IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESSING OBES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Morcom, of Redruth, in the County of
Cornwall, Mining Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESSING
OBES."
Sealed the 18th December 1857, and dated the 24th June 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Morcom at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th June 1857.
I, RICHARD MORCOM, of Redruth, in the County of Cornwall, Mining
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN DRESSING ORES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
My improvements consist, firstly, in giving to. the stampers used in dressing
ores a rotary notion, that is to say, I cause every stamper as it descends to;
turn on its axis. At present the stamper has simply a vertical motion given
to it. Now, as the orey vein stuff to be pulverized passes beneath the
stamper more immediately at one point, the stamper, from this mere vertical
motion, wears unequally, and the directness of its action is also impaired, so
that it soon becomes unfit for use. The rotary motion which I propose to
give the stamper will equalize its wear, and thereby lengthen its utility, and,
increase its effect.
Secondly, in the application and arrangement of regulator and discharging
valves in the floor of the buddle. I place these valves near the outter

page_text: extremity of the buddle, so that as the light extraneous particles of matter
become separated from the ore they are discharged from the buddle with great
facility, and, at the same time, by means of these valves, I can regulate the
degree of this facility to suit the nature of the metalliferous matter under the
process of dressing. Thus I ensure a greater proportion of clean ore from
the metalliferous matter than is at present obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Morcom in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd December 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
MORCOM, of Redruth, in the County of Cornwall, Mining Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant. unto me,
the said Richard Morcom, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Morcom, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Richard Morcom, 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
DRESSING ORES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard'
Morcom, 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 I, the said Richard Morcom, 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,
reference being made to the Drawings illustrating my Invention, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:-
My improvements in dressing ores consist, firstly, in imparting a novel

page_text: movement or action to the stampers usually employed in the process of
dressing ores. At present the stamper has but two direct movements when
in action, it rises and falls. Now, as the orey substances pass under the
stamper, it will be evident that that part of the under surface of the stamper
which is more immediately opposed to the current of the said substances, will
wear the most rapidly. Thus the efficiency of the stamper becomes gradually
impaired, and loss in various ways results. In order to maintain invariable
the efficiency of the stamper, I propose, during the process of raising the
stamper, to communicate to it a rotatory movement.
By referring to the annexed Drawings, it will be seen how I intend to
effect this. Fig. 4 represents a front view of four stampers, marked A, in
various stages of their course; Fig. 5 represents an end view, and Fig. 6 a
plan, of the stampers. On the shaft B, which communicates with the motive
power, is cast a circular projection C, in which are fixed cams D. The
stampers A are fixed to the end of rods E, which are retained in a free
perpendicular position by means of the two guides F. At an equal distance
from the stampers A are placed loose collars G, retained at any part of the
rods E by adjusting screws h. The stampers are not raised simultaneously,
but in rotation. Movement being communicated to the shaft B, the cams D
are placed in such a position on the projecting part C of the shaft, as to come
in contact consecutively with the under surface of the collars G, as shown in
Figures 4, 5, and 6. The rods E, which spring from the stampers A being con-
strained to move perpendicularly by the guides F, and the course of the
cams D being in a circular direction, the effect produced by the action of
the cams D on. the collars G attached to the rods E must be not only to
raise but to turn them, and therefore to raise and cause to rotate the
stampers A,. to which the rods are fixed.
Secondly, Fig. 1 represents the plan, and Fig. 2 the section, of an ordinary
buddle. They show also the position and action of my discharging valves,
which constitute the second part of my Invention.
The orey substances being operated upon by the stampers, in the manner
herein-before described, the pulverized orey matter passes from the stampers
A, Fig. 2, through the usual intermediate and well-known stages of its pro-
cess, until it descends from the launder I into the cone J, from the bottom of
which it falls round the centre of the floor of the buddle K, and thence spreads
gradually towards the extreme circumference of the buddle.
distance from the periphery of the buddle K, I propose to place discharging
valves, marked L, equidistant from each other. There may be eight, as
shown on the Drawing, or any other number. These valves are acted upon
At a short

page_text: in the following manner:-At the distance of about a foot from each valve
I fix a standard or support m, Fig. 3, on the top of which is placed a lever n,
somewhat deviating from an horizontal position, one end being deflected
towards the valve. At one extremity of this lever is attached the end of a
rod o, which at its other end is connected with the valve cover. It will be
readily perceived that by lowering the other extremity of the lever n, the
standard m acting as a fulcrum to the lever, the valve cover will be raised.
When the buddle is at work, the upright shaft P revolves, and with it revolve
the arms Q. At the extremities of these arms I insert one end of a long
adjustible screw r; the other end is so formed as to receive a friction roller s.
Now, as the arms Q revolve, the rollers s are brought into successive contact
with the higher extremity of each lever n, the height of which from the floor
of the buddle is regulated to suit the elevation of the arms Q. The effect of
the pressure of the rollers upon the levers is to raise, as aforesaid, the valve
covers, and thus the waste matter is continuously discharged into a launder
and carried off by the stream; whereas at present the said.matter is removed
by means of manual labour, a costly method, and one which, moreover, causes
an intermission in the working of the machine.
Having described my Invention, and the manner in which it. may be
carried into effect, I conclude by observing, that without restricting myself to
any precise details or arrangements, I consider as novel and original, and
therefore claim, the imparting of a rotary movement to the stampers ordinarily
used in dressing ores.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Morcom, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
RICHARD MORCOM. (L.S.)