improvements in the Frocess or separating Frecios Metals ITOM their Ores and in Apparatus to be Employed therein.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov.. 1887
Complete Left, 25th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 29th June, 1888
improvements in the Frocess or separating Frecios Metals ITOM
their Ores and in Apparatus to be Employed therein.
1, ALEXANDER NICHOLAS CONTARINI, of 30 Marshall Street, St. George's Road,
Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object to provide efficient and economical means whereby
precious metals are separated from their ores in a rapid and continuous manner.
With this object I avail myself of the difference in specific gravity between the
precious metals and the matters from which they are to be separated by employing a
liquified medium of a specific gravity between the two so that when the matter to be
treated is introduced into the said liquified medium the precious metals descend and
the matters from which they are to be separated rise in the said medium. A suitable
medium is an alloy of bismuth tin and lead of such a nature that it is liquified or
rendered fluid by being maintained at a temperature of or about that of boiling water.
By varying the proportions of the constituents of the medium the specific gravity can
he correspondingly varied and consequently its power of separation within any desired
limits.
A suitable apparatus with which to carry my Invention into effect consists of a
hopper or vessel into which the pulverized ore is introduced and from which it may
be fed by an eccentric revolving feeder into a descending pipe or passage opening
upwards into a vessel containing the medium, kept liquid by gas-burners or otherwise.
In this vessel is a revolving shaft with a distributor situated over the opening of the
said pipe or passage for acting on the pulverized ore as it issues therefrom so as to
distribute it through the liquified medium. Above the surface of the said medium is
a revolving clearer for throwing the matter which collects on the surface out of the
vessel and it may be caused to pass into a vessel containing mercury by which any
DQ077

page_text: precious metal which may have escaped separation in the first treatment is separated
and recovered. The specific gravity of the mercury may be lowered to the required
degree by the introduction of a suitable material such as sodium. The precious metal
which gravitates to the bottom of the liquified medium may be removed by causing it
to descend the inclined bottom of the vessel containing the medium and to pass out by
an inclined pipe which may be furnished with a counterbalanced valve normally open
and leading to a receiver so that when the said receiver contains any given quantity of
precious metal it overbalances the counterweight of the valve and tips to discharge its
contents and in so doing closes the valve. When the contents are discharged the said
receiver returns to its normal position and in so doing opens the valve so that the
receiver can receive a fresh charge.
Dated this 19th day of NorAmber 1887
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agents for the said Alexander Nicholas Contarini.

page_text: Improvements in the Process of Separating Precious Metals from
their Ores and in Apparatus to be Employed therein.
I ALEXANDER NICHOLAS CONTARINI of 30 Marshall Street St. Georges Road South-
wark in the County of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My Invention has for its object to provide efficient and economical means whereby
precious metals are separated from their ores in a rapid and continuous manner. With
this object I avail myself of the difference between the specific gravities of the precious
metals when freed from their ores and of the matters from which they are to be
separated by employing a liquified medium of a specific gravity between the two and
also of the affinity for the said medium of the metals separated so that when the matter
to be treated is introduced into the said liquified medium the precious metals which
are of greater specific gravity descend and those which have an affinity for the medium
combine with the said medium whilst the matters from which they are separated rise
to the surface of the said medium. For treating ores containing gold platinum and
other metals of greater specific gravity than mercury I emply mercury as the separating
medium whilst for separating metals of less specific gravity than those mentioned I
may reduce the specific gravity of the mercury by adding thereto sodium or other
suitable alloy.
For separating metal of low specific gravity I employ an alloy of bismuth tin and
lead of such a nature that it is liquified or rendered fluid by being maintained at a
temperature of or about that of boiling water and by varying the proportions of the
constituents of the medium the specific gravity can be correspondingly varied and
consequently its power of separation be regulated within any desired limits. When
the separating medium employed is of a nature requiring to be maintained in a liquid
state by heat I heat the crushed ores to be treated before they are introduced into the
medium so that they shall not have a tendency to solidify the said medium.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates in vertical section an apparatus
suitable for carrying my Invention into effect. Fig. 2 shews a part of the same in
elevation. The said apparatus consists of a hopper or vessel A into which is introduced
the ore which has been pulverized or reduced to a fine powder. It passes thence into
a rotating feeding drum B divided into compartments a each fitted with a sliding
plunger & connected together in pairs by rods e as shewn. The feeding drum B
rotates in a cylinder a communicating at one side with the hopper A and at the
opposite side with a pipe or passage C leading to the Cylinder D of a rotary pump in
which works a rotating drum E mounted eccentrically therein. This drum is provided
with sliding blades or radial pistons F which as the drum rotates feed the crushed ore
through a passage or pipe which opens upwards into the vessel G containing the
separating liquid mediuin. If the medium be of a nature requiring to be kept liquid

page_text: by heat this may be effected by means of gas burners or by surrounding the vessel G
with a steam jacket or by other suitable means. On the axle of the drum E of the
rotary pump and outside the cylinder D is fixed a tappet / which as the drum rotates
acis upon an arm m attached to a valve n fitted in a pipe or passage o connecting the
interior of the vessel G with the Cylinder D. The valve n is opened each time one of
the arms of the tappet strikes the arm m of the said valve and thereby admits a
portion of the liquid medium to the pump cylinder D through the flap valve popening
inwards to mix with the crushed ore before it is forced by the pistons F of the pump
into the vessel G. The valve p is closed after admitting liquid to the cylinder D
by the pistons as the drum É rotates to force the material from the said cylinder
the material is forced by the pistons F into the passage through the valve F' which
opens outwardly and is provided with a spring or a weighted lever F² tending to
maintain the valve closed so as to prevent the liquid medium from the Cylinder G
passing by the said valve into the pump Cylinder D. In the vessel G is a revolving
shaft H mounted in bearings attached to the interior of the vessel G. This shaft is
rotated by means of a pin wheel i gearing with a lantern wheel k fast on the upper
end of the shaft H. The lower end of this shaft carries a disc or distributer I arranged
to rotate immediately over but not in contact with the mouth or opening f² of the pipe
or passage f. This distributor as it rotates acts upon the pulverized ore as it issues
from the mouth 2 so as to distribute it through the liquified medium in the vessel G
the distribution being further facilitated by arms f³ fast on the shaft H. In the upper
part of the vessel G above the surface of the liquid medium is a revolving clearer K
for removing from the interior of the vessel the matter which floats on the surface of
the medium. The precious metal which gravitates to the bottom of the liquified
medium in the vessel G descends the inclined bottom g and passes out by an inclined
pipe Linto a receiver N. The pipe L is furnished with a counterbalanced valve M
maintained normally open but when the receiver N contains any given quantity of
precious metal that will over-balance the counter weight m² of the valve M the receiver N
tips to discharge its contents and in so doing closes the valve M. When the contents
are discharged the said Receiver N is returned to its normal position by the counter-
weight m² and in so doing opens the valve M so that the receiver N can receive a fresh
charge. An arrangement is provided to indicate when the liquid medium in the
vessel G has become charged with metal having an affinity thereto and to indicate on
a dial the extent of the amalgamation of the said metal with the medium. For this
purpose the vessel G. is provided with a tube q upon which is fitted to turn a ring »
having two arms s s² each carrying a chamber or vessel t1². The Vessel t communicates
with the interior of the vessel G by the arms which is hollow so that the liquid
medium has free access thereto. The other vessel t² does not communicate with the
interior of the vessel G but is weighted with liquid or otherwise so as to counterbalance
the weight of the vessel when charged with the liquid medium before it has acted on
the crushed ore.
When the liquid medium becomes charged with metal the specific gravity of the
medium will be increased and will therefore overbalance the weight of the chamber t²
and cause the ring carrying the vessels t t² to turn on the tube q. An arm on the
ring is thus caused to act on the short arm of the lever u thereby causing the
long arm of the said lever to be deflected over a scale and thereby indicate on
the scale the extent to which the medium has become charged with metal.
The rotating portions of the apparatus may be operated by any suitable means, in
the drawing I have illustrated an arrangement of gearing for the purpose operated
by hand but which may if desired be driven by power. The wheel O which is
provided with a handle is mounted on a stud n² carried by one of the standards
or side frames P of the apparatus. The wheel gears with wheels Q. P" fast
respectively on the axles of the feeding drum B and the pump shaft E so that upon
rotating the wheel O the drum B and pump barrel E are also caused to rotate. As
the drum B rotates the compartments a are successively brought beneath the discharge
opening of the hopper A to receive the crushed ore and deposits the same into the
pipe C leading to the pump cylinder D.

page_text: The weight of the material entering the compartment a when beneath the delivery
spout of the hopper depresses the plunger in this compartment and as this plunger
is connected by the rods c to the plunger b of the opposite compartment a of the
drum the plunger in the latter is correspondingly depressed so that the material
contained in the said compartment is forced therefrom into the pipe or passage C
whence it passes into the pump cylinder D and is thence forced into the vessel G by
the pump pistons F as herein before described. The shaft H and the skimming
device K may be operated by separate gearing if desired. I have however shewn
them in the drawing as being driven by means of chains from the axle of the feeding
drum B. The skimming device as shewn in Fig. 1 consists of 2 hollow arms & carried
on a rotating hollow axle not shewn in the drawing communicating with the exterior
of the vessel G. These arms are each fitted with a sliding or telescopic scoop
provided with a pin or projection y. which enters and works in a cam groove z. fixed
to the interior of the vessel so that as the hollow axle carrying the arms rotates the
cam groove z will cause the scoops a to remove the material from the surface of the
medium without entering the said medium and conduct it through the hollow axle
to outside the vessel G. When the bulk of the medium separated from the ore is
increased by the amalgamation and deposition of the metals the liquid medium will
rise in the vessel and flow through the overflow pipe R into an annular trough S.
arranged round the upper part of the vessel from which it may be drawn off by the
cock and be reintroduced into the said vessel as occasion may require.
Instead of the gearing for driving the vertical shaft H being arranged to work in
the liquid mediuin as shewn in fig. 1 the shaft H may extend upwards above the
medium and the gearing for driving it may be arranged outside the vessel or in the
upper part thereof as shewn in Fig. 3 and the skimming device may also be modified
as shewn in the said Fig. 3 so as to rotate horizontally and to discharge the material
floating on the top of the medium through an opening or openings w provided in an
extended portion of the vessel G as shown.
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 :-
1. For separating metals from their ores the employment of a liquid having a
specific gravity between that of the metal contained in the ore and that of the other
matters combined therewith so that when the ore in a pulverized condition is
introduced into the liquid the metal will sink in the liquid and the other matters will
rise therein substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. For separating metals from their ores the employment of a liquid, into which
the ore in a pulverized condition is introduced and in which those matters contained
in the ore which have a specific gravity less than that of the liquid will rise therein
and the metal having a specific gravity greater than that of the liquid and having no
affinity therefor will sink therein whilst other metals contained in the ore and having
an affinity for the liquid will be absorbed thereby substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. In apparatus for separating precious metals from their ores a vessel containing
liquid having a specific gravity between that of the metal and the other matters
contained in the ore and provided with agitators for distributing the pulverized ore in
the liquid substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
4. The combination with the subject matter of the last preceding claiming clause of
the rotary pump or feeding device D. E. for feeding the pulverized ore into the
separating vessel G substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
5. The combination with the last two preceding claiming clauses of the feeding
device B having chambers a fitted or not with sliding plungers b for feeding the
pulverized ore to the rotary pump substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 6. In apparatus for separating precious metals from their ores by means of a liquid
medium having a specific gravity between that of the metal and the other matters
contained in the ores, an automatically acting device for discharging from the
separating vessel the metal separated from the ores substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
7. In apparatus for separating precious metals from their ores by means of a liquid
medium having a specific gravity between that of the metal and the other matters
contained in the ores means for indicating when the liquid medium is charged with
metals by affinity substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
8. In apparatus of the kind herein before described a device for skimming or
removing from the surface of the separating medium the matters separated from the
ores substantially as hereinbefore described.
9. The general construction combination and arrangement of parts constituting
apparatus for separating precious metals from their ores substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.