Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Reducing to Powder Minerals, Ores, or other Metallic or Friable Substances, and for Concentrating and Assorting the same.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1889-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION:
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Reducing to Powder
Minerals, Ores, or other Metallic or Friable Substances, and for
Concentrating and Assorting the same.
"
I, JAMES POLKINGHORNE, of West Trevarth in the Parish of Gwennap, in the
County of Cornwall, Assay Master, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :-
This invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for reducing to a
state of powder, minerals, ores or other metallic or friable substances and for con-
centrating and assorting the same.
The pulverizing or levigating part of the machine consists of two crushing rolls
mounted in sliding bearings in a frame or stand with a block or rubber of chilled or
hardened steel or iron so shaped as to fit accurately into the space between and at the
underside of the said rolls. This block or rubber made of the same length as the
said rolls but projects under and follows the same curve as the said rolls to an
extent that may be varied according to the hardness or tenacity of the substance to
be crushed. The block or rubber is kept in position and can be adjusted towards tho
rolls by screws, or in other cases may be so adjusted by means of levers and weights.
The rolls are forced towards one another by means of springs the pressure of which
upon the rolls can be adjusted by screws according to the nature of the material to be
operated upon. A hopper is fixed to the top of the frame and is so placed as to allow
the substance to be treated to fall between the rolls.
The assorting or concentrating part of the machine consists principally of a con-
cussion table formed of one or more inclined planes with curved or voluted ends the
said planes being capable of being more or less inclined according to the size and
weight of the material received from the pulverizing part of the machine through
a shoot. The concussion table is fixed or hung to a frame by a rod or its equivalent
fixed to each side of the said table, the said rods serving to allow of the said
table being easily moved in a direction parallel with its length. The rods are
provided with screws and nuts at their upper ends to allow of the adjustment of the
planes as just described. The table is attached to and actuated by a rod having a
square opening at its outer end, in which works a cam to impart the necessary
backward forward and up and down movements to the said table. Instead of the
cam a crank or eccentric can be used. The cam is mounted on a shaft to which
power may be applied by any ordinary means. The said table may be formed
of wood, iron, copper or any metal and when certain precious metals such as
gold are being treated the bottom or planes and volutes of the same are coated with
quicksilver.
The operation of the machine is as follows, that is to say, the substance to be
crushed or pulverized is first placed in the hopper and by its own weight is allowed
to fall or by means of water is forced between the rolls. The said substance is
thereby crushed or broken and carried on to the block or rubber which by its shape
divides the said substance so crushed into two parts which parts are then by the
action of the said rolls rubbed along the surface of the said block or rubber which has
the effect of further crushing the said substance. According to the amount of
pressure required to be brought to bear on the substance to be crushed or pulverized
the rolls are forced nearer each other by the springs being operated upon by means of
the screws and the block screwed up nearer to the said rolls.
When the pulverized substance is required to be assorted it is delivered into a shoot
whence it falls on to the concussion table, the inclination of the planes of the said

page_text: concussion table having been adjusted by means of the screws and nuts at the tops of
the rods. The table is then actuated by means of the connecting rod and the cam
action as herein before described. The backward and forward movement together
with a slight jerk given to the table by these means have the effect of precipitating
the heaviest particles of the substance being treated, back to the volute where
they are retained whilst the lighter particles being gradually thrown or washed
forward fall on to the next succeeding inclined plane when the process is repeated.
In the assorting of gold by amalgamation with quicksilver use a metal plane and
volute covered with quicksilver and the action of the table causing constant agitation
among the particles of the gold causes the heavy particles to settle to the bottom and
volute of the plane where they are caught and retained.
Dated the 1st day of March 1889
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Reducing to Powder
Minerals, Ores, or other Metallic or Friable Substances, and for
Concentrating and Assorting the same.
I, JAMES POLKINGHORNE, of West Trevarth in the Parish of Gwennap, in the
County of Cornwall, Assay Master, 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 statenient :-
This invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for reducing to a
state of powder, minerals ores or other metallic or friable substances and for
concentrating and assorting the same.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how the
can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing,
same
in which,
Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the pulverizing or levigating part of my
improved machine, and,
Figure 2 is a plan of the same but with the hopper removed.
Figure 3 is a central vertical section of the concentrating or assorting part of the
said machine, and
Figure 4 is a plan of the concussion table of the same.
The pulverizing or levigating part of the machine, as shown in Figures 1 and 2,
consists of two crushing rolls a, a mounted in sliding bearings b; b in a frame or
stand c with a block or rubber & of chilled or hardened steel or iron so shaped as to
fit accurately into the space between and at the underside of the said rolls as
clearly shown in Figure 1. This block or rubber d is made of the same length
as the said rolls, a, a but projects under and follows the same curve as the said rolls to
an extent that may be varied according to the hardness or tenacity of the substance
to be crushed. The block or rubber d is kept in position and can be adjusted towards
the rolls a, a by screws d', d' or in other cases may be so adjusted by means of levers
and weights. The rolls are forced towards one another by means of springs such as are
shewn at e, e, the pressure of which upon the rolls a, a can be adjusted by screws f, f
according to the nature of the material to be operated upon. A bopper g is fixed
to the top of the frame c and is so placed as to allow the substance to be treated to
fall between the rolls a, a, as shown in Figure 1.
The assorting or concentrating part of the machine is shown in Figures 3 and 4
and consists principally of a coucussion table h formed of one or more inclined
planes, with curved or voluted ends the said planes. being capable of being more
or less inclined according to the size and weight of the material received from the
pulverizing part of the machine through a shoot k. The concussion table is fixed or

page_text: hung at one end to a frame by a rod mor its equivalent fixed to each side of
the said table, the said rods serving to allow of the said table being easily moved
in a direction parallel with its length. The rods m, m are provided with screws and
nuts n at their upper ends to allow of the adjustment of the planes i, i as just described.
The table is at the other end attached to and supported and actuated by a rod o having
a square opening p at its outer end, in which works a cam 7 to impart the necessary
backward forward and up and down movements to the said table. Instead of the
cam pa crank or eccentric can be used. The cam is mounted on a shaft r to which
power may be applied by any ordinary means. The said table may be formed of
wood, iron, copper or any metal and when certain precious metals such as gold are
being treated the bottom or planes and volutes of the same are coated with
quicksilver.
The operation of the machine is as follows, that is to say, the substance to be crushed,
or pulverized is first placed in the hopper g, Figure 1, and by its own weight is
allowed to fall or by means of water is forced between the rolls a, a which are turned
in the direction of the arrows in Figure 1. The said substance is thereby crushed or
broken and carried on to the block or rubber d which by its shape divides the said
substance so crushed into two parts, which parts are then by the action of the
said rolls a, a rubbed along the surface of the said block or rubber which has the
effect of further crushing the said substance. According to the amount of pressure
required to be brought to bear on the substance to be crushed or pulverized the
rolls a, a are forced nearer each other by the springs e, e being operated upon by
means of the screws f, fand the block d screwed up nearer to the said rolls by the
screws d¹,
d¹.
When the pulverized substance is required to be assorted it is delivered into the
shoot k, Figure 3, whence it falls on to the concussion table h, Figures 3 and 4, the
inclination of the planes i, i of the said concussion table having been adjusted by
means of the screws and nuts n, n at the tops of the rods m, m. The table is then
actuated by means of the connecting rod o and the cam action as herein before described.
The backward and forward movement together with a slight jerk given to the table
by these means have the effect of precipitating the heaviest particles of the substance
being treated, back to the volute where they are retained whilst the lighter particles
being gradually thrown or washed forward fall on to the next succeeding-inclined
plane when the process is repeated.
In the assorting of gold by amalgamation with quicksilver a metal plane and
volute covered with quicksilver is used and the action of the table causing constant
agitation among the particles of the gold causes the heavy particles to settle to the
bottom and volute of the plane where they are caught and retained.
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 apparatus for crushing or pulverizing minerals, ores or other metallic or
friable substances, the combination of crushing rolls and rubbing block constructed
arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing.
(2) The combination of parts herein described for assorting or concentrating
particles of crushed matter such combination forming a concussion table having
inclined planes and volutes, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing.
(3) The combination of crushing rolls and rubber and concussion table and cam
forming an improved apparatus for pulverizing substances and for concentrating
the same, substantially as herein before described.
(4) Covering the inclined planes and volutes of the concussion table with quick-
silver, as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
(5) The manufacture and use of the improved machines for reducing to powder

page_text: minerals, ores, or other metallic or friable substances and for concentrating and
assorting the same as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and
Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 20th day of June 1889.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.