Improvements in Apparatus for Washing and Amalgamating Gold and other Ores.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Washing and Amalgamating Gold
and other Ores.
I, AUGUSTIN RAFAEL WOJCIECHOWSKI, of 22, Union Square, Borough High
Street, London, Esquire, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for automatic washing and
amalgamating gold and other ores such as those of tin, platinum and other
heavy metals.
The present mode and means of washing by hand gold and other metallic
ores for the recovery of the metals contained therein have the following very
serious defects: They are not sufficiently efficient in proportion to the labour
expended, especially when employed by puddling alluvial soils at the beds of
rivers and watercourses which often change their level, and the operators are
usually compelled to work knee-deep in the water, which circumstance coupled
with the more or less continually bent posture of the body, acts very injuriously
upon their health.
In the case of precious metals extreme and exhaustive watchfulness is required
on the part of the operators in every stage of the washing operations in
order to ensure that no metal is overlooked or discharged to waste.
Further with the system of treating ore known as hydraulic mining" in
which large masses of soil are washed by jets of water under high pressure, much
waste occurs, all the finest gold being lost.
Now all these defects are entirely obviated by the use of the apparatus
which forms the subject of the present invention and which is designed more
particularly for treating sand or alluvial soils for the purpose of extracting gold
or other metals contained in the same. But this apparatus is also suitable for
treating gold bearing quartz and other hard ores which must however be dis-
integrated or crushed to a condition of suitable fineness before being placed
into the apparatus.
With my apparatus it is possible to work at a profit, grounds which have
been abandoned as unable to yield a profit under existing systems of working.
In the accompanying drawings Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a side elevation
partly in section, and an end elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance
with this invention and intended more particularly for treating sandy material
containing ores and for prospecting purposes.
Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views of my apparatus constructed for treating more
loamlike material containing ores on a large scale.
a
The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a framework A supporting
trough B of sheet iron or steel of semi-circular form in cross section into which
the material to be treated is charged at the feeding end of the machine as
indicated by the arrow 1. The walls of the semi-circular body of the trough are
solid os imperforate for a suitable distance from the feeding end, say for about
one-half of its length as shown at B¹. The remaining portion B2 of the body of

page_text: the trough may be composed of perforated sheet metal, but is preferably made
of wire sieve work. The trough may be smooth inside or it may have internal
ridges or channels of any shape and arrangement. It may be permanently
fastened to the framing A, but it is preferably adapted to be tilted to one
side when required for the purpose of discharging its contents and of clearing
out the perforations. The bottom of the trough is arranged with a slight down-
ward slope towards the outlet end., A rotary shaft C carried in suitably supported
bearings is arranged centrally and longitudinally in the trough B. It may be driven
by hand by means of the crank handle d or by any other power. Stirring blades E
of any suitable shape are mounted in a helical line on the shaft C. They
have for their function to break up the material under treatment and at the same
time to drive it forwards towards the outlet end of the trough, whilst mixing and
dissolving it with the water which is supplied through the perforated pipe e
or otherwise. The blades aforesaid may be set at any angle to the axis of the shaft
and thereby, to an extent, retard the passage of the material through the trough,
which otherwise might flow too quickly.
The stirring blades E are more suitable for treating granular or round pebbly
material; they are held in the shaft C by means of smooth shanks el fixed by set
screws (as shown in Fig. 5) or other means which allow of the angle of blades
and the length of their protrusion to be adjusted to suit local or special require-
ments.
In treating flat pebbly material, the rigid blades E are liable to jam, and are
therefore replaced with advantage by flexible arms or brushes composed of tufts
of steel wire as shown at E in Fig. 3. The semicircular body of the trough is
continued to the lower end of the upwardly sloping portion or receptacle K. This
receptacle K is of rectangular cross section having solid or imperforate sides and
a solid or imperforate bottom 13 with an upward slope towards the outlet
indicated by the arrow 2. This upwardly sloping outlet portion arrow 2 and K
is for automatically discharging the refuse when the apparatus is in motion,
whilst the bottom portion receptacle K Fig. 1 retains and collects the whole
nuggety gold or other ores.
Below the trough B is an inclined tray or plate F of metal or any suitable
material arranged with its upper end a suitable distance forward of the perforated
portion 12 of the trough, and discharging at its lower end on to a similar but
oppositely inclined tray 12. These trays are formed with transverse channels G
each provided with an upwardly curved projecting ridge or lip G¹ along its lower
edge. Any suitable desired number of trays may be arranged in vertical zig-zag
succession, each tray discharging on to the upper end of the next tray below and
the lowermost tray discharging at its lower end as indicated by the arrow 3 on
to a table or into an amalgamating apparatus as shown below Fig. 4). The
trays are carried on bars P' which work in slots in the framing A, and which are
supported by a pair of cross bars 7. The trays are kept in constant oscillation by
means of eccentrics H. or other suitable mechanical devices connected to the
cross bars and operated from a shaft L to which power is transmitted from
a pulley M by a belt N from a pulley D on the shaft C. In order to impart con-
stant life" or resilient vibration to the motion of the trays to aid in depositing
the metallic particles floating with the slime thereon into the bottom of the
receptacles G and to prevent any metallic particles adhering to and being carried
away by the light refuse, springs Q or of any other suitable type are attached at
one end to the supporting bars of the trays and at the other end to the framing A.
The tension of the springs may be regulated by means of screws working in
slots J (shown in Fig. 4) in the framing or in any other suitable manner.
Z is a
rotary pump for supplying water to the spraying pipe e it is driven by a belt m
from a pulley M¹ on the shaft L.
"
The mode of operation of this apparatus is as follows:-
Ore or material having been charged into the trough at 1, and the apparatus
set in motion by operating the crank handle d, the material is stirred up by the

page_text: stirrers E and thoroughly washed and resolved by the water issuing from the
spraying pipe c. The material is át the same time caused to travel gradually
towards the outlet of the trough. In its progress the small gold and finer particles
of the ore pass together with the water or slime through the perforations in the
part B2 of the trough on to the upper tray Farranged underneath, and thence
on to the lower tray F2. the heavier particles of gold being caught in the
channels G of the first tray whilst the lighter sand or earthy particles are carried
onward by the water and finally over the discharging end 3 of the last tray. In
order to catch and retain the finest particles of gold that are carried over the
channels of the first tray, it is advisable to place mercury in the channels of the
last tray, but if found necessary, mercury may be placed in all or any of the
channels of all or any of the trays. The curved ridges or lips G¹ on the pockets G
serve to prevent the water or slime washing the gold particles from out of the
pockets after they have become deposited in the same.
The deposition of the gold in the channels G is aided by the constant vibratory
movements of the trays F1 F2.
Any stones or refuse and all nugget gold which cannot pass through the
perforations 12 of the trough accumulate in the outlet portion K whence the
nugget gold is removed when the apparatus is not in motion, whilst the refuse
is discharged automatically and continuously over the outlet edge at 2, whilst the
machine is in motion.
For treating more loam like soils on a larger scale a cylinder as shewn in
Figs. 4, and 5 is employed instead of the trough above described. This arrange-
ment of my apparatus comprises a framing A on which is supported a cylinder B
having an imperforate front portion, a perforated central portion, and an imper-
forate rear portion. The front portion is conical and contains the inlet B' which
is contracted so as to just clear the feed hopper A¹ mounted on the framing A.
The central portion B2 is made slightly conical so that the bottom of the cylinder
has a slight downward slope towards its outlet and joins a diminishing shoulder
portion b. A parallel wall portion joins a curved inturned flange B³ and edge b
which forms a space and receptacle K for automatically collecting the heavier and
coarser gold as hereinafter described. The ridge 63 on the edge of the flange B³
forms the outlet for the waste material. The ridge levels the edge on the conical
receiving portion B and may be regulated of any height and angle to suit the size
of the apparatus and the inclination of the cylinder. The object of the inturned
flange B and ridge b is to form an abutment against which the washed material
is being constantly pressed by the pressure of the raw material fed in at the inlet,
aided by the slope of the cylinder bottom when in motion and the propelling
action of the stirrers. By these means the non-metallic refuse, being lighter,
is continuously forced over the edge on the flange B³, whilst the metallic
portions sink to the bottom of the receptacle K, where they remain till removed.
The cylinder B is mounted by means of arms 6* and bosses 6 loose on the rotary
stirrer shaft C, which extends longitudinally and centrally through the cylinder.
A shaft C driven by power by means of a pulley R may be arranged parallel to
the stirrer shaft C, and drives the cylinder B by means of the chain wheels S,
chain and sprocket teeth t, on the cylinder B, or by any other suitable gearing.
By means of a pulley X on the shaft C, crossed belt Vand the pulley. Y on the stirrer
shaft C, the latter is rotated in the reverse direction to that of the cylinder B.
An eccentric U on the shaft C drives a plunger pump Z which supplies water
to the spraying pipe e.
Below the cylinder B are arranged inclined trays F1 F2 with channels G
constructed, supported and operating similarly to the parts indicated by the same
reference letters in Figs. 1 and 2. The channels G are similarly provided with
curved upwardly projecting ridges or lips G. In order to ensure that any gold
particles carried down by the stream of slime shall come into contact with the
mercury in the channels G, pivotted baffle plates G2 are arranged to deflect the
stream of water or slime and to facilitate the reception therein of the particles.

page_text: Only the channels of the lower tray F are shown provided with baffles G2 but all
or any of the channels of the other tray or trays may be so fitted.
In this arrangement, the lower tray F2 discharges into a trough B in which
works a stirrer shaft C* rotated by means of a pulley and belt from a pulley on the
shaft L. In this trough the slime or material is subjected to a further and
energetic stirring with mercury before it is finally discharged from the apparatus
at A. This trough is suitably formed with a longitudinal channel 6* for collecting
the the gold or amalgam.
In the operation of the apparatus all materials which cannot pass through the
perforations of the cylinder B, accumulate in the inner space K of the flange B³
The refuse being discharged continuously and automatically over the edge 63
on the flange 13 on to a table 5, whilst the heavier nugget gold or other metals is
arrested by the flange B and remains in the bottom in the cylinder or recep-
tacle K whence it may be removed at intervals when the apparatus is not in
motion. The matters which pass through the perforations of the cylinder are
further treated on the tray F', the heavier gold particles remaining in the channels
of the tray. The materials or slimes from the tray FI pass on to the tray F
whence the very lightest particles of gold which may have past with the slime
and ore are discharged at 3 into the amalgamating trough B below, where the last
traces of gold are retained by the mercury, the refuse being continuously dis-
charged over its outlet edge at 4 from the apparatus.
It is to be understood that the stirring devices hereinbefore described and
shown may have a rocking or reciprocating motion instead of a continuous rotary.
Also and especially as would be the case when the materials by dissolving, contain
heavy slimes the inclined table or trays F1 F2 may be arranged transversely of
the trough and cylinder instead of longitudinally as shown so as to have double
or more the area of the longitudinal plates. Also the cylinder as described may
be used in any position where the material may be fed into for the purpose of
having the metal and slime separated therefrom without changing the main
principle of the invention.
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―
1. In apparatus for automatic washing and amalgamating gold and other ores
a washing trough having a bottom sloping downwards from its inlet end, strain-
ing apertures B2, an upward sloping part towards the outlet end K and arrow 2, in
combination with a stirring device constructed, arranged and operating substan-
tially as described and for the purposes specified.
2. In apparatus for automatic washing and amalgamating gold and other ores
a separating and concentrating washing cylinder B having a conical diminishing
receiving or inlet portion B', a conical diminishing central portion B³, a
diminishing shoulder portion ', a parallel cylindrical wall portion 62,
a flange 13 and ridge 3 making a space or receptacle K for collect-
ing nuggety metals. The edge 63 which is on a level with the
edge at the conical inlet portion B, and the regulation in height of edge 63
for various materials under treatment and adjustable with central portion B2 on
the cylinder B in combination with the cylinder B a revolving loose central rotat-
ing stirrer shaft C having mounted stirring blades E or brushes of steel wire tufts
such as E on the shaft C adjustable for local requirements and revolving in the
reverse direction to the cylinder B both being driven from an adjoining shaft C¹
the whole constructed, arranged and operating substantially as shewn and
described for the purposes specified.
3. In apparatus for automatic washing and amalgamating gold and other ores
an amalgamating or concentrating table of inclined trays having transverse
channels G, curved inwardly projecting ridges along the lower edge G¹ corre-
sponding with the channels G, reflecting pivoted baffle plates G³ over the

page_text: channels G, and suspending the said trays by means of springs for resilient vibra-
tion in combination with all the mechanical appliances in connection therewith
constructed arranged and operating substantially as described and shewn for
the purposes specified.
4. In the herein described apparatus for automatic washing and amalgamating
gold and other ores a bottom trough B with longitudinal channel 6* in combina-
tion with a stirring device arranged and operating substantially as described.
5. The combination of apparatus for automatic washing and amalgamating
gold and other ores constructed and operating substantially in part or parts thereof
as shown in the drawings and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 27th day of October 1899