An Improved Amalgamating Pan.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1897--Accepted, 23rd Oct.,
1897
An Improved Amalgamating Pan.
We, EDMUND HARRIS THORNBURGH PLANT, Mine Proprietor, and SAMUEL
DELLOW, Mill Manager, both of Charters Towers, in the Colony of Queensland,
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 an improved pan for amalgamating free gold and
mercury, the object being to secure more effective amalgamation of the gold from
crushed ore or other finely divided auriferous material, greater economy in
working and prevention of theft while in operation.
According to our invention the pan is constructed of cast iron, or other suitable
material, the bottom being made perfectly true. The depth of the pan is prefer-
ably about half an inch, and for the purpose of facilitating the collection of the
amalgam, there may be a recess round the circumference of the pan from
to
of an inch deep and of a width of about two inches. A metallic muller slightly
less than the diameter of the pan floats on the surface of the mercury with which
the bottom of the pan is covered and is rotated by means of several arms which
may be keyed to a central shaft which rises through an opening in the centre of
the pan, or the arms may be bolted to an iron hood which is keyed or otherwise
secured to the shaft. The arms on the said hood engage with arms on the inside
of a cylindrical casing which is bolted to the muller.
The muller floats freely on the mercury, and the crushed ore and water are
delivered between the hood and the said cylindrical casing and falling on the
sloping sides at the centre of pan, pass between the muller and the mercury, thus
securing perfect contact and amalgamation of the particles of gold with the
mercury.
The pan is preferable provided with a mercury ripple, and a sloping shoot or
trough for the collection of the overflow at one point.
But in order that our invention may be clearly understood we will now describe
same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is an elevation of our improved amalgamating pan.
Fig. 2 is a plan of same while
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation through the line a. b. Fig. 2.
The same reference letters indicate the same parts.
A is the pan containing the mercury and auriferous material to be amalga-
mated. B is the circular muller bolted to the cylindrical casing P, D the sloping
sides at centre of pan A, and C is the hood for preventing the material falling
through the opening in the centre. The hood C is keyed or otherwise secured to
the shaft E and has arms bolted to it, the said arms engaging with arms bolted to
the inside of the casing P. F is a mercury ripple which if desired may be kept
full of mercury. G is a sloping shoot or trough for collecting the overflow to one
point at discharge shoot H. I is a shoot into which the material to be treated is

page_text: delivered and leading to a hopper K from which it is fed into the pan. M is the
framing.
The drawing shows the shaft E rotated by means of a worm wheel and gearing,
but, if desired the shaft may be driven overhead, or in any other convenient way
according to the situation.
It will be evident that the construction of the pan is such that the amalgam
cannot be interfered with except by the person in charge.
The dimensions of the pan may be varied according to the quantity of material
which it is desired to treat in a given time.
For the purpose of collecting skimmings we may make the muller of slightly
less diameter than shown in the drawings so as to leave the mercury beyond the
circumference of the muller, uncovered, and in that case we may rivet a narrow
strip of sheet iron on to the edge of the muller or pan to overlap the mercury not
covered by the muller and thus prevent theft.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
1. An amalgamating pan consisting of the combination with a rotatable shaft
of a pan such as A having at its centre sloping sides such as D, hood such as C
carrying arms which engage with arms in the inside of a cylindrical_casing
such as P, the said casing being bolted to a circular muller such as B, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and explained and as illustrated in the
drawings.
2. An amalgamating pan consisting of the combination with a circular pan of
a rotatable muller such as B, mercury ripple such as F', collecting shoot such as G,
and discharge shoot or trough such as H, substantially as hereinbefore described
and explained and as illustrated in the drawings.
Tatal hit day of T.... 1907
Thated this First day
T.... 1907
E. H. T. PLANT.
S. DELLOW.
Bottomley & Liddle,
154 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Patent Agents.