IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING MINERALS AND SEPARATING THEM FROM OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
STARKEY, of Clapton, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirty-first day of July, in the sixteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Starkey, my exors, adiiors, and assigns, Her especial license, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Samuel Starkey, my
exors, adñiors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Samuel Starkey,
my exors, adñiors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, the
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-on-Tweed, and in the Islands of
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies
and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
WASHING MINERALS AND SEPARATING THEM FROM OTHER SUBSTANCES;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Samuel
Starkey, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to
ascertain and describe the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and cause the same to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery, within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and

page_text: by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Starkey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly ascertained and
described in and by the following description, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
The recent discoveries of gold in various parts has led to the introduction
of many machines or apparatus for separating that precious metal from its
ore, or, as it is commonly called, washing for gold. In many of these
machines there are great defects; some are too expensive; others require a
large supply of water, which is not always to be had in auriferous regions;
while not a few are wholly unfit for the intended purpose. As a practical
metallurgist of long experience, I am well aware of the importance of being
able thoroughly to separate and to save the whole of the precious metal from
the earthy matters commonly combined with it, and to do this with economy
in the use of water.
My improved machine is intended for use in what is called surface mining;
that is, where gold is found without being imbedded in quartz, as is the case
principally in the Australian fields, and in some other places; but it will be
found not less useful by refiners who are obliged to free their ore from extraneous
matters before further operating on it, for the finest particles of gold may be
separated and saved in this machine, whereas it is well known that in many
others the smaller portions escape in the process, and it is manifestly desirable
to retain the minutest portions of so valuable a material as gold. But in
order that my Invention may be well understood, I will proceed to describe
the Drawings, which will clearly explain its nature.
Fig. 1, Sheet A, is an elevation of one of my improved machines for washing
and separating minerals; Fig. 2 is a section of the body through the line A, B;
Fig. 3, a section through the line C, D. The framing E, E, supports a cylin-
drical vessel F, through the centre of which a shaft G passes. Upon this
shaft are fixed four or any other number of blades H, H, H, H; these
blades or paddles are put in motion by the handle I, actuated by manual or
other power.
A fly-wheel K is fitted to the other end of the shaft. The
upper part of the vessel E is curved outwards, forming a kind of hopper,
within which is placed a perforated tray L, Figures 2, 3. At the lower part
of F is an opening M, and below this a drawer N. O is a reservoir for
holding water, and completing the process of washing.
vessel F are three apertures a, b, c; these, and the aperture M, are secured
At the side of the

page_text: It is then allowed to
by brass covers or doors lined with vulcanized india rubber. The perforated
tray L is secured within the hopper by means of a pin d, which passes through
the curved edge of the tray out at the opposite side of the vessel F. By this
arrangement the tray is made to oscillate when motion is effected by the blades
H, H, striking the bottom of the tray L, as shown in dotted lines at Fig. 3;
the oscillation thus produced by the revolution of the blades shakes or agitates
whatever substances may be placed in the tray. The vessel F being filled
with water, and the tray L secured in its place, the mineral substances to be
washed are put into the tray, and the handle of the machine rapidly turned.
The rotary motion of the blades throws the water up through the tray L,
which being also set in motion as before explained, all the fine metallic and
earthy matters are carried through the perforations into the water in the pan
below. Pieces of ore too large to pass through, and large stones, should be
removed by hand, and the refuse thrown aside. This operation may be
repeated until the water within the vessel F becomes unfit for further use
from the quantity of earthy matters held in suspension.
stand for a short time, the greater specific gravity of the metallic particles
causing them to fall rapidly to the bottom. The aperture a is now opened,
and the water rushes out, carrying with it the lighter particles of earthy
matter. Some little time having been given for a further deposition, the
aperture 6 is opened, and lastly c in like manner, the object being to carry off
as much as possible of the earthy matters with the water which falls into the
reservoir O, where it is allowed to settle. The vessel F is now refilled with
water either from the reservoir or any other source, and the foregoing ope-
rations repeated. As the deposit accumulates in the lower part of Fit is
raked into the drawer N by inserting a rake through the aperture M. The
drawer N has a hole cut in the front and back of it through which is passed
a rod furnished with a handle, and fitting two notches of the reservoir O.
This is for the purpose of further washing the deposit to free it from any
earthy matters remaining in it; but I prefer to use for this purpose the vessel
shewn at Fig. 7, Sheet B. This is a vessel, made of galvanized iron or other
suitable material, somewhat in the form of a basin, the upper portion being
perforated. When held so as to allow the water to flow through the perfora-
tions, and rapidly shaken, the contents will be speedily and effectually freed
from earthy matters.
Fig. 4, Sheet B, is another form of machine for washing minerals; Fig. 5
is a section of the same, through the line e, f; and Fig. 6 is a plan of one
of the perforated trays and frame for supporting it. P, Fig. 4, is a large
metallic reservoir for holding a supply of water. The framing Q, Q, of the

page_text: machine is supported in guides R, R, secured to the sides of the reservoir.
The arrangement of the shaft G and blades H, H, is similar to that described
in reference to Fig. 1. In this machine, instead of supporting the perforated
tray by a pin, a metal frame T is fixed to the sides of the vessel S, so as to
move freely up and down; this receives the blows of the blades H, H, the
tray U merely resting on the frame. At the side of the body S is fitted a
pipe W, to which is fastened an india-rubber tube; this answers to the purpose
of the apertures a, b, c, Fig. 1, as by it the water in the body S may be
allowed to run off to any required extent, and to stop it nothing more is
necessary than to hook the tube to the top of the vessel. The deposit is
raked through the opening X into the vessel Y, Fig. 7, the use of which
has been described. Z, Figures 1 and 4, is a metal rod, upon withdrawing
which the body of the machine may be tilted over.
The machines herein-
before described are intended to be made wholly of metal. Fig. 8 represents
a machine made of wood; Fig. 9 is a plan, and Fig. 10 section, of the
upper part of Fig. 8, through the line g, h; the lower part forms a reservoir
for water and a case for holding the other parts when the machine is not
in use. Two plugs i, k, are fitted to the front part of the machine, one of
them i is for the passage of the foul water which falls into
sediment being retained by the finely perforated partition m.
consists of a perforated plate of metal let into a frame of wood.
and blades o, o, in this machine are all of wood. A small fly wheel p may be
mounted on the shaft n, if required. The mode of operation with this machine,
being precisely similar to that shown in reference to Figures 1 and 4, need not
be repeated.
the space 1, the
This partition
The shaft n
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise arrangement herein-before set forth, as the same
may be varied to some extent without deviating from the principle of my
Invention, and I make no claim to any part or parts taken separately.
I claim as of my Invention the improved machines for washing and sepa-
rating mineral and other substances, as herein-before described and shewn by
the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Starkey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
SAMUEL (L.S.) STARKEY.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirty-first day of January, in
the year of our Lord 1853, the aforesaid Samuel Starkey came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.