Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Use in Ascertaining and Indicating the Presence of Mineral Ores or Metallic Substances.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 7th Oct., 1887.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Use in Ascertaining and
Indicating the Presence of Mineral Ores or Metallic Substances.
I LEMUEL MELLETT of Milford, County of Worcester, in the State of Massachusetts
one of the United States of America, Electrician do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to provide apparatus by which the presence of
mineral ores or metallic substances, either on or below the surface of the earth, or
under water, may be indicated.
My invention is especially adapted to be used in locating veins or deposits of
mineral ores in the earth and also for the detection of metallic substances under
water.
The particular features of my invention will be pointed out in the claim at the end
of this specification.
Figure 1 is a top view of a case containing the apparatus by which to practice my
invention.
Figure 2 a vertical section of Figure 1 in the line - through the indicator or
galvanometer.
Figure 3 shows a portion of a cable provided with a positive and negative collar
and finger coöperating therewith.
Figure 4 a section of Figure 3 on line - to show the manner of establishing
the electrical connection between a wire of the cable and the collar, and
Figure 5 a diagram of circuits to more clearly illustrate my invention.
Price Rd 1
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page_text: The cover A of the case, which may be of wood or any other non-conducting
material, has an opening through which the top a of a battery cell projects, when the
said cover is shut to close said case.
The cover a of the battery cell referred to, and which may be of any well-known
type, such as the Leclanché or Bichromate, supports the positive and negative poles,
herein shown as hollow posts a¹, a², into which are inserted the plugs a³, a*, when it is
desired to place the battery in circuit.
The cover A supports a vertical indicator or galvanometer as having a case a,
secured by screws a to the cover A, the said indicator or galvanometer having a
pointer or needle as located outside the wire coils, and an armature a mounted on the
needle shaft or arbor a within the coils, the said indicator or galvanometer being
included in circuit with the battery.
The armature a³, as herein shown, is composed of a star-shaped piece of soft iron,
which has been hardened and then charged in any well known manner to form a
permanent magnet, the points of the star forming three consecutive north and three
consecutive south poles, as shown in Figure 2.
The shaft or arbor a, as herein shown, has secured to it a weight a¹², see Fig. 2
by means of which the needle 8 is restored to its normal or vertical position when
the current ceases to flow through the coils.
One wire leading to the indicator or galvanometer a³ is connected to the plug at,
shown in Figure 1, the said plug being represented in Figure 5, as the negative pole
of the battery, and the second wire 6, to one member 62 of a switch, the other
member of which is a pivoted lever 3 connected by a wire to a post bº of an
ordinary telegraph key B, located upon the cover of the box.
A second post 66 of the key B is joined to a pivoted lever & forming one member
of a switch, the coöperating member of which is connected by wire to the
plug a³, shown in Figure 1, and, which is represented in Figure 5, by the positive
pole of the battery.
The indicator or galvanometer a is placed upon the cover A so that its needle as
will revolve in a plane at right angles to said cover.
The cover A also supports a galvanometer e in circuit with the battery referred to,
it being herein shown as marked to indicate points of the compass, said galvanometer
having one of its wires c¹ fastened to one member c² of a switch the coöperating
member of which is the lever 63, and having its other wire c³ joined to the wire b,
connected with the plug a, shown in Figure 1, and which in Figure 5 is represented
by the negative pole of the battery.
When it is desired to employ the apparatus to indicate the presence of mineral
ores or deposits near the earth's surface, the lever 63 will be turned so as to coöperate
with the member c², and thus place the galvanometer e in circuit, the said galvano-
meter being substantially at right angles to the indicator or galvanometer a, and the
said circuit may be traced in Figure 5 rom the positive pole of the battery, by
wire lever 77, wire cs, to post 6, through the metallic frame of the key,
lever 12, and anvil 613, see Figure 1, to post 65, from thence by wire 64, lever 1³
member c², wire c', through the galvanometer c, wires c3 and 6 to the negative pole
of the battery.
With the galvanometer c in circuit, the apparatus is carried by the operator as he
walks over the ground or territory to be examined, and the key B is worked to cause
the galvanometer needle to be revolved.
By experiment it has been found that, when the apparatus is brought in the
vicinity of mineral ores or deposits, the influence of said ores upon the galvanometer
needle is such as to stop or retard to a considerable degree the revolution of said
needle, thus indicating the presence of a mineral, notwithstanding the fact that the
key is being constantly worked.
When it is desired to indicate the presence of veins of mineral ores in a mine,
shaft, or tunnel, it has been ascertained by experiment that the galvanometer c used
for surface indications, does not work advantageously, and for this purpose the

page_text: indicator or galvanometer a³, placed at right angles to the galvanometer c is
employed.
When it is desired to employ the apparatus in a shaft or mine, the lever ³ will be
turned from its dotted to its full line position, shown in Figure 5, thereby cutting
out of circuit the galvanometer c and placing in circuit the indicator or galvano-
meter a³, said circuit being the same as that described for the galvanometer c to the
lever 63, and said circuit is completed by switch member 62, line 6', galvanometer a³
and wire b to the negative pole of the battery.
As the apparatus is carried down the shaft or mine to be examined, the operator
varies his position so that the galvanometer may be turned through the different
points of the compass, and the key B is constantly worked thus causing the armature a³
and thereby the needle as to revolve, but when brought near a vein of mineral ore,
the influence of said mineral ore upon the armature a is such as to stop, or to a great
degree retard the revolution of the needle, the latter at such time pointing in the
direction of the vein.
The star shaped armature is caused to revolve by the current passing through the
coils of the indicator or galvanometer a as long as the said indicator or galvanometer
is maintained in circuit with the battery and the apparatus is beyond the influence of
mineral deposits.
It has been found by experiment, when the apparatus is brought in the vicinity of
small deposits of ore, that normally the influence of the current upon the galvano-
meter needle is greater than the influence of the said small mineral deposits, the
needle under such circumstances being continuously revolved by the battery current.
Under these conditions it has been found necessary to employ a resistance R having
one end connected to the positive pole of the battery by the wire 69 and being jointed
at its other end to the post 6 of the key.
This resistance R, when switched into circuit by turning the lever 7 from its full
to its dotted line position, shown in Figure 5, reduces the current so that it has but
little effect upon the needle, it merely revolving the latter slowly and substantially
uniformly, thus rendering the said needle sensitive to the action of very small deposits.
This resistance R is also used in dry weather when it is found that the needle is
strongly affected by the current of the battery, but when the weather is cloudy and
the air is charged with electricity, the resistance R will then be out of circuit, because
the electricity of the air acts to somewhat counteract the battery current.
To indicate the presence of metallic substances under water I have connected in
circuit with the battery a bell B' herein shown as secured to the outside of the box or
case, and a cable C having its positive and negative wires 2, 3, connected to binding
posts d, d', on the said case.
One wire 4 of the bell B' is connected to the binding post d and the other wire 5
to the wire, see Fig. 5.
The post d' is connected to the negative pole of the battery by wires 6, and 7, joined
by a switch lever 8.
The positive and negative wires 2, 3, in practice will be united in a single wire and
the ends connected with the cable C.
Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the cable C is shown as composed of three wires
upon which are mounted at suitable intervals apart metallic collars D, D', the third
wire, as 10, being employed to give the rounded form to the cable, so that the opening
in the said collars may be filled out to thereby maintain the wires 2, 3, coöperating
with the metallic collars D, I, respectively, in contact with the same, that part of the
wires encircled by the collars being bare or without insulation, for instance as shown
in Figure 4, the wire 2 in contact with the collar D, the collar D' in Figure 3 being
in contact with the wire 3.
The collars D, D', are each provided with flanges, and between the said flanges, the
said collars are respectively encircled by metallic fingers d², d³, which are free to be
revolved or turned about their respective collars, the said fingers constituting terminal
electrodes.

page_text: In operation the cable C is lowered beneath the water until it preferably rests upon
the bottom, one end of the said cable being supported on one boat or tug and the
other on a second boat or tug preferably at a considerable distance from the first boat
or tug.
The cable is dragged over the bottom and when a positive and negative finger come
in contact with an anchor, chain or other metallic substance, irrespective of whether
the said fingers are adjacent or at a considerable distance apart, the circuit of the bell
is closed and notice given by the ringing of the said bell that a metallic substance
has been located.
A diver can be then sent down and by a code or a series of prearranged taps or
signals on the bell, he may inform those on the boat or tug what kind of an article
has been found, whether it be an anchor, chain, or bottom of a vessel or other
metallic article.
When the switch lever 8 is in the position shown by full lines Fig. 5, the apparatus
is adapted to be used in fresh water, but when used in salt water the lever 8 will be
thrown into contact with the stud 9 thereby throwing in circuit the resistance R², the
salt water being a much better conductor of electricity than fresh water, the bell
would be affected if the resistance R² were not placed in the circuit thereof.
I prefer this mode of inserting the resistance but it is evident that the magnets of
the bell may be wound with fine wire to accomplish the same purpose.
In case contact is made between any two fingers d², d³, the circuit as shown in
Figure 5, may be traced as follows-viz. from the positive pole of the battery through
the key, the wires 6 and 5, and the bell to post d, thence through line 2 finger d²,
substance found, finger ³, line 3 to post d¹, thence by line 6, lever 8, and lines 7 and 6
to the negative pole of the battery.
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:-
1. In an electrical indicating apparatus, a box or case, a battery, a substantially
vertical indicator or galvanometer carried by said case or box and provided with a
pointer or needle, a pointer shaft, and an arinature mounted upon said shaft within
the coils of the said indicator or galvanometer, combined with a key secured to the
box and electrically connected with the battery and indicator or galvanometer, the
said pointer or needle being normally revolved by the battery current and being
retarded or substantially stopped when brought in the presence of mineral deposits
below the earth's surface, substantially as described.
2. In an electrical apparatus, a box or case, a battery and a galvanometer carried
by said box or case, combined with a key electrically connected with the said battery
and galvanometer, and with a resistance to reduce the strength of the battery current
and enable the galvanometer needle to be affected by small deposits of mineral near
the earths surface, and a switch to shunt the resistance out of circuit, substantially
as described.
3. In an electrical indicating apparatus, a box or case, a battery, and an indicating
device carried by the box or case in circuit with the battery, combined with terminal
electrodes, substantially as described.
4. In an electrical indicating apparatus, a box, a battery and an indicating device
in circuit with the battery, combined with a cable having two of its wires connected
with the positive and negative pole of the said battery, and with metallic collars on the
said cable provided with metallic fingers forming the terminals of the battery circuit,
the said collars being in contact with the positive and negative wires in the cable,
substantially as described. .
5. In an electrical indicating apparatus, a box, a battery and a bell in circuit with
the battery, combined with a cable having two of its wires connected with the positive
and negative pole of the said battery, and with metallic collars on the said cable
provided with metallic fingers forming the terminals of the battery circuit, the said

page_text: collars being in contact with the positive and negative wires in the cable, substantially
as described.
6. In an electrical indicating apparatus, a box, a battery and a bell in circuit with
the said battery, and a cable having two of its wires connected with the positive and
negative pole of the said battery, and metallic collars on the said cable provided with
metallic fingers forming the terminals of the battery circuit, the said collars being in
contact with the positive and negative wires in the said cable, combined with a
resistance and a switch to interpose or cut out the said resistance according as the
apparatus is to be used in salt or fresh water, substantially as described.
7. The cable C composed of wires, two of which constitute a positive and negative
wire, combined with two metallic collars mounted on said cable, one collar being in
contact with the positive wire and the other collar being in contact with the negative
wire, and with a metallic finger on each collar, substantially as described.
1
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.