IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING SUBSTANCES OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITIES
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the
Twenty-fourth day of December, in the fifteenth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my exors, admors, and assigns,
and such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my exors, admors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING SUBSTANCES OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC
GRAVITIES," being a communication from abroad; in which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in Iler Majesty's

page_text: High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said In-
vention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention is chiefly intended for separating ores from the gangue and
other substances with which they are mixed after the same have been pul-
verized or reduced by grinding or otherwise; but it is also applicable to the
separation of other articles from substances of different specific gravity.
I will describe the Invention as it has been applied successfully to the
separation of copper ores from substances of different specific gravity with
which they are found commingled. The carrying out of the Invention depends
on the existence of a difference of specific gravity in the substances to be acted
upon to effect their separation. It is preferable that the substances should be
of equal or nearly equal size; and therefore when copper ore is required to be
separated, it is first pulverized or reduced to particles of equal or nearly equal
size by any known or proper means, such as crushing or grinding and
screening machinery.
The nature of the Invention consists in giving, by a mechanical arrange-
ment to a pan (which is slightly inclined or curved upwards towards the
front), a motion resembling that given by hand in separating copper ore on a
shovel in the operation called "vanning," and such as will be generated by
having the rear end of such pan suspended to two long pendulous rods, and
the front end suspended or jointed to two short rods inclined upwards and
backwards to their points of suspension, so that as the pan moves forward its
front end will rise and descend at the backward movement.
And the Invention also consists in giving the reciprocating motion to such
pan, so that it shall make its back movement in a shorter space of time than
its forward movement, with the view to give to the substances to be separated
an impetus forward, which movement is obtained by a crank or cranks, whose
axis of motion is below the plane of motion of the rear end of the said pan,
and whose circular motion is downward in the portion nearest the pan.
And the Invention also consists in employing, in combination with a pan
substantially such as above described, a current or currents of water or other
fluid supplied to and descending on the inclined or curved surface of the front

page_text: end of the pan, so as to meet the substances to be separated as they are
impelled forward and upward by the motions of the pan, and to carry back the
lighter substances, which have, by reason of their inferior specific gravity, less
momentum than the heavier particles to be separated, the force of the current
or currents being so proportioned to the momentum given by the motions of
the pan, that the heavier particles shall overcome the force of the current or
currents of water, whilst the lighter particles shall be overcome by the force of
such current or currents, and thus effect the separation.
The Invention also consists in giving to the back end of such pan operated
as above described a slight curve or inclination upwards, so that a sufficient
quantity of water shall be kept within the pan to facilitate the separation, the
presence of such water having the eflect to keep the particles of the substances
to be separated more equally distributed, and more free to move and yield to
the force applied to effect the separation, whilst at the same time it admits of
the separating of such particles as may float on the water.
And the Invention also consists in making such pan, operated substantially
as above described, with a series of holes back of the place on which the
substances to be separated are supplied for the purpose of discharging such of
the substances as are of less specific gravity.
And finally, the Invention consists in making the ends of the said pan
either or both with a gradual curve downwards for the more ready discharge
of the substances after the separation.
In the accompanying Drawings forming part of this my Specification,
Fig. 1 shews in front elevation the improved construction of machinery for
separating substances of different specific gravities. Fig. 2 is a side elevation
of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section,
representing the separating pan in plan view. a, a, is the main framing of the
machine. b, b, is an endless belt of elevators or buckets, which passes around
two pullies c and d, receiving rotary motion in any adequate manner from some
first mover.
These buckets take the pulverized ore from a proper vessel, into
which the lower end of the belt runs, and discharge it into a hopper e, of a
tub f, in which there is a vertical spindle g. This spindle has a pulley / near
the upper end to receive a driving belt from some adequate motor to rotate it
rapidly; and it also provided with arms within the tub to agitate the ore in
and keep it properly mixed with water, which is to be supplied to the tub in
any proper manner. The arms are not represented, as they are similar to
those usually employed in mixing tubs. The ore, thus kept properly mixed
with water so that it will flow freely, runs down a pipe i from the lower end of
the tub, and is discharged through holes along the horizontal part of the said

page_text: pipe into a trough k, which has an inclined bottom, down which the ore and
water runs to the lower end, where it is perforated with holes or slots I made
at equal distances apart, and of sufficient size to deliver the ore with the
required velocity. The ore and water fall from the said trough into the
shaking pan m, at a distance from the front edge of the pan equal to about
one-third of its length, but this distance may be varied. The said shaking
pan is best made of sheet copper, but may be made of other substances. In
the direction of its breadth it is straight and horizontal, and in the direction of
its length it is the segment of a large circle, with the front end n and back
end o curved over and downwards to facilitate the flowing over of the water
and the substances separated. It is provided with side flanches or ribs p, p.
Near the rear end this pan is suspended to two long pendulous rods 9, q, one
on each side, and near the front end to two short rods r, 7, about one-fifteenth
the length of the rear rods. The rear rods are jointed at their lower ends to
the pan, and at their upper ends pass through staples, and are secured by
adjusting nuts, by means of which the elevation of the rear end of the pan
can be adjusted; and the short front rods at their lower ends are jointed to
the pan near the front end, and run back and up an angle of about forty-five
degrees, and are at their upper ends jointed to the front ends of two rods s, s,
the rear ends of which are in turn connected with two short arms t, t, on an
arbor provided with a hand lever v, by the moving of which the connecting
point of the rods 1, 2, can be set farther forward or back to increase or
decrease the inclination of the said rods; and the said rods s, 8, are also jointed
near their front ends to two suspension rods w, w, which at their upper ends
are jointed to two short arms r, x, on an arbor y, also provided with a hand
lever, by the turning of which the forward end of the pan can be elevated
or depressed. By drawing the points of attachment of the rods 1, 1, back or
forward, the motion of the forward end of the pan can be modified; if drawn
back it will leave a greater range of motion up and down, that is to say, more
of a tossing motion, and if they be moved forward the motion will be less so.
By means of the hand lever the operator can adjust the motion to suit the
condition of the substances to be separated. In like manner, by means of the
other hand lever, the operator can elevate or depress the front end of the pan
relatively to the back end. Behind, and a little below the plane of the motion
of the rear end of the pan there is a shaft a', with fly wheel on one end,
and a driving pulley cat the other, to receive a band from some first mover.
This shaft has two cranks d', d' (see Fig. 4), with connecting rods e', e¹, jointed
to the sides of the pan near the back edge, by which the shaking motion is
given. From the manner in which the pan is hung, it will be obvious that

page_text: the rear end will vibrate in the arc of a large circle, whilst the front end will
vibrate in the arc of a small circle, and its forward movement will be upwards
and its back movement downwards; and the axis of motion of the cranks
which give the vibratory motion being placed below the plane of motion of
the rear end of the pan; if the shaft turns in the direction of thic arrow, the
back movement of the pan will be performed in less than one half the rotation
of the crank shaft, and its forward movement in more than one half the rota-
tion; hence the back motion of the pan will be more rapid than its forward
motion, which will have the effect of giving a greater impulse forward to the
beavier particles than to the lighter in the proportion of the difference between
their specific gravity. As the ore mixed with water falls on the pan the
vibratory motion given to it forces the ore forward towards the front end, and
the upward motion of the front end throws it slightly upwards, and in this
condition the substances are met by a current or currents of water, discharged
on to the highest part of the front end of the pan, through holes f¹, along the
bottom of a trough.g', and as the water descends along the inclined or curved
bottom of the pan it meets the particles of ore, &c. which are being impelled
forward by the force of the vibration, and, these particles being of equal or
nearly equal size, the lighter ones are carried back by the force of the current,
which, not being strong enough to overcome the momentum of the heavier
particles, permits them to move on until they are delivered over the front end
of the pan, whence they fall into a bin or other receptacle. The quantity of
water discharged on to the front end of the pan can be increased or decreased
by screw plugs h¹, which govern the apertures through which the water is
discharged into the pan. The water falling on the front end of the pan keeps
it constantly covered with water, and thus assists the discharge of the heavier
particles, and the curved form of the rear end of the pan prevents in a great
measure the surface of the water from being agitated, which agitation, if not.
avoided, would greatly impede the separation and the discharge of the sub-
stances under treatment. If the current of water be not sufficient to effect
the separation, then the front end of the pan is to be elevated to give a
greater force to the downward current, and at the same time make the ascent
to be overcome by the particles greater; or the arbor u can be turned to draw
the short rods r, r, back, that the motion of the front part of the pan may be
more upwards, which will present the ore and other substances in a more loose
and separated condition to receive the action of the current of water. It will
be seen on examination that the peculiar manner of suspending and vibrating
the pan gives to it by machinery a motion resembling that given by hand in
separating ores by "vanning" on a shovel, which motion impels forward the

page_text: substances to be separated and throws them up slightly, that the descending
current or currents of water may have a fair action on them and carry back
such as have less mememtum than the particles of the greatest specific
gravity which overcome the current and are discharged over the front end.
And it will also be observed that the lighter particles which are carried back
by the current of water will be discharged through a series of holes in the
bottom and about midway between the back end of the pan and the place
where the ore and water are delivered into the pan. These holes should not
be so large as to disturb the surface of the water, and by suction draw down
the particles that float on the surface, for it is well known that particles of
certain descriptions of ore do not get fully or entirely wet, or that ore in thin
flakes will float on the water, although of greater specific gravity than water,
or the substances from the ore is to be separated. The particles that float on
the surface will be carried back and discharged with the water over the rear
end, where they can be collected. The pan, instead of being a regular curve,
which is believed to be best, may be composed of inclined surfaces, although a
regular curve or segment of a circle will be found to be the best in practice.
It will be obvious that the peculiar motion of the pan may be obtained by
other means than those above described, as, for example, by having rollers or
wrists attached to the sides of the pan, and running on ways or in grooves of
the required form to generate the like motion to that above described; and
therefore I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the obtaining of
this motion by means of jointed rods, nor do I wish to limit myself to the
mode described of giving the unequal forward and back motion to the pan, as
the same motion can be given by other and equivalent mechanical means, such
as cams.
Having thus described the Invention communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent as it has been applied to the separation of copper ores, any
competent machinist will be enabled to apply it to the separation of other
substances of different specific gravity from each other.
What I claim and desire to secure under the above in part recited Letters
Patent is, giving to the reciprocating pan the peculiar motion above described
and by the means substantially as herein described.
I also claim giving the back movement to the said pan in a less period of
time than the forward movement by means of a crank or cranks whose axis
of motion is below the plane of motion of the rear end of the said pan, or by
equivalent means, as described and for the purpose specified.
I also claim, in combination with a pan having the motions substantially
such as specified, the employment of a current or currents of water descending

page_text: the inclined or curved surfaces of the said pan in the manner and for the
purpose substantially as specified.
I also claim making the rear end of the said pan with an inclination or
curve upwards substantially as specified and for the purpose set forth.
I also claim making the said pan (operated as specified) with apertures back
of the place where the substances to be separated are supplied for the purpose
and in the manner substantially as set forth.
And finally, I claim making the front and rear ends of the pan, having the
motions substantially as specified, with a gradual curve downwards substantially
as specified, when the same is employed in combination with currents of
water, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.