US2124205A - Amalgamator - Google Patents

Description

July 19, 1938. V w om. 2,124,205

AMALGAMAI'OR v Filed Feb. 16, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet l ale. T11

INVENTOR.

'A/wem M/Vw/e I 1 ATTORNEYS.

H. w. MOIR July 19, 1938.

3 Sheets-Sheet 24 ill MMW W 2 J II AQ/ INVENTOR;

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Patented July 19, 1938 AMALGAMATOR Harry W. Moir, Seattle, Wash., assignor to. Robert Gillespie, Seattle, Wash.

Application February 16, 1937, Serial No. 125,983

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in amalgamators for the recovery of free gold 'from ore or'sand, and it has for its principal objects to provide a mechanical, rotary amalgamator for I the above purpose, of relatively inexpensive construction; of a kind that is readily adapted to present-day milling or sluicing operations; which requires little power for its operation, and is capable of recovering a much greater percentage of gold than has been possible by the use of amalgamators of the various kinds heretofore commonly used.

More specifically stated, the present invention resides in the provision of a rotary amalgamator including a housing designed for the passage therethrough of pulverized material from the mill discharge or the flow from the sluicing opera tion, and wherein there is contained a plurality of quickened plates that are associated with means in the housing for causing all solid matter to contact with the plates in its passage, thereby efiecting a cleaning action of the pulp upon the plates by direct impact, and also taking advantage. of the abrasive effect of the material whereby oxidized coatings are removed from free gold,

making the gold particles amenableto amalgamation.

Explanatory to the advantages of the present device, it may be here stated that the recovery of metallic gold by amalgamation has been practised for many years. The affinity of quicksilver for gold and silver in theirmetallic'states has long been well known, and the method of recovering gold most widely used heretofore has consisted in passing gold bearing sands or ground over silvered copper plates whose surfaces have been treated with mercury. Although this old method of gold recovery is still widely used, it is 6. being gradually discarded in favor of more modern methods, since it is now well known that only a fair percentage of gold in any material is recovered thereby. The low percentage of recovery is the result of many causes, among them being a too rapid flow of water to allow the fine gold to settle and the accumulation of a metallic film on the surface of the mercury from the base metals in the material which prevents either free or pre-amalgamated gold from contacting the plates, thus causing considerable loss in values.

Many mechanical devices have been developed in recent years for the recovery of fine gold by amalgamation, but the problem of bringingfinelmaterial into contact with quickened'plateslor (Cl. 209-j54) free mercury without fouling has always remained.

In view of'the above mentioned disadvantage of amalgamators as heretofore used, it has been the object of this invention to provide a machine whereby those disadvantages are minimum.

In'accomplishing these objects,.I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig/1 is a perspective view of the machine,

illustrating the removal of the discharge end spout and a partial Withdrawal of the plates.

Fig. 2 is a partial elevation, showing the driving gears.

reduced to a -Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of a part of one of the plates.

Fig, 4 is a central, longitudinal section of the machine.

Fig. 5 is an end elevationshowing the driving gearing.

Fig. 6 is a cross section on line 6-.-6 in Fig. 4.

Briefly described, the present invention comprises .a cylindrical housing that may be disposed horizontally, or substantially in a horizontal position, and rotated. This housing is equipped interiorly along its walls with spaced, longitudi-' nally extending ribs or flanges, whereby the sand in a placer operation, or pulverized material in a milling operation, delivered into one end of the rotating housing, will be caused to be turned and rolled in its passage to the opposite discharge end of the housing. Supported within the housing, lengthwise thereof, by a removable frame construction, are quickened plates against which the moving material is caused to contact in its pas sage through the housing as it is rolled over and over and Washed through the machine. The spider which supports the quickened plates may be loosened and then bodily removed'from the housing for cleaning the gold from the plates.

1 Referring more in detail to the drawings- The cylindrical drum, designated in its entirety by reference numeral I and constituting what is referred to as the housing of the amalgamator, is supported horizontally, orslightly inclined downwardly from its receiving to its dis- 3 and 3', forming a rigid and substantial base. Fixedupon the base frame at its cornersare grooved rollers 4 mounted by housings 5andar--' of bolts 21.

a driving ring gear I0 is fixed concentrically to the disk I and this gear is driven by a pinion supported in mesh therewith on a driving shaft I2, which shaft is revolubly contained in a mounting bearing l3. The shaft may be rotat ably driven by any suitable means, such as by a driven belt operating over-a belt pulley .|4 fixed thereon.

In Fig. 4, it will be noted that the end disk 1 I which closes the receiving end of the housing, has a circular, concentric opening l5 over which a collar I6 is fitted. Thecollar is secured by bolts that. are extended therethrough and through the disk, and having wing nuts threaded onto theirouter ends. The collar provides a central opening |8 into the housing about which opening is an inwardly extending and in wardly. flared conical flange |9.

The disk 8 that closes the outlet end of the housing likewise has a relatively large central opening 20, and over this is fitted aclosure plate 2| secured by bolts 24 and wing nuts 24', and having a large central opening 22 from which extends an outwardly flared discharge spout 23.

Extending lengthwise of the housing at equally spaced apart intervals, are ribs 25, here shown to be six in number. These are fixed at their ends to the annular disks] and 8 bymeans The spaces between adjacent ribs are closed by wall plates 2|, as seen best in Fig.

6, and these are secured by bolts 28 extended through their edges and threaded into shoulders projecting laterally from theopposite sides of the ribs.

In the use of the device, it is understood that a certain amount of mercury is allowed to run free in the drum, and in order that the interior of the housing may notbe acted upon by this mercury, the plates 2| are vulcanized on their inside stu'faces with a layer of rubber 29.

The longitudinal ribs 25 are relatively thin and extend a substantial. distance toward the central axis of .the. drum andthereby operate as baffles whereby, incident to rotation of the drum, the

sand or milled material passed through the device will be caused to be rolledand turned, over and over, incident to the rotation.

The bafiie forming portions of the several ribs 25 are recessed, or, cut awayfor a spaced interval at the receiving end of the machine, as will be noted in Fig. 4 so as to leave a clear annularv space within the drum adjacent the plate 1 for a better distribution of sand, as received, to the spaces between the various ribs; itbeing underastood thatin ,use of the device, the material to be treated is delivered with a flow of water into the machine through the opening l8 from a pipe or the like, as designated at 35.

Supported longitudinally and axially Within the housing is-a shaft 40. This isrigidly supported at its opposite ends =by'spider, frames 4| and 42,,

the radial legs of which-are grooved to slidably receive therein the inner edges of certain ribs of the housing and set screws are threaded per and is plated with silver.

into the ends of the spider arms to engage with the ribs to retain the frame at a set position.

Supported on the shaft 40, just within each of the spider frames 4| and 42, are plate supporting spiders and 5|, each having a plurality of radial arms, corresponding in number and extending into the spaces between the longitudinal ribs, as observed in Fig. 6, corresponding arms of the spider frames 50 and 5|, at opposite ends of the frame, support the quickened baffle plates 50. These plates, as observed by reference to Fig. 6, are disposed in planes radial of the longit'udinal axis of the machine and extend from the central shaft into close, spaced proximity along their outer longitudinal edges to the side walls of the housing. Each plate is made of cop- These plates are what are referred to as quickened plates. The core shaft 40 which supports the quickened plates, as Well as the baffles formed by the longitudinal ribs .25, are of aluminum.

It will be noted also by reference to Fig. 4, that a conical closure piece 62 is fixed coaxially of the spout 23 with its base engaged against the spider arms 4|, leaving an annular outlet 53 into the spout. The cone is supported in place by three equally spaced plates 64 fixed in the spout 23 in planes axially radial thereof. Also, an annular flange 10 is fixed just within the mouth of the spout 23 to catch any free mercury.

Each of the plates has a bar or rib 65 fixed to its outer longitudinal edge, and the ends of the bar are adapted to dove-tail into slots 66 in the ends of the arms of spiders 50 and 5|, and are held in place by bolts 61 extended through the dovetailed parts.

Assuming the device to be so constructed, and properly charged with mercury, and assuming it to be designed to receive material, such as sluiced sand or crushed ore, into its receiving end, it is apparent that with the drum in rotation, this material, as washed through, will be caused to be turned over and over byv the bafiies and thrown time after time into contact with the quickened plates 60. This action not only brings all of the solid material against the plates, but it effects an'automatic cleaning of the latter to keep them from fouling. Furthermore, the action of the machine which throws the material into constant contact, has an abrasive effect thereon which removes the oxidizing coating that may collect on particles of free gold.

When it becomes desirable to clean the quickened plates 60for the removal of gold, the set screws 45 are loosened. The collar 2| is removed fromthemachine, and then the entire frame, with the plates therein, is bodily moved endwise from the dischargeend of the machine, as indicated in Fig. 1. The plates 60 may then be removed from their supporting spiders .by removal of bolts 51 and cleaned, then replaced, and

rotation of the drum. This will be understood.

by reference to Fig. 6 wherein the drum is rotating clockwise and a close adjustment of plates to the baiiles .is indicated in dotted lines.

This machine is relatively inexpensive to construct, is readily portable and can be'driven by use of a one-horsepower motor.

By the present means, a method of forcing all solid matter into direct contact with the amalgamating machines has been employed whereby recovery of gold reaches high percentages not possible in ordinary amalgamators.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. An amalgamator comprising a rotary, cylindrical drum provided'at its opposite ends with receiving and discharge openings, and supported in position for turnover of material in its delivery through the drum, and quickened plates supported in the drum in planes radial thereof and spaced from the walls of the drum to recurrently receive the material thereagainst.

2. An amalgamator comprising a rotary, oylindrical drum provided at its opposite ends with receiving and discharge openings, and supported in position for turnover of material in its delivery through the drum, and quickened plates supported in the drum in planes radial thereof and spaced inwardly from the walls thereof to recurrently receive the material thereagainst, and means mounting said plates and bodily removable from the drum.

3. An amalgamator comprising a rotary drum, provided at its opposite ends respectively with receiving and discharge openings, means in the drum to provide for a recurrent lifting and down pouring of material in its passage through the drum, and quickened plates supported in the drum lengthwise thereof and spaced from the walls of the drum toreceive the material thereagainst.

4. An amalgamator comprising a rotary, cylindrical drum provided at its opposite ends respectively with receiving and discharge openings, spaced, longitudinal means in the drum for effecting a recurrent turnover of material in its travel through the rotating drum, a frame supported in the drum and adapted for removal therefrom, and quickened plates supported by said frame in planes radial of the drum and between the spaced means for receiving the material thereagainst from the baffles.

5. An amalgamator comprising a rotary, cylindrical drum, provided at its opposite ends, respectively, with receiving and discharge openings, a plurality of spaced, longitudinal bafiies in the drum extending inwardly from its side walls as means for efiecting a recurrent turnover of material in its travel through the rotating drum, a frame supported in the drum from said baflies and slidable on the baffies into and from the drum through one end opening thereof, means for securing the frame in functional position in the drum, a plurality of quickened plates mounted in the frame in planes radial of the drum between adjacent baffles to receive the material thereagainst from the bafiles.

of spiders mounted on the shaft and having radial arms, and quickened plates mounted at their opposite ends in corresponding arms of the last mentioned spiders whereby the plates are supported for receiving the material thereagainst.

"I. An amalgamator comprising 'a rotary cylindrical drum having receiving and discharge openings at its opposite ends, respectively, and supported for a horizontal travel of material therethrough, bafiles extended lengthwise of the drum and radially inwardly from its side walls, a frame supported within the drum and rotatable therewith, and quickened plates mounted by the frame and extended lengthwise of and spaced inwardly from the drum intermediate the baffles, and means for adjusting the frame to vary the spacing between the plates and bafiles.

8. A device as in claim 6, wherein the arms of the first mentioned spiders are grooved at their ends for receiving the edges of the baffles, and are slidable along the baflles as trackways into and from the drum, with means associated with said spiders for engaging the baflies to lock the plate supporting frame in place in the drum.

9. A device as in claim 6, wherein the second set of spiders is rotatable on the shaft for adjusting'the position of the quickened plates relative to the baffles.

10. A device as in claim 6, wherein the quickened plates are removably mounted by their supporting arms.

11. An amalgamator comprising a horizontally disposed rotary drum, means for rotating the drum; said drum having closure plates at its 0pposite ends provided with concentric openings for receiving and discharge of material, baffles in the drum, lengthwise thereof and spaced apart, and extending inwardly from its side walls; said baliies terminating short of the end plate at the receiving end of the drum, and quickened plates supported in the drum and inwardly spaced from the outer walls of the drum, between the baffles; to receive material thereagainst from the baffles.

12. A device as in claim 11, wherein the quickened plates are disposed in planes radial of the drum and extend from the axis outwardly between the baflies with their outer edges spaced from the side walls of the drum.

HARRY W. MOIR.

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