THE APPLICATION OF CENTRI- FUGAL FORCE IN PURIFYING MINERALS OR ANY OTHER SIMILAR HARD SUBSTANCES BY WASHING
Year: 1857

page_text: LEITERS PATENT to Joseph Nicolas Victor Cadiat, of Paris, Engineer
in the Imperial Navy, for the Invention of "THE APPLICATION OF CENTRI-
FUGAL FORCE IN PURIFYING MINERALS OR ANY OTHER SIMILAR HARD SUBSTANCES
BY WASHING,"
Sealed the 24th July 1857, and dated the 7th February 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Nicolas Victor
Cadiat at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th February 1857.
I, JOSEPH NICOLAS VICTOR CADIAT, of Paris, Engineer-in the Imperial
Navy, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " THE APPLICA
TION OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE IN PURIFYING MINERALS OR ANY OTHER SIMILAR HARD
SUBSTANCES BY WASHING," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to seperate the purer particles of mineral
ores, or other similar hard substances, from heterogenous particles of various
densities. This seperation is performed by washing and agitating the sub-
stances to be purified under the action of the centrifugal force, which combined
process is performed in an apparatus of a particular form as represented in
cross vertical section on the annexed Drawing.
The apparatus is composed of a conical washing chamber A, A, made of
sheet iron or any other suitable material, surrounding and attached to a vertical
shaft B, B, which is driven by any suitable power so as to revolve at a suitable
velocity.
The crude or unpurified materials to be purified are thrown in a hopper C

page_text: placed over a shoot or tube D, D, which surrounds the shaft and rotates with
it; a register or throttle valve or regulator C¹ is fitted below the hopper C to
regulate the feeding of the apparatus.
The water required for washing is supplied from any suitable resevoir, and
may be conveyed into the hopper through the pipe E; the water and mineral
substances being mixed together pass down into the lower part of the washing
chamber A, through side apertures F, F, in the pipe D. A circular plate
or disc G is fixed on the pipe D a little above the apertures F, F.
The substances and water which pass out from the feeding pipe are thrown
off towards the circumference of the apparatus between the plate G and the
bottom of the chamber, the sides of which are taper or is of less diameter at
the top, as shewn at H, to regulate the quantity of substances to be contained
in the apparatus as it rotates.
Four small tubes I, I, are fitted around the inclined top H for to allow of
the escape of the lighter substances which are carried with the water to flow
over the conical surface K.
A circular board L is fixed over the conical surface for preventing the
escape of the watery or muddy mixture issuing from the pipes I, I. M, M, are
valves at the lower part of the apparatus, which open inwardly and remain
closed when the apparatus is running at its highest speed, through the action
of the centrifugal force, and when the speed is slackened the valves open by
suitable springs, and the washed mineral or other substances flow out.
The paddle lever or agitator N,N, facilitates the washing by its intermedial
action, and which is caused to turn freely round the pipe D when in motion;
it is actuated by spur wheels and pinions 0, 01, & P, P1, by which it has a
differential speed, to that of the apparatus or washing chamber.
This centrifugal washing process may be applied for purifying mineralores
or any materials of a similar character.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Joseph Nicolas Victor Cadiat in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th August 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
NICOLAS VICTOR CADIAT, of Paris, Engineer in the Imperial Navy, send
greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the
year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto him, the said
Joseph Nicolas Victor Cadiat, Her special licence, that I, the said Joseph
Nicolas Victor Cadiat, executors, administrators, and assigns, or such othersas
I.thesaid Joseph Nicolas VictorCadiat, myexecutors,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
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "THE
APPLICATION OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE IN PURIFYING MINERALS OR ANY OTHER
SIMILAR HARD SUBSTANCES BY WASHING," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Joseph Nicolas Victor Cadiat, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hand and seal, 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 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 Joseph Nicolas Victor Cadiat, 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 and accompanying Drawing:-
This Invention consists in a novel arrangement of machinery orapparatus for
seperating the purer particles of minerals, ores, or other similar hard substances,
from heterogenous particles of different specific gravities or varying densities,
this seperation being performed chiefly by the action of centrifugal force, and
within the apparatus represented in the accompanying Drawing, and which is
herein-after described.
In this apparatus solid and hard substances of suitably small size, or which
may have been previously divided into small particles or powdered, can be
separated from mixed extraneous substances by washing and by the combined
action of agitation and centrifugal force.
Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view; and Fig. 2 is a plan, partly in section, or
the apparatus.
It is composed of a conical chamber A, A, A, which may be
constructed of iron and fitted on a vertical iron shaft B, B, which is driven at
the required speed by any suitable driving power through belt pullies or
gearing; the minerals or materials to be purified, washed, or seperated, and
the water required for the purpose, are fed into chamber A from a hopper C, C,
placed above a shute or pipe D, provided with a valve and leverc, c¹, for the
purpose of regulating the quantity of materials to be treated. The water flows

page_text: into the hopper through the pipe E,which is regulated by a suitable stop-cock;
but the apparatus may be supplied with water from an upper resovoir or by
a feed pump.
A pipe D surrounds the shaft B and revolves with the apparatus and has a
stuffing box or gland fitted at its upper end-as shewn; the water and materials
are carried down the pipe D, and mix on passing the appertures F, F, and
enter the chamber A through the lower openings F¹ to the pipe D; a little
above the lower appertures F1 is secured a circular plate or diaphragm G, G;
the materials after passing down the leading pipe are conveyed from the centre
of the apparatus to the circumference through the space between the disc or
the diaphragm G and the bottom of the chamber A.
The outer surface of the chamber is provided at the top with an inwardly
inclined flange H, H; the conical top or inclined side or flange governs the
quantity of materials under treatment. I, I, are appertures having projecting
shutes or mouths, and there may be two or more in number of these attached
to the inclined side or flange H. Through these appertures the lighter sub-
stances together with the water flow out and fall on to a conical apron K, K,
surrounding the chamber; the direction of the appertures I, I, are tangentel
to the cylinder, and their mouths on the following side of the apparatus, to
prevent the substances from being projected too great a distance, as also for
the purpose of making use of the impulsive force of the projected substances,
and relieve as much as possible the working of the apparatus.
The outer conical ring or flanged surface L, L, is for the purpose of
preventing the substances, while escaping from the machine, from being
projected too far. M, M, are valves for stopping the appertures left for the
passage of the heavier substances which, during the rotatory motion, collect
in the lower part of the rotating chamber. The valves M open inwardly and
remain closed whilst the apparatus is running at its properly calculated speed,
through the action of centrifugal force, which acting against the spring,
it follows that their opening takes place only when the velocity or speed is
reduced sufficiently to permit of the springs overcoming the centrifugal force..
The size and number of the apertures in any machine should be dependant
upon the bulk of substances which have to pass through them.
The two levers or arms N, N, are intended to assist in the seperation of the
substances by their agitating action through the mass accumulated against the
sides. These levers revolve freely around the pipe D, D, and are actuated
by a differential movement composed of two spur wheels o, o¹, and their
pinnions P, P; the wheel o', which is fast on the paddle lever N, and carries
it round by the motion that is imparted to it by its pinnion P. Each of the

page_text: pinnions P, P¹, are fixed on the same shaft, and the wheel O runs freely
on the pipe D, D, but it may receive motion by friction with a conical
friction ring, in the manner shewn in Fig. 1. When the two armed
friction surfaces are brought into contact by bolts and screws, the friction
arising from the two surfaces coming together retards the motion of the paddle
lever, and the relative speed with the machine, resulting from this retardation,
produces the necessary agitation for the seperation of the substances; this
differential speed should vary according to the nature of the substances to
be treated. a, a, are the radiating arms for framing together and supporting
the upper part of the chamber A; on one of the arms the pinnions shaft
is mounted, as shewn, and on the opposite side is a heavy stud or pillar R to
balance the weight of pinnions and their shaft.
The following explanation will render it easily understood how this appa-
ratus is intended to work:-
Suppose, for instance, that it is used for washing coal, and for separating
the earthy substances and other impurities therefrom the coal having been
previously selected of a suitable size, is introduced into the hopper, together
with the water required for washing, and so passes down through a regulating
valve; the valve being opened more or less according to the quantity of coal
required to be washed, the supply of water being also regulated by a suitable
stop-cock, the water flowia down carries with it the coal through the pipe D,
from thence it is aidea in its descent by the centrifugal force into the rotating
chamber. The particles of coal and extraneous substances intermixed with
the water are acted upon by the centrifugal force in various ways: first, the
heavier particles, such as pyrites, slates, and earthy matters, then the lighter
ones, such as coal and water, are projected against the sides of the rotating
chamber in accordance with or in regular order, according to their specific
gravities or densities. The agitation, produced through the whole mass
by the lever paddle arms or agitators, also assist in the arrangement of the
particles by setting free the adhering lighter particles. The passing out of the
lighter substances, which is taking place in the meantime through the outlet
pipes I, together with the constant feeding of fresh substances to be treated;
cause the particles to rise from the bottom of the chamber, and in their upward
motion the lighter ones, water and coal, are repulsed towards the centre, and
ascend the first; whilst the heavier ones pyrites, slates, and earthy matter,)
remain at the bottom of the apparatus, the purified coals and. washing water
being the first that are thrown out. At this part of the operation the speed
must be slackened sufficiently to cause the outlet valves to be opened by the
action of the springs, and so continue until the heavier substances are expelled

page_text: by the action of the centrifugal force. After the heavier substances have been
expelled, the work is resumed at the calculated speed without any further
stoppages, excepting occasionally slackening for a short time.
The apparatus just described for the washing of coals may also be used for
washing minerals, &c. other similar and hard substances; and it must be
observed that when operating upon a material which is lighter than the
extraneous substances or impurities which adhere to or are associated with it,
the lighter particles will continually pass out through the upper part thereof
without stopping the machine, whilst the extraneous substances will remain
within the apparatus, and may be expelled at intervals; but when the appa-
ratus is used for the washing of mineral ores which are heavier than the
extraneous substances combined with them, such as iron, lead, copper, or gold
ores, &c., the extraneous or associated substances are expelled and pass off,
whilst the heavier ores remain within the apparatus, from which they may be
discharged at intervals.
The cleansing water, instead of entering at the top of the apparatus, may
enter through the lower part; it may be supplied by a feed pump, or in
any other suitable manner, so as to alleviate the weight upon the pivot.
Instead of a single inclined flange H, H, carrying outlet pipes, which in
some instances may prove inconvenient, as it may allow of the water flowing
out without carrying along with it the lightersubstances, an arrangement, such
as is represented in Fig. 3, may be adopted, it being a vertical section and a
plan of a portion of the apparatus. H¹, H, is an inclined edge carrying the
outlet pipes, the top part forming a horizontal ring or flange; V, V, is a deep
hoop or cylindrical partition attached to the horizontal flange and to the arms
al of the frame. This cylindrical partition is intended to assist the seperation
of the lighter substances and the water, and acts as a disintegrating chamber,
in which time is allowed for the readjustment of the particles of fluid and solid
matters, by which better results may be obtained.
When ores of the precious metals, as gold or silver, are to be operated upon,
the apparatus should work, in manner described, by the washing action which
carries off the earth, the centrifugal force which drives the richest particles, and
the agitation or stirring up which helps to separate the various substances; the
more valuableandprecious metallicgrainsgather in recesses provided around the
bottom of theapparatus, from whence theyare extracted through emptyingholes
closed with screw fastenings. When it is thought desirable to proceed with the
amalgamating process, for the purpose of gathering the finest metallic particles,
the same apparatus may be used, after powdering in the best possible manner
the materials to be amalgamated; the mercury occupying the periphery of the

page_text: rotating chamber's bottom will take hold of the metallic particles as soon as
they come in contact, after being separated from their associated impurities
or mixtures by the action of centrifugal force, and the water also carries away
the lightest particles when flowing out.
It being superfluous to enumerate all the substances useful in industrial arts
which may be treated in this apparatus and by this process, I wish it to
be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details, arrangement
of the parts of the apparatus represented in the annexed Drawing; but I
reserve to myself the right to apply such modifications in the details and
variations in the positions of the parts of the apparatus, as to renderit applicable
to particular purposes for which such washing or separating machines may
be required or have to be applied, provided such machines combine within
themselves the treble action of centrifugal force, agitating, and washing, as
herein described, for the purpose of separating substances from extraneous
particles mingled or associated therewith.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Nicholas Victor Cadiat, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this First day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-seven.
20 Witness,
H. CHARLES BERNAT.
J. N. V. CADIAT. (L.S.)