A New or Improved Resistance Regulator for Apparatus employed in the Separation of Amalgam and other Metallio Molecules from Sludge.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
A New or Improved Resistance Regulator for Apparatus employed
in the Separation of Amalgam and other Metallio Molecules
from Sludge.
We, EWALD FISCHER, of 14 Gellhornstrasse, EMIL KLEIN, of 26 Holter-
strasse, Manufacturer, and FRANZ MAHLSTEDT, of 20 Bahnhofstrasse, Merchant,
all of Breslau, in the Empire of Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the sanie is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement.
1
In those apparatuses employed in mining operations for the separation, by the
aid of an electric current, of the clean amalgam or other metallic molecules, no
account is taken of the metal contained in the sludge, and the latter has heretofore
been exposed, in the separator, to an electric current of uniform strength, whether
such sludge is rich in amalgam, or cairies with it only little metal. Notwith-
standing the varying resistance of the sludge, the strength of the decomposing
electric curient has not heretofore been altered, and consequently the separation
of the metallic molecules from the sludge has taken place in an irregular and
incomplete manuer. and it is easy to understand that under such circumstances
short circuiting may occur in the apparatus. These inconveniences are obviated
by the resistance regulator forming the subject of our present invention
The accompanying drawing is a sectional elevation of a separator with our
invention applied thereto.
a is the inlet pipe through which the sludge is conducted into the tough b made
of conducting material and forming the cathode c is a conducting rotating disc
forming an anode. The main current of electricity enters the apparatus at d, and
passes first to the armature of the current interrupter e. It then goes to the
solenoid g, passes out therefrom at hand enters the decomposition cell by the
conducting pipe a. At the current leaves the apparatus.
If the current meets with a considerable resistance in the decomposition cell, that
is to say if the sludge contains only a few metallic molecules, the solenoid 9 is only
weakly excited, and the armature rises, moving the an de c, by means of the
lever m, nearer to the cathode b, whereby the resistance between the two electrodes
is reduced An increase of resistance also occurs in the decomposition cell when by
reason of a fluctuation in the quantity of the sludge flowing into the apparatus the
distance between the two electrodes becomes greater. It on the other hand the
1esistance in the decomposition cell is small, that is to say if the sludge cairies with
it many metallic molecules, or if only a small quantity of sludge enters the
apparatus, the solenoid g becomes strongly excited and draws down the armature k
whereby the electrodes are separated further from one another, and the resistance
between them is increased
A sudden stoppage of the flow of sludge to the apparatus may occur through an
irregularity in the working which would allow the anode c to descend far enough
for short circuiting to take place, with its well known serious consequences. In
order to avoid this inconvenience, conducting points are arranged in the anodo c
so as to project a little below the same; these points are insulated from the anode,
and are connected in any suitable way with the current interrupter e. Immediately
the anode e descends so far that the points n come in contact with the mercury in
the trough b, the current entering at d passes through the bobbins e and through the
points into the decomposition cell. The winding of the bobbins e is such that

page_text: only a weak current can pass through them which is not strong enough to exert
auy injurious action in the decomposition apparatus When the curent passes
through the bobbins e the armature f is attracted and the main current thereby
interrupted and put out of action. When sludge is again passed into the apparatus
the anode c is raised and the points n removed from the mercury.
The bobbing c
are thus deprived of current, the armature springs up, and the main current can
again pass, in its full strength, through the solenoid into the decomposition cell.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, au in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim 18
A resistance regulator for apparatus employed in the separation of metallic
molecules from sludge in which the distance between the electrodes and in
increased or reduced by means of a solenoid g, or other similar electrical apparatus
according to the resistance in the decomposition cell, substantially as described.
VUTO
E. FISCHER,
E KLEIN.
F. MAHLSTEDT,
Per W. II. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, Agent.