Improvements in Amalgamating Apparatus.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 1st June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th July, 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Amalgamating Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM LEIGH, of 307, St. James's Road, Old Kent Road, in the County of
Surrey, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates improved apparatus for separating gold and other precious
metals from their ores by the process of amalgamation.
According to my said invention I employ a number of narrow tanks which are
placed side by side and one above the other in such a manner that a flow of material
can take place from one tank to another throughout the whole series.
Each of these tanks is filled to its overflow level with mercury or quicksilver, and
is provided with a central longitudinal division. This division does not extend quite
to the bottom of the tank so that any material which flows in on the high side
thereof, will, in order to escape on the low side, have to flow beneath the said
division.
The ore to be treated is conducted from the stamping battery by any suitable means
to the uppermost tank of the series and drops into the same upon one side of the
division plate.
The discharge of the ore into the tank is effected from such a height that the said
ore is caused to descend through the mercury below the level of the division plato
owing to the impetus which it has acquired in falling.
As the flow of ore continues, that which has previously fallen is caused to pass
beneath the division plate when it rises through the mercury on the opposite side of
the said plate. Owing to the introduction of ore into the tank the mercury therein
is caused to overflow into the tank below, taking with it the ore which passes beneath
the division in the second tank and so on. The overflow point of each tank is con-
siderably above the level of the liquid of that next beneath it to facilitate the circulation
as hereinbefore described.
By reason of this novel arrangement of tanks with their division plates each
particle of ore is brought into intimate contact with the mercury.
The bottom of each tank is formed with a hollow or double bottom through which
steam can circulate in order to maintain the temperature of the liquid in the tanks.
Dated the 3rd day of September 1887.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, WILLIAM LEIGH, of 307, St. James's Road, Old Kent Road, in the County of
Surrey, Mechanical 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 improved apparatus for separating gold and other precious
metals from their ores by the process of amalgamation.
According to my said invention I employ a number of narrow tanks which are
placed side by side and one above the other in such a manner that a flow of material
can take place from one tank to another throughout the whole series.
and
Each of these tanks is filled to a certain level with mercury or quicksilver,
is provided with a central longitudinal division. This division does not extend quite
to the bottom of the tank so that any material which flows in on the high side
thereof will, in order to escape on the low side, have to flow beneath the said
division.
Each tank is formed with a hollow or double bottom through which steam can
circulate in order to maintain the temperature of the liquid in the tanks.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is an end elevation partly in section of a series of tanks constructed and
arranged according to my invention, and
Figure 2 is rear elevation of the same.
a, a, a, are the tanks, each of which, as shown, comprises a cast metal bottom
portion (having a space c formed therein), and a sheet metal upper portion d, con-
siderably higher on one side than the other, but which may be of any other desirable
construction. These tanks are arranged as shown in figure 1 so that the lower side
of one is adjacent to the higher side of the other, the adjacent sides being united by
bolts.
e is a division plate, one of which extends longitudinally through each tank, and
is attached to the ends thereof. These plates are faced with copper or other material
suitable for use in the amalgamation of gold and other metals, and are preferably
arranged at an angle as shown, so that any material entering the tanks on the high
side strikes the said division plate. e', is the space which is left between the bottom of
the said plate and the floor of the tank. These division plates ensure the submersion
of any ore introduced into the tanks, before it can escape therefrom.
f is a pipe through which the steam is introduced into the hollow bottoms of the
tanks, and g, g are tubes which connect the hollow bottoms of adjacent tanks, the said
tubes being placed alternately at opposite ends of the tanks as shown in figure 2, so
that the steam is caused to pass through the whole length of each hollow bottom before
it escapes at the outlet h.
i is a cock one of which is arranged in connection with the interior of each tank
for drawing off the amalgam,

page_text: The operation of my apparatus is as follows, that is to say:-The tanks having been
filled to the proper level with mercury, the ore to be treated is conducted from the
stamping battery by any suitable means to the uppermost tank of the series and drops
into the same between the division plate and the higher side of the tank.
The discharge of the ore into the tank is effected from such a height that the said
ore is caused to descend through the mercury below the level of the division plate
owing to the impetus which it has acquired in falling.
As the flow of ore continues, the liquid in the tank is caused to overflow on the
lower side thereof, so that the material which has fallen is caused to gradually pass
beneath the division plate. After the ore has risen through the mercury on the
opposite side of the said plate, it is carried with the mercury into the tank below and
passes through the mercury therein and beneath the division plate in the second tank
and so on.
The overflow point of each tank is considerably above the level of the liquid of
that next beneath it, whereby the gravity of the material falling from one tank to the
other will facilitate the circulation as hereinbefore described.
By reason of the novel arrangement of tanks with their division plates as herein-
before described, each particle of ore is brought into intimate contact with the
mercury.
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 amalgamating apparatus the use of a series of tanks arranged at different
levels in such a manner, that the ore after it has passed through the mercury in one
tank will drop into that beneath it until it has passed through the whole series of
tanks, substantially in the manner described.
2. In amalgamating apparatus, the employment of a tank or tanks having a division
plate or plates arranged substantially in the manner described, for ensuring the
submersion of ore, introduced into the said tank, before it can escape therefrom.
3. The improved amalgamating apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 1st day of June 1888.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London
Agents for the Applicant.