IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING METALLIC ORES FROM THEIR COMBINATIONS AND ALLOYS BY DISSOLUTION IN SEPARATING THE UNDISSOLVED RESIDUA FROM THE SOLUTIONS, AND AN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Guy Wilson, of 71, Market Street, in the City of
Manchester, and 8, Quality Court, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING
METALLIC ORES FROM THEIR COMBINATIONS AND ALLOYS BY DISSOLUTION IN
SEPARATING THE UNDISSOLVED RESIDUA FROM THE SOLUTIONS, AND AN
APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by Valentin Neukirch,
Mining Engineer, of Reichenstein, Silesia, in the Empire of Germany.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Guy Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th November 1878.
JOHN GUY WILSON, of 71, Market Street, in the City of Manchester, and 8,
Quality Court, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent.
IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING METALLIC ORES FROM THEIR COMBINATIONS AND
ALLOYS BY DISSOLUTION IN SEPARATING THE UNDISSOLVED RESIDUA FROM THE
SOLUTIONS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by
Valentin Neukirch, Mining Engineer, of Reichenstein, Silesia, in the Empire of
Germany.
The solvent or dissolving fluid, which differs according to the nature of the metals to
be dissolved, is continually flowing down from the reservoir D, Figs. 1, 2, and 3,
through the pipe d, stop cock h, and pipe e to the lower end of the angular chest E,
and rises in this chest with such a regulated velocity that the crushed ores or alloys
from which the metal has to be separated (and which are supplied to the ore chest E
by the hopper T) are prevented sinking.
On the upper edge of the chest E the overflow pipe a is applied with its mouth

page_text: turned downwards into and beneath the level of the liquid contained in the chest E
sufficiently far to prevent any swimming or undissolved particles from overflowing
through such pipe.
The fluid discharged through the pipe a is raised again by means of a pump or
other equivalent apparatus into the reservoir D.
The process of dissolving being finished the stop cock h is turned so as to close the
communication between the reservoir D and the ore chest E, and toopen a com-
munication between the latter and the water basin W; at the same time the stop
cock his opened so that the fluid may discharge through the pipe e¹.
The position of the plug of the stop-cock S is by experience so determined that
its area of opening into the pipe is so diminished that the water coming from the
water basin W may not be all discharged through the pipe e¹ but 'part of it rise
into the chest E.
Now the velocity of the rising liquid not being sufficient to balance or float the
swimming molecula of the residuum such molecula become precipitated and thrown
away by the discharging water, and the solution being of lower specific gravity is
retained in the chest E.
During this process the cock h¹¹ on the pipe d¹ on the chest E is opened, and part
of the solution about equal to the quantity of water injected into E is drawn off for
the further manipulation of separating the metal from it.
The undissolved residua being discharged out of the chest E the plug of the stop.
cock h is turned at right angles and the cocks h¹ and h" are closed.
Now from the hopper T a fresh supply of ores is admitted into the chest E, and
the operation herein before described is repeated.
The aforesaid residua are conducted to a basin the bottom of which is covered
with sand, forming a filter for retaining such residua whilst the water runs through
the sieve like bottom of the filter to another basin, and is thence raised to the
water basin W to be used afresh in the further manipulation.
The hydro-chloric acid, nitric acid, or other solvent may be mixed with the water
flowing down from the basin W either in the chest D or E.
When gas, for instance chlorine gas, is employed as a solvent, say, for the solution
of gold, it is produced in the chest E itself, and for this purpose two pipes c and c¹
(Fig. 4) discharge into the lowest part of E.
By the pipe c dissolved chloride of lime from the vessel C, and by the pipe c¹,
hydro-chloric (or any other) acid from the vessel C¹ are conducted into the chest E.
At the commencement of the dissolving process the cocks upon the two conducting
pipes c and c¹ are opened so that the chloride of lime and hydrochloric acid meet
and enter at the lowest part of the chest E. By this means the chlorine gas is pro-
duced and exercises its influence upon the molecula of ore suspended in the water.
In this case the chests E and D must be hermetically closed to prevent as much as
possible the escape of chlorine gas, and the hopper T must also discharge into the
chest E below the level of the water for the same purpose. The chlorine gas which
escapes is conducted by a chimney over layers of pulverised limestone.
For controlling automatically the production of the chlorine gas when the pressure
becomes excessive in the chest E a vessel g filled with water and covered with an
inevaporable fluid is established within the chest E. The bottom of this vessel is
connected with a vertical pipe of smaller diameter than the vessel itself, and which
pipe passes through the cover of the chest E to the outside, where it is provided
with a float win connection with the angular levers k and cocks p, which are
controlled by the rising and falling of such float, and thus control the flow of chloride
of lime and hydro-chloric acid. When india-rubber pipes are employed the
ordinary cocks may be substituted by clips or compression cocks.
It is preferred that the ore chest E and the chest D for receiving the dissolving
fluid may have the form of an inverted cone or funnel for facilitating the dischargo
of residua.
For removing any obstruction in the pipes the cock ¹ and h¹!!! are connected
to the branches el and d" of the nines e and d.

page_text: l
Glass water gauges are also applied to both chests, and a discharging pipe m
with stop cock to the basin W, and near the bottom of the chest E a glass pipe n
with stop cock is provided for examination.
Instead of a single arrangement of apparatus as hereinbefore described there may
be arranged a series of ore-chests E with but a single pressure chest or pipe D
and water basin W, as shewn in Fig. 5.
From the one common gutter or pipe D in this case descend a number of pipes d
to the ore chests E; the overflow pipes a of the ore chests discharge into the
collecting gutter or pipe a', from which the solution is raised again by a pump or
other engine H to the pipe D.
If the residua is to be discharged the engine raises the solution from the pipe a¹
to a gutter leading to a filter, from which it passes to the further manipulation,
whilst pure water is conducted in D from W, and the cocks h¹ are opened to allow
the residua to pass away through the pipes e to the sand filter F.
This sand filter F may be placed in an elevated position so that the fluid can be
conducted by the pipe Z to the pump as required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
«
the said John Guy Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th May
1879.
JOHN GUY WILSON, of 71, Market Street, in the City of Manchester, and 8,
Quality Court, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent.
IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING METALLIC ORES FROM THEIR COMBINATIONS AND
ALLOYS BY DISSOLUTION IN SEPARATING THE UNDISSOLVED RESIDUA FROM THE
SOLUTIONS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by
Valentin Neukirch, Mining Engineer, of Reichenstein, Silesia, in the Empire of.
Germany.
1
In carrying out the said Invention the solvent or dissolving fluid, which differs
according to the nature of the metals to be dissolved is continually flowing down
from the reservoir D, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, through the pipe d, stop cock h, and pipe e
to the lower end of the angular ore chest E, and rises in this chest with such a
regulated velocity that the crushed ores or alloys from which the metal has to be
separated (and which are supplied to the chest E by the hopper T) are prevented
sinking.
On the upper edge of the chest E the overflow pipe a is applied with its mouth
turned downwards into and beneath the liquid contained in the chest E sufficiently
far to prevent any swimming or undissolved particles from overflowing through
such pipe. The fluid discharged through the pipe a is raised again by means of
a pump or other equivalent apparatus into the reservoir D.
The process of dissolving being finished the stop cock h is turned so as to close
the communication between the reservoir D and the ore chest E, and to open a
communication between the latter and the water basin W; at the same time the
stop cock h¹ is opened so that the fluid may discharge through the pipe e¹.
The position of the plug of the stop cock S is by experience so determined that
its area of opening into the pipe is so deminished that the water coming from the.
water basin W may not be all discharged through the pipe e¹, but part of it rise into
the chest E.
During this process the cock h¹ on the pipe d' is opened, and part of the solution,
about equal to the quantity of water injected into E, is drawn off for the further
manipulation of separating the metal from it.
The undissolved residua being discharged out of the chest E the plug of the stop-
cock his turned at right angles, and the cocks h¹ and h¹¹ are closed.
Now from the hopper T a fresh supply of ores is admitted into the chest E, and
the operation herein before described is repeated.
The aforesaid residua are conducted to a basin the bottom of which is covered
with sand, forming a filter for retaining such residua whilst the water runs through
the sieve like bottom of the filter to another basin, and is thence raised to the
water basin W to be used afresh in the further manipulations.
The hydro-chloric acid, nitric acid, or other solvent may be mixed with the water
flowing down from the basin W either in the chest D or E. When gas, for instance
chlorine gas, is employed as a solvent, say, for the solution of gold, it is produced
in the chest E itself, and for this purpose the pipes c and d (Fig. 4) discharge into
the lowest part of E.
'
By the pipe c dissolved chloride of lime from the vessel C and by the pipe c'.
hydrochloric (or any other) acid from the vessel C¹ are conducted into the chest E.
At the commencement of the dissolving process the cocks upon the two con-
ducting pipes c and c¹ are opened so that the chloride of lime and hydrochloric acid
meet and enter at the lowest part of the chest E. By this means the chlorine gas

page_text: is produced and exercises its influence upon the molecula of ore suspended in the
water. In this case the chests E and D must be hermetically closed to prevent as
much as possible the escape of chlorine gas, and the hopper T must also discharge
into the chest E below the level of the water for the same purpose. The chlorine
gas which escapes is conducted by a chimney over layers of pulverised limestone.
For controlling automatically the production of the chlorine gas when the pressure
becomes excessive in the chest E a vessel g filled with water and covered with an
inevaporable fluid is established within the chest E. The bottom of this vessel is
connected with a vertical pipe of smaller diameter than the vessel itself, and which
pipe passes through the cover of the chest E to the outside, where it is provided
with a float w in connection with the angular levers and cocks p, which are con-
trolled by the rising and falling of such float and thus control the flow of chloride
of lime and hydrochloric acid. When india-rubber pipes are employed the ordinary.
cocks may be substituted by clips or compression cocks.
It is preferred that the ore chest E and the chest D for receiving the dissolving
fluid may have the form of an inverted cone or funnel for facilitating the discharge
of residua.
For removing any obstruction in the pipes the cocks h¹¹¹ and h¹ are connected
to the branches e¹ and d" of the pipes e and d. Glass water gauges are also
applied to both chests, and a discharging pipe m with stop cock to the basin W,
and near the bottom of the chest E a stop cock n is provided for examination.
Instead of a single arrangement of apparatus as herein before described there may
be arranged a series of ore chests E with but a single pressure chest or pipe D and
water basin W, as shewn in Fig. 5.
From the one common gutter or pipe D in this case descend a number of pipes d
to the ore chests E. The overflow pipes a of the ore chests discharge into the
collecting gutter or pipe a¹, from which the solution is raised again by a pump or
other engine K to the pipe D.
If the residua is to be discharged the engine raises the solution from the pipe a¹
to a gutter leading to a filter from which it passes to the further manipulation,
whilst pure water is conducted into D from W, and the cocks h¹ are opened to
allow the residua to pass away through the pipes E¹ to the sand filter F.
This sand filter F may be placed in an elevated position so that the fluid can be
conducted by the pipe Z to the pump as required.
By employing the compound arrangement shewn and described in reference to
Fig. 5 it will be apparent that the cost of management is considerably reduced,
whilst facilities are also afforded for making all necessary repairs without interupting
the work of the entire apparatus.
Having thus particularly described the nature of the said Invention so com- .
municated to me as aforesaid, together with the best methods with which I am
acquainted for carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be understood
that I claim,
1st. The method of dissolving and separating metallic ores from their combina-
tions and alloys by a rising current of dissolving fluid, substantially as herein before
described.
2nd. The method of separating the residuum from the dissolving solution by
means of a current of fluid, substantially as herein before described.
3rd. The general construction and arrangement of apparatus substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described, and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawing.
4th. The use and application of the single apparatus shewn and described in
reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the compound apparatus shewn and described
in reference to Fig. 5, as and for the purposes hereinbefore specified.
5th. The method of employing chlorine or other analagous aeriform solvent, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein before described.

page_text: 6th. The employment of a float for controlling the evolution of gas, substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described, and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Guy Wilson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
JOHN G. WILSON. (L.S.)