IMPROVEMENTS IN REDUCING METALLIC ORES
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Thorne at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th March
1854.
I, WILLIAM THORNE, of Barnstaple, in the County of Devon, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REDUCING
METALLIC ORES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the use and employment of a machine or apparatus
of novel construction for the purpose of crushing, pulverizing, or reducing ores
containing precious metals or other minerals, and amalgamating the same, and
separating the precious metals from the less valuable metals and other extraneous
and earthy matters or substances with which they may be mixed. And this I
effect by constructing a machine or apparatus in the following manner, that is
to say:-
I construct a concave vessel in the form of an annular gutter, such as would
be produced by joining together the ends of a tube of metal, and then ripping

page_text: open the inner periphery of the tube, and forcing open the divided part until
the edges were brought vertical or nearly so. And I place this hollow vessel in
a vertical position, and support it by annular shaped flanges or fillets which
rest upon rollers mounted in bearings fixed to or formed in a suitable framing
for the purpose of enabling such said hollow vessel to move round its axis
instead of moving upon an axis as heretofore practised in the construction of
machines employed for a similar purpose; and upon the outer periphery of the
said hollow vessel I fix or form teeth, into which a toothed wheel or pinion
gears for the purpose of imparting rotary motion to said bollow vessel through
the agency of any suitable prime mover. And I place within said hollow
vessel two or more hollow spheres or balls of metal, and I form an opening
(which I afterwards close) in each of such said balls, through which 1 introduce
quicksilver, either separately or in combination with other metals, for the purpose
of increasing the specific gravity of the balls, and thus obtaining great weight
in a small compass, and also for accelerating the revolutions of the balls when
they are in action. And in using a machine or apparatus of the above con-
struction I place in the aforesaid hollow vessel, and at the inner and open
periphery thereof, the ores to be crushed and amalgamated, and I employ, if
necessary, during such processes, hot water and quicksilver, in the manner
heretofore practised; I then impart rotary motion to said hollow vessel, the
effect of which is to impart motion to the before-mentioned spheres or balls
in an opposite direction to that in which the hollow vessel is being moved;
and thus I effect the crushing of the ores. And an important feature in this
Invention consists in introducing and discharging into and amongst the quick-
silver and ores, whilst they are undergoing the processes of crushing and
amalgamation, a current of electricity, which effect by placing a galvanic
battery within the open space at the center of the aforesaid hollow vessel, the
wires or other suitable contrivances leading from such said battery being
inserted into said hollow vessel until they touch the bottom thereof, so as to
ensure the discharge of the electric current through the ores and quicksilver,
for the purpose of assisting and rendering more effectual than heretofore the
processes of crushing and amalgamation. And I separate the precious metals
thus obtained from the amalgam employed for collecting them by any of the
means in known and common use for that purpose. And I declare this
Invention to consist,-
Firstly, in the use and employment of an annular gutter or hollow
vessel placed and supported vertically, and revolving round its axis as above
stated.

page_text: Secondly, in the use and employment of hollow spheres or balls of metal
partially filled with quicksilver, either separately or in combination with other
metals, for the purpose above mentioned.
Thirdly, the discharging of a current of electricity through the ores during
the processes of crushing and amalgamation, substantially in the manner and
for the purposes set forth in this Specification.