TREATING GOLD AND OTHER ORES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward William Kemble Turner, of No. 81, Praed
Street, in the Parish of Paddington, in the County of Middlesex, for the
.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward William Kemble
Turner at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 31st January 1854.
I, EDWARD WILLIAM KEMBLE TURNER, of No. 31, Praed Street, in the
Parish of Paddington and County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "TREATING GOLD AND OTHER ORES". to be as follows:
I form a wedge-shaped or triangular prismoid block, to one side of which is
added the segment of a circle to form a convex base. This block constitutes
the "crusher," and may be made of any necessary, size and weight. This
crusher I place upon a slightly concaved bed plate, having across its centre a
groove, the bottom of which is a little inclined to one side, and which, when
open, forms a channel by which the amalgam is to be withdrawn. Around
the bed plate is a strong iron frame forming a guard, having orifices for the
outward passage of water, and under the bed plate is placed a semi-circular
steam pipe for the purpose of warming the plate.
A rocking motion being communicated to the crusher, a supply of quicksilver
and water and the ore to be crushed is then introduced upon the bed plate.
The crusher, by such rocking or oscillating motion and its own gravity,
pulvers the ore or quartz. Any prime mover may be employed, but by

page_text: preference a steam engine having an oscillating cylinder, the piston rod of
which may be directly attached to the crusher at a convenient point. The ore
or quartz being pulverized, as above described, I take the residue, and put it
into a vessel, (No. 1,) in which is placed an agitator or framing fixed on an
axle, having a crank handle.
The bottom of this vessel is slightly inclined towards an outlet. Having
sufficiently agitated and washed the contents, they are allowed to escape
gradually through the opening or outlet, and are conducted by a spout on to a
circular table, whose centre is slightly raised, so as to form an incline towards
its periphery, around which is placed a groove having an outlet to allow the
water to pass off through a strainer, whilst the amalgam is retained in the
groove. From this groove the amalgam is conducted on to an incline plane,
of about one in three, covered with fine cloth; across the surface of this plane
are placed a number of bars alternately, starting from each side, and each bar
nearly extending to the opposite side, and having a slight incline in the same
direction as that of the plane, thus causing the amalgam to follow a zig-zag
course.
Vessel (No. 2) is a cylinder having the bottom also slightly inclined towards
an outlet, and having a tap thereto; at the top thereof is a stout perforated
plate, and upon this plate a double layer of chamois leather is placed, and
secured thereto by a band or ring of metal which fits the vessel, making it air-
tight. From the side and immediately below the perforated plate is placed
a pipe having a stop-cock, and communicating with another vessel (No. 3),
which vessel is much larger than (No. 2), and has a steam pipe and stop-cock
at the bottom, which pipe communicates with a boiler, and it has an escape
valve at the top; it is also furnished with apparatus to admit a jet of water; the
steam on being admitted from the boiler drives out the air through the top
valve, which is then closed, and the steam cut off from the boiler, and a jet of
cold water injected, which condenses the steam, and a vacuum is thus produced.
The amalgam having descended the incline plane, as described, is received on
the top of the vessel (No. 2); the communication between the vessels (No. 2)
and (No. 3) being opened, the air in (No. 2) becomes much rarefied by
rushing out to form an equilibrium with (No. 3), when the pressure upon the
amalgam causes the quicksilver to pass through the leather and plate into
vessel (No. 2). Thus the sand is left upon the circular table, the residue of
water on the cloth of the incline plane, the gold or other metal on the top
of vessel (No. 2), and the quicksilver within the same, and again ready
for use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward William Kemble Turner in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 31st July 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
WILLIAM KEMBLE TURNER, of Praed Street, in the Parish of Paddington, in
the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward William Kemble Turner, Her special licence that I, the said
Edward William Kemble Turner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Edward William Kemble Turner, my executors, ad-
ministrators, 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 "TREATING GOLD AND OTHER ORES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward William Kemble Turner, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said Edward William Kemble Turner, 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:-
I form a wedge-shaped or triangular prismoid block, to one side of which is
added the the segment of a circle to form a convex base. This block constitutes
the crusher, and may be made of any necessary size and weight, and in its
form and action differs from others having a circular or rotary motion only,
inasmuch as the centre of gravity being placed much lower than in a circle
gives it a tendency, when thrown out of the perpendicular, to again assume that
position of itself, being a series of oscillating and vibrating movements, thereby
obtaining a semi-percussive, semi-rotary action; the crusher working upon a
suitable bed plate, around which and attached thereto is a framing or casing,
which is perforated to allow of wire gauze screens, whose meshes determines

page_text: the fineness of the crushed material which passes through them. The bed
plate may be of any form suited to the purpose for which the crusher is to be
employed (viz.): if for auriferous ores, and required to crush, wash, and
amalgamate with mercury in one operation, the bed plate must be slightly
curved to give the materials a tendency towards the centre or greatest crushing
point. Under this bed plate is placed a steam pipe or chamber, for the purpose,
if necessary, of warming the plate. If to crush or pulverize with water only, a
sharper curve will be required. If for stamping only, such as required for
copper ores, &c., then a flat bed plate is preferable, which may be perforated
or composed of a strong wrought-iron grating; but for this purpose I prefer to
coufine the crusher at the top, and allow free action at the bottom, and cause
the bed plate to move backwards and forwards by rollers or wheels on a tram-
way, and the ore, as it is crushed, falls through such grating or bed plate, and
may be carried away by any suitable contrivance. In this case the screens and
apparatus for warming will not be required. In operating upon auriferous ores
with this machine, motion having been communicated to the crusher from any
convenient point, a supply of quicksilver and water and the ore to be crushed
is then introduced through suitable openings upon the bed plate, the crusher
by such action as above described, and its own gravity, pulverizing the ore or
quartz, and the quicksilver amalgamating with the metal contained therein,
whilst the refuse is washed away through the screens, and conducted by a trough
into a vessel containing mercury, through which it is made to pass by any con-
venient means, or by the known law, (viz.,) that one inch of mercury will balance
sixteen inches of water; therefore I construct a vessel with a partition nearly
reaching to the bottom, and dipping down into the mercury which is placed
therein; thus, as soon as sufficient weight of water has accumulated on one side,
it will pass down through the mercury under the partition and out on the other
side, which is made lower for the discharge, causing complete amalgamation,
should any particles previously have escaped; this vessel is also kept warm.
When it is required to strain the amalgam, I place it in a vessel which I
denominate the pneumatic separator, and which is described, and acts as
follows I take a vessel or cylinder having a stout perforated lid, over the lid
I place chamois leather, which is kept tight by a band or cup fitting on the top;
into this cup the amalgam is placed, and a vacuum produced in the vessel
beneath by steam or otherwise, when the superincumbent pressure of air upon
the amalgam causes the mercury to pass through, leaving the gold or other
metal upon the leather.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim the

page_text: particular details of the mechanism herein mentioned, as many arrangements
of cylinders, spheres, cones, or rollers acting or revolving in or upon concave
or plane surfaces or bed plates, both fixed and movable, have been used for
various purposes. But I do claim,―
First, the general arrangement, substantially as herein described, viz., the
particular form of block or crusher, acting as herein described.
Secondly, the same when combined with and working upon the bed plate
herein described, whether fixed or movable.
Thirdly, the method of straining the amalgam by the vacuum process, as
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward William Kemble Turner, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Signed and sealed in my presenco,
T. W. CAMPIN,
156, Strand.
E. W. K. TURNER. (L.s.)