Machine for Separating Magnetic Iron Sand from Gold, Titanium, and other Foreign Matter, for the purpose of Obtaining these for Use.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 28th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Machine for Separating Magnetic Iron Sand from Gold, Titanium,
and other Foreign Matter, for the purpose of Obtaining these
for Use.
I, WALTER COUSENS ALEXANDER Gentleman of Grenville House Boutport
Street Barnstaple North Devon, England, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows: :-
A vessel containing iron sand or iron sand, water or other liquid, is made to
revolve. A. permanent or electro-maguet is then placed in it, on which collects
the particles of magnetic iron, leaving the gold, titanium and other matter
behind.
WALTER C. ALEXANDER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Machine for Separating Magnetic Iron Sand from Gold, Titanium,
and other Foreign Matter, for the purpose of Obtaining these
for Use.
I, WALTER COUSENS ALEXANDER, Grenville House, Boutport Street, Barn-
staple North Devon, Gentleman 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 :-
are
In accordance with my invention, a vessel provided, and into same
introduced iron sand and water or other liquid; said vessel being caused when the
apparatus is at work, to revolve vertically.
By means of one or more magnets-either permanent or electro-placed in the
liquid, the iron sand is separated from the gold, combinations of titanium
and other foreign matters; that is to say, such substances as are not attracted
by the magnet.
When the apparatus according to my invention is in operation, the centrifugal
force set up in the water tends to throw all particles from the centre of the
vessel towards the circumference thereof, whilst, the magnetic power, overcoming
the centrifugal force, attracts the iron particles to the magnet or magnets. The
wash of the liquid is an additional aid to the centrifugal force in repelling from
the magnet or magnets any other particles which may be enclosed between those of
the magnetic iron.
The magnet or magnets is or are then freed of its or their charge, either
by lifting same out of the vessel when the iron would be cleared from the
magnet or magnets; or, in the case where electro-magnets are used, the electric
current would be shut off, whereupon the particles of iron are allowed to drop
through by means of a valve or valves in the bottom of the vessel, said valve or
valves being caused to open and shut at the right time, and the magnet or magnets
will then be ready for re-use.
Any particles of gold, titanium, platinum and other substances which may remain
behind in the vessel after the carrying out of the above described operation,
can then be re-treated for the extraction of one or more of the substances as
may be required.

page_text: Y ater COCK.
b. Guide bars to hollow valve rod G.
The cylinder B being caused to revolve by means of pulley O, on shaft N, and
iron sand and water flowing through feed pipe X; the magnetic iron is attracted
to the magnet A. The non-magnetic matter is driven to the circumference of the
cylinder by the centrifugal force set up in the water, and escapes through the
outlets S into trough T¹.
The magnetic iron attached to the magnet, increasing the weight thereof, causes
the lever D, balanced by the weight W, to fall; consequently the magnet sinks
into the receiver R, in the position marked by the dotted lines.
This movement sets in motion the various levers and connecting rods, by means
of which valve F is opened, and valves H and F¹ are closed.
Again by this same movement the point Q being depressed by the bottom
lever D, the current of electricity acting upon the magnet A is shut off. The
electro-magnet A, being demagnetized, drops its charge into receiver R, which
charge then passes through the open valve F into chamber R'.
This having happened, the magnet A, freed of its load, resumes its former
position by means of the balance weight W. Valve F is closed; valve F¹ opened;
valve H is also opened, allowing the magnetic iron to escape from chamber R¹
and fall upon the discharge platform K, from thence to be thrown off into
trough T.
The system of levers above mentioned may be set in motion in other ways.
After a certain number of revolutions of cylinder B, the system may be caused
to fall and rise-(1.) by means of intermediate gearing in connection with
shaft N, (2.) by a clockwork arrangement acting at regular intervals of time.

page_text: a. Partition between taper-sided hoppers V₁.
t. t. These points, on plan, are those through which section is drawn.
The fixed pipe X here supplies small hoppers (which may be one or more) with
ron sand. These form part of, and revolve with, cylinder B, delivering the sand
through the rotating feed-pipes Z to the magnet.
These pipes Z revolve faster than the water contained in the cylinder B, and
this difference in speed causes the magnetic and non-magnetic particles to go different
ways as before demonstrated in the explanation to Sheet 1.
a. Partition between taper-sided hoppers V¹.
t. t. These points, on plan, are those through which section is drawn.
The fixed pipe X here supplies small hoppers (which may be one or more) with
ron sand. These form part of, and revolve with, cylinder B, delivering the sand
through the rotating feed-pipes Z to the magnet.
These pipes Z revolve faster than the water contained in the cylinder B, and
this difference in speed causes the magnetic and non-magnetic particles to go different
ways as before demonstrated in the explanation to Sheet 1.
EXPLANATION OF SHEET 3.
A VARIATION IN THE METHOD OF OPENING AND CLOSING VALVES F AND H.
A. Electro-magnet, hollow through centre in order to allow valve-rod E' to play
up and down within it.
B. Revolving cylinder.
C. Wire coil of electro-magnet.
E2. Valve-rod.
F. Valve attached to valve-rod E².
H. Valve, loose upon valve-rod E³, playing between the two collars, as shewn.
N¹. Shaft.
P¹. Shaft-centre on which N¹ turns.
Q. Cut-off for electric current.
Other letters as before.
Here the electro-magnet keeps the valve F closed by means of the lifting power
exercised on valve-rod E2 by weight W.
As soon as the electro-magnet A becomes loaded, weight W is over balanced,
causing the magnet A to begin to fall, and consequently allowing valve-rod E² to
fall also, shutting valve H and opening valve F.
The upper portion of valve-rod E2, as the magnet falls into the position marked
by the dotted lines, slides up into the hollow of the electro-magnet.
In these three drawings, for simplicity's sake, one electro-magnet only has been
shewn.
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 :-
For the separation of magnetic iron sand from gold, titanium and other foreign
matters, the employment of (a) centrifugal force (6) the use of liquid (c) the valve
or valves in bottom of vessel all as herein set forth."
Dated this 19th day of October 1891.
WALTER C. ALEXANDER,
Auckland, Barnstaple, North Devon.