IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE AMALGAMATION OF GOLD AND OF SILVER
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, GEORGE WASHINGTON MOON, Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of
Literature of Gt Britain and Ireland, and residing at 164 Regent Street, in the
Parish of Saint James, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
AMALGAMATION OF GOLD AND OF SILVER to be as follows:-
I produce, by means of vertical rotary movement of a pan having an oval
curve at one end containing quicksilver, such a movement of the quicksilver that
at every rotation of the machine the quicksilver encircles and envelopes the
pulverized ore which has boon introduced into the pan through an opening in the
crown of the oval part, and thereby secures the gold and silver contained in the
ore by causing them to pass through the quicksilver, with which they immediately
become amalgamated.
To effect this, I make, of iron or other suitable material, a pan in one or more
parts having the bottom level transversely but not longitudinally, one end sloping
downwards, and the other end curved upwards and inwards; which curve is not
a part of a true circle to produce a "wave" of quicksilver by a latteral movement
of the pan, but is elliptical, and differs from a true circle by the upper part
having "an ascending inclination after projecting beyond a vertical line extending
through the centre" of what would be a true circle; and, unlike the form of other
pans for a similar purpose, the curve does not terminate there, as it would have to
do were it required to produce a "shower" of quicksilver, but gradually descends,
and so forms part of an oval; and, through an opening in the crown of the said
oval, the pulverized ore is introduced into the midst of the quicksilver. The
bottoin of the oval curve does not meet the upper end of it, and so complete the
oval, but is sloped upwards and outwards till it nearly reaches the level of the
upper end of the curve at a distance from it; and, either with or without additional
intervening curves, then slopes downwards to carry away the water and "tailings."
The two edges of the opening in the crown of the oval are turned upward, and
form a stay or rest for the chute and hopper, down which the pulverized ore and
water fall into the pan, which chute is fastened into its position by bolts or screws
through it and through the turned-up edges of the opening in the crown of the
oval, or by other means; the chute and hopper being further steadied by the chute
having a flange or shoulder on each side, resting on the crown of the oval.
For the purpose of causing some of the pulverized ore to pass more than once
through quicksilver, the form of a portion of the pan may be repeated, and thus'

page_text: a multiple amalgamator be made having two or more similar oval parts, each at a
lower level than the one preceding it, so as to receive the ore containing gold and
silver that had previously escaped amalgamation and haply retain the precious
metals which else would be carried away with the water flowing down the slope
of the machine. When the pan is thus made with more than one oval curvo, the
downward outlet fall of each part, except the last, is dispensed with; and the
opening in the crown of the second and subsequent curvo or curves has only one
edge turned upwards, and that one is the edge furthest from the oval end of the
pan; the object being to provide that the quicksilver passing under it, in obedience
to the motion of the machine, shall not strike against the edge and be checked in
its flow; while the ore and water, which otherwise might rush over it after
passing from the previous portion of the pan, will be arrested and fall through the
opening into the midst of the quicksilver beneath.
The pan is attached to two axles, either cranked or otherwise, passing under the
bottom and resting on supports on each side; two of which supports (one on each
side) are made so that they can be either raised or lowered to vary the slope of
the pan, and thus accommodate it to suit the varying density of the ore required
to be treated; and the axles are attached to wheels or eccentrics so arranged as to
give the pan when worked a vertical rotary movement, following to some extent
the curve of the end of the pan from the bottom upwards, and causing the quick-
silver to be carried round the curve and to fall over and so envelope the ore at the
bottom. And in order to ensure the quicksilver being more effectually carried
round the curved end of the pan, I provide that one portion of each revolution
of the wheels be retarded, and the other portion be accelerated, so that the pan,
and of course the quicksilver in it, shall receive a sudden impetus which shall
carry the quicksilver moro freely round the curve. This movement 1 produce by
means of two oval wheels or of two wheels whose axes are eccentric to each other,
the one wheel having a groove either wholly or partially across the centre from
side to side, and the other wheel having a spindle projecting from it at a distance
from the centre and moving within the groove at each revolution; which move-
ment is retarded as the spindle approaches the axis of the opposite wheel, and is
accelerated as its distance from that axis is increased.
As some kinds of ore are apt to "pack" very densely in an amalgamator and
choke it, and therefore require stirring up, I hang above the pan a sort of stationary
shovel or scraper with an edge or edges arranged to correspond to the slope of the
bottom of the pan, and at such a distance from it that, at each revolution of
the pan, the bottom of it shall rise to within about a quarter of an inch of the
scraper or shovel and cause the ore that exceeds that depth in the flat part of the
pan to be scraped or shovelled back into the oval end of the pan where the quick-
silver is. The said scraper or shovel though stationary, is so arranged that it can
be lifted out of the way when the kind of ore being passed through the amalgamator
does not necessitate its use, or when the pan requires clearing out.
'
20
I am aware that other amalgamating machines have been made with curved
ends to the pans; but they all differ from this oval form. Some are for producing
a "shower" of quicksilver, and some for producing a wave " of quicksilver;
but a "shower" or a "wave" is an effect produced by certain means; and as there
can be no patent in an effect, but only in the means of producing that effect; and
as no analgamator that I am acquainted with is constructed like this, or is worked
like this, or attempts to produce either a "shower" or a "wave" of quicksilver by
the means thus set forth, I respectfully request the grant of a patent for my
invention substantially as herein described.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, GEORGE WASHINGTON MOON of 164 Regent Street, in the parish of Saint
James, Westminster, in the county of Middlesex, Honorary Fellow of the Royal
Society of Literature of Great Britain and Ireland do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for THE AMALGAMATION OF GOLD AND OF SILVER 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 effect an improvement in the amalgamation of
the precious metals with quicksilver.
For that purpose I produce, by means of a vertical rotary movement of a pan
having an oval curve at one end containing quicksilver, such a movement of the
quicksilver that, at every rotation of the machine, the quicksilver encircles and
envelopes the pulverized ore which has been introduced into the pan through the
opening in the crown of the oval part, and thereby secures the gold and silver
contained in the ore; for, all must of necessity then pass through the quicksilver,
and, in doing so, the precious metals are immediately laid hold of by the quick-
silver and become amalgamated with it.
To effect this, I make, of iron or other suitable material, a pan, in one or more
parts, having the bottom level transversely but not longitudinally, one end sloping
downwards, and the the other end curved upwards and inwards; which curve is
not a part of a true circle to produce a wave of quicksilver by a latteral movement
of the pan, but is elliptical, and differs from a true circle by "the upper part
having an ascending inclination after projecting beyond a vertical line extending
through the centre" of what would be a true circle; and, unlike the form of other
pans for a similar purpose, the curve does not terminate there, as it would have to
do were it required to produce a "shower" of quicksilver, but gradually descends,
and so forms part of an oval; and, through an opening in the crown of the said
oval, the pulverized ore is introduced into the midst of the quicksilver. The
bottom of the oval curve does not meet the upper end of it, and so complete the
oval, but is sloped upwards and outwards till it nearly reaches the level of the upper
end of the curve at a distance from it; and, either with or without additional
intervening curves, then slopes downwards to carry away the "tailings." The two
edges of the opening in the crown of the oval are turned upwards and are elongated
to form a stay or rest for the chute and hopper, down which the pulverized ore
and water fall into the pan; which chute is fastened into its position by bolts or
screws through it and through the turned-up edges of the opening in the crown
of the oval.
For the purpose of causing some of the pulverized ore to pass more than once
through the quicksilver, the form of a portion of the pan may be repeated and
thus a multiple amalgamator be made having two or more similar oval parts, each
at a lower level than the one preceding it, so as to receive the ore containing gold

page_text: and silver that had previously escaped amalgamation and haply retain the precious
metals which else would be carried away with the water flowing down the slope of
the machine.
When the pan is thus made with more than one oval curve, the downward outlet
fall of each part, except the last, is dispensed with; and the opening in the crown
of the second curve has only one edge turned upwards and elongated, and that one
is the edge furthest from the oval end of the pan; the object being to provide that
the quicksilver passing under it, in obedience to the action of the machino, shall
not strike against the edge and be checked in its flow; while the oro and water,
which otherwise might rush over the opening after passing from the previous
portion of the pan, shall be arrested by the curved elongation of the upturned
odge and fall through the opening into the midst of the quicksilver beneath.
With the object of more effectually. securing all the gold and silver, I place a
moveable copper plate on the flat part of the bottom of each pan, extending from
the end furthest from the oval to where the bottom begins to curve upwards.
Each copper plate is attached to the sides of the pan by screws or other device
removeable at pleasure, or may be made to run in a groove on each side that shall
hold it in its position. These copper plates are coated with quicksilver (for which
gold and silver have an affinity) and can be taken out of the machine and cleared
of the amalgam as often as needful.
At the outlet end of the pan, just before the downward slope which carries away
the water, there is an oval curve (like the section of an egg cut longitudinally) to
receive and retain any quicksilver that by the too sudden starting or arresting
of the machine might be jerked forward and, but for, that provision, be lost.
The pan is supported from beneath at each end; the support at the curved end
being a cranked axle passing under it from side to side, while the support at the
other end may be either a straight axle passing under it from side to side, cach
end of which axle is attached to an upright rod oscillating in a socket or on a
pin; or the upright rods may be attached at the upper ends to pins or bolts in the
sides of the pan, instead of to an axle going under the pan. The bottom of the
said rods likewise may be attached either to a cross-bar passing from side to side
of the base of the machine or be attached to pins, on either of which, they oscillate
with the movement of the pan as it sways backwards and forwards when the
cranked shaft at the curved end is in motion causing the pan to make a vertical
rotary movement, to some extent following the curve at the end of the pan from
the bottom upwards, and causing the quicksilver in it to be carried round the
curve and to fall over and so envelope the ore.
And, in order to ensure that the quicksilver be effectually carried round the
curve or curves, I provide that one portion of each vertical revolution of the pan
be accelerated, and the other portion of the revolution be momentarily retarded;
so that, when the retardation of the pan occurs, the quicksilver, which of course
was being carried round with the pan, continues its course in obedience to tho
impetus it had received, and following the oval curve or curves falls over and
envelopes the ore.
This intermittent movement of the pan is produced by means of the action of
a wheel with a groove across the centre to receive a pin which projects from an
arm attached to one end of the cranked shaft, the axes of which wheel and arm
aro on the same level, but the axis of the former is eccentric to that of the latter;
so that, at each revolution, the pin moves backwards and forwards within the
groove, alternately towards and away from the axis of the wheel; the effect being
that the movement of the pan is accelerated as tho pin recedes from the axis of the
wheel, and is retarded as it approaches that axis; and, when they become cöincident,
the motion momentarily ceases, but is again quickened as they recede from each
other.
When the extra width of the pan necessitates it, the grooved wheel and pin
traversing it are repeated on the other side of the pan, and the said wheels are
cogged, while at the back of the two grooved cogged wheels there is a shaft with

page_text: revolving of the said shaft.
The following letters and description explain the different parts of the
machine:-
"
"
A. Side of pan.
B. Chute for guiding ore into pan.
C. Guide with moveable plate to prevent splashing.
D. Sloping bottom with oval curved ends.
E. Oscillating support for outlet end.
F. Fixed support for rotating end.
G. Cranked shaft supporting curved end.
H. Base of stand.
J. Support for cranked shaft.
K. Support for driving shaft.
L. Driving wheel.
M. Looso wheel.
N. Wheel with groove to receive pin.
O. Pin for traversing groove in N.
P. Shaft for driving grooved wheel.
Q. Diagram illustrating the motion.
R. Different positions of shaft when in motion.
S. Adjusting weight.
T. Moveable copper plates.
"
I am aware that other amalgamating machines have been made with curved
ends to the pans; but they all differ from this oval forin. Some are for producing
a shower" of quicksilver, and some are for producing "a wave" of quicksilver;
but "a shower" or a wave is an effect produced by certain means; and there
can be no patent in an effect, but only in the means of producing that effect; and
no amalgamator that I am acquainted with is constructed like this, or is worked
like this, or attempts to produce either "a shower" or "a wave" of quicksilver by
the means thus set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st A pan with one or more oval curves having an opening in the crown for
receiving the crushed ore, and a receptacle at the outlet end for retaining the
quicksilver, as described.
2nd The working of the same by means of an intermittent vertical rotary move-
ment produced by a pin traversing a groove, substantially as described, to throw
the quicksilver round the curve or curves and envelope the ore.
3rd The moveable copper plates as described.
Dad thin 19th day of June 188