IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESSING ORES REQUIRING WASHING
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NICHOLAS
TROUGHTON, of Swansea, in the County of Glamorgan, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Ier
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-third day of June, in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Nicholas Troughton, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Nicholas Troughton, my exors, adññiors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Nicholas Troughton, my exors, admiors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and within the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney,
Sark, and Man, and also in all Ier said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESSING ORES REQUIRING WASHING;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Nicholas
Troughton, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
Nicholas Troughton, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say)-
The Invention relates to constructing and arranging seives for washing ores,
and so working them that in addition to water rising through the seives water
is caused to flow over the surfaces thereof in a horizontal direction, or nearly so,
carrying the lighter or refuse matter onwards, leaving the heavier metallic ore
behind. And it is important that the peculiar principles on which the
Invention depends should be well understood, and for that purpose I will
shortly explain the effects of washing ore as at present practised, in order that
the nature of my Invention may be more readily understood. It is well
known that when a quantity of ore which has been broken fine is put into
a seive, and the same worked in water, that the heavier matters fall to the
lowest position of the mass in the sieve, and the lighter or refuse matter may
be to some extent removed and separated by hand. Other means of separating
the earthy or refuse matter from ores, for which Letters Patent have been
granted, consisted in causing the sieves used to remain stationary, whilst
water was forced to flow throngh the same from below upwards, and then
to pass over the sides of the sieves, there being intervals of rest, the water
being stopped from flowing up through the seives, during which times of
rest the heavier matters were allowed by their greater specific gravity to fall
And it has also been
to the lower part of the mass or ore in the seives.
proposed to cause the pulverized ore to be first sifted, so as to divide the
particles of the same sizes from particles of other sizes, and then the ore
(the particles of which are as nearly the same size as possible) is permitted to
fall in water, advantage being taken of the greater speed with which the
heavier particles will descend through the water, so that when the matters
have been falling for a regulated time the further descent of the particles
towards the upper part of the water is prevented, thus separating the heavier
from the lighter particles contained in the ore, as was described in the Specifi-
cation of a Patent granted to Mr. William Brunton. And I mention these
methods of washing ores in order to state that the fact that the heavier particles
of ore fall by their greater gravity faster than the lighter or earthy or refuse
matters when the same are in water is well known, and therefore is not claimed
by me as a novel discovery in washing ores. At the same time my Invention
relates to means of taking advantage of that property in matter in order

page_text: to separate the heavier from the lighter particles of matters when wash ing
ores. It will be readily understood that when a quantity of pulverized ore
is placed in a sieve, and the sieve is quickly immersed in water, that the
rising up of the water through the sieve, and amongst the ore, will cause this
effect, videlicit, that the lighter particles will be suspended in the water at
a greater distance from the surface of the sieve than the heavier particles,
and when the seive is again raised the heavier particles, not only from their
greater gravity, but also from their being nearest the sieve, will arrive quickest
on the surface of the sieve; and such is the process which takes place when
washing ores with sieves, whether the sieve be raised up and down, or the
water be permitted at intervals to flow up through the sieves; but in
these cases the earthy and refuse matters for the most part fall back, and lic
upon the ores, and the same can be separated only to a limited degree with
practical utility; but by my Invention the ores while suspended in water
receive a motion in a horizontal direction, so that in falling the lighter particles
will be carried further in a horizontal direction than the heavier ones, and
thus the lighter particles will be separated from the heavier ones, the earthy
and lighter matters being carried further and further from the heavier particles
of the matters under process as the same are successively caused to be
suspended on the water; and thus it will be seen, that although the property
of the greater gravitation of the heavier particles is taken advantage of by
me in carrying out my Invention, it is by combining that action with another
action, which carries away the lighter particles of matter contained in the
ore in a horizontal direction further and further from the heavier particles
of matter contained in the ore, as herein described. And in order that
the Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried into effect, I
will proceed to explain the Drawing annexed, in the various Figures of
which the same letters are used to indicate the same parts wherever they
occur.
c
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a sieve, and machinery for working the
same, arranged according to my Invention. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section
of the same. Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of sieves separately. Figure 4
s a plan of the sieves. The combined sieves shewn are divided into eight
compartments or separated sieves, yet all combined on the same frame, and
.
וי
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a sieve, and machinery for working the
same, arranged according to my Invention. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section
of the same. Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of sieves separately. Figure 4
s a plan of the sieves. The combined sieves shewn are divided into eight
compartments or separated sieves, yet all combined on the same frame, and
back-sieve or compartment is similar to all the others, as will readily be
understood on examining the Drawing. I would remark, that although I

page_text: have shewn the combined sieve to consist of eight compartments, that number
may be varied, the object being that the ore shall be separated from the
lighter earthy or refuse matters by being successively operated on in a
series of sieves, as the currents of water rushing up through and over the
sieves carry the lighter refuse matters forward from sieve to sieve. The frame 5
of sieves shown consists of a quadrangular frame of wood or other suitablo
material; a, a, being the sides, and b, b', the ends thereof.
c, c, are bars
which divide the sieves from each other; and d, d, are bars for having affixed
thereto the wire cloth e, e, as is shewn in the Drawing, each compartment
being composed of two inclined planes of wire cloth, which wire cloth is of the
same description as that which has been heretofore used in sieves for washing
ores, as is indicated by dotted lines; and this arrangement is important in the
well working of a series of sieves. f, f, are two flap valves, which open as
the sieves descend in the water, and water flows up through them, and flows
over from end to end of the sieves, carrying forward from sieve to sieve the
lighter particles of matter put in motion by the water rising up through the
meshes of the sieves as the sieves descend in the water. The under part of
the frame of sieves is enclosed on all sides by plates g, g, and h, h, as is
shewn. The upper part of the frame is enclosed on three sides, as is shewn
at a, a, and b. The frame of sieves thus constructed and arranged is to have
a quick up and down motion, communicated to it by any suitable means, the
sieves working in a tank or vessel of water. The frame of sieves has two
straps i, i, affixed across it, to which the rods j, j, are affixed by suitable
screws and nuts or other convenient means, such rods sliding through guiding
holes in the framings k, k, affixed across the tank or water vessel, as is shewn.
1, 1, are two connecting rods attached to the rods j by pin joints, and by other
pin joints to the arms m, affixed to the axis n, which axis moves in bearings
at o, o, o. The axis n receives motion from the axis p by means of the
rod attached by a pin joint to the arm r, affixed to the axis n; the other
end of the rod q embracing an excentrics, affixed on the axis p. On the
axis p is affixed a fly wheel t. The axis p receives motion from the band v,
acting on the drum or pulley u, and motion is communicated to the band v
by the drum w, affixed on the axis x, such axis receiving rotatory motion from
a steam engine or any suitable power. y is a hopper, placed over the
frame of sieves, so that the ore in the ordinary broken state may fall through
the openings below when the slides zaro opened. The ore, falling into the
compartment of the sieves A, A, and B, B, will by the quick up and
motion of the sieves in the water, and by the water rising up through the

page_text: 5
sieves, be for the time being suspended in the water, and during that time
the flow of water issuing from the valves will carry forwards the lighter
particles, leaving the heavier particles in the compartments nearest the valves,
so that as the process goes on the heavier parts of the ore will be left in
the lower part of the sieves, the lighter parts or refuse being carried onwards
and onwards, and ultimately falling over the end of the sieves. I would
here remark, that although I believe the arrangements of sieves shewn in
Drawing, and above described, to be the best for the carrying out my In-
vention, I do not confine myself to the details of construction, as long as
the peculiar character of action be retained whereby the lighter particles of
matter are carried on by a current of water flowing in a horizontal direction,
or nearly so, further and farther from the heavier particles, as herein described.
And I do not confine myself to the mode of obtaining currents of water to
flow by valves, as other means may be resorted to for obtaining currents, and
causing the lighter particles to be carried away in a horizontal direction, and
separated from the heavier particles of matters in the ores under process,
though I believe the arrangment of sieves and mode of working the same
I have described to to be the best for the purpose. The refuse matter passing
off from the sieves, and the finer particles passing through the sieves, are to
be redressed when they contain sufficient metallic matter to pay for the cost,
using finer sieves for the finer particles. When the ore has been washed,
a bar 22,
the sieves are to be raised by withdrawing the pin r¹, and then by
introduced into the socket 3, raising the sieves, and keeping them raised
by lashing the bar 2 to the hook w; the ore is then to be shovelled
out.
Having thus described my Invention, I would wish it to be understood that
that which I claim are the means herein described of dressing ores by causing
the lighter particles to be separated from the heavier ones by moving the
lighter particles whilst suspended in water to a greater and a greater distance
in a horizontal direction from the heavier particles; and I claim combining
therewith the use of a succession of sieves, whereby any metallic ore which
may be carried forward from one sieve by the currents in a horizontal direc-
tion, or nearly so, may be deposited in a further sieve.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nicholas Troughton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
NICHOLAS (L.S.) TROUGHTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1843, the aforesaid Nicholas Troughton came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-third day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-three.