Improvements in Crushing and Amalgamating Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 7th Nov.; 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Crushing and Amalgamating Machines.
I, JOHN ELWELL SUTPHEN, of the City and County of Albany, State of New York,:
United States of America, Gold and Silver Refiner, Assayer and Smelter, 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:-
"My invention relates to improvements in amalgamating machines for extracting:
gold and silver from ores, sands, and other metalliferous products including sweeps
and wastes from coinage and workings of gold and silver, and its object is to provide
an improved construction of the same by means of which a greater percentage of the
precious metals is recovered than by the ordinary machines now in use, and by which
the work of recovering such metals is more easily, practically and economically.
carried out.
.. In separating gold from the different varieties of ores, sands, sweeps and wastes and
products containing the same there is usually present a percentage of what is termed
float gold. In the ordinary amalgamating machines, a large percentage of this float
gold, as well as other forms of gold and precious metals passes away with the water
and is lost.
My invention consists essentially in a horizontal rotatable hollow cylinder closed at
both ends, and provided with one or more man holes and covers, and with a smaller
cylinder located therein; having a true even outer surface or periphery, and contacting
with the true, even inner surface of the outer cylinder, being held in contact there
with by gravity alone, the construction being such that when the ore, sand, sweeps,
wastes or other metalliferous product is moistened and placed with quick silver within
the larger cylinder and the latter rotated by any suitable means the quick silver will
by the contact between the small and large cylinders form an amalgam with the float
gold as well as the other forms of gold and precious metals.
Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine embodying any invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same, made on the line drawn
across Figs. 1 and 3.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the inner cylinder or roller.
Fig. 4 is an end view of the inner cylinder.
In the drawing, A, designates the hollow cylinder having a true, even inner surfaco,
and of any suitable size or dimension. This cylinder is provided with heads B B,
securely bolted thereto and provided with journals CC, fitted in bearings or
boxes DD, on any suitable support E E, and provided with one or more pulleys FF,
connected by belts (not shown) with any suitable motor or power for rotating the
cylinder. This rotary motion however may be communicated to said cylinder Å by
cog wheels or other suitable methods of transmitting the power. Located in said
hollow cylinder is a smaller cylinder or roller G, which is turned perfectly true and is
of any suitable diameter, preferably about one third of the diameter of the cylinder A,
and is preferably solid, and is loose in the hollow cylinder A, being held in contact
with said hollow cylinder by gravity alone. The letters H H represent man holes
and the letters II the covers therefor, of which man holes and covers there are pre-
ferably two or more that the machine may be more nearly balanced in its rotations
though but one such man hole and cover is absolutely necessary, and these man holes
and covers are so made and fitted as to securely and tightly close said hollow cylinder
and at the same time present and fill in a true, even surface with the inner surface of
said hollow cylinder.

page_text: The operation is as follows:
The ore, sand, sweeps, waste or other product with a suitable quantity of water to
mix the same into a paste and quick silver are placed in the large cylinder and the
man hole closed... The. oylinder is then rotated and the small solid cylinder will by
the force of gravity cause the quick silver and all the contents of the large cylinder
to be forced between the small cylinder and the large cylinder and the particles of
float gold and the other forms of gold and precious metals to be amalgamated with
the quick silver.
All grades or varieties of ores, sands and metalliferous products including sweeps
and wastes from coinage and workings of gold and silver may be treated by my.
invention, and it will be found that an unusually large percentage of gold will be
recovered, there being practically no loss.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 'I déclare what I
claim is :
I claim in a crushing and amalgamating machine the combination with a closed,
horizontal rotatable hollow cylinder having a true, even inner surface and a smaller
cylinder or roller located within said hollow cylinder, having a true, even outer
surface or periphery, held, by gravity alone, in continual, even pressure against said
hollow cylinder, substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of Santambes 1906
JOHN ELWELL SUTPHEN.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.; Agents for the Applicant.