AN IMPROVED ORE CRUSHING AND AMALGAMATING MACHINE
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Sigismund Wekey at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th September 1882.
SIGISMUND WEKEY of 18 Catherine Street Strand in the County of Middlesex.-
"AN IMPROVED ORE CRUSHING AND AMALGAMATING MACHINE
"
This Invention has for its object an improved ore crushing and amalgamating
machine.
The machine consists of a lower part or disc of cast iron having circular
concentric grooves the outer edge of each groove being a little higher than its inner
edge so as to allow the crushed material sludge or tailings to pass inwards and
towards the opening for the outlet of the sludge and tailings at the central part of
the machine. This lower disc has a water pipe round the outer edge of the first
groove the inner side of which pipe is perforated with small holes to allow water to
flow into the outer groove when the machine is in operation. On the bottom of
the three parallel grooves there are small holes closed with moveable plugs. These
small holes communicate with an inclined channel passing through this lower disc,
this channel terminates in a tap which is to serve the purpose of draining the
amalgam and quicksilver from the machine when required so to do. In these
parallel grooves there are hard chilled iron balls, by means of these balls the
crushing of the ore placed into the machine is effected.
The upper part of the machine consists of a second or upper disc.
The under surface of this disc has circular concentric grooves corresponding with
the grooves of the lower disc.
On the inner surface of this upper disc there are also projections to propel and
separate the balls in the machine the one ball from the other. Thus constructed
this upper disc rests (or revolves when required) on the balls in the grooves of the
lower disc..
The outer periphery of this upper disc is cast with teeth into which a driving
wheel and pinion gear.
The outer surface of this upper disc has compartments for the purpose of holding
stones iron or any other heavy substance which being placed into these
compartments increase the weight of the upper disc and the crushing power of
the machine.
This upper disc is kept in place by means of a perpendicular upright shaft.

page_text: Near the outer edge of this upper disc there is also a groove with apertures at
distances and the ore is placed into this circular feeder by hand or by other means.
The ore falls down through the apertures into the outer groove of the machine and
there is crushed by the balls upon which the weighted upper disc revolves.
The working of the machine is as follows. Gold ore is supplied into the circular
feeder of the upper disc. The machine is put in motion by means of horse steam
or water, power and the operation of crushing the ore and amalgamating the metal
is commenced. Whenever the contents of the machine viz-the amalgam and
quicksilver is to be removed the upper disc may be lifted by means of a screw jack,
the plugs of the small apertures in the bottom of disc are lifted and the amalgam
and quicksilver are allowed to flow down the inclined channel into any convenient
receptacle to be then resorted and treated in the usual manner.
This machine may be used alone and without any other 'auxiliary appliances such
as are used in connection with stampers viz Chilian mills-Tyrolese amalgamators-
shaking tables amalgamating tables and a variety of other contrivances to pulverize
the ore and to amalgamate the gold set free from the rock by crushing it, and
subsequently to wash the concentrated sand in dishes to collect the amalgam of
gold and quicksilver.
Without in any way interfering with the contrivances actually in use for crushing
the ore and amalgamating the gold, this machine may be used to save a large
quantity of fine gold and quicksilver which is now. invariably lost with the sludge
and tailings on account of the imperfect appliances hitherto in use for crushing and
amalgamating gold ores and the gold it contains.