An Improved Process and Apparatus used therein for the Washing and Separating of Gems or other substances from the Earthy and other Mineral Matters containing them.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process and Apparatus used therein for the Washing
and Separating of Gems or other substances from the Earthy and
other Mineral Matters containing them.
I, WILLIAM STRONACH LOCKHART of 67 Granville Park, Blackheath, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
My invention relates to a complete and continuous process and to the combined
apparatus used therein for the washing and separation of gems or other substances
from the clay and earthy materials containing them and their further sorting and
separation from the insoluble minerals or other substances with which they may
be mixed.
The various steps of my process may be defined as follows:-
1st. The washing and attrition by large stones or added material of the clay and
earthy matters containing the gems and other minerals.
2nd. Jigging the mixed gems and other small minerals in water to further remove
clay and earth by attrition with the larger particles or added material.
3rd. Jigging the mixed gems and other small minerals and sand, on a fine screen
to allow sand and all small particles to pass away.
4th. A concentrating process whereby the bulk of the lighter materials are
separated from those of greater density thus reducing the amount to be subsequently
treated.
5th. A sizing treatment for the heavy particles of gems and other minerals to
obtain division into bodies of fairly uniform size.
6th. An hydraulic separation for each division of approximately uniformly sized
gems or other heavy minerals from lighter ones by their specific density under
the action of an ascending current of water.
Or equivalently step 4 may follow instead of precede step 5.
7th. A jigging process by which the denser particles are settled down and
accumulated whilst the lighter particles are carried away.
8th. The removal of waste materials from their settling tanks in the course of
above steps of process by means of syphonage with a suitable supply of liquid.
My above process may be carried out as follows:-
The clay or other earthy, material passes into a machine provided with a
revolving screen with interstices of any predetermined size so that nodules of clay
stones or pieces of any material of a considerable size are retained in it or if
desired lumps of hard metal or other material may be added and by its continued
revolution the lumps of clay or other soft material are gradually reduced by
washing or by the attrition with the hard stones and other pieces, retained from
the material treated or added if required or by both washing and attrition and so
soon as they have become smaller than the openings in the screen they naturally
pass through. This part of the process is preferably carried on in or under
water. The larger stones and other pieces which cannot so pass through this
screen are discharged by suitable means when required, and should be picked over
for any lumps of gem or other valuable material which may be among them.
The particles whether of clay stone or other material, which pass through the
screen are conducted by suitable means into one or more but preferably several
jig boxes, where they are jigged in water or other liquid either by the motion
of the jig boxes themselves, or by pulsations of the liquid in which they are
immersed imparted by any suitable means. At the lower part of the jig boxes
holes or openings are provided of a somewhat sinaller size than those in the screen

page_text: already described, so that some of the stones or other hard pieces either from the
material treated or added thereto if required are retained in the boxes where they
serve by their rubbing action to further reduce any clay or other soft material
that may find its way amongst them. Thus the small particles which can find
their way between the interstices of the larger particles gravitate downwards, and
when small enough pass out through the openings in the boxes, and to the next
part of the process. The jig boxes are provided with suitable means for discharging
their contents so that the pieces they have for a time detained may be either picked
over for valuable particles or pass on to another stage of the process. The material
that finds its way through or past the jig-boxes is conveyed or guided in any
suitable manner to an elevator; raised out of the water in which they have been
so far washed and passed on to the next machine. The supply of water or other
liquid of the process so far, is so arranged that its inlet is near the point at which
the washed material is extracted, and the outlet or discharge of the water or other
liquid is at a point where it is most likely to be most highly charged with clay or
other matter in suspension, the object being that the material to be washed
may meet with cleaner water or other liquid as it advances, and that the
matter in suspension in the water may be carried away as quickly as possible.
The washed material may, if desired, be passed through the process so far
described a second time, or as many times as may be considered desirable,
and then passed to a machine provided with a jigging trough into which it
is introduced. This trough which is immersed in water is preferably hung or
pivotted at the end at which the material is introduced, and inclined towards the
other end. It is provided with a bottom of screening material of any description
the openings being the size which may be determined on as representing worthless
gems or minerals and at which the sand, gems or other materials may go to
waste, so far as the present process is concerned; though of course such material
may, if desired, be passed through a subsequent screening or separating process.
The trough already mentioned is made wider by preference at the upper end, and
narrower at the lower end, and it is jigged by any suitable means, so that the
small materials which can pass through the openings in the bottom are screened
out of it, and the material retained in it is crowded into, a deeper bed, as it
descends gradually down the incline of the trough; and at the same time the
particles on it become, by the jigging or pulsating action, so arranged that the
denser ones take their place at the bottom of the advancing bed, and the lighter
ones towards the top. At a certain point in the trough a horizontal division of the
nature of a knife or slice, is introduced which may be adjustable or not as desired.
and which is intended to be set at such a level that all or the majority of the
heavier particles may pass under it, and are thus separated from the lighter
materials which pass over it. Proper means are adopted by graduating the slope
of the trough so that the bed of material may be rendered deeper or less deep as
may be desired and also of graduating or otherwise controlling the speed of the
jigging or pulsating motion. This motion may, according to convenience, be
imparted to the trough or to the water or other liquid in which it is immersed.
The sand and other material which passes through the trough is extracted from
the tank or box in which the trough is immersed by means of an elevator or other
suitable means, but preferably by means of one or more syphon pipes, so arranged
as to carry off the dirty water and sand or other material. The light material which
has passed over the dividing slice described may be extracted by an elevator or
other similar means, or by a syphon pipe, and carried on or not as may be expedient
to a final sifting process. The heavier portion of the material, presumably con-
taining the gems, or other particles of high density, is passed on to any suitable
sizing apparatus but preferably Lockhart's, applied for as a separate Patent, herewith
to be divided for size into any predetermined number of grades, say for example
ten grades or sizes of particles irrespective of their density. In this and the
preceding machine the water or other supply of liquid is so arranged, as to meet
the outcoming material and pass out with the outgoing or rejected material.
14
From

page_text: the sizing process the particles pass to an hydraulic separator such as Lockhart's
improved separator (applied for nnder No. 6246) where the denser particles are
separated from the lighter ones as may be desired. Or the sizing process may be
introduced after instead of before the passage through the separator or separators as
described and provided for in the Specification annexed to that Patent application.
From this separation process in whatever order it is carried out, the material passes
on to a final sifting process carried out by one or more jigs, into which the material
is introduced. The jigs may, for the purposes of description take the form of a
cylinder or box, with a perforated bottom, through which water or other liquid, in
which it is immersed, may find its way; and the jigging or pulsating action may be
either imparted to the cylinder or box, or to the water or other liquid. The action
of the jig is that the particles of great density, such as gems, or more valuable
minerals find their way to the bottom of the cylinder or box, while the lighter
particles, such as quartz, and the like, fall over the upper edge and pass away by
means of syphons, elevators, or by gravity, to trucks or shouts as may be arranged.
In this way the bulk of the lighter particles pass away, while the heavy ones are
retained, to be picked over or to pass through the process again or to a subsequent
process.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1892.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process and Apparatus used therein for the Washing
and Separating of Gems or other substances from the Earthy and
other Mineral Matters containing them.
I, WILLIAM STRONACH LOCKHART, of 67 Granville Park, Blackheath, in the
County of London, Engineer, 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:-
My invention relates to a complete and continuous process and to the combined
apparatus used therein for the washing and separation of gems, minerals or other
substances from the clay and earthy materials containing them and their further
sorting and separation from the insoluble minerals or other substances with which
they may be mixed.
The various steps of my process may be defined as follows:-
1st. The washing in water and attrition by large stones or added material of the
clay and earthy matters containing the gems and other minerals.
2nd. Jigging the mixed gens and other small minerals in water to further remove
by attrition clay and earth with the larger particles or added material.
3rd. Jigging the mixed gems and other small minerals and sand on a fine screen,
to allow sand and all small particles to pass away.
4th. A concentrating process whereby the bulk of the lighter materials are
separated from those of greater density thus reducing the amount to be subsequently
treated.
5th. A sizing treatment for the heavy particles of gems and other minerals to
obtain division into bodies of fairly uniform size.
6th. An hydraulic separation for each division of approximately uniformly sized
gems or other heavy minerals from lighter ones by their specific density under the
action of an ascending current of water. Or, equivalently step 5 may follow instead
of preceding step 6.
7th. A jigging process by which the denser particles are settled down and
accumulated, whilst the lighter particles are carried away.
8th. The removal of waste material from the settling tanks in the course of above
steps of process by means of syphonage with a suitable supply of liquid.

page_text: 1
My above process may be carried out as follows, and in order that my invention
may be the better understood, I now proceed to describe the same in relation to
the drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had to the letters and figures
marked thereon.
Figure Sheet 1 is a side elevation of my sample combined plant for carrying
out my improved process.
Figure 1 Sheet 2 is a continuation of the same.
Figure 2 Sheet 1 is a plan of the same.
Figure 2 Sheet 3 is a continuation of the said plan.
The clay or other earthy material passes by a trough A into a machine provided
with a revolving screen B with interstices of any predetermined size so that the
nodules of clay, stones or pieces of any material of a considerable size are retained
in it or if desired lumps of hard metal or other material may he added and by its
continued revolution the lumps of clay or other soft material are gradually reduced
by washing or by the attrition with the hard stones and other pieces retained from
the material treated, or added if desired or by both washing and attrition and so
soon as they have become smaller than the openings in the screen they naturally
pass through.
This part of the process is preferably carried on in or under water.
The larger stones and other pieces which cannot so pass through this screen are
discharged by suitable means when required and should be picked over for any
lumps of gem or other valuable material which may be among them.
The particles whether of clay stone or other material which pass through the
screen are conducted by suitable means into one or more but preferably several jig
boxes C where they are jigged in water or other liquid either by the motion of the
jig boxes themselves or by pulsations of the liquid in which they are immersed
imparted by any suitable means.
At the lower part of the jig boxes holes or openings are provided of a somewhat
smaller size than those in the screen already described, so that some of the stones
or other hard pieces either from the material treated or added thereto if required
are retained in the boxes where they serve by the rubbing action to further reduce
any clay or other soft material that may find its way amongst them. Thus the
small particles which can find their way between the interstices of the larger
particles gravitate downwards and when small enough pass out through the
openings in the boxes, and to the next part of the process. The jig boxes are pro-
vided with suitable means for discharging their contents so that the pieces they
have for a time detained may be either picked over for valuable particles or pass
on to another stage of the process. The material that finds its way through or past
the jig boxes is conveyed or guided by a screw feed D or in any suitable manner to
an elevator E raised out of the water in which they have been so far washed, and
passed on to the next machine by a trough F.
The supply of water or other liquid of the process so far is so arranged that its
inlet is near the point at which the washed material is extracted, and the outlet or
'discharge of the water or other liquid is at a point where it is most likely to be
most highly charged with clay or other matter in suspension, the object being that
the material to be washed may meet with cleaner water or other liquid as it
advances, and that the matter in suspension in the water may be carried away as
quickly as possible. The washed material may if desired be passed through the
process so far described a second time or as many times as may be considered
desirable, and then passed to a machine provided with a jigging trough G into which
it is introduced.
This trough G which is immersed in water is preferably hung or pivoted at the
end H at which the material is introduced and inclined towards the other end. It
is provided with a bottom of screening material of any description, the openings
being the size which may be determined on as representing worthless gems or
minerals and at which the sand gems or other material may go to waste so far as
the present process is concerned, though of course such material may if desired be
IM

page_text: :
passen through a subsequent screening or separating process. The trough already
mentioned is made wider by preference at the upper end and narrower at the lower
end, and it is jigged by an suitable means, viz. by an eccentric and rocking lever .J so
that the small materials which can pass through the openings in the bottom are screened
out of it, and the material retained in it is crowded into a deeper bed as it gradually.
descends the incline of the trough and at the same time the particles on it become
by the jigging and pulsating action so arranged that the denser ones take their place
at the bottom of the advancing bed and the lighter ones towards the top. At a
certain point in the trough a horizontal division of the nature of a knife or
slice K is introduced which may be adjustable or not as desired and which is intended
to be set at such a level that all or the majority of the heavier particles may pass
under it and are thus separated from the lighter materials which pass over it.
Proper means are adopted by graduating the slope of the trough so that the bed
of material may be rendered deeper or less deep as may be desired, and also of
graduating or otherwise controlling the speed of the jigging or pulsating motion.
This motion may according to convenience be imparted to the trough or to the
water or other liquid in which it is immersed.
The sand and other material which passes through the trough is extracted from
the tank or box in which the trough is immersed by means of an elevator or other
suitable means, but preferably by means of one or more syphon pipes L so arranged
as to carry off the dirty water and sand or other material. The light material which
has passes over the dividing slice described may be extracted by an elevator or
other similar means or by a syphon pipe, or by a gravity discharge shoot M and
carried on or not as may be expedient to a final sifting process. The heavier portion
of the material presumably containing the gems or other particles of high density is
passed on to any suitable sizing apparatus (but preferably the following) to be
divided for size into any predetermined number of grades say for example, ten
grades or sizes of particles irrespective of their density.
A suitable sizing machine has a screen keither cylindrical or polygonal perforated
with holes of various sizes in the various sections which are divided from one another
by diaphragms in an outer case m. These diaphragms are pierced with a central
hole to admit the screen and are sufficiently large to admit a reciprocating movement
of the screen.
Flanges are provided on the said screen embracing the said diaphragms and
covering the space between the cylinder and the fixed diaphragms. Within the said
screen is a helix p, so that the material to be screened shall be fed by the said helix
from end to end, so as to pass over the entire periphery of the screen as it revolves
below the material. The said screen is immersed in water & mounted on an axis g
which is supported by connecting rods from one end of rocking levers S pivoted on
bearings on fixed standards or frames the other end of the said rocking levers being
connected to eccentrics on a prime rotating shaft v. The rotation of the said
screen is effected by ropes chains or bands from a pulley w on the said driving shaft u
the gut or band passing over fixed pulleyse and thence to a pulley F on the shaft
supported by the rocking ends of the levers S and thence by pulleys from the said
shaft to the screen k.
This sizing or sorting machine is the subject matter of a separate Patent.
application under No. 1326 of 22nd January 1892.
In this and the preceding machine the water or other supply of liquid is so
arranged as to meet the outcoming material and pass out mainly with the outgoing
or rejected material. From the sizing process the particles pass to an hydraulic
separator either by the flow of water or by collection by an elevator from receptacles
into the hopper of an hydraulic separator where the denser particles are separated
from the lighter ones as may be desired.
may employ a stream of liquid supplied at a suitable head from any convenient
source into which the metals precious stones or other minerals with their crushed
mineral gangue or matrices such as quartz &c. have been fed. The downward
flowing stream carrying the said mixed minerals or other materials is introduced by

page_text: a pipe a into a vertical or approximately vertical column or stand pipe 6 of any
suitable section either from above or below, but so that the suspended material is
subjected to the upward flow of an ascending current, the liquid with the lighter
mineral substances passing over the summit c of the said vertically flowing stream
or stand pipe, and the heavier minerals, such as metals or precious stones, failing to
travel the full height of the said vertical stream fall down into a suitable receptacle
or receptacles d for their collection. The ascending column or stand pipe may be
conveniently made of glass or other material so arranged with sight holes or windows
for observation of the behaviour of the materials within it. The velocity of the
upward current may be simply regulated by turning over a stand pipe b as a syphon
and adjusting the end e of the said outer syphon pipe at any height.
The collecting receptacle or pockets are arranged so that by means of a suitable
valve or cock above the receptacle and a valve or controllable orifice or door g
the collected minerals may be withdrawn from time to time without interfering
with the continuous action of the apparatus.
This hydraulic separator is the subject of a separate Patent granted to me under
No. 6246 of 11th April 1891.
Or the sizing process may be introduced after instead of before the passage
through the separator or separators.
From this separation process, in whatever order it is carried out, the material
passes on to a final sifting process carried out by one or more jigs N, into which
the material is introduced. The jigs, may, for the purposes of description, take the
form of a cylinder, or box, with a perforated bottom, through which water or other
liquid, in which it is immersed, may find its way; and the jigging or pulsating
action may be either imparted to the cylinder or box, or to the water or other
liquid. The action of the jig is that the particles of great density, such as gems,
or more valuable minerals, find their way to the bottom of the cylinder or box,
while the lighter particles such as quartz and the like, fall over the upper edge
and pass away by means of syphons, elevators, or by gravity to trucks P or shoots,
as may be arranged. In this way the bulk of the lighter particles pass away, while
the heavy ones are retained, to be picked over or be passed through the process
again or on to a subsequent process.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. A process for the washing and separating of gems or other minerals con-
sisting of 1st. The washing and attrition of the clay and earthy matters, 2nd the
jigging of gems and other minerals together to further remove clay and earth,
3rd the jiggging of gems and minerals and sand to remove sand and small particles,
4th a concentrating process separating the bulk of lighter materials from those of
greater density, 5th a sizing treatment to obtain division into particles of fairly
uniform size, 6th an hydraulic separation of uniforinly sized particles according to
their specific density, 7th a jigging process for automatically settling and accumu-
lating the denser particles and Sth the removal of waste materials from their settling
tanks in the course of above steps by syphonage with a suitable supply of liquid.
2nd. The combination of the various examples of machines substantially as
herewith described for carrying out the above process.
Dated the 22nd day of October 1892
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.