Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 8th Nov.. 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 14th Dec., 1888
We, JAMES HORNSBY and GEORGE EDWARD COUPE both of Spittlegate Iron Works,
Grantham, in the County of Lincoln Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
In separating gold the ore is usually first crushed and mixed with water, forming a
mud or sludge which is then brought into contact with mercury by being passed over
amalgamated silver plated copper plates. In this process there is difficulty in bringing
the sludge into a sufficiently intimate contact with the plates to extract all the gold,
and this is especially the case with ores which require a large amount of water to be
mixed with them.
According to this invention the sludge is introduced into a box or case preferably
lined with amalgamated plates and having inside it an axis or drum provided with
tangential or other arms carrying amalgamated plates, which are held in the arms by
set screws or wedges in such a way as to be readily removeable. The axis or drum
carrying these plates is caused to revolve in the casing being either driven from the
outside or acts as a water wheel, driven by the sludge itself the latter arrangement
is peculiarly suitable for ores which require to be mixed with a large quantity of
water.
At the bottom of one of the sides of the casing there is a slit which is closed by
a plate dipping into a trough of mercury, and other metallic plates are provided at
the bottom of the casing to break the flow of sludge, so as to prevent a too violent
flow carrying the mercury out of the trough.
Dated this Sth day of February 1888.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus suitable for Separating Gold from
its Ores.
We, JAMES HORNSBY, and GEORGE EDWARD COUPE both of Spittlegate Iron
Works, Grantham, in the the County of Lincoln, Engineers, 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 :-
In separating gold the ore is usually first crushed and mixed with water forming a 5
mud or sludge which is then brought into contact with mercury by being passed over
amalgamated silver plated copper plates. In this process there is difficulty in bringing
the sludge into a sufficiently intimate contact with the plates to extract all the gold,
and this is especially the case with ores which require a large amount of water to be
mixed with them.
1
According to this invention the sludge is introduced into a box or caso preferably
lined with amalgamated plates and having inside it an axis or drum provided with
tangential or other arms carrying amalgamated plates which are held in the arms by
set screws or wedges in such a way as to be readily removable. The axis or druni
carrying these plates is caused to revolve in the casing being either driven from 1
the outside or acts as a water wheel driven by the sludge itself the latter arrangement
is peculiarly suitable for ores which require to be mixed with a large quantity of
water.
At the bottom of one of the sides of the casing there is a slit which is closed by a
plate dipping into a trough of mercury and other metallic plates are provided at the
bottom of the casing to break the flow of sludge, so as to prevent a too violent flow
carrying the mercury out of the trough.
Suitable controlling gear for retarding the speed of the revolving bucket is provided
and may consist of two pairs of friction wheels, the peripheries of which form the
bearings of the spindle of the revolving amalgamators one of the wheels being
provided with india rubber washers and check nuts which may be screwed up to
produce the necessary friction.
In order that our said invention may be more fully understood and readily carried
into effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF
THE DRAWINGS.
Kigure 1 is a longitudinal coctions.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, and
Figure 2 is a transverse section of an apparatus constructed according to our
invention.
c is an axis supporting a
a is a box or case lined with amalgamated plates b.
drun & which is armed with tangential amalgamated plates c.

page_text: The sludge is admitted into the box a by a shoot f and flowing into the space
between the plates e causes the drum to revolve. 9 9 are amalgamated plates
which retard the escape of the sludge. h is a trough of mercury into which the
plate ; dips.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for separating gold from its ores having a revolving axis or drum
armed with amalgamated plates which lie in planes parallel to the axis or drum.
2. Apparatus such as is claimed under the first claim in which the amalgamated
plates are turned by the flow of the sludge.
3. The retarding plates 9, 9.
4. The annaratus substantially as described and shown in the drawings.