Treatment of Ores or other Materials.
Year: 1885

page_text: Treatment of Ores or other Materials.
I PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONCENTRATING OR WASHING
APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF ORES OR OTHER MATERIALS a communi-
cation to me from abroad by The Frue Vanning Machine Company of Detroit
Michigan, United States of America Manufacturers to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to that class of machines used for treating ores or other
materials which consist of two or more component parts with different specific
gravities, so that the one part may be separated from the other; in the case of
ores, the valuable heavy metallic minerals being saved from the accompanying
lighter waste earthy rock.
The invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter
described. There are two frames, one a strong outer substantial supporting frame,
the other an inner, light, and freely moving frame on which the work is performed.
In the two principal designs which are described herein, the inner moving frame is
substantially the same in construction but the outer frame varies in the two forms
to suit the difference in arrangement of parts and materials employed in con-
struction; in both forms, of machine the action is the same, and the result the
Bame; the variations being simply to answer certain matters of convenience
neatness, durability, and stiffness. The outer frame supports, freely swinging legs
or toggles on which rest the inner shaking frame which receives a short quick
reciprocating motion from two eccentrics or cranks on a shaft running in bearings
fixed to the outer stationary frame. The inner shaking frame has at each end a
drum or roller with a number of small supporting rollers between them and one
end of the frame is carried higher than the other so as to form a plane inclined
surface. On this inclined and reciprocating surface an endless flanged belt or
apron is spread, and below the shaking frame this belt is submerged in a tank of
water by passing around a drum which dips below its surface and is carried ip

page_text: bearings either hung to the shaking frame or attached to the outer frame,
according to the style of machine employed. The belt is lifted out of the water
by a supporting or tightener roller which like the previously described drum either
hangs from the shaking frame or is attached to the outer frame The belt here-
after described, is, by suitable mechanism applied to either of the drums around
which it turns, and is made to slowly revolve around and along the rapidly shaking
inclined frame, and by this means, is produced a settling of the heavy particles of
any compound material flowing down the belt's surface in a current of water.
The travel of the belt is up the incline, so that the heavy particles clinging to
the surface are carried up by the belt against the descending stream of water, and
lighter particles until they pass a row of clean water jets near the upper end drum
and so are carried around the latter into the water tank below where they fall off
and settle to the bottom The mechanism which revolves the belt is connected, in
the two styles here described, either to the upper end drum on shaking frame or to
one of the fixed drums on outer frame, in both cases the power is transmitted from
the crank shaft already mentioned by means to be hereafter described.
The material to be treated flows on to the belt near its upper. end over a dis-
tributor which is arranged.in the case of gold or silver ores to retain any quick-
silver or amalgam in a trough box or riffle forming part of the distributor The
pulp flows down the inclined surface of the belt, always subjected to the steady
shaking motion communicated by the eccentrics or cranks, which motion causes
the heavier particles to settle on to the surface of the belt while the lighter
particles remain in suspension in the water and drop off the lower end drum. In
one form of the apparatus, the inner frame carries the drums and small rollers
which support the broad endless flanged belt or apron.
This belt is preferably made of rubber with a smooth surface and flanges around
the edges to prevent splashing of water over the sides. One of the lower drums is
arranged to dip the belt, in its revolution below the surface of water in a tank.
The shaking frame and supported belt are evenly oscillated by means of connecting
rods, by cranks or eccentrics or their equivalents connected with the driving shaft,
which carries a suitable fly wheel and pulleys.
The outer frame is placed on a slight incline, so that the upper plane surface of
the belt is longitudinally inclined The belt is made to travel slowly up the incline.
by means of worm gear driven by a belt on cone pulley, from driving shaft, this is
accomplished by using a flexible or jointed shaft which is attached to the gear
wheel driven by the worm, and is carried at one end by bearing on the stationary
frame and at the other by a hanging bearing fixed on the shaking frame, near to
which it drives by a pinion, the gear wheel on the shaft of the upper drum which
revolves the belt The motion of the shaking frame being small in extent, the
shaft can be made either small enough in diameter to readily give the required
amount, or a joint can be introduced which permits the oscillation of one end of
the shaft while the same is slowly revolving. The speed of the belt is regulated
by means of a handscrew which slides the cone pully along its shaft, which is
wholly supported on the casting which hangs freely on the end of the flexible or
jointed shaft and thus allows a rising and falling of the end of the cone shaft in its
guide which prevents vibration in running. A hand wheel is arranged so that the
cone shaft can be raised, thus taking the weight of same off the small twist belt on
cone pulley and so stopping revolution of cone shaft entirely. In the modified
form, the drum is driven direct by the gear wheel and worm the latter obtaining
its motion by means of a bevel gear driven by the cone pulley from the driving
shaft. The ore distributor receives the crushed ore and water and spreads same
over the width. of the belt near its upper end.
A clear water distributor delivers the water in small streams or jets across the
width of the belt.
Two styles of water distributor can be used; 'the one stationary, and delivering
by a number of small pipes or spouts 'from an open trough; the other being a
'closed pipe with jet pipes or cocks the whole having a lateral oscillating motion at

page_text: right angles to length & travel of belt, this motion being given by a bell crank
driven by short connecting rod attached to one side of the shaking frame. The ore
distributor is made either as a simple spreader for ores which have not previously
been treated with quicksilver, or it is furnished with a bowl or riffle at the upper
and lower end and between them a sheet of quicksilvered copper is fastened The
straight travel of the belt and its tension are regulated either by adjustable end
bearings or swinging hangers, or by sliding bearings as may be desired.
The action of the machine is as follows. The crushed ore and water, fall on to
the distributor and if quicksilver has been previously used, any amalgam or fine
quicksilver is caught in the shaking riffles, and on the surface of the copper plate.
The pulp then drops gently on to the surface of the belt and flows slowly down
the incline, subjected to the rapid, but steady, shaking motion imparted by the
crank shaft. This shaking motion settles the heavier metallic particles on to the
surface of the belt, and the revolution of the latter carries these mineral particles
up the incline and past the water jets (which wash back any light sand or waste)
and deposits them in the water tank, through which the belt passes in a reversed
position favourable to the washing off of adhering heavy particles by the water..
The light or waste material flows with the water down the full length of the belt.
and drops off the lower end drum into a waste trough or launder placed to receive
the discharge.

page_text: Treatment of Ores or other Materials.
I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (a communication to me from abroad by The Frue Vanning
Machine Company of Detroit Michigan United States of America, Manufacturers,)
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 class of machines used for treating ores or other
materials which consist of two or more component parts with differing specific
gravities, so that the one part may be separated from the other, in the case of ores,
the valuable heavy metallic minerals being saved from the accompanying lighter
waste earthy rock.
The invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter
described. There are two frames, one a strong outer substantial supporting frame,
the other an inner light and freely moving frame on which the work is performed.
In the two principal designs which are described herein the inner moving frame is
substantially the same in construction, but the outer frame varies in the two forms
to suit the difference in arrangement of parts and materials employed in construc-
tion; in both forms of machine the action is the same, and the result the same, the
variations being simply to answer certain matters of convenience, neatness, durability
and stiffness. The outer frame supports freely swinging legs or toggles on which rest
the inner shaking frame which receives a short quick reciprocating motion from
two eccentrics or cranks on a shaft running in bearings fixed to the outer stationary
frame. The inner shaking frame has at each end a drum or roller with a number of
small supporting rollers between them, and one end of the frame is carried higher
than the other so as to form a plane inclined surface. On this inclined and
reciprocating surface an endless flanged belt or apron is spread, and below the
shaking frame this belt is submerged in a tank of water by passing around a drum
which dips below its surface and is carried in bearings either hung to the shaking
frame or attached to the outer frame according to the style of machine employed.
The belt is lifted out of the water by a supporting or tightening roller which like
the previously described drums either hangs from the shaking frame or is attached
to the outer frame. The belt hereafter described, is, by suitable mechanism
applied to either of the drums, around which it turns and is made to slowly
revolve around and along the rapidly shaking inclined frame, and by this means is
produced a settling of the heavy particles of any compound material flowing down
the belts surface in a current of water. The travel of the belt is up the incline, so
that the beavy particles clinging to the surface are carried up by the belt against
the descending stream of water and lighter particles, until they pass a row of clear
water jets near the upper end drum and so are carried around the latter into the
water tank below where they fall off and settle to the bottom. The mechanism
which revolves the belt is connected in the two styles here described, either to the

page_text: '
.
upper end drum or shaking frame, or to one of the fixed drums on outer frame; in
both cases the power is transmitted from the crank shaft already mentioned by
means to be hereafter described. The material to be treated flows on to the belt
near its upper end over a distributor which is arranged in the case of gold or silver
ores to retain any quicksilver or amalgam in a trough, box, or riffle forming part
of the distributor. The pulp flows down the inclined surface of the belt always
subjected to the steady shaking motion communicated by the eccentrics or cranks,
which motion causes the heavier particles to settle on to the surface of the belt
while the lighter particles remain in suspension in the water and drop off the
lower end drum.
To clearly explain the nature of the invention reference is made to accompanying
drawings in which―
Figs. 1 and 2 represent side elevation and plan of one style of the machine and
· Figs. 3 and 4 side and end elevation of a modification of the same machine operating
in the same manner and doing the same class of work. Similar letters are used to
designate corresponding parts in both machines.
A is a strong outer frame of iron in Figs. 1 and 2 and of wood in Figs. 3 and 4.
Within this frame is supported an inner lighter shaking frame B, carried by
hangers or legs C, C, and arranged to swing freely in the direction of its length.
This inner frame carries the drums D, D, and small rollers d d d which support the
broad endless flanged belt or apron E. This belt is preferably made of rubber
with a smooth surface, and has flanges around the edges to prevent splashing
of water over the sides. One of the lower drums D is arranged to dip the belt in
its revolution below the surface of water in a tank F. The shaking frame B
and supported belt E are evenly oscillated by cranks or eccentrics or their equiva-
lents I, I, from shaft G which has fly wheels H, H, and a driving pulley H¹, by
means of connecting rods J. J. The outer frame A is placed on a slight incline so
that the upper plane surface of the belt E is longitudinally inclined, the end
at P being the higher. The belt is made to travel slowly in the direction of the
arrow, i.e, up the incline, by means of worm gear M driven by a belt or cone
pulley L from driving. shaft G. In Figs. 1 and 2 this is accomplished by using
a flexible or jointed shaft T which is attached to the gear wheel driven by the
worm and is carried at one end by bearing on the stationary frame A and at the
other by a hanging bearing fixed on shaking frame B near to which it drives by 'a
pinion the gear wheel O on the shaft of drum D which revolves the belt. The
motion of the shaking frame being small in extent the shaft T can be made either
small enough in diameter to readily give the required amount or a joint can be
introduced which permits the oscillation of one end of the shaft while the same is
slowly revolving. The speed of the belt E is regulated by sliding the cone pulley
along and securing it by a handscrew on its shaft K, which is wholly supported in
the casting U which hangs freely on the end of shaft T and thus allows a rising
and falling of the end of shaft K, in guide Q which prevents vibration in
running. A hand wheel N is arranged so that the shaft K can be raised thus
taking the weight of same off the small twist belt on cone pulley and so stop-
ping the revolution of the cone shaft K entirely. In Figs. 3 and 4 the drum D
is driven direct by the gear wheel and worm M, the latter obtaining its motion by
means of bevel gear V driven by the cone pulley L from the driving shaft G.
R is the ore distributor which receives the crushed ore and water and spreads
same over the width of the belt E near its upper end. P is a clear water
distributor which delivers the water in small streams or jets across the width
of the belt. Two styles of water distributor can be used, the one stationary as in
Figs. 1 and 2 and delivering by a number of small pipes or spouts from an open
trough; the other as in Figs. 3 and 4 being a closed pipe with jet pipes or cocks
the whole having a lateral oscillating motion at right angles to length and travel of
belt E, this motion being given by a bell crank W driven by short connecting rod
attached to one side of the shaking frame B. The ore distributor is made either
as a simple spreader as shown in Fig. 3, for ores which have not previously been

page_text: treated with quicksilver, or it is furnished with a bowl or riffle at the upper and
lower end and between them a sheet of quicksilvered copper is fastened. The
straight travel of the belt E and its tension are regulated either by adjustable end
bearings S, S, S, S, or the swinging hangers Y, Y, or by the sliding bearings Z.
The action of the machine is as follows-The crushed ore and water fall on to
distributor R, and if quicksilver has been previously used any amalgam or fine
.quicksilver is caught in the shaking riffles and on the surface of the copper plate.
The pulp then drops gently on the surface of the belt E and flows slowly down the
incline subjected to the rapid but steady shaking motion imparted by the crank
shaft. This shaking motion settles the heavier metallic particles on to the surface
of the belt and the revolution of the latter carries these mineral particles up the
incline and past the water jets P (which wash back any light sand or waste) and
deposits them in the water tank F through which the belt E passes in a reversed
position favorable to the washing off of adhering heavy particles by the water.
The light or waste material flows with the water down the full length of the belt,:
and drops off the lower end drum into a waste trough or launder placed to receive
the discharge.
Having now particularly described and ascertained. the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is—
1st In an ore concentrator an endless flanged belt and swinging frame with
means for imparting a shaking motion to same in combination with means for
causing said belt to revolve, consisting of worm and gear wheels M, cone pulley L,
flexible or jointed shaft T, gear wheels O with connections to crank shaft G,
substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
2nd In an ore concentrator an endless flanged belt and swinging frame with
means for imparting a shaking motion to same in combination with means for
causing said belt to revolve consisting of cone pulley L, shaft G, bevel gear wheels V,
and worm gear wheels M, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
3rd In an ore concentrator the combination of endless revolving flanged belt E,
with the three drums D, D, D, attached to outer stationary frame, and shaking
water distributor P with bell crank W, substantially as described and for the
purposes set forth.
4th In an ore concentrator an endless flanged revolving belt or apron, a sup-
porting frame and suitable mechanism for producing a shaking motion in same,
in combination with the quicksilver and amalgam saver R, the water distributor P
and deposit tank F, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.