US262628A - Apparatus for amalgamating - Google Patents

Description

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J. L. STEWART.

APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATING. No. 262,628. Patented Aug. 15,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. STEWART, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

4APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 262,628, dated August 15, 1882,v

Application filed December 24, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. STEWART, of

the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in the Apparatus for Amalgamating Precious Metals, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby precious metals contained in ore may be brought into more intimate and thorough contact with the amalgamating-bath than has heretofore been possible, with theresult that the process of amalgamation may be more rapidly, cheaply, and eliiciently carried on than by the processes heretofore in use.

My invention consists as hereinafter described aud claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical central sectional view of an apparatus conveniently embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of said apparatus, partially sectional to illustrate construction.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

A is an iron pot or vessel, havinga concave bottom, and supported upon brick-work X.

B is a cylindrical vessel located Within the vessel A, attached to and suspended from the top thereof, and provided with a lower cupshaped or expanding and Haring end,W,which forms a false-bottom to the vessel A. This false bottom Wis located some distance above the bottom ofthe exterior vessel, A, so as to leave a space between it and the bottom of said exterior vessel, with the result that material forced from theA lower end of the vessel B into the vessel A- is brought into close contact with the heated bottom of the last-named vessel. The false bottom is on its under side provided with radially-extending ribs a a. a, which serve to form channelsor outlets from the vessel B to the exterior vessel, A.

P is a pipe through which ore'" is fed to the vessel B.

F F are pipes leading outwardly from the vessel B and downwardly toward the false bottom of the vessel A.

C is a shaft concentric within the vessel B, provided with helical or propeller blades D D at a point ilush with or below the lower edge of the openings into the pipes F F. This shaft (No model.)

rests in and upon a bearing, E, upon the bottom of the vessel A, which bearing is formed with ports or outlets at its lower end, that sand or other extraneous matter may escape if under any circumstances it should find its way therein. The upper portion of the shaft revolves within a bearing, S, which may be at tached to a bracket or other suitable support. The upper extremity ofthe shaft plays Within an abutting bearing, which prevents the propellers from forcing the shalt upward and out of proper adjustment. This shaft may bedriven by gearing Q B, of the usual construction.

The pipes F F are provided with valves G G, adapted to be operated by valve-stems H H, or by any suitable means.

Lis apipe or conduit connected with and leading from the true bottom ot' the vessel A, by which the liquid contents of said vessel may be drawn ott, and through thepipeNdischarged into any suitable receptacle.

B3 is a gangue or dbris escape or overfiow pipe, and O is a dbris or gangue outlet pipe, extending outwardly and downwardly from the upper portion of the vesselA, and provided with an injection-pipe, B2, having a rose,by which water may be mixed with the escaping gangue or dbris for the purpose of preparing the same for wet concentration should the latter process be found necessary.

B' is a steam feed-pipe opening into the upper portion of the vessel A.

K is a lloat or indicator to determine the height of the duid mass within the vessel A. Y is a furnace, and Z grate-bars thereof.

l do not confine myself to the exact construction and detail of parts shown and described, as it is obvious that the same may be departed from without changing the character of my apparatus or modifying my invention.

Having thus described a convenient form of apparatus, its operation is as follows: The vessel A is lled with molten lead, mercury, or other amalgamating material to a point somewhat above the level of the upper edge of the openings of the pipes F F from the vessel B, within which latter vessel the material finds its level. When molten lead is employed as the amalgamating bath sucient heat is supplied and maintained, by means of a re in the furnace Y or by means of any suitable hot-air or superheated-steam heating device, to amalgamate the precious metals contained in the ore to be treated after the latter has beenbrought into contact therewith in the vessels A and B. The propellers D D are then operated at sufcient speed to force or propel the amalgamating-liquid in the interior chamber, B, downwardly through the same and outwardly between the ribs a aiuto the chamber A until thelevel of the amalgamating-bath in the vessel B is below the level ofthe lower edges of the respective openings into the pipes F F. The valves G Gr are then opened sufficiently to permit the proper quantity of amalgamating-liquid to iiow from the vessel A back into the vessel B of its own gravityin order to obtain the desired rapidity of circulation of the liquid from the vessel A through the tubes F F and cylinder B. Ore containing the precious metals which has been previously prepared for dry amalgamation is now fed through the tube P in proper quantities to the amalgainating-chamber B, Whereit is brought into contact with the propellers D D and with the molten lead or other amalgamatingbath, and where it is retained for a longer or shorter time, at the pleasure of the operator.

By proper adjustment of the valves Gr G a greater or less quantity of material may be permitted to flow through the pipes F F into the ani al gam atin g-chamber B.

It will be observed that the circulation of the liquid and the length of time that the ore is subjected to the action of the propellers and the molten material are both under the complete control of the operator. The ore, being of much less specific gravity than the molten lead, will, when immersed therein, tend to rise rapidly to the surface, and as the propeller is set vertically in the chamber B, the ore being forced through the lead will be continually rising and being pressed against the blades of the screw-propeller, by which it will be subjected to a grinding process between the molten lead and said blades. The propellers, be-

ing rapidly revolved, cause a thorough incorporation of every particle of the precious metals with the amalgamatingbath. The faces of the propeller-blades may be provided with ribs or rough projections, so as to increase their agitating and grinding action. It will thus be seen that the ore and molten lead, upon being admitted to the amalgamating-chamber B, are subjected to a thorough incorporation, and are then forced down through the chamber B into and through the superheated channels between the bottom of the vessel A and the under surface of the false bottom W into the vessel A,where the gangue or dbris rises and flows out through the pipe O by reason of the difference in gravity between the lead and said debris.

The debris may be forced out of the vessel A, it' necessary, by means of an air or steam -jet admitted to the said vessel through the pipe B', and be conducted through the pipe O to a concentrator, or to the waste-pile, as may be deemed proper.

In case of scarcityof water for supplying the water-feed B2 the gangue or dbris may be allowed to overflow and escape from the vessel A through the overlow-pipes B3.

When quicksilver is employed as the amalgamating-bath the ore may be either wet or dry, and the quicksilver may be used cold, or it may be heated if the temperature is kept below the point of distillation.

Having thus described my invention, l claiin- In a device for amalgamating precious metals, an exterior pot or vessel, in combination with the interior cylinder, B, provided with an outwardly and upwardly flaring end or Bange, W, located above the bottom of said exterior vessel, and having openings and valves for controlling said openings for the return of the amalgam bath to said cylinder, as described, and for the purpose speciiied.

In testimony whereofl Ihave hereunto signed 9 my name this 20th day ofDecember, A. D, 1881.

JOHN L. STEWART.

In presence of J. BoNsALL TAYLOR, W. G. STRAWBRIDGE.

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