IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SORTING AND WASHING ORES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Nicquet, of Paris, France, Gentleman, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SORTING AND WASHING
ORES."
Sealed the 10th November 1863, and dated the 9th June 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Nicquet at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
June 1863.
I, CHARLES NICQUET, of Paris, France, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SORTING AND
WASHING ORES," to be as follows:-
These improvements in apparatus for sorting and washing ores relate to,
1ly, an improved apparatus for sorting or classing the stamped ores
according to their degree of fineness; and, 2ly, an improved apparatus for
washing the same. The improved sorting apparatus consists of a hollow
cylinder provided in the interior with a series of sieves situated concentrically
to the axis of cylinder, the degree of fineness of which sieves becomes finer in
the same measure as they are situated nearer to the cylinder, the said sieves
revolving with this cylinder, the axis of which latter revolving in suitable
bearings in a moveable frame provided with proper means for giving more or
less incline to this sifting apparatus. The sieves are kept apart by a series of
rods or stays, along which leaden or other metal balls are allowed to glide up

page_text: and down during the revolution of the apparatus, and thus striking the sieves
at suitable intervals aid the ore in passing through the apertures of the sieves.
An iron bent pipe and hopper serve for feeding the innermost sieve with ore;
this hopper is provided with an inner casing and with a grate between this
latter and the hopper, on which grate a fire is kept up for drying the ore
before entering into the sieves; each sieve is provided at the lower end, where
the ore takes its exit, with a projecting part and flange for conducting the
sorted ores into proper receivers. The ores thus classed according to their
degree of comminution are now thrown into a sort of large conical hopper
carried by a small carriage travelling by means of four or more wheels as a
railway for conducting the ores above my improved washing apparatus, in
order to procure perfect occlusion; the lower part of the conical hopper may
be shut at pleasure by a ball or a semisphere of. india-rubber or other suitable
elastic material, or of any hard resisting material covered with india-rubber or
other suitable elastic fabric; or the inside of the hopper itself may be lined
with such fabric; the same means of occlusion I intend applying to the
washing cones or hoppers hereafter to be mentioned; the said balls or
semispheres may be lifted by means of chains or of a rod or rods and screw, or
other similar powerful means. The ore is now carried above the washing
apparatus, which latter consists of a strong hollow cylinder situated vertically,
and connected at the lower end to a cone or hopper provided with the above
means of occlusion, or provided with a side tube having this means of
occlusion, the said cone and tube having also one exit pipe or pipes for
carrying off the water with which the washing of the ores in the cylinder and
hopper takes place; from the lower part of this washing cylinder and hopper
the washed ore may be allowed to fall into another smaller hopper by lifting
the above-mentioned ball or semisphere; this smaller hopper is provided also
with such means of occlusion and with sight holes for examining from the
outside of the apparatus, whether the washing or cleansing of the ores has
been properly effected. Finally, the ore is allowed to fall into a moveable
receiver.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Nicquet, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Nicquet,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Charles Nicquet, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SORTING AND WASHING OBES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Nicquet, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should. particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that the said Charles Nicquet, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the letters & figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention first relates to an improved machine for sorting ores according
to size. This machine consists of a number of sieves of various gauges or sizes
of interstice, to which sieves both a rotary motion and a vibrating or shaking
motion are communicated at the same time.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section; Figure 2 end view, and Figure 3
transverse section of this machine. a is a framework provided with plummer
blocks.c, c, in which works an axis b, set at any desired inclination, and
provided with fast and loose pulleys d, d', (or other ordinary driving arrange-
ments.) e, e¹, el, ell, el, el, shown in red lines in Figures 1 and 8, are
sieves of different gauges or sizes of mesh, mounted on the axis 6 and turning
with such axis when rotary motion is communicated thereto; each of these
sieves has at one end a ledge, shelf, or projection grooved or channelled at the
edge; these grooved ledges or projections kk, k, k, turn
with the sieves, and they dip into shoots 1,,,, leading
into boxes or receivers at the bottom of the machine, each ledge commu-
nicating through a separate shoot with a separate box or receiver, of which

page_text: The
there is thus one to each sieve. The contents of the sieves are discharged
down the ledges and shoots in the direction of the arrows m into these boxes
or receivers, whereby the sizes of ores as sorted are kept apart. f is a casing,
preferably of zinc or sheet iron, which surrounds the sieves; i is a shoot or
hopper, through which the ore is fed in its spout or discharge end h, passes
through the lower half g of the casing, and its upper part i is surrounded by a
jacket j, in which a gentle fire is kept up to draw off moisture from the
particles of ore and prevent them from sticking; n, n, n, are radial arms,
which are fixed to bosses o, o, on the axis b, and pass through the sieves and
through the casing f, against which they are tightened by nuts p, p; q, q, are
rollers, blocks, buttons, or knobs mounted and working loosely or freely on the
arms n, and distributed as shewn; as the axis 6 revolves, these pieces q strike
against the sieves, and thereby shake them or impart a vibrating motion to
If there
them, moreover they prevent the sieves from becoming entangled.
are six sieves there should be at least seven blocks q on each arm n.
openings in the sieves through which the arms n pass may be protected by
caoutchouc or other flexible washers to prevent the ore from dropping out at
those parts, and to preserve the sieves from being worn or injured by the
blows of the blocks q. Sight holes, closed by plates or doors, may be formed
in the frames of the sieves for inspecting their contents. In mounting the
sieves the sieve of coarsest gauge or largest mesh should be nearest the axis,
and that of finest gauge outermost or next the casing. There may be any
number of sieves, but I mostly find six sufficient for one axis, and I prefer to
pass a charge of ore through three such machines, that is to say, through
18 sieves in all, the whole 18 differing in gauge or size of mesh, so that after
the charge has passed through one machine, the ore left in the outermost
or finest sieve thereof may be passed through a second machine containing
a set of finer sieves, and then through a third machine with still finer sieves,
until thoroughly sorted. The finest sieves may be of silk.
My Invention next relates to an improved machine for washing ores, which
I construct as follows:-a, b, c, f, is a deep vessel, shewn in vertical section
Figure 4, and consisting of portions which communicate together or lead from
one to the other. The longest portion a is cylindrical, and terminates in a
conical portion b, to which is bolted the portion c, and to this is fixed a conical
vesself. At the lower end g of this vessel f is a tube h, connected therewith
by bayonet joint or other ordinary fastening, allowing the tube to be readily
connected and disconnected; i, i, are handles on the tube for removing and
replacing it. The tube may be of any given capacity to contain a certain
quantity or measure of ore. The vessels a, b, c, f, are secured to a framing or

page_text: brickwork; o is the cover of the vessel f, through which passes the hollow
foot d of the vessel c; the portion c is formed with a branch, which is fitted
with a cover o. I prefer to construct the portions a, b, of sheet iron, and the
portion c of brass, and I mostly find from 30 to 90 feet a proper depth for the
portion a; but it may be deeper according to the ore treated. The tube h is
closed at bottom by a ball valve l, attached to and worked by a frame or bent
metal arm m, hinged at m' to the tube, so that by turning this frame on its hinge
the tube h will be opened and closed at bottom. When the valve is shut, the
free end of the frame m is fastened to a catch m¹; at the side of the tube
opposite the hinge j is a ball valve which opens and closes the communication d,
between the portions cand f; k is a ball valve for opening and closing the com-
munication g between the portions f and h. These valves j, k, are worked by
rods or handles n, n', which pass out through packed openings or glands in the
covers o, o', and are threaded at those ends to receive tightening nuts p, p¹.
The valves, when closed, are pressed firmly on their seats, they are opened by
Joosening the nuts p, p', and drawing up the rods n, n', to the required extent;
y are conical caps of metal or other hard substance fixed on the valves j, k,
to facilitate the working thereof, and to guide and separate the ore in its
descent. The valves j, k, l, are made of caoutchouc, cork, leather, or other
elastic or compressible and resilient material, and their seats may be of the
same material, or of rigid material, or when the seats are of elastic or com-
pressible and resilient material, the valves may be of rigid material, (see
Figure 6,) they thus fit tightly together. q is a spherical caoutchouc float
for opening and closing an air hole in the lid o, the float rising and shutting
the hole when the vesself is full of water; r is a straight or curved pipe,
leading from the portion c to the vessel f, that is to say, from y' to y", to allow
water to flow from a, b, c, to f, while the passage d is shut, and to establish
equilibrium of pressure above and below the valve j, so that that valve may be
easily lifted; is a stop-cock, in the pipe r; this pipe is formed in two or
more pieces, flanged and bolted at their meeting ends; its parts may
thus be easily separated, to allow the portions c and f to be disconnected when
necessary. The communicating pipe r may be applied to any part or any two
portions of the vessel a, b, c, f, h, in like manner and for a like purpose.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of a travelling feed shoot for charging the
vessel a, b, c, f, h, with ore. This apparatus, which may be considered as a
detached moveable portion of the washing machine (the vessel a, b, c, f, being
the stationary portion) consists of a frame or carriage s mounted on rollers s¹,
and carrying a conical vessel t, open at top, and also at bottom, where it termi-
nates in a tubular foot t¹ open at both ends.. is a grid, with large interstices

page_text: '
fixed in the upper part of the vessel t; u is a grid in the foot t. The passage
through t is opened and closed by a plug v of caoutchouc or other elastic
material fitted with a conical cap y of metal or other hard substance, and
worked by a rod or handle v¹ threaded at top to receive a tightening nut v¹¹.
When the washing machine is to be charged with ore, the vessel t is filled
two-thirds full of water and brought to the pit mouth or other place whence
the ore is to be taken, and after having been fed with ore it is run on rails to
the vessel a, b, over the mouth of which it is set, and the plug v is raised
sufficiently to allow the ore to fall down the sides of the plug and through the
foot into the vessel a. As the ore passes through the grids z and u, and
down the sides of the cap y, it undergoes a preliminary separation, and its
passage along the sides of the cap and through the annular opening which the
plug forms when raised from its seat, distributes it regularly. The valves j, k,
having been opened, the charge will pass down the vessel a, b, c, f, and the
ore being heavier than the lighter extraneous bodies with which it is combined,
will drop faster than they into the tube h, and will be thereby separated from
them. When the tube h is sufficiently full, the valve k is closed, (the valve j
remaining open), and the tube h is removed from the vesself by its handles
,, and emptied; the vesself is also emptied of the waste left therein.
When the lower portions of the machine have to be inspected, or at other
times when desired, the portion a may be stopped or closed by a plug v,
shown in red lines, Figure 4, similar to the plug v, Figure 5, and worked by
a rod v¹; is a valve in the plug v, opened by cord a¹, to assist the plug
to rise.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
imanner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim in respect of
sorting apparatus,―
First, the employment of a number of sieves having both a rotary motion
and a vibrating or shaking motion, as described.
Second, the employment of loose blocks, knobs, or rollers q, in the manner
and for the purpose described.
Third, the general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
improved sorting machine herein-before described.
And in respect of washing apparatus, I claim,-
First, the employment and arrangement of the piper in the manner and for
the purposes described.
Second, the employment and arrangement of a travelling feed vessel in
combination with a stationary washing vessel, and with a plug or valve with
conical cap, in the manner and for the purpose described.

page_text: Third, the employment of a tube h for receiving the ore, such tube being
arranged, connected, and disconnected in the manner and for the purpose
described.
Fourth, the application and arrangement of ball valves fitted with conical
caps and working on seats, the valve or seat, or both, being of elastic or com-
pressible and resilient material, as described.
Fifth, the general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
improved washing machine herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Nicquet, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
NICQUET, CHARLES. (L.S.)