IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING METAL FROM ORES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Gregory Drewe, of Paddington, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING
METAL FROM ORES."
Sealed the 3rd November 1854, and dated the 6th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Gregory Drewe
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th May 1854.
I, HENRY GREGORY DREWE, of Paddington, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING
METAL FROM ORES" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in crushing ores to an impalpable powder by means
of a machine or mill, consisting of crushers, which slide (without rolling or
revolving on axes) in an annular groove of a corresponding form into which
the ores to be crushed are placed; and also in mixing the impalpable powder
thus obtained with water, and causing it in this state to pass through mercury,
either by means of the pressure of a column of the semi-fluid matter br a
force pump, or by other convenient means.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Gregory-Drewe-in-the-Great Seal Patent Office-on
the 4th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, HENRY
GREGORY DREWE, of Paddington, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters-
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Gregory Drewe, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
Gregory Drewe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Henry Gregory Drewe, 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and' vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING. METAL FROM ORES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I; the said Henry Gregory Drewe, 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
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 Henry Gregory Drewe, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 (that is to say): :-
My Invention consists in crushing ores to an impalpable powder by means
of a machine or mill, consisting of crushers, which slide (without rolling or
revolving on axes) in an annular groove of a corresponding form, into which the
ores to be crushed are placed; and also in running the impalpable powder thus
obtained with water, and causing it in this state to pass through mercury,
either by means of the pressure of a column of the semi-fluid matter by a
force pump, or by other convenient means.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same.

page_text: Figure 1 is a plan of the machinery combined according to my Invention;
Figure 2 is an elevation in section of the same. a, a, is a circular cast-iron
trough iron, having several openings b, b, having fixed therein surfaces of wire
gauze or perforated metal; and each of such openings has a shield or guard c
fixed in front of it, to prevent the wire gauze or perforated metal being
injured by the lumps of materials which are being ground from being forced
through or against the same. Around the exterior of the trough a is a
smaller gutter or trough d, d, into which the water loaded with ground
materials, (such as will pass through the meshes of the wire gauze or the
holes in the perforated metal,) will flow, and from it such water will pass into
the hopper-formed vessel e, or a series of them, and from thence into the
cistern f, from which it may be pumped or run away. The hopper-formed
vessels are arranged suitably at the bottom to receive mercury, and there is
a lip provided in each, as shewn at f', so that the column of water mixed with
the ground matters will force its way through the opening f² and over the
lip f¹, by which the mercury will come in contact with any metal which may
be passing with the water and amalgamate therewith, and the amalgamated
metals may from time to time be drawn off at the screw plug opening g. In
order to insure a regular flow of the fluid mass through the mercury, it is to
be constantly and gently agitated by any mechanical means. A constant
supply of water is kept up in the trough a, and the grinding is performed by
the cast-iron runners h, h, which I prefer to be of the form shewn in the
Drawing. These runners are put in motion by the arms i, i, as is shewn, the
arms i, i, being affixed to the upright shaft j, and the shaft j receives its
motion from a steam engine or other power by the shaft k, motion being
communicated from the shaft k to the shaft j by the wheels 1, m.
In place
of using mercury in the hopper-formed vessels, above described, a pumping
or agitating apparatus, such as is shewn at n, may be used. Into this
ratus mercury is placed, and a quantity of the water loaded with the ground
materials is pumped into the vessel n, when the perforated piston or plunger o,
being put into motion by an excentric on the shaft k, the whole of the matters
will be agitated together, and will pass through and through the perforated
piston or plunger, and thus bring the mercury in contact with the metal, and
ensure its amalgamating with it; the water may then, after subsiding for a
short time, be drawn off by the upper cocks p, p, and the amalgamated metals
may be run off at the cock q. When it is desired to separate much of the
appa-

page_text: water and earthy matters from the heavier matters I use an apparatus u, with
a perforated plunger or piston v, put in motion by a crank or excentric on the
shaft ; the water loaded with ground material is run from the gutter d
around the trough a by the pipe w, into the vessel u and there alternately
agitated and allowed to settle, when a quantity of the water is to be run off,
and the matters further agitated and water run off, after which the heavier
mass.mass is to be run off from the lower cock 2.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I would have it
understood that I make no claim to the mechanical parts separately, nor do I
confine myself to the precise details; but what I claim is, the combination
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Gregory Drewe, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
H. 'G. DREWE. (L.S.)