Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 25th. Aug., 1886
Complete Left, 24th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 25th Jan., 1887.
I THOMAS DAVID WILLIAMS of 11 Jesse Terrace Reading in the County of Berks
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved amalgamator for separating the precious
metals from the accompanying gangue; and the Invention consists essentially in
a rotary ripple and amalgamating drum, a rotary amalgamating pan having injection
pipes and arresters pendant within the pan, loose amalgamating balls floating therein,
and a rotary petticoat amalgamator, all constructed, combined, and arranged to operate
as hereinafter more fully set forth.
The apparatus comprises a settling tank which receives the crushed ore and water
or slimes coming from the stamps and after subsidence supplies the supernatant portion
to the rotary ripple and amalgamating drum which in turn delivers the slimes to
the pan where they are heated by steam whence they overflow over the petticoat
amalgamator. The settling tank is connected with the drum by an overflow spout
which projects into the adjacent open end of the drum, the bottom of the spout being
curved concentrically to the drum. The drum may either be slightly conical, its
smaller end being towards the tank; or be cylindrical, and set with its axis slightly
inclined so as to obtain a downward inclination of the lower side of the drum from the
tank to the pan. In either case the drum may be either circular or polygonal in
cross-section. It is supported at the end next the settling tank by a grooved hoop
about the end of the drum, resting on and guided by friction rollers carried by a ring
bolted to the settling tank. The drum is lined with a cone or cylinder of amalgamated
sheet copper which is bent inwards at one end to form a flange which encloses an
outwardly turned flange on the spout, to prevent any escape of the slimes at this end
of the drum. Within the copper lining of the drum are one, two, or more,
circumferential ribs or hoops of angle iron which act as ripples or retainers for
the mercury, and also as a framework for the drum. The other end of the drum is
also open, and is supported by a journal carried by a cross frame bolted to the drum.
The journal is received in a suitable bearing formed on a chamber from which descend
the distributing pipes for the steam or other fluid. This end of the drum is immediately
over, and discharges the slimes into, the enamelled iron pan which is mounted to rotate
ID 27

page_text: together with the petticoat amalgamator upon a stationary vertical pillar upon the
upper end of which the chamber is fixed. The pipes terminate near the bottom of the
pan in amalgamated copper nozzles which are uniformly distributed over the area of
the pan.
Fixed to the pan above its rim, is a ring of teeth, with which is combined a friction
ring or path on the latter of which rests a friction ring of india rubber or equivalent
material held in a groove in a hoop which encircles the drum, whereby rotary motion
is imparted from the ring to the drum, the ring being driven by a bevel pinion on the
mainshaft meshing with the ring of teeth. In the pan are placed a number of loose
copper balls which are made hollow, so as to float in the slimes and the surfaces of
which are amalgamated so as to act as collectors. The petticoat amalgamator consists
of a stepped cone (or cylinder) each cone or stepped portion (except the lowest one)
terminating in a trough which encircles its base and is enamelled and serves to contain
mercury, the upper edge of the succeeding cone or portion forming the outer side of
the trough. Each cone or stepped portion is sheathed in an apron formed of a
continuous hoop or cone of amalgamated sheet copper which is lapped over the upper
edge of the cone, and hangs on the same, the copper being bent to sharp angles which
have a tendency to promote the arrest of the gold. In order to increase the superficial
area, and to arrest the slimes and gold, the copper sheathing is finely corrugated
in the circular direction. The lowermost cone dips into a circular trough or flume
which receives the slime therefrom and which slopes down to a mouth at which the
slimes pass out over an upwardly projecting ridge to prevent the escape of mereury,
this fluine being also lined with amalgamated copper plating.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Mercury having been placed in the
ripples of the drum, and in the pan, and in the channels of the petticoat amalgamator,
and slow rotary motion being imparted to the drum amalgamator as above described,
the slimes from the stamps are received in the tank, and after subsidence overflow
into the drum, to the sides of which the finer particles of the slimes adhere and are
thereby carried round and passed through the inercury in the ripples, a clear surface
of plating for the particles to adhere to being thus continuously presented within a
small compass. From the drum the material flows into the pan the bottom of which
is covered with mercury which is agitated by the steam or other fluid injected into, or
upon the surface of, the mercury from the nozzles, the agitation and the arrest of the
particles of metal being further promoted by the floating copper balls contained in the
pan. The material flows over the edge of the pan and down the hanging plating of
• the stopped cone or cylinder in a series of waves caused by the corrugated form of the
plating, the material passing from one cone to the next by flowing through or over the
mercury in the intervening trough and being finally received in the flume. The
rotary motion of the petticoat amalgamator adinits of the plating being conveniently
wiped by an attendant in order to remove the metal collected thereon and present
clean surfaces to the slimes. The plates being very steep, the lighter slimes are
held close against the amalgamated plate by capillary attraction and the lighter, or
suspended, gold must consequently be absorbed by the analgam. The channels
serve to retain the amalgam off the plates. The copper nozzles act as arresters, and
gatherers, and can be wiped off as often as necessary.
T. D. WILLIAMS..
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Amalgamating Apparatus.
I, THOMAS DAVID WILLIAMS of East London South Africa, and at present of
11 Jesse Terrace Reading in the County of Berks, Engineer, 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 an improved amalgamator for separating the precious metals
from the accompanying gangue; and the Invention consists essentially in a rotary
ripple and amalgamating drum, a rotary amalgamating pan having injection pipes
and arresters pendent within the pan, loose analgamating balls floating therein, and a
rotary petticoat amalgamator all constructed, combined, and arranged to operate as
hereinafter more fully set forth.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification;
wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation (partly in section on line 1-1 figure 2) of the
combined apparatus. Figure 2 is a plan of the same (partly in section on line 2-2
figure 1). Figure 3 is a cross-section of the rotary ripple and amalgamating drum
(taken on line 3-3 figures 1 & 2) and figure 4 is a section (on a larger scale) of the
corrugated apron of the petticoat amalgamator. The same letters of reference indicate
the same parts in all the figures.
The apparatus comprises a settling tank A, which receives the crushed ore and
water or slimes coming from the stamps and after subsidence supplies the supernatant
portion to the rotary ripple and amalgamating drum B, which in turn delivers the
slimes to the pan Č, where they are heated by steam, whence they overflow over
the petticoat amalgamator D.
The settling tank A is connected with the drum B by an overflow spout a which
projects into the adjacent open end of the drum B, the bottom of the spout being
curved concentrically to the drum. The drum B may either be slightly conical, as
shewn, its smaller end being towards the tank A, or be cylindrical and set with its axis
slightly inclined, so as to obtain a downward inclination of the lower side of the drum
from the tank A to the pan C. In either case the drum may be either circular or
polygonal in cross-section. It is supported at the end next the settling tank by a
grooved hoop 1 about the end of the drum, resting on, and guided by, friction rollers 2
carried by a ring 3 bolted to the settling tank. The drum B is lined with a cone or
cylinder of amalgamated sheet copper b which is bent inwards at one end to form a
flange which encloses an outwardly turned flange a¹ on the spout a, as shewn, to
prevent any escape of the slimes at this end of the drum. Within the copper lining
of the drum are one, two, or more circumferential, ribs or hoops 6' of anglo iron which
act as ripples or retainers for the mercury, and also as a framework for the drum.
The other end of the drum is also open, and is supported by a journal &³ carried by a
cross-frame bolted to the drum. The journal is received in a suitable bearing, which
in the example illustrated is a boss formed on a chamber from which descend the
distributing pipes e for the steam or other fluid, This end of the drum.B is immediately

page_text: over, and discharges the slimes into, the enamelled iron pan C which is mounted to
rotate, together with the petticoat amalgamator D, upon a stationary vertical pillar F
upon the upper end of which the chainber E is fixed. The pipes e terminato near the
bottom of the pan in amalgamated copper nozzles e¹ which are uniformly distributed
over the area of the pan.
Fixed to the pan C abovo its rim, is a ring of teeth G with which is combined a
friction ring or path 9 on the latter of which rests a friction ring g' of india rubber or
equivalent material held in a groove in a hoop which encircles the drum B, whereby
rotary motion is imparted from the ring g to the drum B, the ring being driven by a
bevel pinion H on the mainshaft meshing with the ring of teeth G. In the pan Care
placed a number of loose copper balls, which are made hollow so as to float in the
slimes and the surfaces of which are amalgamated so as to act as collectors.
D'D' D³ is a stepped cone (or cylinder) each cone or stepped portion (except the
lowest one) terminating in a trough d which encircles its base and is enamelled and
serves to contain mercury, the upper edge of the succeeding cone or portion forming
the outer side of the trough. Each cone or stepped portion D' D2 D3 is sheathed in
an apron formed of a continuous hoop or cone of amalgamated sheet copper which
is lapped over the upper edge of the cone and hangs on the same, the copper being
bent to sharp angles at d which have a tendency to promote the arrest of the gold.
In order to increase the superficial area, and to arrest the slimes and gold, the
copper sheathing is finely corrugated in the circular direction (as shewn in cross
section on an enlarged scale in figure 4). The lowermost cone D' dips into a circular
trough or flume K which receives the slime therefrom, and which slopes down to a
mouth at which the slimes pass out over an upwardly projecting ridge k to prevent
the escape of mercury, this flume being also lined with amalgamated copper plating.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows; Mercury having been placed in the
ripples of the drum B, and in the pan C, and in the channels d of the petticoat
amalgamator D, and slow rotary motion being imparted to B and D as above described,
the slimes from the stamps are received in the tank A and after subsidence overflow
through spout a into drum B, to the sides of which the finer particles of the slimes
adhere and are thereby carried round and passed through the mercury in the ripples,
a clear surface of plating for the particles to adhere to being thus continuously
presented within a small compass. From the drum, the material flows into the pan Ŭ
the bottom of which is covered with mercury which is agitated by the steam or
other fluid injected into or upon the surface of the mercury from the nozzles e¹, the
agitation and the arrest of the particles of metal being further promoted by the
floating copper balls contained in the pan. The material flows over the edge of the
pan, and down the hanging plating d' of the stepped cone or cylinder D₁ D³ D³ in a
series of waves caused by the corrugated form of the plating, the material passing
from one cone to the next by flowing through or over the mercury in the intervening
trough and being finally received in the flume K. The rotary motion of the
-potticoat amalgamator D admits of the plating d¹ being conveniently wiped by an
attendant, in order to remove the metal collected thereon, and present clean surfaces
to the slimes. The plates being very steep, the lighter slimes are held close against
the amalgamated plate by capillary attraction, and the lighter or suspended gold must
consequently be absorbed by the amalgam. The channels serve to retain the amalgam
off the plates. The copper nozzles e³ act as arresters and gatherers, and can be wiped
off as often as necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention ;
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is;
1. A combined rotary ripple and amalgamator, being a copper lined drum with
internal circumferential ribs arranged and operating substantially as specified.
2. A petticoat amalgamator, mounted to revolve on a vertical axis, and being a
stepped cone or cylinder with circumferential channels for mercury at the steps
between the different cones or portions of the amalgamator, substantially as specified.

page_text: 3. A petticoat amalgamator, revolving on a vertical axis, and constructed of a
stepped cone or cylinder having circumferential mercury channels and plated with
sheets of amalgamated copper circumferentially corrugated, as described.
4. A revolving petticoat amalgamator, constructed of a stepped cone having
circumferential channels and plated with cones of copper hung on to the stepped
cone, as specified, so as to be readily removable.
5. The combination of a petticoat amalgamator constructed substantially as specified,
and of a pan fixed above and revolving therewith, substantially as specified.
6. In an amalgamator, the combination of a pan revolving on a vertical axis and
containing mercury, of stationary distributing pipes having nozzles of amalgamated
copper and dipping into the pan for distributing steam or other fluid and to act also as
arresters, substantially as described.
7. In an amalgamator, the combination with a revolving pan containing mercury,
distributing pipes and arresters, of hollow balls of amalgamated copper partially
floating in the slimes in the pan and serving to agitate the mercury therein,
substantially as specified.
8. The combination of a combined rotary ripple and amalgamating drum, a rotary
petticoat amalgamator constructed as herein specified, and an amalgamating pan
placed above the latter for receiving the slimes from the drum and permitting the
same to overflow on to the petticoat amalgamator, as specified.
9. The general combination of amalgamating apparatus constructed, arranged, and
operating, substantially as herein described, and illustrated in the drawings.
T. D. WILLIAMS.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.