gradually becoming coarser, each sieve
being in communication with compartments 9, 9', 9, 9³, g', 9³, into which the
ore falls of a uniform size in each. h, driving pullies keyed on axis i
communicating rotary motion to axis k by means of toothed wheels j; on
shaft k are mounted eccentrics 1, which by the aid of levers m communicate a
rapid to-and-fro motion to the latter; m', fly wheel for regulating the motion;
n, atmospheric separator furnished with a hopper o at the upper part for the
introduction of the ore, which runs in a continuous stream through valve p in
a regulated amount; q, double fan placed at the upper part, tho current
created by which causes the slick to fall vertically, while the pure metal falls
into a second hopper r, the refuse being conducted out of the machine;
s, compartment for receiving the slick; t, compartment for receiving the rich
metal; u, double fan placed at the lower part for completing the separating
action partially effected by the fan q; v, apparatus for the treatment of
"schlammes," furnished with sieves having a to-and-fro motion, through which
the dust composed of non-adherent particles of metal and quartz fall, and is
then separated by traversing a blast of air; x, cup chain for conveying and
raising the ore into the hoppers of the several apparatus.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, I claim the improved apparatus for classifying ores, consisting of a
series of screens or sieves of different degrees of coarseness, serving to collect
all the particles of the ore in uniform sizes of grain, as herein described.
Secondly, I claim the several modifications of the above-mentioned apparatus,
as represented in Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the Drawings annexed.
Thirdly, I claim the improved atmospheric separating apparatus in which a
forced current of air is employed for acting on ores of different gravity,
although of same size in order to separate the quartz from the metal particles,
as herein described.
Fourthly, I claim the improved apparatus for treating schlammes, the sieves
having a to-and-fro motion imparted in the manner described.

page_text: Fifthly, I claim the arrangement of cup chain for supplying the ore in a
continuous manner into the hoppers of the several apparatus, all as applied,
described, and represented in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)