An Improved Amalgamator.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
VUMI LEID DI MULTIUATION.
An Improved Amalgamator.
I, HENRY COOK, of 328, Chestnut Street, in the City of Philadelphia, State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to construct an amalgamator that will readily and
thoroughly separate gold or like metal from earth in which it is found.
This object attain in the following manner, reference being had to the
accompanying drawing, in which
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of my improved amalgamator;
Fig. 2, is a longitudinal sectional view;
Fig. 3, is a transverse sectional view on the line 1-2, Fig. 2;
Fig. 4, is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-4, Fig. 2;
Fig. 5, is a view showing a detail of my invention; and
Fig. 6, is a sectional view of another form of amalgamating device.
A, is the cylinder mounted preferably as shown in the drawings and provided
with annular grooves which rest on suitable supporting wheels b, b, having their
bearing in brackets 6', on a frame B. This frame supports the whole structure
and is mounted preferably on runners so that the amalgamator can be moved from
one position to another as circumstances require.
The cylinder A, is driven in the present instance through the medium of a
shaft C, having a handle (c,) or provided with a belt wheel c. The shaft is geared
to the longitudinal shaft C', by bevel gears, e², and on the shaft C', is a spur
pinion d, meshing with an annular rack D, secured to the cylinder so that when the
shaft C, is turned, the cylinder will be rotated, the frictional rollers b, sustaining
the weight of the cylinder.
In the interior of the cylinder A, is an amalgamating surface E; this surface
extends only from the inlet end of the cylinder to about one third the length of
the cylinder.
e, is a spiral retarding blade extending from the inlet end to the outlet end of the
cylinder. This retarding blade in the present instance is made of non-amalga-
mating material, as is also the remaining two-thirds of the cylinder.
H, and I, are the amalgamating tables, and Y is a chute connecting the
amalgamating cylinder with the table H. Between this chute and the table is a
trap or well F, in which is an adjustable gate, adapted to ways in the side plates
of the table, so as to regulate the flow of material over said table.
Secured to the side plates of the table is a splash plate . The lips ², of this
splash plate are preferably slotted, and passing through these slots and through an
opening in the side plate II', of the table, are bolts ³, so as to allow for the proper
adjustment of the splash plate towards and from the surface of the table. This
splash plate prevents the splashing of the water and material as it passes from
under the gate h.
Separating the plates H, and I, is an accumulating well G, for the amalgam,
which can be discharged from the well through the pipe k at the side.
Near the extreme end of the table I is a second well J for the accumulation of
umalgam.
On the edge of each well is a non-amalgamating plate, shown in Figs. 2 and 5;
these plates break the continuity of the amalgamating surface, and prevent the
malgam in the wells from being carried over by the water, as the tendency to
ravel is overcome by the plates.
At the end of the table I, is the tailings indicator M, consisting of two inclined
ΣΤΙ

page_text: amalgamating plates m, m³, curved substantially as shown, and a well n; the plate m,
is removable in order that access may be had to the plate m.
The material after it passes over these plates and the well, passes off from the
machine through the trough o.
When the machine is used for placer work, I mount on a suitable frame B', a
transverse drum P, having a portion p, of its surface formed of a screen of fine
mesh. This cylinder P, is mounted on rollers the same as the cylinder A, and is
driven from the shaft C, by a belt 1. This belt in the present instance is a chain
belt, and passes over a sprocket wheel, on the shaft C, and over a sprocket
wheel, on the drum.
R, is a drum placed within the drum P, and has a screen 7, at the centre in line
with the screen p, of the drum P; this screen, however, is preferably of a coarser
mesh than the screen p.
Both drums have feeding blades for the material, and at the inlet end of the
drum is a chute, for the material, and at the opposite end is an opening ', between
the driving wheel and the ends of the drum for the escape of the material which is
too large to pass through the screens and is carried from the machine through the
inclined chute t.
The frame B', is hinged to the main frame B of the amalgamator, preferably
at , and a lock is provided by which it is fastened securely to the main frame.
The object of this hinging of the frame B', is to move the placer attachment away
from the mouth of the amalgamator as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that the
amalgamating cylinder A, can be properly cleaned or charged.
A suitable chute w, forms connection between the placer drum and the amalga-
mating cylinder, the chute preferably snugly fitting the drum.
In some instances, the amalgamator may be constructed as shown in Fig. 6, where
the material to be treated is of a coarse character, and where water is required to
remove the loose particles from the larger mineral.
In this instance, I place within the cylinder A, a screen T, which has a spiral
rib T, which acts as a feeding blade for feeding the coarser material through the
machine.
The amalgamating cylinder is also provided with a retarding blade as shown in
Fig. 2, but the amalgamating surface in this instance may, if necessary, extend the
full length of the cylinder or a portion thereof.
The cylinder T, has a separate discharge chute T2, for carrying off the coarser
material.
Extending through the screened cylinder is a water pipe Q, having small dis-
charge openings i, and jets i¹. These jets are so arranged that they force streams
of water against the screen and clean it, while the small perforations in the pipe
project water onto the particles of material passing through the machine, floating
off the fine particles of material from the heavier rock.
The pipe preferably extends to the trough g, and is there connected to a trans-
verse pipe T, having a series of fine holes which project water onto the plates
arranged in the trough in substantially the manner shown in Fig. 6.
The action of the machine shown in Fig. 2, without the placer attachment, is
as follows
The material either pulped from some pulverizing or stamp mill or placer dirt or
gravel, passes through the feed stop to the amalgamating cylinder which is rotated
about thirty times per minute, the spirals therein form channels, which divide the
material and keep it divided while it is passing through the cylinder, a distance of
about forty feet, although the cylinder may be increased in length as circumstances
require.
The rotating action of the cylinder spreads the pulp and subjects it to a rolling
motion in the water, the gangue going ahead of the mineral, Fig. 4, first over the
amalgamating surface E, then over the non-amalgamating surface, which always
holds enough mercury to coat or amalgamate free mineral, making the whole
distance travelled amalgamating with only one-third amalgamating surface.

page_text: The mineral is separated from the gangue, amalgamated and collected in little
bunches of amalgam in the cylinder, and passes as amalgam to the tables. These
tables have a continuous amalgamating surface to the mercury well where the
amalgam is collected, the flow of the amalgam being broken by the non-amalgamating
plates f.
The tailings indicator indicates any possible loss in amalgam or mercury from
the machine, and collects and deposits the amalgam or mercury in the well n.
When the machine is used as a placer machine, the drum P, is placed as shown
in the drawing at the front end of the amalgamating cylinder, the auriferous dirt
runs directly from the sluice box into the cylinder of the placer drum where it is
screened down preferably to one-tenth of an inch, the screenings pass directly into
the amalgamating cylinder, while the refuse is carried through to the discharge
spout by the spiral channels in the cylinder.
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 combination of the amalgamating cylinder, with a transverse placer
drum arranged at the inlet opening of the cylinder, substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore set forth.
2. The combination in an amalgamator, of the drum P, having a portion formed
of a screen, an inlet trough and outlet trough for the drum, with a chute for carrying
the material screened to the amalgamating apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. The combination of the drum P, having a portion formed of an annular screen,
a drum R, within the drum P, said drum R being also provided with a screen of a
coarser mesh than the screen in the drum P, with an inlet and outlet opening
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The combination of the screen drum P, with the screen drum R, within the
drum P, spiral feeding plates on the inner periphery of both drums, mechanism
for driving said drums, and inlet and outlet openings therefor, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
5. The combination of the frame B, the amalgamating cylinder mounted thereon,
transverse shaft geared to said cylinder and by which said cylinder is rotated, with
a transverse placer drum mounted at the inlet end of the amalgamating cylinder, a
frame B', on which said drum is mounted, a belt wheel on the transverse shaft, and
a belt wheel on the drum, with a belt passing over said belt wheel by which
the placer drum is driven with the amalgamating cylinder, substantially as herein-
before described.
6. The combination of the frame B, amalgamating cylinder mounted thereon,
with a frame B', carrying the placer drum, and hinged to the frame B, whereby the
placer attachment can be moved away from the inlet end of the amalgamating
cylinder, substantially as hereinbefore described.
7. The combination in an amalgamator, of the amalgamating table, with a well
having a surface of amalgamating material, and a non-amalgamating plate on the
outer edge of the well, whereby the flow of amalgam is checked, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
8. The combination of the amalgamating cylinder, the first amalgamating table H,
its well G, the second amalgamating plate I, its well J, with transverse non-
amalgamating plates or strips f. f, arranged at the outer edge of the wells G and J,
substantially as and for the purpose herein before set forth.
9. The combination in an amalgamator, of the cylinder, the trough G, the
well F, the grate h, the amalgamating table H, a splash plate h', secured to
the sides of the table by bolts, the securing lips of said splash plate being slotted
whereby the plate can be raised and lowered in respect to the table H, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
10. The combination in an amalgamator, of the rotating amalgamating cylinder,

page_text: lined or partially lined with a metal having an affinity for mercury, with a screen
contained therein through which the material is first fed and separated, the
discharge through the meshes of the screen entering the amalgamating cylinder,
said cylinder having a discharge spout independent of that of the screen, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
11. The combination of an amalgamating cylinder, a screen contained therein, a
screw flange for feeding the material in the cylinder, with a chute or trough, a mercury
table at the end of said trough, a water pipe extending through the cylinder, and
having a branch connected with a transverse sprinkling pipe situated above the
trough, said pipe having a series of openings whereby jets of water are thrown
through the meshes of the screen onto the cylinder, said water passing with the
material from the cylinder over the trough to the amalgamating cylinder, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
12. The combination of the cylinder, a screen contained therein, screw flanges
in both the screen and cylinder for feeding material, with a water pipe extending
through the screen and cylinder, and having nozzles whereby water is forced
through the meshes of the screen, substantially as hereinbefore described.
13. The combination in an amalgamator, of the amalgamating cylinder of an
even diameter throughout, a screen cylinder inside the same, with an internal screw
flange in each of said cylinders, an inlet for the mercury, the spout, plates or
mercury pans, and tables over which the material flows, and an independent spout
for guiding the material screened away from the machine substantially as herein-
before described.
14. The combination in an amalgamator, of the primary amalgamating cylinder,
mechanism for revolving the same, a stationary flat amalgamating table, a mercury
pan or well between the two, over which the material flows in its passage from one
to another, substantially as herein before described.
15. The combination in an amalgamator, of the cylinder of non-amalgamating
material, driving mechanism connected to said cylinder by which it is rotated, a
drum of amalgamating material inserted in said cylinder and secured thereto, with
a spiral blade extending from the inlet to the outlet of the cylinder, and secured to
the cylinder of the material not having an affinity for mercury, and to the drum
having an affinity for mercury, said spiral blade being made of metal not having
affinity for mercury substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 9th day of February 1891.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.