US1557877A - Amalgamating and concentrating machine - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 20,1925. 1,557,877

J. H. RAE

AMALGAMATING AND CONCENTRATING MACHINE Filed June 1924 In z/e n tor.

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Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIO H. RAE, OF DAYTON, NEVADA, ASSIGNOR O'F ONE-THIRD TO JULIO 'H. RAE, JR.,

AND ONE-THIRD T0 LOUISA M. RAE, BOTH GF DAYTON, NEVADA. V

AMALGAMATING AND CONCENTRATING MACHINE. 7

Application filed June 30, 1924. Serial No. 723,092.

To all whom it may concerm Be it known that I, J ULIO H. RAE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, county of Lyon, and State of Nevada, have'inventednew and useful Improvements in rhnalgamating and Concentrating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto an amalgamating and concentrating machine, and particularly to a machine which is adapted for separating fine metal particles from black sand and the like.

In mining districts where placer deposits containing line or flour gold, platinum and other precious metals are encountered, and

particularly where the percious metals are mixedwith so'called black sands, experience has shown that it is practically impossible to save the fine values. Sluice boxes, concentrating tables, belts, matting and so on have been employed, and numerous forms of 'riflies and other retaining devices have been used but all to no avail, as the black sand settles and packs to such an extent, that the flour or fine values do not have an opportunity to lodge and as such are carried away witli the sluice or wash water.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine which is particularly adapted for handling material of this character, and in which the fine values are caught or retained, first, by amalgamating action and, secondly, by concentration; this being accomplished, first, by passing thematerial over a bed or surface of quicksilver which is maintained in a constant state of agitation; secondly, by preventing packing of the black sand, thus permitting the values to settle and amalgamate, and, third, by subjecting the black sand to a concentrating action which will separate such values as have escaped amalgamation, or which could not become amalgamated due to the fact that their surfaces were too highly oxidized or perhaps included with other materials such as sulphides, etc. a a

One form which my inventionmay assume I is exemplified in the following. description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which F 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the amalgamating and concentrating machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawings indetaihand I particularly to Fig. 1, A indicates a sluice box to which the material is delivered after it has been passed through a suitable form of screen, grizzly or other like device which will remove over-sized material, such as heavy gravel, boulders andthe like. The black sand and other material separated from the coarser gravel, boulders, .etc., together with a sufiicient amount of wash water, enter the sluice A and thenpass over a series of rollers generally indicated. at 2. These rollers are supported on shafts 3 extending crosswise of an enlarged compartment B forming a continuation of the sluice box A. The shafts are suit-ably journalled in the side walls of the compartment and project thereth-rough.

The rollers may be constructed of castiron, steel or any other suitable material, and the spacing between the rollers is such that only the black sand andfine materials may pass between the same. The coarservmaterial, together with a small proportion of the Wash water,,passes over the upper surface of the rollers, as the sluice box A and the enlarged compartment B assume an inclined position, and the material is therefore not onlyadvanced by the wash water over the upper surface of the rollers 2,'but it is also advanced mechanically due to'the fact that the rollers 2 are rotated in unison and in the same direction, as will hereinafter be described.

The upper rollers in reality form a roller form of conveyor or grizzly and the valueless material is thus readily separated from the finer materials and black sands which carry the metal values and it is discharged on'an apron 4, which delivers the material to a discharge launder or sluice '5 from where it may be conveyed to any point desired. 4.

Disposed below-the rollers 2 is a second series of rollers as indicated at'6.; "These are also carried by shafts which project through the sides ofthe chamber'B, and these shafts, together with the rollers ;6 carried thereby, are also drivenin unison and in the same direction as the rollers2 aswill later be described. V

The bottom section of the chamber'is provided with two or more crosswise disposed partition members such as shown at 7 and 8. These partition members form damswhich are driven in unison with the same. cross-strip or dam 13, is placed below these rollers and a dam is thus formed forward retain the mercury generally indicated at 9. The rollers 6 are partially submerged in the separate mercury beds or surfaces maintained by the dams- 7 and 8 and, as the rollers are constantly rotating, sufficient agitation is maintained to prevent packing of the black sand and to. retain the quicksilver in a live condition, which decidedly promotes amalgamat-ion.

The, finer sands, together with the black sand and the metal values carried thereby, pass through the spaces formed between the rollers" 2 and a sufficient amount of wash water also'passes down through these spaces. The water and sand thus delivered to the lower rollers pass-between the same on to the mercury beds maintained by the rollers 2 and, as the sand is maintained in constant agitation by the rotation of the rollers, the heavier values will settle to the surface of the quicksilver beds and will here be amalgamated. The lighter sands will be carried forward by the motion of the wash water and also by the continuous rotation of the rollers which carry the sand from one roller to another. The black sand and lighter sands will thus finely discharge over the dams. or cross-members 7 and 8' and will thusbe deposited on an apron 11. Disposed 'above'this apron is a series of rollers such *asindicated at 12. These are mounted and 'j'ou-rnalled' crosswise of the machine in a manner similar to the rollers 52 and 6 and The of the. rollers 12, so that the black sand will have a tendency to accumulate behind the :dam. The constant rotation of the rollers 12maintain-s the black sand in such a state, of agitation that valuable metals which have escaped amalgamation will here have an opportunity to become concentrated or settle behind the dam 13, where the values,

together with'the major portion of the black sand? will discharge through a slot 16. The

waste materials and other sand will be constantly advanced by the rollers 12 and by the action of the wash water, and as such "will finally dischargeover the dam 13 into a discharge launder orsluice 14 from where theymay-be conveyed to any point desired.

7 Experience has. shown that gold, in many instances, becomes, so highly oxidized that 'it will not amalgamate. -Such gold will, therefore, escape the. amalgamating action "but willbe caught in this instance by the concentrating action of the. rollers 12. Other valuesare sometimes included in other -meta-ls which are not subject to amalgamation, or they may appear in the form of sulphides or the like and may thus be caught by concentrating action, and it is for this reason that'thelast set of rollers 12 is employed.

The present machine is not concerned with the retention of heavy values, for instance such as gold nuggets, heavy platinum particles and the like, as, these may be caught by ordinary forms of riffles in the upper portion of the sluice box A. The machine is also concerned with the retention of the finer or fiour values and actual practice has shown that the machine is exceedingly efiicient for this purpose. This is due to the fact that the material to be treated is, first of all, passed through ordinary grizzlies, which remove the coarser gravel, boulders and the like; secondly, because a secondary separating action is resorted to when the material is passed over the roller grizzly formed by the rollers 2;

third, that the finer values are permitted to settle between the roller 6, due to the fact that the black sand cannot pack because'of the constant agitation induced by the roller 6, and the finer values will thus settle between the rollers and as such will come in contact with the mercury beds. These beds are maintained in a constant state of agitation and the values thus become readily.

by providing a pair of line shafts which are driven in unison as here illustrated, and by transmitting power from the line shafts by means of bevel gears to the respective shafts. Other driving means may be employed, but as one illustration will suflice, further illustration has not been attempted. I

While certain features of the present invention are more or less specifically illustrated, I wish it understood that various changes in form and proportion may be resorted towithin the scope of the appended claims. I similarly wish it understood that the materials and finish of the several parts employed maybe suchas the experience and judgment of the 'manufacturer may dictate orvarious uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 7 1. A; device of the character described comprising a sluice box, said sluice having a compartment formed in the bottom thereof for the reception of mercury, a plurality of rollers'journalled crosswise of the sluice and partially submerged in the mercury, said rollers being interspaeed to permit them to function as separating and conveying rollers, and means for rotating the rollers.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a sluice box, said sluice having a compartment formed in the bottom thereof for the reception of mercury, a plurality of rollers journalled crosswise of the sluice and partially submerged in the mercury, and a second series of rollers disposed above the first-named rollers, said second series of rollers being interspaced to permit them to function as separating and conveying rollers.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a sluice box, said sluice having a compartment formed in the bottom thereof for the reception of mercury, a plurality of rollers journalled crosswise of the sluice and partially submerged in the mercury, a second series of rollers disposed above the first-named rollers, said second series of rollers being interspaced to permit them to function as separating and conveying rollers, and means for rotating both sets of rollers.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a sluice box, said sluice having a compartment formed in the bottom thereof for the reception of mercury, a plurality of rollers journalled crosswise of the sluice and partially submerged in the mercury, a second series of rollers disposed above the first-named rollers; said second series of rollers being interspaced to permit them to function as separating and conveying rollers, and means for rotating both sets 0 rollers and in the same direction.

JULIO H. RAE.

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