IMPROVEMENTS IN AMALGAMATING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY MOON at present of Leicester in the County of Leicester England,
but lately of Thomasville in the County of Davidson and State of North Carolina
in the United States of America, Mining and Mechanical Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AMALGAMATING
MACHINES" to be as follows:-
My present Invention refers to improvements upon an Invention for which a
Patent was applied for in Great Britain dated the 8th January 1884 N° 994 by
Moncrieff Parry Gosset as a communication from me.
According to my present Invention the amalgamating pan consists of a wooden
trough with its bottom and sides covered with iron plates and one end provided
with a wave plate, the upper edge of the wave plate extends beyond à central
vertical line and approaches the surface of the mercury or amalgam.
Consequently in a rapid longitudinal reciprocating movement of the pan the
mercury or amalgam is not only carried up the hollow surface of the wave plate
but introverted and brought back in a solid sheet which envelops the float gold
on the surface of the water or in the water near to it.
The amalgamating pan may be made entirely of iron or of wood lined with
iron as may be desired, as the wave plate does not necessarily extend to the upper
edge of the pan I provide it with a horizontal extension preferably not exceeding
one fourth of the diameter of the circle of the wave plate from the edge of which
extends another which may be either inclined or vertical. The inner curved
surface of the wave plate is accurately bored or faced, and its lower edge rabbetted
in order that a tight joint may be formed with the bottom plate. The bottom is
in three parts or sections, and has at the junction of the first two sections a second
wave plate. This second wave plate causes the water and crushed ore to pass a
second time through a wave of mercury and any gold which may have escaped the
first wave is amalgamated and retained. I use in connection with the second
wave plate a plate fixed to the pan to guide the ore and water which overflows
from the first section of the bottom into the second wave of mercury. The offset
between the second and third sections of the bottom is curved in a manner similar
to the wave plate but it is not necessary to the proper operation of the Invention
that this offset should occur or that it should be curved.
The inixer consists of a frame preferably of wood having projections on its
underside. These projections have a V cross section and they are arranged so that
one transverse row is opposite the spaces in the row immediately behind it. By
this means in the reciprocating movement of the mixer the portion of the contents

page_text: of the pan upon which it acts is driven in small streams through the apertures
between the projections toward the open end of the pan from which it escapes by
force of gravity.
The pan is suspended by means of rods from the frame and these rods which
are spread at their upper ends to give rigidity to the apparatus and maintain a
parallel motion of the pan are adjustable in length for obvious purposes. The
mixer is also suspended from the frame by means of rods corresponding practically
with the others. When the pan is at rest its contents (amalgam, mercury, oro and
water) will occupy the space below the wave plates, and the projections of the
mixer extend below the surface of the contents of the pan but do not touch the
plates. The pan and mixer receive their reciprocating movements from eccentrics,
cranks, or other similar devices which are connected to them by means of rods.
It is designed to give the amalgamating pan about seventyfive double strokes
per minute and the mixer about twice that number; but the speed of either device
may be increased or diminished as desired.
The pulverized ore from the stamps or other crushing or grinding apparatus and
water are introduced to the pan through a trough or chute and the overflow from
the pan is through a similar chute. There is a box or funnel with a wide open top
into which the ore and water fall from the chute, and a narrow opening at the
bottom for the escape of the materials. This box or funnel is slightly less in
.width than the pan and is suspended from any suitable support so as to hang
within the pan with its open bottom a little above the introverted edge of the wave
plate. The funnel is connected to an extension of the wave plate, by means of a
link in order that the distance between the wave plate and the discharge end of the
funnel is the same at all parts of the stroke of the pan. By means of this vibratory
funnel, the ore and water are invariably introduced into the wave of mercury.
In the operation of the Invention, the mercury or amalgam at each stroke of the
pan impinges against the first two-wave-plates-and-following-their curved surfaces
is introverted in the form of waves as hereinbefore described, and in this move-
ment encloses a portion of the ore and water, which to escape from their enclosure
have to pass through a body of mercury and the free gold therein is thus
amalgamated.
In the continued operation of the apparatus which includes the mixer, the whole
of the orc and water is thus made to pass through a solid body of mercury as
described. The value of this wave action of the mercury will be apparent when it
is understood that in all ground ore a large proportion of the gold contained
therein is in such a minute state of comminution that it will float on the surface
of the water and this extreme lovity of the particles of gold renders the ordinary
amalgamating process exceedingly wasteful. In my amalgamator the floating
gold is forced within an enclosure of mercury and cannot escape therefrom amalga-
mation; and all gold that may be covered with sulphur or any other substance
that prevents its amalgamation with mercury by the action of the apparatus,
brightened, roughened and made capable of amalgamation.
I am aware that amalgamating pans have been made with a curved inwardly
projecting end, but in all such pans the curved surface has either been less than a
semi-circle or if projecting beyond a vertical line extending through the centre
from the curve as described, has had an ascending inclination.
In both these constructions there is nothing to guide the mercury in a curved
wave towards the surface of the water and amalgam, and the mercury consequently
falls in separate particles, which cannot be considered as an imperforate envelope
as is found when my construction is employed.
Dated thie Sooond dow of Anvil 1884

page_text: I, HENRY MOON at present of Leicester in the County of Leicester, England,
but lately of Thomasvillo in the County of Davidson and State of North Carolina
in the United States of America Mining and Mechanical Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AMALGAMATING
MACHINES" and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My present Invention refers to improvements upon an Invention for which a
Patent was applied for in Great Britain dated the 8th January 1884 N° 994 by
Moncrieff Parry Gosset as a communication from me.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the same with reference to the accompanying Drawings
of which Figure 1 is a sectional sido elevation and Figure 2 a sectional plan of my
machine.
According to my present Invention the amalgamating pan B consists of a
wooden trough with its bottom and sides covered with iron plates and one end
provided with a wave plate c. The upper edge of the wave plato c extends
beyond a central vertical line and approaches the surface of the mercury or
amalgam.
Consequently in a rapid longitudinal reciprocating movement of the pan the
mercury or amalgam is not only carried up the hollow surface of the wave plate c
but introverted and brought back in a solid sheet which envelops the float gold
on the surface of the water or in the water near to it.
The amalgamating pan may be made entirely of iron or of wood lined with
iron as may be desired. As the wave plate does not necessarily extend to the upper
edge of the pan I provide it with a horizontal extension d¹ preferably not
exceeding one fourth of the diameter of the circle of the wave plate c from the
edge of which extends another extension d which may be either inclined or
vertical.
The inner curved surface of the wave plate c is acurately bored or faced and its
lower edge rabbetted in order that a tight joint may be formed with the bottom
plate b. The bottom is in three parts or sections bbb and has at the junction of
the first two sections a second wave plate c¹. This second wave plate causes the
water and crushed ore to pass a second time through a wave of mercury and any
gold which may have escaped the first wave is amalgamated and retained. I use
in connection with the second wave plate c¹ a plate b¹ fixed to the pan B to guide
the ore and water which overflows from the first section b of the bottom into the
second wave of mercury. The offset between the second and third sections of the
bottom is curved as shown at e in a manner similar to the wave plate c or c¹ but
it is not necessary to the proper operation of the Invention that this offset should
occur or that it should be curved.
The mixer consists of a frame ƒ preferably of wood having projections g on its
underside. These projections have a V cross section and they are arranged so
that one transverse row is opposite the spaces in the row immediately behind it.
By this means in the reciprocating movement of the mixer f g the portion of the
contents of the pan upon which it acts is driven in small streams through the
apertures between the projections g towards the open end of the pan from which
it escapes by force of gravity.

page_text: The pan is suspended by means of rods from the frame A and these rods
which are spead at their upper ends to give rigidity to the apparatus and maintain
a parallel motion of the pan are adjustable in length for obvious purposes. The
mixer f, g is also suspended from the frame by means of rods i corresponding
practically with the others. When the pan is at rest its contents (amalgam,
mercury, ore and water) will occupy the space below the wave plates and the
projections g of the mixer extend below the surface of the contents of. the pan
but do not touch the plates. The pan and mixer receive their reciprocating
movements from eccentrics cranks or other similar devices which are connected to
them by means of rods at and l.
It is designed to give the amalgamating pan about seventy five double strokes
per minute and the mixer about twice that number, but the speed of either device
may be increased or diminished as desired.
The pulverized ore from the stamps or other crushing or grinding apparatus
and water are introduced to the pan through a trough or chute D and the overflow
from the pan is through a similar chute. There is a box or funnel F with a wide
open top into which the ore and water fall from the chute and a narrow opening
at the bottom for the escape of the materials. This box or funnel F is slightly
less in width than the pan and is suspended from any suitable support so as to
hang within the pan with its open bottom a little above the introverted edge d' of
the wave plate. The funnel is connected to an extension of the wave plate by
means of a link G in order that the distance between the wave plate and the
discharge end of the funnel is the same at all parts of stroke of the pan. By
means of this vibratory funnel the ore and water are invariably introduced into
the wave of mercury.
In the operation of the machine the mercury or amalgam at each stroke of the
pan impinges against the first two wave plates c and c¹ and following their curved
surface is introverted in the form of waves_as_bereinbefore-described-and-in-this-
movement encloses a portion of the ore and water which to escape from their
enclosure have to pass through a body of mercury and the free gold therein is thus
amalgamated.
In the continued operation of the apparatus which includes the mixer the whole
of the ore and water is thus made to pass through a solid body of mercury as
described. The value of this wave action of the mercury will be apparent when it
is understood that in all ground ore a large proportion of the gold contained
therein is in such a minute state of comminution that it will float on the surface of
the water and this extreme levity of the particles of gold renders the ordinary
amalgamating process exceedingly wasteful. In my amalgamator the floating gold
is forced within an enclosure of mercury and cannot therefrom escape amalgamation
and all gold that may be covered with sulphur or any other substance that prevents
its amalgamation with mercury is by the action of the apparatus brightened,
roughened, and made capable of amalgamation.
I am aware that amalgamating pans have been made with a curved inwardly
projecting end, but in all such pans the curved surface has either been less than
a semi-circle or if projecting beyond a vertical line extending through the centre
from the curve as described, has had an ascending inclination. In both these
constructions there is nothing to guide the mercury in a curved wave towards
the surface of the water and amalgam, and the mercury consequently falls in
separate particles which cannot be considered as an imperforate envelope as is
found when my construction is employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
Firstly In a longitudinally reciprocating amalgamating pan providing the
bottom thereof with two or more wave plates having the horizontal extensions ɗ

page_text: and if more than one arranged at different heights within the pan substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
Secondly-In combination with the longitudinally reciprocating pan B and the
shoot D, the vibrating funnel F and the link G substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.