An Improved Process and Apparatus for Washing and Separating Ores and other Substances.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 28th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process and Apparatus for Washing and Separating
Ores and other Substances.
A communication from MARCELIN CASTELNAU, of Paris, in the Republic of France,
Engineer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., do hereby declare the nature of the invention to be as follows:-
This machine is based upon the following new principle:-
:-
The mineral classified according to size is received upon an endless belt generally
constructed of rubber, but which may be made of steel, zinc or other sheet metal etc.
and moves on two rollers to which is impated rotary movement.
In the direction of the movement that is to say, following the generators the belt is
perfectly horizontal, but at another part is inclined in the direction of the perpendicular
generators, this inclination can be varied ad hoc by the use of a mechanism according
to the character of the mineral to be treated.
Let W represent a grain of the mineral which is received on one part of the belt,
this belt being moved by a speed V.
On the other hand a pipe throws on to the belt a certain quantity of water which
can be varied at pleasure."
The grain of mineral W is therefore subjected to the two following impulsions.
1st. X due to the speed of the belt (speed V).
2nd. Y, due to the force of movement caused by the current of water coming from
these impulsions give a result Z.
This result is caused by
1st. The specific gravity of the mineral.
2nd. The impulsion X caused by the speed V.
3rd. The impulsion Y resulting from quantity of water, more or less large, coming
from the before mentioned pipe. On the other hand this result Z is tangent to a
parabolic are which is easy to define.
If therefore we put on to the belt mineral W composed of grains of equal size and
of different specific gravity d, d¹, d¹ (d>d>d" there will be formed on the belt
three different parabolic ares wk, wk, wk, which will be more or less open according
to the density more or less pronounced of d.
The arc w will therefore correspond with the mineral having the density of d.
The arc w will correspond with the mineral having the density of d', on the arc w k
with the mineral having the density of d¹¹.
The apparatus is so constructed as to receive in a water way or trough divided into
different compartments the different sorts of mineral classified according to their
specific gravity.
These minerals are admitted by pipes into suitable trenches through which they are
conducted as follows.
The mineral of the specific gravity d" outside by one trough or trench.
The mineral having the density by another trough or trench into suitable
basins.
The mineral having the density d into other basins by a third trough or trench.
Thus mixed ores containing different metals by the aid of this apparatus may be
treated in one operation.
The length and width of the belt are undefined and are varied according to the
character of the mineral to be treated.
The mineral always moves with a diagonal movement and never moves in a parallel
direction with the belt.

page_text: A classified to regulate the quantity of the mineral to be treated.
A series of taps fitted in the water supply pipe permit of increasing the impulsion Y
if such he found necessary.
And also one or two small water tubes allow any particular quality of mineral to be
arrested.
This apparatus has a continual movement without any clashing and can treat from
25 to 35 tons of mineral in ten hours.
No special knowledge is required by the workman who attends to the machine.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process and Apparatus for Washing and Separating
Ores and other Substances.
A communication from MARCELIN CASTELNAU, of Paris, in the Republic of France,
Engineer.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.L.M.E., 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 :-
In the accompanying drawings
Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a front elevation and a plan of a machine or apparatus
constructed according to this invention and
Fig. 3 is a transverse section drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrative of the operations of the said apparatus.
This machine is based upon the following new principle ;-
The ore classified according to size is received upon an endless belt m n generally
constructed of rubber, but which may be made of steel, zine or other sheet metal etc.
and moves on two rollers A A¹ to which is imparted rotary movement.
In the direction of the movement that is to say, following the generatorsim n the
belt is perfectly horizontal, but is transversely inclined in the direction of the
perpendicular generators, this inclination can be varied ad hoc by the use of a mechanism
according to the character of the ore to be treated.
Let W represent a grain of the mineral which is received on one part of the belt m n,
this belt being moved by a speed V.
On the other hand a pipe B throws on to the belt a certain quantity of water which
can be varied at. pleasure.
The grain of ore W is therefore subjected to the two following impulsions.
1st. X due to the speed of the belt (speed V).
2nd. Y due to the force of movement caused by the current of water coming from B
these impulsions give a result Z.
This result is caused by
1st. The specific gravity of the ore.
2nd. The impulsion X caused by the speed V.
3rd. The impulsion Y resulting from quantity of water more or less large, coming
from the before mentioned pipe. On the other hand this result Z is tangent to a
parabolic are which is easy to define.
If therefore we put on to the belt m n ore W composed of grains of equal size and
of different specific gravity d d' d" (d> d¹> d¹¹) as shown in the diagram represented
in fig. 5, there will be formed on the belt three different parabolic arcs w k, w k¹, w k¹,
which will be more or less open according to the density more or less pronounced
of d.
The arc w will therefore correspond with the ore having the density of d.
The arc will correspond with the ore having the density of d¹, and the arc w k
with the ore having the density of du.

page_text: The apparatus is so constructed as to receive in a water way or trough R divided
into different compartments the different sorts of ore classified according to their
specific gravity.
These ores are admitted by the pipes t, t¹, t¹¹ into suitable trenches R¹, R¹, R through
which they are conducted as follows;-
The ore of the specific gravity d¹ outside by the trough or trench R".
The ore having the density d by the trough or trench R' into suitable basins F F'.
The ore having the density d into the basins by the third trough or trench R.
Thus mixed ores containing different metals by the aid of this apparatus may be
treated in one operation.
The length and width of the belt are undefined and are varied according to the
character of the ore to be treated.
The ore always moves with a diagonal movement and never moves in a parallel
direction with the belt.
A classifier G admits of the regulation of the quantity of the mineral to be treated.
A series of taps fitted in the water supply pipe B¹ permit of increasing the
impulsion Y if such be found necessary.
And also one or two small water tubes B" allow any particular quality of mineral
to be arrested.
This apparatus has a continual movement without any clashing and can treat
from 25 to 35 tons of ore in ten hours.
No special knowledge is required by the workman who attends to the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. In apparatus for treating ores and other substances dividing the particles of ore
according to their specific gravity by means of an endless travelling transversely-
inclined belt or apron substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for treating ores and other substances the combination with a
longitudinally-horizontal and transversely-inclined endless travelling band such as mn
of water delivering pipes for discharging water on to various parts of said band
substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In apparatus for treating ores and other substances the combination with a
longitudinally-horizontal and transversely-inclined endless travelling band such as m n
of pipes or shoots t t t for delivering the particles of ore according to their respective
specific gravities into different troughs or receptacles substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the apparatus substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of Auri 1890
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.