US486897A - Hydraulic-mining engineering method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' A. M. RAWSON. HYDRAULIC MINING ENGINEERING'MBTHOD ANDAPPARATUS.

Patented Nov. 29, 1892.

HYDRAULIC MINING ENGINEERING METHOD AND APPARATUS.

2 t e e, h s W e e h S 3 N 0. S W A R M A u d 0 M 0 t a 33 a h w A wi flmowo if a (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

. A. M. RAWSON. HYDEAULIG MINING ENGINEERING METHOD AND APPARATUS.

No. 486,897. Patented Now 29, 1892.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABEL M. RAWSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

HYDRAULIC-MINING ENGINEERING METHOD AND APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,897, dated November 29, 1892.

Application filed May 28, I892. Serial No. 434,816- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: I

' Be it known that I, ABEL M. RAWSON, of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Hydraulic Mining; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in hydraulic mining; and its object is to retain in the gorges in which such mining operations are conducted the dbris from such operations which would otherwise be carried down into the valleys below and cause great damage therein; and my invention consists more particularly in the methods and apparatus hereinafter specified, and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a gorge, showing my improved apparatus and the mode of using the same. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same in the earlier stages of the process, and Fig. 3 is a similar view in the later stages thereof.

Having first selected a suitable location in the gorge at such a distance below the field of mining operations as will permit of the deposition of the dbris which maybe expected to resulttherefrom, a stone dam Ais built across the gorge of about sixteen feet in height and of suificient strength to resist the pressure of a volume of water rising to its crown with catch-basins B, placed against its upper face,

opening five feet from the base of the dam.

The area of these catch-basins on a horizontal section should be at least six times that of the water-conduits in use in mining,

thus giving ample facility for the permeation of water through the dbris. I

C are pipes perforating the dam and connecting with the catch-basins and should be placed at a distance of not less than four feet below the crown of the dam.

D is a large pipe or covered flume which may run under, through, or by either end of the dam, its upper end being at the first operation upon a level point with the pipes C. As the deposition of dbris proceeds additional sections are added on at the upper end of the pipe. The object of this pipe is to carry off the clear water resting above the upper sloping surface of the dbris last deposited.

E is a relief pipe, flume,or ditch,which conveys the stream of the gorge and all water intended for mining purposes when not in use beyond the dam. This pipe is used when for some cause it is not desired to use the clearwater pipe, as when it is necessary to clean the catch-basins B. The first operation after the construction of the dam is completed is to fill the catch-basins B with dbris to the proper height. This may be accomplished by the ordinary action of the process of hydraulic mining, which impels the dbris, mingled with water, down the channel of the gorge until it is arrested in the catch-basins, provided that care is taken that the first deposits in the catch-basins be of such a 'character.-as clear gravelas will permit of free percolation therethrough. The gravel in the catch-basins will rise to a height h, while the clear water will rise to the level of the perforating-pipes C and will be carried off through these pipes. After the dbris deposited in the gorge above the dam has reached a point parallel with the opening of the clear-water pipe D it is neces: sary to have recourse to the elevated fiume E. This fiume should be adjustable at such a point above the clear-water pipe D as will give the necessary pitch to discharge the mingled water and dbris (marked m in the the earlier stages of the process it is necessary to add to the main flume E distributing branches F in order to distribute the mingled dbris and water evenly at different points transversely of the gorge, otherwise a full stream of mingled gravel and water pouring on toward the dam and confining itself to a single channel would continue to deposit the dbris in the same location, so that its channel would be raised until in time its banks would be above the level of the crown of the dam and the water would fiow over the dam, there not being sufficient percolating-surface in a single channel to allow the water to sink into the control of the dam and be drawn away by the catch-basins and their connecting-pipes. By dividing this flow into smaller streams distributed in an arc of a circle sufficient percolatingsurface would be compassed to allow the water to find its level, leaving the debris distributed near the point of its fall from the distributing branches F. When, however, the dry barrier (marked d) becomes of suflicient strength to resist the force of the full stream, the use of the distributing branches may be discontinued, as shown in Fig. 3; but in this case the direction and point of discharge of the service-flume E should be made adjustable so as to permit the even deposition of the dbris over the entire space between the sides of the gorge and up to the level of its discharge; also, when this point'in the operation has been reached and when the dry barrier has become sufficiently strong to resist the force of the full stream all manner of debris, sedimentary or otherwise, may be thrown against the barrier, which, as its density increases, will repel the greater portion of the water, which will rise behind the slope of the barrier until the surface of the water comes above the opening of the clear-water pipe D,which will thus carry off nearly all of the water used, leaving the debris deposited upon the slope of the barrier and upon the bottom of the gorge. As the barrier approaches the opening of the pipe other sections can be added thereto and the lower section of the flume E removed and conveyed to its upper end for future use when required. This process can be repeated until the barrier reaches that point in the gorge Where the mining operations were conducted. The width of the gorge having been increased by such mining operations, this permits of a larger area to receive the deposits of mining operations carried on at a higher point in the gorge, and such deposits will occupy the place of the dbris previously removed in earlier operations.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for hydraulic mining in gorges, the combination of a dam extending across the gorge below the mining operations with a pipe or conduit extending longitudinally of the gorge, its receiving end being above the dam and its discharging end below the same, and additional pipe-sections adapted to be secured at the upper end of said pipe to extend the same as required, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for hydraulic mining in gorges, the combination of a dam extending across the gorge below the mining operations with a pipe or conduit extending longitudinally of the gorge, its receiving end being above the dam and its discharging end below the same, and an elevated supply flume or conduit discharging above said dam, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for hydraulic mining in gorges, the combination of a dam extending across the gorge below the mining operations with a pipe or conduit extending longitudinally of the gorge, its receiving end being above the dam and its discharging end below the same, and an elevated sectional supply flume or conduit discharging above said dam, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for hydraulic mining in gorges, the combination of a dam extending across the gorge below the mining operations with a pipe or conduit extending longitudinally of the gorge, its receiving end being above the dam and its discharging end below the same, an elevated supply flume or conduit, and distributing branch flumes dis-v charging above the dam, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for hydraulic mining in gorges, the combination of a dam extending across the gorge below the mining operations with catch-basins open at the bottom abutting against the face of the dam, said dam having perforations leading from the catchbasins, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for hydraulic mining in gorges, the combination of a dam extending across the gorge below the mining operations with catch-basins open at the bottom abutting against the face of the dam, said dam having perforations leading from the catchbasins, and a pipe extending longitudinally of the gorge, its receiving end being above the dam and its discharging end below the same, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for hydraulic mining in gorges, the combination of a'dam extending across the gorge below the mining operations with catch-basins open at the bottom abutting against the face of the dam, said dam having perforations leading from the catchbasins, a pipe extending longitudinally of the gorge, its receiving end being above the dam and its discharging end belowthe same, and

an elevated supply flume or conduit and dis tributing branch flumes discharging above the dam, substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus for hydraulic mining in gorges, the combination of a dam extending across the gorge below the mining operations with a pipe or conduit extending longitudinally of the gorge, its receiving end being above the dam and its discharging endbelow the same, an elevated supply flume or conduit discharging above said dam, and a reliefpipe discharging below said dam, substantially as described.

9. 1n hydraulic mining in gorges, the process which consists in arresting mingled dbris and water resulting from the mining operations, permanently retaining the earthy matter in the gorge, while allowing the water to flow down into the valley below, the above steps of the process being accomplished by artificial means, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In hydraulic mining in gorges, the artificial process which consists in arresting the mingled dbris in the water resulting from 486,897 a v s mining operations, permanently retaining the In testimony whereof I have signed this earthy matter to form a barrier across the specification in the presence of two subscribgorge, discharging the mingled dbris and ing witnesses.

water upon the barrier, and carrying off the ABEL M. RAWSON. 5 clear water which accumulates above said- Witnesses:

barrier, substantially as and for the purpose F. J. WILCOX,

set forth. H. O. DILLEY.

Images