Improvements in Machinery for Washing Ores Intermixed with Earthy Matters.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 18th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Washing Ores Intermixed with
Earthy Matters.
I, RICHARD DE SOLDENHOFF of 71 St. Mary Street, Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Great deposits of ore are found intermixed with a very large quantity of earthly
matters and such ore is in consequence at present worthless for smelting. Such
ores, if separated from the impurities at a low cost, would be sufficiently rich to be
dealt with in furnaces. It is in order to attain this object that I propose to employ
the machinery constructed as hereafter described.
The machinery is composed of a trough made of cast iron, wrought iron, wood, or
masonry. This trough is slightly inclined from one end to the other, the difference of
level between both ends being from about 3 to 6 inches for a length of 10 feet.
The trough inside is provided with a revolving screw. This screw is not a continuous
one, but is composed of sections, between which are intervals varying in size according
to the ore to be washed, that is to say, from about of an inch to 4 inches in width.
This screw does not touch the bottom of the trough and leaves a distance between
the bottom of the trough and the periphery of the screw equal to the width of the
intervals of the screw. The sections of the screw are preferably made of cast iron
and are fixed on a square wrought iron shaft, or keyed on a circular shaft. The ore
to be washed is delivered at the lowest point of the screw and the water required for
washing is delivered at the highest point. The ore is worked by the screw up the
incline. Next to the lowest end of the trough, in the bottom of the same, is a square
opening, which is provided with a grate made of parallel bars. The distance
between these bars is equal or thereabouts to the intervals in the screw.
The object of this grate is to let pass the grains of ore smaller in size than the
intervals of the screw. The grains passing the grating are sent by water into two
conical or tapered boxes. The first conical or tapered box is provided with a wrought
ron or other pipe, one end of which is connected with another pipe supplied with
D

page_text: Somewhere near the
supply pipe there is a valve which is used to admit water into the wrought iron
pipe, and to shut it off therefrom. Each conical or tapered box is provided with an
opening at its lowest point, which may be closed or opened by means of a slide. The
lowest end of the wrought iron pipe is a few inches from the bottom.
water, whilst the other end of the first named pipe is open.
1
The process of washing ore by aid of the above described machinery is as follows:-
The ore being admitted at the lowest end of the trough, the screw will take hold
of it and carry it to the upper end of the trough, whilst the water being admitted
at the upper end of the trough in the direction of the incline will meet the ore
travelling in the opposite direction and in such manner that the cleanest of the
ore will be met by the cleanest of the water. Now, assuming that the ore is
intermixed with earthy matters, the fact of the friction caused by shifting the ore
with the screw, and by so doing cutting it, will cause the earthy matters to he
loosened, the current of water, carrying with it the earthy matters, which are much
lighter than the ore itself. Besides, small grains, which would pass easily through
the intervals of the screw and escape its action by accumulating in the bottom of the
trough, would be carried away to the grate, from where, with the sand and other
earthy matters, they would flow into the first conical or tapered box, in which, being
submitted to the upward current of water coming from the wrought iron pipe, the
lighter particles, that is, the sand &c., would be sent away into the next conical or
tapered box, whilst the pure small grains of ore would collect in the first conical or
tapered box. The ore, brought by the screw to the upper part of the trough, is
delivered to an elevator or other contrivance to raise it and deliver it into a truck or
bunker.
The granular ore collected in the first conical or tapered box will be tapped through
its bottom into a tram or truck. The sand &c. collected in the second conical or
tapered box will be tapped away and constitute a waste, in a similar manner to the
water running in the trough and carrying away the earthy matters.
1/11
1000
RICHARD DE SOLDENHOFF.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Washing Ores Intermixed with
Earthy Matters.
I, RICHARD DE SOLDENHOFF of 71 St. Mary Street, Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,
and to the figures and letters marked thereon :—
Great deposits of ore are found intermixed with a very large quantity of earthy
matters, and such ore is in consequence at present worthless for smelting. Such
ores, if separated from the impurities at a low cost, would be sufficiently rich to be
dealt with in furnaces. It is in order to attain this object that I propose to employ
the machinery constructed as hereafter described.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the machine and Figures 2 and 3 are
respectively a longitudinal section and an end view of the screw drawn to a larger
scale than figure 1, and Figure 4 is an end view of one of the sections of the screw.
The machinery is composed of a trough A made of cast iron, wrought iron, wood
or masonry. This trough is slightly inclined from one end to the other, the
difference of level between both ends being from about 3 to 6 inches for a length of
ten feet. The trough inside is provided with a revolving screw B. This screw is
not a continuous one,
but is composed of sections b, between which are intervals or
spaces, which will be varied in size according to the ore to be washed, that is to
say, from about of an inch to 4 inches in width. This screw B. does not touch the
bottom of the trough A, but a distance is left between the bottom of the trough A
and the periphery of the screw B equal to the width of the intervals or spaces
between the sections of the screw. The sections of the screw are preferably made
of cast iron, and with a boss bhaving a square or circular hole 62 therein, and these
sections are fixed on a square wrought iron shaft C, or they are keyed on a circular
shaft. The ore to be washed is delivered at a to the lowest end of the screw B, and
the water required for washing is delivered at a¹ to the highest point. The ore is
worked by the screw B up the incline. Next to the lowest end of the trough A, in
the bottom of the same, is a square opening D, which is provided with a grate E
made of parallel bars. The distance between these bars is equal or thereabouts to the
intervals in, or spaces between the sections b of, the screw B.
The object of this grate E is to allow the grains of ore to pass which are smaller
in size than the intervals or spaces between the sections of the screw.
The opening D
is fitted with a damper or valve d to shut off or regulate the flow of ore therethrough.
The grains passing the grating E are sent by water down the shoot d' into two conical
or tapered boxes F and G. The first conical or tapered box F is provided with a
wrought iron or other pipe H, one end of which is connected with another pipe I
supplied with water, whilst the other end of the first named pipe is open. Somewhere
near the supply pipe I there is a valve K, which is used to admit water into the
wrought iron pipe H and to shut it off therefrom. Each conical or tapered box F. G.
is provided with an opening for g at its lowest point, which may be closed or
opened by means of a slide L. The lowest end of the wrought iron pipe H is a few
inches from the bottom of the conical box F. The shaft C is supported in suitable
bearings at a, a, a, and is driven in any convenient manner.

page_text: The process of washing ore by aid of the above described machinery is as
follows:-
Νοιν,
The ore, being admitted into the lowest end of the trough A. the screw B will
take hold of it and carry it to the upper end of the said trough, whilst the water, being
admitted at the upper end of the trough A and travelling in the direction of the
incline, will meet the ore travelling in the opposite direction, and in such manner
that the cleanest of the ore will be met by the cleanest of the water.
assuming that the ore is intermixed with earthy matters, the fact of the friction caused
by shifting the ore with the screw, and by so doing cutting it, will cause the earthy
matters to be loosened, the current of water carrying with it the earthy matters,
which are much lighter than the ore itself. Besides, small grains, which would pass
easily through the intervals or spaces between the sections b of the screw B and
escape its action by accumulating in the bottom of the trough A, would be carried
to the grate E, from where, with the sand and other earthy matters, they
would flow into the first conical or tapered box F, in which, being submitted to the
upward current of water coming from the wrought iron pipe H, the lighter particles,
that is, the sand &c., would be sent away into the next conical or tapered box G,
whilst the pure small grains of ore would collect in the first conical or tapered box F.
The ore brought by the screw B to the upper part of the trough A, is delivered into a
hin N, from which, by an elevator M or other contrivance, it is raised and delivered
into a truck or bunker.
away
The granular ore collected in the first conical or tapered box F will be tapped
through its bottom into a train or truck. The sand &c. collected in the second
conical or tapered box G will be tapped away and constitute a waste, as will also the
water running into the trough A and carrying away with it the earthy matters
through the outlet or overflow opening a².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In machinery for washing ores, the peculiar arrangement and combination of
parts substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In machinery for washing ores, an inclined bottom washing trough, fitted with
a grated opening at its lower end, and with a screw formed of sections fixed on an
inclined longitudinal shaft, spaces being left between adjacent sections and between
the periphery of the screw and the bottom of the trough, by which means the ore is
washed, the larger pieces being worked by the screw and delivered at the shallow
end of the trough to a receptacle fitted with an elevator, whilst the smaller particles,
which escape the action of the screw, pass away through the grated opening at the
lower end of the trough, all substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In machinery for washing ores, an inclined bottom washing trough, fitted with
longitudinal screw and grated opening, and delivering the larger pieces of washed
ore at the upper or shallow end, and unwashed small pieces of ore through the grated
opening, in combination with conical boxes formed at their lower ends with delivery
openings fitted with slides, and a pipe delivering a stream of water into and near the
bottom of the conical box which receives the smaller particles of ore from the inclined
rough, all substantially as herein shown and described.