IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING GOLD
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LONGMAID, of Beaumont Square, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirtieth day of January,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the fifteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Longmaid, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial license full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Longmaid, my
exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Longmaid,
my exors, adiňors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of Guernsey,
Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in Her Majesty's Colonies and Plan-
tations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING GOLD;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said William Longmaid,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date.

page_text: of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and 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
William Longmaid, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, are more fully described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, that is to say:―
This Invention consists of treating certain minerals containing gold in such
manner that the quartz or other minerals are fused and become a fluid slag,
when the gold is precipitated either by its density, or by its affinity for iron.
The minerals to be so treated may consist of quartz, limestone, clay, or sand,
iron pyrites, or other minerals, when either or all of which contain gold.
In the first place, I reduce such minerals to a size that will pass through
a sieve of three or more holes to the linear inch. If the auriferous mineral
be quartz only, I add thereto such ferrugenous, earthy, and alkaline sub-
stances as will produce a fluid slag when subjected to the action of heat
in a reverberatory furnace. Calcined pyrites, oxide of iron, lime, fluor
spar, or any alkaline matters will be found suitable ingredients for pro-
ducing the necessary fusion; I have found 50 parts, by weight, of oxide of
iron, 50 parts of lime, and 100 parts of quartz a good mixture. I grind the
mixed minerals, which has the effect of producing a more complete admixture
than can be otherwise readily obtained. I prefer at all times to select such
minerals as are auriferous when such can be readily obtained, such as quartz,
oxide of iron, lime, baryta, &c. I place a weighed quantity of the ground
material, say'two tons, on the sole of a reverberatory furnace; I close the
door or hole in the roof of the furnace when it is charged by means of a
hopper. When the charge is well heated I stir it occasionally, which has
the effect of rendering the slag more fluid. When the charge is well fused,
if the gold consisted in considerable quantity in the minerals under treatment,
it will be mostly precipitated by means of its density; but it will happen
that a portion of the gold, and sometimes the entire quantity, will be retained
in solution or suspension in the slag; when this occurs I put metallic iron
(old boiler plate will be a convenient form) into the furnace, which has the
effect of precipitating the gold on to its surface. I separate the gold from
the coated iron by immersing it whilst red hot into molten lead, and I after-
wards separate the gold from the lead in the ordinary method of cupelling
lead containing precious metals.
I find it convenient to work a number of charges until a considerable
quantity of gold has accumulated in the bottom of the furnace, taking care
in tapping off the slag from time to time to allow sufficient to remain to cover

page_text: the gold. When it is necessary to withdraw the gold from the furnace, I
fuse the bottom as close as may be found convenient; I take out the remaining
portion and break it up, and thus obtain that portion of the gold that has
subsided thereon. The pulverised bottom is then mixed with suitable flux,
and smelted in the same manner as I have described when smelting raw
material; by this means I prevent any sensible loss of gold.
I do not confine myself to the precise details. herein described, as I am
aware these may be varied considerably without substantially departing from
my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Longmaid, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-two.
WILLIAM (L.s.) LONGMAID.
WILLIAM (L.s.) LONGMAID.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirtieth day of July, in the
5 year of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid William Longmaid 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.
Enrolled the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-two.