Improvements in Apparatus, for Extracting Gold from Ores
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
66 Improvements in Apparatus, for Extracting Gold from Ores,"
I, RALPH HODGSON, of the Shirleywich Salt and Chemical Works, Shirleywich, in
the County of Stafford, Salt Works Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of the herein described improvements in apparatus for
extracting gold from ores which are crushed into a granular powdered or like state.
In carrying out my Invention I provide an inclined trough at the upper end of
which is a hopper containing the gold ore in a crushed, powdered, or like state
arranged to leave the hopper at the bottom into the upper part of the trough. At
certain intervals apart along the trough I provide what I call extracting cylinders
which are made of glass and each of which forms a portion of a cylinder, that is to
say, it is by preference C-shaped in cross section and extends right across the trough
from side to side and reaches from the bottom of the trough to a convenient height
the open side of the cylinder being towards the higher part of the trough. Resting
in the lower parts of each of the cylinders there is mercury. Water is continually
running along the trough entering the upper part of the same and washing down
some of the crushed powdered or like ore from the hopper and carrying the same
with a certain amount of force against the first glass cylinder where the powdered or
granular ore is by the water washed round and round the cylinder so that the mercury
takes up some of the gold. The ore is gradually washed out of this cylinder and over
the top of the same and down the trough until it meets the next cylinder where it is
washed round and round and some more of the gold is taken up by the mercury.
The ore then passes out over this cylinder and is washed round inside the next
cylinder and so on, the powdered or granular or like ore passing down the trough
and washing round inside each of the glass cylinders in turn the mercury in each
extracting a certain amount of the gold. When the water and the crushed or
powdered or like ore reaches the bottom of the trough it is elevated by an elevator
up to the top of another inclined trough which like the first said trough is fitted with
the said partial glass cylinders each containing a certain amount of mercury and in
which the ore is washed round by the water so that a certain amount of gold is
extracted. When the water and ore leaves this trough they are again elevated by
another elevator and run down another trough fitted with the glass cylinders as
aforesaid and so on, any number of these troughs fitted with these glass cylinders,
being employed. From the last trough the water with the granular or crushed ore
in it is either allowed to run to waste or is pumped up to a certain height and run
back to the first trough so as to be used over and over again. When the mercury in
the cylinders has taken up sufficient of the gold the cylinders with the mercury are
moved from the trough and replaced by others the gold being extracted from the
mercury by any well known means.
Dated this 9th day of January 1897
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: "Improvements in Apparatus for Extracting Gold from Ores."
I, RALPH HODGSON, of the Shirleywich Salt and Chemical Works, Shirleywich, in
the County of Stafford, Salt Works Manager, 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:-
This Invention consists of the herein described improvements in apparatus for
extracting gold from ores which are crushed into a powdered or like state.
I will describe my invention by referring to the accompanying drawings on which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with this
Invention for extracting gold from ores; Fig. 2 shews on a larger scale a part
of one of the troughs of the said apparatus with one side broken away to shew the
gold extracting cylindrical cups fixed therein; and Fig. 3 shews one of the
cylindrical cups separately.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the Figures of the drawings.
In carrying out my Invention I provide an inclined open trough A¹ at the upper
end of which is a hopper B¹ containing gold in a crushed powdered or like state
arranged to leave the hopper at the bottom of the same and to be washed down the
trough A' by water. At certain intervals apart along the bottom of the trough A1 I
provide any convenient number of what I call cylindrical cups which are made of
glass earthenware or other suitable material but preferably of glass so that the state
of the mercury therein (hereinafter described) can be more clearly seen. In the
trough A¹ there are ten of these cylindrical cups each marked C. By an
examination of Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that each of these cylindrical cups is
a partial cylinder fixed to the bottom a¹ of the trough A¹ with the axis of the
cylinder horizontal and extending right across from one side a² to the other side u³
and reaching from the bottom a¹ of the trough to a convenient height the open side
of the cylinder being towards the higher part of the trough so as to catch the ore
and water rushing down the same as hereinafter described. Resting in the lower
part of each of the cylindrical cups C there is mercury in a liquid state marked d.
Each of the cylindrical cups C is by preference made in a piece with the front
continuation plate c¹ which extends for a certain distance along the bottom of the
trough and also up the sides of the same the said side portions c2 c being
continuations of the cylinder ends. The cylindrical cups C may be fixed in the
trough by any convenient means so as to be readily removed but I prefer to fix each
of them by means of a metal strip E fixed on the bottom and to the sides of the
trough A¹ as shewn in Fig. 2 and has its lower edge bent upwardly somewhat so
that the sides c2c3 and the bottom portion c¹ of the continuation plate of the
cup C can be slided under this plate E and thus retained in position in the
trough and can readily be removed by first sliding the cup downwardly through a
short space.
Water is continually running along the trough A' as from the pipe f¹
from the water main F entering in the upper part of the trough and washing down
some of the crushed powdered or like ore from the hopper B¹ and carrying the same
with a certain amount of force against, the first or highest cylindrical cup C where
the powdered or granular ore is by the water washed round and round the partial
cylinder C with the mercury therein so that the latter takes up some of the gold.
The mercury and the gold taken up by it remain in the cylinder but the sand and
ore are by the water washed out of this cylindrical cup and over the top of the same
and down the trough until it meets the next lower cylindrical cup C where it is
again washed round and round with the mercury and some more of the gold is taken
up by the mercury.. The ore then passes out of this cylindrical cup and is washed
round and round inside the next cylindrical cup with the mercury in it and some more

page_text: of the gold is taken up by the mercury, the powdered or granular or like ore passing
down the trough and washing round each of the cylindrical cups C in turn the
mercury in each extracting a certain amount of the gold.
When the water and crushed or powdered or like ore reaches the bottom of the
trough a it runs into a tank G¹ and from there is by any ordinary elevator such
as H¹ lifted up to the top of another inclined trough A2 which like the first trough A¹
is fitted with the partial cylindrical cups C which contain a certain amount of mercury
and in which the ore is washed round by the water as above described so that a
certain amount of the gold is extracted by each. As the water and ore leave the
bottom of this trough A2 they are caught in another tank G2 and again lifted by
another elevator H2 and run down another trough A³ fitted with the partial
cylinders C containg the mercury as aforesaid, any number of these troughs fitted
with the partial cylinders containing the mercury heing employed. From the last
trough the water with the crushed or granular ore in it is now allowed to run to waste
or is pumped to acertain height and run down to the top of the first trough A¹ so as
to be used over and over again. F is the water main made with branches f¹ƒ2 ƒ³ for
supplying water to wash the ore down the troughs.
The particular angle of the trough will depend upon the nature of the gold ore
which has to be washed down it as will readily be understood. The troughs A¹ A² A³
shewn on my drawings are at their upper parts carried from the framing J of the
apparatus by chains K the length of which can easily be altered to vary the inclina-
tion of the troughs.
It will be understood that the hoppers at the top of the troughs are provided
with any convenient mechanism (forming no part of this Invention) to regulate the
rate at which the crushed ore and water escape into the trough.
Where the apparatus can be fixed on a continual incline with a supply of water at
the top the elevator can be dispensed with and the trough with the partial cylinders C
containing the liquid mercury can be made of such a length that when the sand and
water issue from the bottom of it all the gold will have been extracted by the mercury
in the various cylindrical cups.
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 apparatus for extracting gold from ores the employment of an inclined trough
in which are partial cylinders containg liquid mercury arranged crosswise in the
trough at certain intervals apart so that when the ore is washed down the trough the
ore is with the mercury washed round in the cylinders in succession and the gold is
taken up by the mercury therein, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus of the kind denoted under claim 1 for extracting gold from ore, the
employment of an inclined trough fitted with partial cylinders C constructed arranged
and combined with the trough in the manner substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings for the purpose set forth.
Dated thin 12th day of November 1807