A Gold Saving Machine, suitable for the Treatment of Auriferous Sand, Alluvial Deposits, Pulverized Ore, and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 30th May, 1896.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Gold Saving Machine, suitable for the Treatment of Auriferous
Sand, Alluvial Deposits, Pulverized Ore, and the like.
FRANK SEPTIMUS DEVONTEAUX SCOTT Savoy House Savoy Street Strand
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
A gold saving machine suitable for the treatment of auriferous sand, alluvial
deposits, pulverized ore and the like. This invention has for its object the
construction of a gold saving machine, which will combine the operation of sieving
supplying water and separating and collecting the gold, and consists in the peculiar
arrangement and adaptation of a series of trays made preferably of metal and
circular in form, mounted upon a frame-work to which is attached the operating
or driving gear which is used to impart a vibratory motion to each tray, such trays
being also made to rise and fall intermittently by means of a peculiarly shaped
bearing plates and rollers.
Combined with the said operating gear is a pump or other suitable mechanical
arrangement for raising water with which the machine is to be supplied when in
operation. The aforesaid trays are conical in form and are provided with con-
centric riffles which may be used as mercury wells when some classes of ores are
being treated. To the periphery of the top tray and each alternate tray is attached
a diverting plate to deliver the treated material on the tray immediately beneath.
The second tray is in the form of an inverted cone and each alternate tray of that
series is similarly shaped and like the other trays are provided with concentric
riffles. Each tray is made removable but when in operation they are held in
position by means of a central spindle or rod which is also removable.
To each tray a series of bearing plates peculiarly constructed are attached―
these serve as edge runners and take their bearing upon rollers attached to the
machine. The object of the bearing plates and rollers is to provide a suitable
means for supporting the trays and to facilitate the importation of a rising and
falling movement to each tray.
Simultaneously with the vibratory motion which is produced by means of a
frame having traversing rollers at the corners of the transverse pieces. These
rollers run upon guide bars rigidly fixed to the machine. The vertical bar of the
frame has a slot for attachment to a crank pin which is inserted in the driving
wheel of the spur gearing by which the machine is driven. Above each tray are
suspended stirrers which may be either fixed or movable. These stirrers are in
the form of dependent pieces of metal, the points of which are inserted in each
riffle at a sufficient distance from the surface of the trays to allow of the raising
and falling movement being imparted.
Above the upper tray is a screen, sieve, or hopper, which may be either fixed or
movable or may be vibrated in the same manner as the trays..
The pump is placed in close proximity to the spur gearing, so that the plunger
may be operated by means of a connecting rod and lever, the connecting rod being
attached to the driving wheel with a crank pin. When operating the machine, the
gold-bearing stuff is just placed in the sieve, and the gearing set in motion. The
bump is thus started and the water flows into the screen mingling with the stuff
ind causing it to pass through on to the first tray, filling the riffles and overflowing
basses outward to the diverting plate at the periphery, thence to the tray beneath,

page_text: where the operation is repeated and so on through the series of trays. By means
of the combination of the rising and falling movements with the vibratory motion,
to which each tray is subjected the precious metal is precipitated and afterwards
collected, which is accomplished by removing the central spindle and taking out
each tray and plunging it into any suitable trough or the like filled with water.
This machine may be constructed in a portable manner so as to be operated by
manual labor or it may be suitably enlarged to work upon an extensive scale. By
the same operation the machine can be used without water by simply detaching the
pumping gear putting through the same quantity of material and saving the same
amount of gold thus acting as a dry gold saving machine in districts or places
where water is not available.
10th Tune 1205
A Gold Saving Machine, suitable for the Treatment of Auriferous
Sand, Alluvial Deposits, Pulverized Ore, and the like.
I, FRANK SEPTIMUS DEVONTEAUX SCOTT, late of Savoy House, Savoy
Street, Strand, London, but now residing at 25 Upper Bedford Place, Russell
Square, in the County of London, England, Engineer, 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 relates to a gold saving machine suitable for the treatment of
auriferous sand, alluvial deposits, pulverized ore, and the like, and has for its
object the construction of a gold saving machine which will combine the operations
of sieving, supplying water, and separating and collecting the gold.
But in order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to
the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Figure 1, is a side view of the machine, Figure 2, a sectional elevation, Figure 3,
a plan and Figures 4, 5 and 6 detail views.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts, throughout the views.
The invention consists in the peculiar arrangement and adaptation of a series of
trays similar to (A) (B) and (C) made preferably of metal and circular in form,
mounted upon a frame (D) to which is attached the operating or driving gear
which is used to impart a vibratory motion to each tray, such trays being also made
to rise and fall intermittently by means of peculiarly shaped bearing plates and
rollers hereinafter described.
Attached to said frame (D) is a pump (E), or other suitable mechanical
arrangement for raising water, with which the machine is to be supplied when in
operation.
The said trays are conical in form and are provided with concentric riffles (F)
which may be used as mercury wells when some classes of ores are being
treated.
To the periphery of the top tray (A), and each alternate tray when a greater
number are used than those shewn in the drawings, is attached a diverting plate (G)
to deliver the treated material on to the tray immediately beneath.
The second tray (B) is in the form of an inverted cone, and each alternate tray
of that series which may be used is similarly shaped, and like the other trays is
provided with concentric riffles. Each tray is made removable but when in
operation they are retained in position by means of a central spindle or rod (H)
which is also removable.
Above each tray are suspended from a suitably shaped frame (I) the stirrers or
agitators (J), which may be either fixed or movable. These stirrers are in the

page_text: form of dependent pieces of metal, the points of which are inserted in each riffle at
a sufficient distance from the surface of the trays to allow of the rising and falling
movement of said trays being imparted.
To each tray are attached three or more peculiarly shaped bearing plates (K),.
(Figures 4, 5 and 6), these plates serve as edge runuers, and take their bearing
upon rollers (L) the spindles of which are attached to the machine frame. The
object of the bearing plates and rollers is to provide a suitable means for supporting
the trays and to facilitate the importation of a rising and falling movement to
each tray.
The vibratory motion is produced by means of an I frame (M) having traversing
rollers (N) at the ends of the transverse pieces. These rollers run upon the guide
bars (0) and (P) rigidly fixed to and forming part of the machine frame. The
vertical bar of the I frame (M) has a slot (Q) for engagement by a crank pin (R).
attached to the gear wheel (S) to which motion is imparted by the spur wheel (S¹).
The spindle of the gear wheel (S) is supported in a bearing in the bar (T), whilst
the bearing for the spindle of the spur wheel (S¹) is fixed to the upper bar of the
machine frame. To the wheel (S¹) is attached a crank turning handle (U), or a
pulley, when the machine is driven by belt gearing.
The motion from the I frame (M) is transmitted to the trays by the arms (M')
one of which is attached to each tray. These arms connect with the forked
pieces (M2) secured to the I frame. Thus it will be seen that as the I frame (M).
travels to and fro upon the guide bars, by the action of the crank pin (R) in the
slot (Q) the trays are caused to oscillate to a corresponding degree at the same.
time by reason of the bearing plates being curved in the manner shewn, an up and.
down movement is imported to the trays.
Above the upper tray is a screen, sieve, or hopper (V), which may be either
fixed or movable, and may be vibrated in the same manner as the trays.
The pump (E) is placed in close proximity to the spur gearing so that the
plunger may be operated by a connecting rod (E¹) and lever (E2), said connecting
rod being attached to the wheel (S¹) with a crank pin, the stroke of the pump may
be varied according to the amount of water required.
When operating the machine, the gold-bearing stuff is just placed in the
sieve (V), and the gearing set in motion. The pump (E) is thus started and the
water flows into the sieve or screen, mingling with the stuff, and causing it to pass
through on to the first tray (A), filling the riffles and overflowing, it passes-
outward on to the diverting plate, thence to the tray beneath, where the operation
is repeated and so on through the series of trays. By means of the combination of
the rising and falling movements with the vibratory motion, to which each tray is
subjected, the precious metal is precipitated and afterwards collected; which is
accomplished by removing the central spindle and taking out each tray and
plunging it into any suitable trough or the like filled with water.
This machine may be constructed in a portable manner so as to be operated
by manual labor, or it may be suitably enlarged to work upon an extensive.
scale.
In districts where there is a scarcity of water, the pump may be disconnected
and the machine used without water. The material to be treated passes through
the machine, similar to that previously described and giving equal results.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
Firstly. A gold saving machine consisting of the removable trays, similar to (A),
(B) and (C), diverting plate (G), sieve (V) and central spindle (H) all arranged
and combined, and used with or without a pump (E) substantially as herein set
forth.
Secondly. In gold saving machines, the construction of the trays similar to (A),
(B) and (C), each having the concentric riffles (F) and provided with a series of

page_text: stationary stirrers or agitators (J) suspended from a frame (I), substantially as
herein set forth.
Thirdly. In gold saving machines, the mechanism employed to impart the
combined vibratory motion and rising and falling movement to the trays, consisting
of the I shaped frame (M) which is caused to travel to and fro upon guide bars (0)
and (P), by the engagement in the slot (Q) of the crank pin (R) attached to the
wheel (S), said I frame being connected with the trays (A), (B) and (C), the
particular construction of the bearing plates similar to (K) upon the rollers (L),
impart the rising, falling, and oscillating movement to the trays, substantially as
herein set forth.
Dated the 19th day of March 1896
W. D. ROWLINGSON,
7 Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.