Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Cleaning Ores and Minerals.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th N v., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th June. 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL FECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Cleaning Ores and
Minerals.
I, WALTER JOSEPH MAY of 22, Canbury Park Road, Kingston on Thames in
the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows, that is to say :-
This invention comprises an improved combination and arrangement of apparatus
specially designed for automatically cleaning and concentrating ores and minerals
which are heavier than the gangue or other material with which they may be mixed.
In carrying out the invention the crude material is delivered into a revolving or
vibrating sizing screen of not exceeding 1 inch mesh, the finer portions from which
are delivered into an ore bin of convenient size and height, and the larger portions
which pass out from the lower end of the screen fall into a breaker from whence
after being crushed or broken to a proper size they fall into the conveyor from the
crude ore bin. From the bottom of the crude ore bin a trough containing a spiral
conveyor is carried to the feed hopper of an elevator, and this elevator lifts the ore
or mineral to a mixing and scouring apparatus containing revolving blades, whence
after being thoroughly mixed with water and disintegrated or scoured the material
is passed through a series of sizing screens which may be either vibratory or
revolving, and which have meshes from a size of th inch to th inch in diameter.
The material retained by each of these screens is carried to a jig having grids to
correspond, and the fine material and water which passes through the finest screen
is carried by means of a trough to a first subsidence classifier where the heavier
portions are taken out and delivered to a propellor buddle or concentrator, and the
water passing from this first classifier is taken to a second and third subsidence
classifier where the remaining solids are taken out and the water either sent to waste
or returned to the machine and used over again. The cleaned and concentrated
material from the jigs and buddle or concentrator is delivered into a launder
containing a spiral conveyor which carries it to an elevator which raises and
lelivers it into a hopper from which wagons are filled. The number of sizing
screens, jigs, buddles, or concentrators and classifiers may be varied if found
necessary with different classes of material.
Dated this 27th day of November 1891
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Cleaning Ores and
Minerals.
I, WALTER JOSEPH MAY, of 22 Canbury Park Road, Kingston on Thames, in
the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 comprises an improved combination and arrangement of apparatus,
specially designed for automatically cleaning and concentrating ores and minerals
which are heavier than the gangue, or other material or debris with which they
may be mixed; and is especially adapted to the treatment of low grade iron and
copper ores which are free from adhesive clay; and is also advantageously applicable
to the treatment of other ores and minerals.

page_text: And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascer-
tained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawing, in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts; and in which the whole of the
elements of such combination are shown as a flat series, extending from the
commencement to the end of the process, for greater clearness; but in practice
the arrangement of the parts of the machinery may be varied to suit the require-
ments of each separate erection, but the sequence of the combination or process will
not be altered thereby. The constructive details of each separate piece of the
apparatus, together forming my invention, are well known, and therefore do not
require to be particularly described. The machines are therefore only shown in the
drawings diagrammatically, and as forming elements of the improved combination
and arrangement.
This
In carrying out the invention, the ore or mineral is delivered at a convenient.
height into a revolving or vibrating sizing screen a. But, in the event of the ore
or other material being mixed with adhesive clay, it is first passed through a wash
mill, or other suitable machine, whereby the clay is removed and carried away,
prior to the ore or other material being passed to the first sizing screen a.
sizing screen has a mesh of one inch or less. The finer portions of the material
under treatment fall through the screen a into a hopper or bin b, while the larger
portions fall out at the lower end of the screen into the breaker c, where they are
broken to a proper size, after which they are at once delivered to the screw or other
conveyor d, which also conveys therewith the finer uncrushed portions from the
hopper or bin 6 to the elevator e. This elevator raises the material to a suitable
height, and delivers it to a scouring and mixing apparatus f, where it is thoroughly
scoured and mixed with water, from whence it passes to a series of sizing screens y 9,
the meshes of which vary in diameter, successively, from seven eighths of an inch to
one sixteenth of an inch. Any suitable number of these screens may be used,
arranged as shown in the drawing, at a suitable inclination relatively to each other.
The material retained by each of these sizing screens is carried by a trough or
other suitable device fitted to each screen (not shown in the drawing) to jigs hh,
having grids of suitable mesh, corresponding to the sizing screens g. The jigs h
have adjustable plunger eccentrics to allow of any adjustment in the stroke of the
plungers which may be necessary to secure perfect separation of the material. The
material and water passing through the finest meshed screen g, is carried, by means
of a trough or launder, to a first subsidence classifier i, where the heavier portions
held in the water are separated for treatment either in a buddle j, as shown, or on a
percussion table or concentrator, whichever is most suitable for the material under
treatment. The water and suspended matter passing from the first subsidence
classifier i, is carried to a second and third subsidence classifier (not shown on the
drawing) where the earthy matter held in suspension is separated, and may then be
used as an addition to white lead or other pigments and materials in the manu-
facture of paint.
The number of sizing screens, jigs, buddles, percussion tables, and classifiers, may
be varied to suit the requirements of the particular ore or mineral under
treatment.
The clean and concentrated ore or mineral from the jigs h and buddle j, percussion
table, or concentrator, are delivered into and carried by the trough or launder k.
(which may be fitted with a spiral conveyor, if necessary) to an elevator 1, which
raises the material to a sufficient height, and delivers it into a bin or hopper m for
delivery into wagons; or the elevator may deliver direct into the wagons, if
preferred.
The waste solids and water from the jigs, buddle, percussion tables or concen-
trators, are taken along a trough or launder (not shown in the drawings) to some
convenient point, the solids being delivered into wagons, or other means of
conveyance, and the water may either be run to waste, or returned to a convenient
receptacle to be again used, if necessary.
A steam engine or other motor may be applied to actuate the machinery through

page_text: the driving shaft n and belt o to the line shaft p, carrying pulleys of various sizes;
such pulleys, by means of belts (shown by dotted lines) transmitting motion to the
various machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven--
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
alaim is :-
1. The improvements in apparatus for automatically cleaning and concentrating
ores and minerals, consisting of the several combinations and arrangements of means
and appliances, whereby the materials are capable of being successively operated
upon and treated, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the
drawing.
2. In combination with the use of my improved apparatus for automatically
cleaning ores and minerals as aforesaid, the separation and recovery of waste
products held in suspension in the effluent water for paint making, substantially as
herein before described.
3. The general arrangement and combination of the several and respective parts
of apparatus, together forming my invention of improvements in apparatus for
automatically cleaning ores and minerals, substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by the drawings.
Dated 2nd June 1892.
GODFREY & WEBB,
Agents.