Improved Means for Extracting Metals from their Ores.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Extracting Metals from their Ores.
I WILLIAM PERKINS of 1 Sherborne Lane, King William Street, in the County
of London, Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to improved means for extracting metals from their ores
and consists in improvements and modifications on Patents granted to J. B. Hannay,
Numbers 14966 and 19181 of '90, and that granted to Samuel Bagster Boulton,
Thomas Burt Haywood and Harold Edwin Boulton and Edmond Rich Gabbett,
Number 840/89, and in the arrangement of apparatus whereby the operation is
made continuous.
In operating upon auriferous or other ores whether free, milling or refractory I
conduct the pulp from the battery or other crushing arrangement to a tank of
suitable form which is provided with a conical agitator similar to that patented by
Boulton, Haywood, Boulton and Gabbett aforesaid but built up of carbon plates or
carbon coated. In lieu of the water usually employed in the battery I use a weak
solution of cyanide of potassium in sufficient quantity only to make a creamy pulp.
On starting the battery I at the same time set the conical agitator in motion.
In the bottom of my agitating tank I keep a layer of mercury.
At a higher level than the battery I have a tank for containing the cyanide
solution.
As the ore is crushed and flows with the cyanide into the agitating tank, it is kept in
constant motion by the revolving cone, and is thus brought into intimate contact
with the bath of mercury at the bottom of the tank, and with the carbon cone
agitator, this cone I connect with the positive pole of a battery or dynamo and the
mercury with the negative pole, the carbon thus forms the anode and the mercury
the cathode and under the influence of the electric current the action of the
cyanide on the metal contents of the ore is accelerated and as the metal is dissolved
in the electrolyte it is absorbed by, precipitated into, or deposited in the mercury,
at the cathode forming an amalgam which can from time to time be drawn off and
distilled in the usual way.
The first agitator receives the pulp from five or more heads of stamps, as it is
produced and when it is nearly full the contents which have already undergone a
partial treatment are rapidly run off into a second similar agitator to undergo the
further action of the cyanide, electric current, and mercury. In some cases of
very refractory ores it may be necessary to employ a supplementary agitator or
agitators placed at a lower level than the second one. Each agitator being placed
on a lower level than the preceding one the operation is continuous.
When the ore operated upon is exhausted the contents of the agitators are run
into a tip railway tank wagon with a false filtering bottom and there allowed to
remain until the cyanide solution has drained into the lower space of the tank
wagon below the false bottom filter bed, the wagon is then run on rails over tanks
sunk in the ground and the partially spent solution allowed to run into them and
the exhausted mineral is run away in the tip waggon and turned out on the dump.
The partially exhausted liquor in the underground tanks is pumped to the tank

page_text: above the battery and there brought up to the desired standard ready again to
supply the stamps, the whole operation thus becomes continuous and automatic.
Dated this 21st day of March 1894.
BROWNE & Co.,
9, Warwick Court, W.C., Agents for Applicant.
I WILLIAM PERKINS of 1 Sherborne Lane King William Street in the County
of London, Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improved means for extracting metals from their ores
and consists in improvements and modifications on Patents granted to J. B. Hannay
No. 14966 and 19181 of 1890 and also that granted to Boulton Haywood Boulton
and Gabbett No. 840 of 1889 and in the arrangement of apparatus whereby the
operation is made continuous.
In operating upon auriferous or other ores whether free milling or refractory
I conduct the pulp from the battery or other crushing arrangement to a tank of
suitable form which is provided with a conical agitator similar to that patented
by Boulton Haywood Boulton and Gabbett aforesaid but built up of carbon
plates or carbon coated.
In lieu of the water usually employed in the battery I use a weak solution of
cyanide of potassium in sufficient quantity only to make a creamy pulp.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I will now refer
to the drawing accompanying this Specification which shews a general view of the
arrangement of the plant.
A. shews stamps, rolls or other crushing or grinding arrangement.
B. shews cyanide or other solvent tank.
C. shews feed pipe from solvent tank to battery.
D. shews launder from battery to agitating tank No. 1.
E. draw off pipe from No. 1. to No. 2. agitating tank.
F. F. arrangement for drawing off the amalgam.
G. small dynamo.
H. leads from dynamo to anode and cathode in agitating tanks.
I. tip waggons and filter.
J. draw off cock on tip waggon and detachable rubber exhaust tube.
K. small exhaust pump.
L. underground cyanide or partially exhausted solvent tanks.
M. rising inain from underground tanks to upper solvent tank.
N. solvent pump.
O. light railway to dump.
P. agitating cone and anode combined.
Q. mercury in agitating tanks.
R & R agitating tanks.
S. shafting for driving agitators, pumps and dynamo.
On starting the battery I at the same time set the conical agitator P. in motion.
In the bottom of the agitating tanks R', R2 I keep a layer of mercury Q.
At a higher level than the battery I have a tank B. for containing the cyanide
solution.
As the ore is crushed and flows with the cyanide into the agitating tank R',
it is kept in constant motion by the revolving cone P. and is thus brought into
intimate contact with the bath of mercury Q. at the bottom of the tank and

page_text: with the carbon cone agitator P, this cone I connect with the positive pole of a
battery or dynamo G. and the mercury with the negative pole, the carbon thus
forms the anode and the mercury the cathode and under the influence of the
electric current the action of the cyanide on the metal contents of the ore is
accelerated and as the metal is dissolved in the electrolyte it is absorbed by, pre-
cipitated into or deposited in the mercury at the cathode forming an amalgam
which can from time to time be drawn off and distilled in the usual way.
The first agitator R No. 1. receives the pulp from five or more heads of stamps A.
as it is produced and when it is nearly full the contents which have already under-
gone a partial treatment are rapidly run off into a second similar agitator Ŕ No. 2.
to undergo the further action of the cyanide, electric current and mercury.
In some cases of very refractory ores it may be necessary to employ a supple-
mentary agitator or agitators placed at a lower level than the second one. Each
agitator being placed on a lower level than the preceding one the operation is
continuous.
When the ore operated upon is exhausted the contents of the agitators are run
into a tip railway waggon I with a false filtering bottom and there allowed to
remain until the cyanide solution has drained into the lower space of the tank
waggon below the false bottom filter bed, the waggon is then run on rails over
tanks L sunk in the ground and the partially spent solution allowed to run into
them and the exhausted mineral is run away in the tip waggon I and turned out on
the dump.
The filtration may be accelerated by slipping a flexible hose T on to the cock J
at the bottom of the waggon I and exhausting the air by means of an exhaust pump
shewn at K.
The partially exhausted liquor in the underground tanks L. is pumped to the
tank B above the battery and there brought up to the desired standard ready
again to supply the stamps, the whole operation thus becomes continuous and
automatic.
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 :-
(1) The continuous process for the extraction of metals from their ores sub-
stantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
(2) The use of an improved and modified agitator which is so constructed as to
form a mixer and anode in one.
(3) Supplying the battery direct with a solvent of the requisite strength.
(4) The employment of tip waggons with false or filter bottoms to receive the
exhausted ore and convey the same to the dumps after the partially spent solvent
has been drawn off.
(5) Pumping or raising the partially spent solvent to an upper solvent feed tank
there to be brought up to the requisite strength for use again.
Dated this 20th day of December 1894.
BROWNE & Co.,
9, Warwick Court, Gray's Inn, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.