US1854269A - Amalgamator - Google Patents

Description

April 19, 1932. N. M-cnow 1,854,269

AMALGAMATOR Filed Aug. 27. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS G. N. M Dow AMALGAMATOR April 19, 1932.

Filed Aug. 27, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR 650265 M5170! ATTORNEYS.

Wan/4% I Patented Apr. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES GEORGE N. McDow, or sUsANvILLE; CALIFORNIA V AMALGAMATOR Application filed August 27, 1927. Serial No. 215,898.

The present invention relates to improvements in amalgamators, and 1ts princlpal object is to provide an amalgamator in which 7 particles of gold, silver and platinum contained in ore pulp are efficiently and economically separated from the refuse. It is particularly proposed for this purpose to force the ore pulp into a body of mercury, preferably by means of a reciprocating piston, and to agitate or revolve the said body of mercury so that the ore pulp is brought intointimate contact with the mercury, allowing all the metal particles to combine with the mercury while the refuse works toward the upper face of the mercury and is discharged therefrom.

It is further proposed to provide in an amalgamator of the character described certain details of construction which improve the operation of the machine as will appear from the following specification.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a vertical center section through my amalgamator;

Figure 2, a horizontal section taken along line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figures 3 and 4, perspective detail views of parts of an agitator differing somewhat from the agitator shown in connection with Figure 1.

WVhile I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claim hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In its preferred form .my amalgamator comprises a cylindrical vessel 1 adapted to receive mercury therein, a funnel-shaped receptacle 2 formed with a horizontal flange 3 adapted to lie on the top edge of the vessel 1, a cylindrical shoulder 4 centering the said receptacle, a cylindrical receiving vessel 6 bolted to the rim of the vessel 1 and formed with an intake pipe 7, a cover plate 8 having a central cylinder 9 extending downwardly therefrom, which latter is aligned with a central c'ylinderll extending downwardly from'the funnel-shaped receptacle 2, and bearings 12 and 13 supported in a bearing plate 16 and braces 17, respectively. A piston 18.c0mprising'an iron cylinder 19, a hard rubber ring 21 surrounding the same, and steel rings 22 and 23 at the top and the bottom, is adapted to' reciprocate in the aligned cylinders 9 and 11 respectively, and is actuated from any suitable source of power by means of a piston rod 24 extending through the bearings 12 and 13. The lower end of the cylinder 9 is formed with ports 26 in that portion surrounded by the base of e the receptacle 2, so that ore pulp may be admitted into the cylinders on the upward stroke of the piston, and may be forced downwardly into the body of mercury on the downward stroke.

The mercury is kept agitated and made to revolve by means of the agitator 27 comprising a hub section 28 revolvably mounted on a bearing member 29 rising from the bottom of the vessel 1 and actuated by means of a shaft 31 to the upper end of which the hub is non-rotatably secured. The shaft 31 is provided with a bevel gear 32 which'meshes with a driving gear 33 for imparting motion to the agitator. The hub section 28 has preferably four arms. 34 extending therefrom which are slotted in axial planes as shown at 36 to receive suitable blades which may be round asshown at 37 or rectangular as shown at 38 in Figure 4, .or of any other I suitable shape. The blades 37 and the arms 34 are suitably perforated as shown at 39 and 41 to allow the blades to be fastened in any one of various positions. I

Where the cylindrical blades are used I preferably insert removable rings 42 in the vessel which are shaped to conform to the outlines of the blades 37 so that dead pockets are avoided and the ore pulp is kept from packing and'lodging in the vessel. 95

For the guidance of refuse ore pulp I provide tapered rings 44, 46 and 47. The ring 44 surrounds the cylinder 11 and is fastened thereto by means of a set screw 48. The rings; 46 and 47 are disposed along the side its of the vessel 1 and if placed as shown in Figure 1 form with the ring 44 a frustroconical passage through which the refuse passes upwardly. The wall of the vessel 1 above the rings is formed with side openings 49 extending substantially over the entire circumference thereof and is surrounded by a flanged rim 51 which guides the refuse passing through the openings 49 into the discharge spout 52.

A discharge pipe. 53 is provided immediately adjacent the bottom of the vessel, and allows the mercury and the precious metals to be withdrawn therethrough. A valve 54 controls the drain pipe.

Another pipe 56 extends through the vessel at the elevation of the top of the mercury. This pipe may be used to skim the surface of the mercury in which case the skimmings pass through the vertical pipe 57 and the valve 58 into the drain pipe 53. The pipe 56 may also be used for forcing water into the vessel 1 through the pipe 59 and the valve 61.

The operation of my amalgamator is as follows: Ore pulp is fed into the receptacle 6 through the intake 7 so as to surround the cylinder 9. On the upward stroke of the piston 18 the cylinders 9 and 11 fill with ore pulp and the latter is forced into the body of mercury lying in the vessel 1 on the downward stroke of the piston. In the meantime the body of mercury is kept revolving by the agitator 27. This double action of the forceful injection of the ore pulp into the mercury and the revolving of the latter causes all particles of the ore pulp to come in intimate contact with the mercury, so that any metal particles contained in the pulp are amalgamated. During this process the heavier substances work toward the bottom and toward the outside while the lighter particles rise toward the top substantially in adjacent relation to the cylinder 11. This refuse is then crowded through the passage between the rings 44, 46 and 47, and the openings 49 to the rim 51, from which it is passed on to the discharge'52.

\Vater is injected at the same time through the pipe 56 to facilitate the operation and to wash away the refuse.

It should be noted that the passage for the refuse may be changed in form by reversal of either the ring 44 or of the rings 46 and 47, or by substitution of different rings of different forms.

After the machine has been operated the refuse remaining in the machine when operation is discontinued may be drawn ofi through the pipe 56. The mercury and amalgam may be drained off through the pipe 58. 1

I claim:

In an amalgamator, cylindrical vessel for holding a body of mercury, an agitator GEORGE N. MoDOW.

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