Improvements in the Treatment of Ores, and Apparatus therefor, the In being also Adapted for the Treatment of Sewage.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 16th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 24th Jan., 1898
Improvements in the Treatment of Ores, and Apparatus therefor,
the Invention being also Adapted for the Treatment of Sewage.
I, JOHN POOLE, Mining Engineer, of Coolgardie, Western Australia, but temporarily
of 26, Mount Pleasant, Tunbridge Wells, in the County of Kent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the treatment of ores and to apparatus
therefor, the invention being particularly applicable to gold bearing ores, tailings
and the like which are to be treated by cyanide or other like gold solvent
solutions.
In carrying out my invention the ores, tailings, slimes, pulp from the mill, sands,
alluvial or other matter to be treated is run in a more or less finely divided or
ground state into a comparatively shallow tray like bath or vat where it is subjected
to a raking action in water by harrows or like apparatus suitably reciprocated and
preferably so suspended that the ends of the teeth do not touch the bottom of the
bath.
In this bath any free gold present has an opportunity to settle. If clean and free
milling ores are being treated quicksilver may be placed in the bath to amalgamate
the gold. The rest of the ore in solution is allowed to gradually flow over the end
or edge of the bath into similar tray-like baths or vats but of larger dimensions in
which the ore is treated with cyanide bromine chlorine or other desired solutions.
A series of these baths or vats each provided with the reciprocating harrows before
described is employed the baths being so arranged or inclined that the ore and
solution flow over the edge of one bath into the one next in order the agitation to
which they are subjected and the large surface which is exposed by reason of the
formation of the baths enabling the cyanide or like solution to be brought very
effectively into contact with the ore.
In these baths the fine gold is dissolved and from them the ore and solution flow
into settling tanks where in due course the gold bearing solution is drawn off by
pipes having suitable valves placed at the desired height in the tanks and taken to
the usual extractor boxes where it is treated in the ordinary way. The ore remains
at the bottom of the tank, which bottom is a sloping one until a door is opened
when it will be discharged into a sump in which works an endless conveyer of
some suitable description which will raise the ore and deliver it into a further and
similar tank or first into a launder having a studded or ribbed bottoin to break up
the material and in which a weak solution is added to it. In the first vat the ore
may be deprived of say 50% of its bullion and in the second vat which contains a
cyanide or like solution it will be deprived of say 25% after which the same process
may be repeated the ore being treated in a third tank and so on as required to
obtain as far as possible all the gold contained therein.
The tanks may be so arranged that one set are being used for settling while
another set are being emptied of solution and ore as previously described.
By the means above described the coarse as well as the fine gold may be obtained
within a few hours of crushing the remainder being afterwards secured. The water

page_text: required is considerably less than that used in cyanide treating as at present
carried on, and the loss but little more than the moisture in the residues.
The quantity required in the agitation can be as low as equal weight of tailings or
slimes while the strength of the solution will vary with the ore but for example
0.001% will work with some ores.
In treating slime direct they may be delivered into the large agitating bath
without the intervention of the first bath in which the coarse gold is deposited or
concentrated.
All free milling ores sands and tailings may be leached as formerly after the
agitation as above described.
Where it is desired to use chlorine gas or the like under pressure the baths may
be provided with gas tight covers and have suitable packing boxes through which
the parts operating the agitating harrows work.
These harrows if it is desired to introduce air, liquid or gases into the ore through
them may have their teeth formed of pipes suitably perforated so that the fluid
supplied will enter the body of the ore.
By this process amalgamation by copper plates and leaching of the cyanide or
other solution is no longer necessary, nor is the presence of slimes to be feared as
the ore may be crushed dry or wet as. fine as is possible in order to liberate the whole
of the precious metal from the gangue. A small quantity of lime may be crushed
with the ore, or mixed in the first or concentrating vats for the double purpose of
neutralising the acids in the ores and for causing a quick precipitation of the solid
matter in the settling tanks. In order to remove the soluble sulphates, acids,
salts &c. a preliminary water wash may be necessary.
The apparatus is also adapted for treating sewage with air or chemicals and for
the settling and decantation of same.
The process and apparatus is adapted for the treatment of alluvial and beach
sands in a similar and direct manner without first pulverising the wash, but by first
separating the large stones, pebbles and the like with a trommel (revolving screen)
or similar means and then treating the residue as for ordinary tailings.
Dated this 16th day of June 1897.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.
Improvements in the Treatment of Ores, and Apparatus therefor,
the Invention being also Adapted for the Treatment of Sewage.
I, JOHN POOLE, Mining Engineer, of Coolgardie, Western Australia, but
temporarily of 26, Mount Pleasant, Tunbridge Wells, in the County of Kent, 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 improvements in the treatment of pulverized ores and to
apparatus therefor the invention being particularly applicable to gold and silver
bearing ores, tailings slimes and the like which are to be treated by cyanide or other
like gold and silver solvent solutions the invention being also in part adapted for the
treatment of sewage.
In the accompanying drawings is illustrated apparatus forming part of my inven-
tion and for carrying same into effect. In these drawings

page_text: Fig. 2 is a plan.
Fig. 3 is an end view looking from the right hand.
Fig. 4 is a part elevation of one set of the settling tanks employed.
Fig. 5 is an elevation on an enlarged scale shewing one form of the raking or
harrow teeth and
Fig. 6 is an elevation shewing another form of tooth.
The apparatus is shewn as arranged in a suitable covered building and consists of
one two or more shallow tray like baths a connected at their ends with a common
bath a with which communicates a conveyor or bucket belt a². In the baths a are
rakes or harrows b preferably suspended by flexible connections c such connections
which may be cords chains or the like passing over pulleys and down to winches or
other mechanism d by which the harrows may be raised or lowered to suit the amount
or quality of material in the bath such harrows being preferably always suspended
so that they do not touch the bottom and capable of being raised when required to
empty the bath.
A reciprocating movement is given to the harrows by means of the pitmen e con-
nected to the cranks of a shaft f which is suitably rotated from a shaft f¹ driven by a
pulley f from a pulley f³ on a main shaft f* driven by suitable engines or motors.
At the ends of the baths a are situated a series of similar shallow tray-like baths g
of larger dimensions provided also with harrows or rakesh hung on flexible
connections c¹ attached to winches d' such rakes being operated by pitmen i con-
nected to cranks on the shaft f These baths are preferably placed at a slight
incline towards one end where there is situated overflow chutes j j¹ which overhang
respectively the end tanks of a series of settling tanks k ki k².
These tanks are each provided with pipes draining into a pipe common to all
such pipes having cocks at different heights placed on the tanks and com-
municating therewith. The tanks have also sloping bottoms indicated at m Fig. 3
communicating with doors m¹ while between each pair of tanks k k or k¹ k¹ is a sump
or pit in which works an endless conveyor or bucket belt n n¹ arranged to deliver
into troughs or launders o o¹ having each two spouts or branches passing to the tanks k¹k¹
and respectively. Such spouts are provided with dams or doors p as are
also the chutesjj and baths a a¹. There are provided also suitable tanks qq and
for the mixing and storage of the cyanide or other dissolving working solutions.
The teeth 8 of the rakes or harrows may be solid or hollow throughout their
length and open at their ends as shown in Fig. 5 (or they may be perforated as at 81
Fig. 6) such teeth being connected through pipes with a flexible tube t by which
air, liquid, or gases may be forced or introduced into the body or mass of material
in the baths.
In carrying out the process the tailings, slimes, pulp from the mill, sands, alluvial
or other matter to be treated and in a more or less finely divided state is elevated by.
the conveyor a into the bath a¹ supplied with water and from thence overflows into
the baths a where it is subjected to a raking action in the water by the harrows.
In these baths & any free gold present has an opportunity to settle. If clean and
free milling ores are being treated quicksilver may be placed in the bath to
amalgamate the gold. The rest of the pulp is allowed to gradually flow over the
ends or edges of the baths into the first bath or vat g in which the pulp or tailings
are treated with cyanide bromine chlorine or other desired solutions and which are
continuously supplied to same. These baths are so arranged or inclined that the
pulp and solution flow over the edge of the first one into the one next in order, the
agitation to which they are subjected and the large surface which is exposed by
reason of the formation of the baths enabling the pulp with cyanide or like solution.
to be brought very effectively into contact with the air.
In these baths the fine gold is dissolved and from them the tailings and solution
flow by the chutes j or j¹ into the tanks where in due course the gold bearing
solution is drawn off by the pipes and taken to the usual extractor boxes where it is
treated in the ordinary way. The tailings remain at the bottom of the tank k until

page_text: the door m¹ is opened when it is discharged into the sump in which works the con-
veyor n which will raise the tailings and deliver it into the launder o and from thence
into the next tanks ¹¹. This launder o may have a studded or ribbed bottom to break
up the material and will have a weak cyanide or like solution or water wash supplied to
it.
In the first tank the tailings may be deprived of say 50% of its bullion and in the
second tank which also contains a cyanide or like solution it will be deprived of say
50% or one half of the bullion remaining therein after which the same process may be
repeated the tailings being removed and elevated to the third tanks ²² and so on as
required to obtain as far as possible all the bullion contained therein any suitable
number or arrangement of tanks being employed about one half of the remaining
bullion in the tailings being extracted at each operation.
The tanks may be so arranged that one set are being used for settling while
another set are being emptied of solution and tailings as previously described this
being effected by the dams or doors p.
By the means above described the coarse as well as well as the greater portion of
the fine gold may be obtained within a few hours of crushing, the remainder being
afterwards secured. The water required is considerably less than that used in battery
treating and the loss but little more than the moisture in the residues.
The quantity required in the agitation can be as low as equal weight of tailings or
slimes while the strength of the solution will vary with the ore but for example 0.01%
will work with some slimes.
.
In treating slimes direct and tailings carrying very fine gold they may be delivered
into the large baths g without the intervention of the first bath a.
All free inilling ores sands and tailings may be leached as formerly after the
agitation as above described wherever suitable.
Where it is desired to use chlorine gas or the like under pressure the baths may
be provided with gas tight covers and have suitable packing boxes through which
the parts operating the agitating harrows work.
By this process, amalgamation by copper plates and leaching of the cyanide or
other solution is no longer necessary, nor is the presence of slimes to be feared as
the ore may be crushed dry or wet as fine as is possible in order to liberate the whole
of the precious metal from the gangue. A small quantity of lime may be crushed
with the ore, or mixed in the first or concentrating baths a for the double purpose of
neutralising the acids in the ores and for causing a quick precipitation of the solid
matter in the settling tanks. In order to remove the soluble sulphates, acids, salts
and the like a preliminary water wash may be necessary.
The apparatus is also adapted for treating sewage with air or chemicals and for the
settling and decantation of same.
The process and apparatus is adapted for the treatment of alluvial and beach sands
in a similar and direct manner without first pulverising the wash, but by first
separating the large stones, pebbles and the like with a revolving screen or similar
means and then treating the residue as for ordinary_tailings.
By means of the process and apparatus above described it will be seen that a
comparatively thin body of material is exposed to the action of the cyanide or like
solution that such body of material is being continuously moved and that the solution
itself has a large surface exposed to the air in an apparatus of a cheap and simple
construction all these being very desirable features in the working particularly of the
cyanide process and that the treatment is a continuous one the material passing
through the apparatus at a rate which may be regulated by the manner in which the
extraction is proceeding.
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. The herein described process for the treatment of pulp slimes tailings and the
like with cyanide and similar solutions, consisting in treating comparatively thin

page_text: bodies or masses of same in the solution in shallow trays to the action of rakes and
subsequently allowing the mass of tailings or the like to separate from the solution
in settling tanks substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. The herein described process for the treatment of pulp, slimes, tailings, and the
like consisting in subjecting a comparatively thin body of same to a raking action in
water in a bath for the purpose of allowing any free precious metal to settle and then
treating such thin body in a series of baths and in a continuously supplied cyanide
or like solution to a further raking action, the overflow from the baths being run
into settling tanks to separate the solid and liquid contents therein substantially as
described.-
3. The herein described process for the treatment of pulp, slimes, tailings, and the
like, consisting in subjecting a comparatively thin body of same in a series of baths
to a raking action and in a continuously supplied cyanide or like solution, the overflow
from the last bath being run into a settling tank and the precipitated matter being
transferred to a further settling tank together with a weak cyanide solution for the
purpose of depriving it of further precious metal, substantially as described.
4. For the treatment of pulps, slimes, tailings, and the like with cyanide and
similar solutions and in combination a series of shallow tray-like baths, a rake in each
bath of the series, means for reciprocating the rakes and an overflow chute at the
end of the series, substantially as described.
5. For the treatment of pulps, slimes, tailings and the like with cyanide and
similar solutions and in combination a series of shallow tray-like baths, a rake in
each bath of the series, means for reciprocating the rakes, an overflow chute at the
end of the series, a settling tank beneath said chute, and means for separately
removing the liquid and solid contents of same, substantially as described.
6. In the treatment of pulps, slimes, tailings and the like with cyanide and
similar solutions, and in combination, a series of shallow tray-like baths, a rake in
each bath of the series, means for reciprocating the rakes, an overflow chute at the
end of the series, settling tanks, means for separately discharging the solid and liquid
contents of the tanks, conveyors adapted to raise the solid contents from one tank
after discharge, a launder in which such contents are received and in which they may
be further treated and a further settling tank, substantially as described.
7. The combination with a series of settling tanks having means for separately
discharging the solid and liquid contents, of conveyors adapted to transfer the solid
contents of one or one series into the next tank or series substantially as and for the
purposes described.
8. The arrangement of apparatus substantially as and for the purposes described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 15th day of December 1897.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.