IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING GOLD FROM AURIFEROUS SAND AND EARTH
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Stenson, of the Town and County
of Northampton, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING GOLD FROM AURIFEROUS SAND AND
EARTH."
Sealed the 20th April 1853, and dated the 12th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Stenson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th November 1852.
I, GEORGE STENSON, of the Town and County of Northampton,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING GOLD FROM AURIFEROUS
SAND AND EARTH" to be as follows:-
Into a vessel filled with water I insert a sieve at an angle vary-
ing with the nature of the earths treated, and hinge one end of the
sieve to the vessel. The other. end of the sieve is held suspended
from a rod to which an up and down motion is communicated by
cranks, cams, or other suitable means. Over this vessel I mount
or not, as advisable, a box or tray in which the sand or earth is
broken, and then drawn to a hopper which leads it into the sieve. If
the earth does not require to be broken then I insert it directly into
the hopper. The slope of the sieve, together with the and down
motion communicated to it, cause the earth and sand to progress
up

page_text: towards its further and lower end; the particles of gold will rest
upon the sieve, while the earth will be carried over, and will fall at
the further end of the vessel, which is inclined, the better to enable
the earth and sand to be withdrawn by a scoop or scraper, or by an
endless band provided with scoops; or, in order to empty the sieve of
its contents, I draw it up to the top of the vessel, by means of the
rod by which it is suspended. By making the sieve stationary, and
causing the vessel to move, the same results would be obtained, but
I consider it preferable to impart motion to the sieve, and allow the
vessel containing the water to remain a fixture. I construct the
bottom of sieves for gold washing machines of wire cloth, as usual;
but as I find, by experience, that the cloth tears away after some slight
wear, I strengthen it by two perforated metal plates, between which
I place the wire cloth, taking care that the apertures in the plates
shall coincide and come exactly opposite or in a line with cach
other.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Stenson in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 12th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GEORGE STENSON, of the Town and County of Northampton, Engi-
neer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said George Stenson, Her special
licence that I, the said George Stenson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Stenson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING GOLD FROM AURIFEROUS
BAND AND EARTH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said George Stenson, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Stenson, 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:
My Improvements are exemplified in the Drawings annexed, which
represent an apparatus for separating gold from auriferous sand and
earth constructed according to my invention. A, A, is a rectangular
box or trough (with the front removed), which may be composed of
wood, galvanized iron, zinc, or other metal or material of sufficient
strength. D, C, D, C, is the lid or cover of the box, a portion of which
B, C, B, C, forms a trough or receptacle in which the sandy or
earthy matter under treatment is broken up and partially washed.
D', is a perforated metal plate, on to which the sand or earth is
raked from the trough B, C, and from which it passes to the hopper
E, and thence to the washing sieve F, F. This sieve, or rather
series of sieves, is composed of two perforated plates of metal, so
placed that the perforations of the one shall come exactly over those
of the other plate, with a sheet of fine wire gauze or of finely per-
forated metal inserted between them, the whole being bolted together
and fixed in a wood or metal frame. The frame is suspended in an
inclined position within the box A, A; by means of pins working in
sockets' G, G, at one end; whilst the other end is supported by the
rod H, which is connected to the cranked axle I, which turns in
bearings in the sides of the box A, A, and has a handle J, by which
it can be set in rotation.
The action of the apparatus is as follows. The box or trough

page_text: A, A, having been filled with water, the matter to be washed which
has been subjected to a preliminary breaking in the trough B, C, is
raked on to the perforated plate D', from which it falls through the
hopper E, on to the sieve F, which, on turning the handle J, will,
through its connections therewith, receive an oscillating motion
through a space equal to the length of the throw of the crank on
the axis I. The effect of this motion will be to agitate the matters
on the sieve, and to cause them to be thoroughly washed, when the
gold by its superior specific gravity will collect at the lower end of
the sieve at b, from which it can be removed by any convenient
means, whilst the sand and earthy matter will pass over the edges
of the sieve; and settle at the bottom of the box at K, from which
they can be subsequently removed. When the water becomes too
much charged with the carthy particles it must be run off, and a
fresh supply introduced.
The construction of sieve herein-before described might also be
adopted for use in hand-washing, and other means might be employed
for giving it a jogging motion, although I consider the arrangement
shewn in the Drawings to be such as will be generally found the
most convenient.
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 in respect thereof is -
The apparatus for separating gold from auriferous sand and carth
represented in the Drawings, and herein-before described, in so far
as regards the employment therein of a jogging sieve constructed
and arranged in the manner herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Stenson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three.
ANADAR AMENCON