IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUSES FOR REDUCING AND PULVERIZING GOLD AND OTHER METALLIFEROUS QUARTZ AND EARTHS, AND IN SEPA- RATING METAL THEREFROM
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lemuel Wellman Wright, of Chalford, in the
County of Gloucester, Engineer, for the Invention of ." IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUSES FOR REDUCING AND PULVERIZING
GOLD AND OTHER METALLIFEROUS QUARTZ AND EARTHS, AND IN SEPA-
RATING METAL THEREFROM."
Sealed the 2nd January 1854, and dated the 2nd July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lemuel Wellman
Wright at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 2nd July 1853.
I, LEMUEL WELLMAN WRIGHT, of Chalford, in the County of Glou-
cester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUSES FOR REDUCING AND
PULVERIZING GOLD AND OTHER METALLIFEROUS QUARTZ AND EARTHS, AND IN
SEPARATING METAL THEREPROM," to be as follows:-
I make use of three different apparatuses: the first for 'reducing the
heavy quartz or dense and hard earths; the second for pulverizing the

page_text: same; and the third for separating the gold or other metal from
the pulverized quartz or earths containing the same.
.
My first apparatus consists of a central iron cylinder or roller
mounted upon a shaft revolving in bearings in the framework of the
machine; outside this cylinder, and mounted upon a separate axis, are
rings in which are bearings for the reception of the axes of five or
more smaller iron rollers caused to revolve by frictional contact with
the central cylinder. These smaller rollers do not extend entirely
round the circumference of the cylinder, but only to about one half
thereof. The inner cylinder is caused to revolve, the quartz or earth
is directed into the apparatus between the upper roller and cylinder,
and by the revolution of this cylinder it is carried successively between
it and the remaining rollers, and finally leaves the apparatus, being
caused to pass between and issue from the two last rollers in the series.
a
My second apparatus or machine, into which the partially reduced
quartz or carth may be transferred to be pulverized, consists of a pair
of heavy rollers, free to revolve upon a shaft mounted in bearings in the
frame. Under these rollers is a rotary disc or platform on which the ma-
terial to be pulverized is placed; it is provided with scrapers or gatherers,
and is caused to revolve; the gatherers continually present the stuff
under the heavy rollers, which are caused to revolve upon their axis by
contact with the rotary disc. 1 generally find it advisable to moisten
the stuff and add sufficient moisture to bring it into the state of paste.
My third or washing machine consists of a wheel with dashers
caused to revolve in a trough or vessel in which metalliferous quartz
in a pulverized state or earth is placed in order to break it up and mix
it well with water fed into the trough; the water and metalliferous stuff
then flow through a channel into a deep vessel, inside which is an
agilator, consisting of a cross load with two or more arms depending
therefrom suspended from a shaft passing through the top of the vessel,
and to which rotary motion is communicated. The centrifugal action
produced by the rotation of the agitator will cause the lighter materials
to be thrown to the outer circumference of the revolving column, while
the heavier materials will flow nearer the centre, will gradually fall in

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Lemuel Wellman Wright in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 2nd January 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
LEMUEL WELLMAN WRIGHT, of Chalford, in the County of Gloucester,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Lemuel Wellman Wright, Her special
licence that I, the said Lemuel Wellman Wright, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Lemuel Wellman
Wright, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUSES FOR REDUCING AND
PULVERIZING GOLD AND OTHER METALLIFEROUS QUARTZ AND EARTHS, AND IN
SEPARATING METAL THEREFROM," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Lemuel Wellman Wright, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and scal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Lemuel Wellman Wright, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:

page_text: My Invention has relation to the reducing and pulverizing of gold
and other metalliferous quartz, and to the separation of the 'metal
therefrom. I make use of three different apparatuses: the first for
reducing the heavy quartz or dense and hard earths; the second for
pulverizing the same;, and the third (which comprises mixing and
washing arrangements) for separating the gold or other metal from the
pulverized quartz or carths containing the same.
My first apparatus consists of a central iron cylinder or roller mounted
upon a shaft revolving in bearings in the framework of the machine;
outside this cylinder, and mounted upon a separate axis, are two rings in
which are bearings for the reception of the axes of five or more smaller
iron rollers caused to, revolve by frictional contact with the central cylin-
der. These smaller rollers do not extend entirely round the circumference.
of the cylinder, but only to about one half thereof. The inner cylinder
is cause:l to revolve, the quartz or earth is directed into the apparatiis
between the upper roller and cylinder, and by the revolution of this
cylinder it is carried successively between it and the remaining rollers,
and finally leaves the apparatus, being caused to pass between and issue
from the two Inst rollers in the series.
My second machine or apparatus, into which the partially reduced
quartz or earth may be transferred to be pulverised, consists of a pair
of heavy rollers free to revolve upon a shaft mounted in bearings in
the frame. Under these rollers is a rotary disc or platform on which
the material to be pulverized is placed; it is provided with scrapers or
gatherers, and is caused to revolve; the gatherers continually present
the stuff under the heavy rollers, which are caused to revolve upon their
axis by contact with the rotary disc. I generally find it advisable to
moisten the stuff and add sufficient moisture to bring it into the
state of paste.
!
My third or washing machine consists of a wheel with dashers caused
to revolve in a trough or vessel in which metalliferous quartz in a pul-
verized state or earth is placed in order to break it up and mix it well
with water fed into the trough; the water and metalliferous stuff' then
flow through a channel into a deep-vessel, inside which is an agitator.
consisting of a cross head with two or more arms depending therefrom
suspended from a shaft passing through the top of the vessel, and to

page_text: which rotary motion is communicated. The centrifugal action produced
by the rotation of the agitator will cause the lighter materials to be
thrown to the outer circumference of the revolving column, while the'
heavier materials will flow nearer the centre, will gradually fall in the
direction of the axis of the revolving column, and will be finally de-
posited on the bottom of the vessel.
Figure 1, of the Drawings hereunto annexed represents a side
elevation of a machine for crushing or breaking down quartz rock
or earths, compounds, or metalliferous ores containing gold or other
metal, previous to being reduced to a state of powder by other arrange-
ments of machinery, as hercin-after explained. A, A, is a central
cylinder of iron firmly fixed upon the shaft B. This cylinder forms
the prime moving power, being driven by means of a steam engine
or by water. C, C, are a number of smaller cylinders arranged
partly round the cylinder A, and driven by frictional contact therewith.
D, D, are checks or framework for supporting and combining the
several parts of the machine, being connected and held together by
transverse iron tie rods a, a. The spindles of the cylinders C, C,
are supported and turn in blocks E, E, capable of being adjusted by
scrows F, F, in order to regulate the distance or space between the
main cylinder A, and the smaller cylinders C. C, as circumstances may
require. Or the cylinders C, C, may be adjusted and held up against the
main cylinder A, by means of weighted levers or any other convenient
contrivance. The adjusting blocks E, E, rest on and are supported by
iron bearers G, G, which are connected to or form part of the frame-
work D, D. H, is a fly wheel on the main shaft B, for regulating the
motion of the machine. I, is a hopper from which the machine is fed
or supplied with the ore or other substance to be crushed. The action
of the machine will be readily understood from the foregoing description
of its construction. When it is at work the material as it is crushed
follows the course indicated by the arrows, and is delivered from the
machine at the point b.
Figure 2, represents a side elevation, partly in section, of a machine
to be employed for reducing the ore or other substance to an impal-
pable powder after having been subjected to the action of the crushing

page_text: machine just described. A, is a circular disc of cast iron (shown in
section) flanged at the edge, and firmly fixed, to the upright shaft B,
which is also of cast iron. The lower end of this shaft turns in a cast
iron step C, fixed to the base of the framing, and the upper end works
in bearings D, in the upper part of the framing. E, E, are two cast
iron cylinders or rollers running on edge, and resting on the disc A,
and revolving by contact with it. F, F, is bevilled gearing, by which
motion is communicated from any suitable prime mover to the shaft B.
and disc A, and from this latter to the cylinders or rollers E, E, as
before mentioned. G, G, is the shaft or axle on which the rollers E, E,
revolve, and H, I, the bearings for the shaft G, G, which are fixed to
the framing of the machine. The rollers E, E, instead of being formed
with flat surfaces working against the disc A, may be constructed with
convex surfaces working into a corresponding concavity in the disc, ns
shewn at a, a. The ore or substance to be reduced in this machine
having been previously crushed in the machine shewn in Figure 1, and
before described, is introduced into the machine, with a sufficient
quantity of water to cause it to bo worked by the action of the rollers
E, E, into a stiff pasty mass, in which state it is removed for subsequent
treatment. The machine should be furnished with gatherers or scrapers,
so as to cause the material to be kept constantly under the rollers E, E,
as the disc A, revolves.
Figure 3, is a side elevation of a machine for the purpose of mixing
the pulverized ore as it comes from the machine, Figure 2. A, is a
three-sided box or trough, open at top, in which is fitted a float wheel B,
by which the pulverized ore is agitated and mixed previous to its
passing into the washing machine. In working with this machine the
wheel B, is put in motion in the direction of the arrow by any con-
venient means, and water is admitted into the box A, by a pipe and
cock in suflicient, quantity to bring the mixture to a regular and suitable
consistency for subsequent operations as it passes from the box A, by
the spout C. The quantity of water required will depend upon that
of the pulverized ore placed in the box A.
Figure 4, is a vertical section of a washing machine for operating on
the mixture of ore and water coming from the mixing machine just

page_text: before described. A, is a cylindrical vessel or casing composed of wood
or metal, and having a spherical bottom. B, is an agitator or stirrer
composed of a crosshead with two or more vertical arms, which works
inside the cylinder A, and reaches nearly to the bottom of it. C, C,
are bevil wheels, by which the agitator B, is set in motion, and means
should be provided for enabling the velocity of the motion to be in-
creased or diminished as may be required. In working with this
machine the cylinder A, is filled with water nearly to the level of the
trough leading from the mixing machine, and the agitator B, is then
set in rapid motion by means of the gearing C, C, when the water will
take a circular course, somewhat as shown by the dotted lines a, a; the
mixture of ore and water from the mixing machine is then admitted to
the cylinder, when the semi-fluid mass will also take the same circular
course as the water, and the lighter particles will be thrown by centri-
fugal force from the centre towards the sides of the cylinder, while the
heavier particles will arrange themselves, according to their specific
gravity, nearer to the centre, the heaviest particles of gold and other
metals being found at the centre of the cylinder, where they will fall by
gravitation, forming a conical heap at the bottom, as shewn at a', a',
and the lighter particles flowing out through the pipe D, the cock of
which is left open during the operation. When the washing is com-
pleted the gold and metal collected at the centre of the cylinder can
be withdrawn through the pipe E, by opening the cock attached to it.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
as my Invention is,―
First, the machinery or apparatus for crushing gold quartz and
metalliferous ores, represented in Figure 1, of the Drawings annexed,
and herein-before described, in so far as regards the employment therein
of the main or central cylinder combined with several small cylinders
partly surrounding the same, and revolving by contact with the main
cylinder and the materials under process of crushing.
Second, the machinery or apparatus for reducing or pulverizing gold
quartz and metalliferous ores, represented in Figure 2, of the Drawings
annexed, and herein-before described, in so far as regards the employ-

page_text: ment therein of the horizontal rollers or cylinders working against a
revolving table or disc, and caused to revolve by contact therewith,
and the employment of scrapers or gatherers for keeping the material
to be reduced under the action of the horizontal rollers; and,
Third, the mixing machine represented in Figure 3, and the washing
machine represented in Figure 4, of the Drawings annexed, and
herein-before described, each in the peculiar combination of parts of
which the same consists.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Lemuel Wellman Wright, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of January,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
LEMUEL W. WRIGHT. (L.S.)