US552392A - Ardson - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1. J. T. PENNY 8v W. H. RICHARDSON. APPARATUS FOR TRITURATING AND AMALGAMATING AUR'IPEROUS AND ARGENTIFEROUS DRES.

No. 552,392. Patented Dec. 31, 1895. y

.A www um 17% ZMM in A 77'0HNEYS Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2'. J. T. PENNY 8v W. H. RICHARDSON. APPARATUS FOR TRITURATING AND AMALGAMATING AURIFEROUS (No Model.)

AND ARGENTIFEROUS GRES.

Patented Dec. 3l, 1895.

W/ TNE SSE 8,'

NIrRo" STATES' PATENT "Ormeal .IOHN rI-IOMAs PENNY AND 'WILLIAM HENRY RICHARDSON, or ADRLAIDE,

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

APPARATUS FOR TRITURATING AND AMALGAMATING AURIFEROUS AND ARGENTIFEROUS ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Lettersv Patent No. 552,392, dated December 31, 1895.

Application lled May 9, 1895. Serial No. 548,714. (No model.)

fo all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that we, JOHN THOMAS PENNY, mining agent, and VILLIAM HENRY RICH- ARDsON, engineer, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Grenfell Street,

Adelaide, in the Province of South Australia,

have invented n ew and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Triturating and Amalgamating Auriferous and Argentiferous Orcs, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to the treatment of gold and silver bearing ores which have been reduced to the consistency of pulp or slimes. The gold or silver in such ores being disseminated through them in an extremely finelydivided state it has hitherto been found practically impossible to effect, especially with certain classes of ores, such as kaolin, a separation of the metal from the gangue. Ve propose to accomplish this by repeated trituration under such pressure and at such high rate of speed as will develop considerable heat by friction, combining alternately with such trituration an amalgamation assisted by percussion.

The obj ect of our invention is to provide a machine in which the ore-pulp can be repeatedly triturated to extreme neness between plates of iron, one or both of which may be driven at a high speed under pressure, and to so arrange that, between each triturating operation, the metallic contents are amalgamated by the ore being thrown by centrifugal force from the triturating-plates against the sides of the amalgamators. We further provide a distributer and a settling-pan, in which final amalgamation takes place before the discharge of the tailings or waste.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating our invention, Figure I is a sectional elevation of the apparatus complete; FiO. II, a plan of the feeding-hopper with supply-openings, showing radial arms for support of same; Fig. III, a plan of the carrier of the top triturating-plate. Fig. IV is a plan view of the top triturating-plate; Fig. V, a plan of the carrier of bottom triturating-plate. Fig. VI is a plan view of the bottom trituratingfplate; Fig. VII, a plan of distributer; Fig. VIII, a

l sectional elevation of collar on central shaft;

Fig. IX, a plan of the same; Fig. X, a plan of settling or final amalgamating-pan.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts in all figures.

A is the circular casing in which the working parts are contained, and which is supported upon a solid bed or base A; B, a central vertical shaft, the middle upper portion of which is squared for the purpose hereinafter described. The center shaft B is dri ven by means of gear-wheels B B2, the latter being keyed to a main driving-shaft B3, revolving in suitable bearings and provided with fast and loose pulleys B4 B5 and with a flywheel B6. The vertical shaft B is supported on a suitable end bearing C, arranged in a bar C', hinged to the base A. The bar C is provided with a suitable screw attachment G2, by means of which it can be raised or lowered as required, and the shaft B correspondingly affected. The upper end of the shaft B revolves in a suitable bearing D fixed in the center of cross pieces D. The crosspieces D are supported by converging angle or cast-iron frames D2, arranged at opposite sides outside the casing A, and having their lower ends bolted to the base A. The cas-` ing is provided with a circular feed-hopper E, having preferably three feed-openings E'. The hopper E is supported by a cast piece having three radial arms E2,Fig. II. Through the chutes E the pulp or slimes are delivered into the machine in a continuous stream in preferably regulated quantities, the hopper E being fed from any suitable source of supply. Through the end of each of the radial arms E2 a vertical bar F is passed. These vertical bars F are provided with a series of collars F', for the purpose hereinafter more particularly described, and upon back nuts, screwed upon each upper end, is placed the respective radial arm E2, the whole being securely held together by means of screw-nuts F2, placed at the top and bottom of the bars F.

As before described, the upper middle portion of the vertical shaft B is squared in order that there may be built upon it a series of collars, Fig. VIII, together with the carriers of the lower triturating-plates,Fig.V. A slioulder I3T is formed upon the shaft B, and above it the shaft is squared as before described.

On this shoulder is placed a circular bottom plate G, and upon it a collar II, Fig. VIII, provided with a lower flange II. The collars II are square-shaped, and are provided with a square opening, as shown in Fig. IX, of sucli size as to iit the square of the central shaft B. Over the collar II which rests on the plate G is placed a second flanged collar II. This second ilan ged collar is provided with an india rubber block or other sprin g ll2 extending up` ward about half of the height of the collar. Over the collar II, and upon the india-rubber or other spring H2, is placed the carrier I of the lower triturating-plate, as shown more particularly in Fig. V. This carrier I is provided with a squared central opeiiin fitting over the square of the collar II, and the body of the plate is bent or otherwise cast in the form as shown more particularly in section in Fig. I. The carrier-plate I is provided with three or more holes I', into which drop siinilai' proj ections, cast or otherwise formed on the bottom of the lower triturating-plate. The lower triturating-plate I2, as shown more particularly in plan in Fig. VI, is provided with a central circular opening` l2, and with three or more deep recesses Il radiating therefrom. The plate I2 is provided with pins or studs I5 cast on its lower surface in suoli position and of such size as to intimately engage the openings I in the lower carrier I. Upon the upper surface of this lower triturating-plate,and having its lower surface in intimate connection with it, is placed the upper triturating-plate'K of the form as shown more particularly in plan in Fig. IV. The upper triturating-plate K has also a central opening K', and is provided with recesses K2 somewhat shallower than the recesses I'L in the lower trituratin g-plate I2. The upper trituratin g-plate K is also pro videdwith suitable studs or projections K2, cast on its upper surface for the purpose of engaging similar openings in its carrier. This carrier L is of the form as shown more particularly in plan in Fig. III. It is provided with a circular opening L of similar size to the circular openings in the upper and lower triturating-plates K and I2, and with suitable holes L2 for the purpose of engaging studs K3 in the upper triturating-plate K as before described. To the carrier L are bolted or otherwise secured three arms L2. These are bent upward and outward in the forni as shown more particularly in Fig'. I, and each outer end is provided with a suitable opening L4 fitting over the vertical bar F as before described.

As shown in Fig. I, it will be seen that the pairs of triturating-plates are built up in series one over the other until a sufficient number have been placed upon the vertical shaft to extend upward su lliciently near the top of the machine. This building is affected by placing one above the other as before described with collar II and spring II2 upon collar and spring until the whole is complete. The screw-nuts F2 at the top an d bottom of the vertical bars F are then tightened, and the whole of the radial arms L3 of the upper carriers L become rigidly fixed. The central shaft B is then raised by means of a screw attachnient C2 and the hinged bar C', until the lower trit urating-plates I2are in intimate connection with the upper triturating-plates K. By means of the same screw attaclim cnt the pressure of the lower upon the upper triturating-platcs can be adjusted according to the class and character of ore under treatment, and whether greater or less friction is required for its successful trituration.

The orc as fed from the supplyhoppen passes through the feed-openin gs E, and falls into a central chute M. This, as shown in section in Fig. I, is cone-shaped, and is securely fixed to and rotated by the uppermost carrier L of the series. The central chute M is provided with a circular opening of similar size to the central openings L,I2, an d K. Its outer edges aie cai'ried upward suiiiciently high to prevent the ore contents from splashing over during its revolution. The ore directed by this feed-chute M iills the circular openings in thetriturating-plates, and by means of the recesses I4 and K2 flows between them. The plates I2 and K are in the meantime driven in opposite directions by tlie devices hereinafter described, at ahigh rate of speed, the ore being finally discharged in a continuous stream from their outer edge. The trituration maybe carried on by a single or double action of the plates. In a single action the lower trituratin g-plate I2 only revolves, the upper triturating-plate K and the amalgamators being stationary. In a double action the bottoni plate is revolved at a high rate of speed, and the upper plate K and amalgamators in the opposite direction at a lower rate.

For combining amalgamation with percussion with this rapid trituration a series of circular amalgamating-pans are placed between the series of titurating devices. These amalgamating-pans N are preferably formed as shown in section in Fig. I. They are constructed with a central opening of similar dimensions to that, L', of the upper carrier L, and being securely fixed upon it toward its center, rotate with it when in double action. It will be seen by reference to Fig. I that these amalgamating-pans N are cone-shaped toward their base, and that the upper portion is dished at N, so as to form a ri'l'lie iii which mercury can be placed. The pan is then bent upward and turned inward upon itself, in order to prevent the ore from being splashed over when forcibly thrown into it from between the triturating-plates. In this way the oie passing through the first triturator is thrown with force against the curved upper portion of the amalgamating-pan N. The pei'- cussion causes a portion of the metal to be amalgamated, and to gradually move down with a certain amount of attrition into the TOO TIO

riftle N'. The ore is carried over, down the cone-shaped base into the circular opening` in next triturator of the series, to be discharged from it in a similar manner into a similar amalgamating-pan, and so on alternately triturating and ainalgamating with percussion until the lowest series of the amalgamatingpans is reached.

XVe find in actual practice -that the greater portion of the metallic contents of the ore is caught in its passage over the series of amalgamating-pans,as before described; but in order to extract any traces of metal which may be left, the ore is discharged from the lowest amalgamating-pan N into the center of a circular distributer O made of copper, in the form as shown more particularly in FigVII. The center of this distributer O is prolonged upward in the form of a cone O', as shown in section in Fig. I. The outer wall of the distributer O is formed of a series of upwardlyprojecting plates O2, the corners being left open, as shown in Fig. VII, in order to allow of the passage of the stuff. The distributer O being placed upon the plate G, is revolved at a high rate of speed, so that the ore-pulp is discharged by centrifugal force through the opening as provided. It is thrown against a circular amalgamated copper shield P', provided with a rifle and fixed to the lowest proj ecting arm L3 of the series. From the shield P' the pulp is discharged by a circular plate P into a settling-pan, where it is finally amalgamated, and the tailings and refuse discharged in a continuous strea1n,as hereinafter described.

The triturating-plates may be provided with a single, but preferably with a double7 action, as before described. The revolution of the series of lower'triturating-plates is accomplished, as before described, by the squared openings in the lower carriers I fitting over the squared collar H,which itself is fitted upon the shaft B, the shaft B being driven by gearwheels B' and B2 from the main shaft B3, the base-plate G and the distributer O being driven in the same direction. The upper triturating -plates and amalgamatingpans when in double action are driven in the opposite direction by the lower ends of the rods F being passed through the radial arms Q' cast upon a crown gear-wheel Q driven by a beveled wheel Q secured to the main drivingshaft B4.

After passing through the machine the orepulp is delivered from the discharge-plate P into a circular' settling-pan or race R, formed of copper and having vertical divisions R', as shown in plan in Fig. X and in section in Fig. l. The settling-pan or race R is supported in any suitable manner from the base a' and is intended to be stationary. The walls R' formed in the race R by the vertical divisions R' are amalgamated and the bottom of the wells supplied with mercury. The orepulp,being discharged into the innermost well R2, travels in the direction of the arrows, as

i shown, and to be finally, discharged from the frame S', the ends of which are bolted to a circular plate S2, which sits loosely upon collar Q4 placed upon the central shaft B. Motion is imparted to the rakes S by a crank attachment S3 loosely attached by means of a screwbolt to a toothed wheel S4. The toothed wheel S4 is driven by a small toothed wheel S5, secured to the main driving-shaft B3. By means of this lvibrating motion of the rakes S the ore is slowly kept in suspension and flows forward in the settling-pan or race R in the direction of the arrows, as before described, the heavier particles being allowed to settle and any metal contained therein being finally amalgamated. The concentrates and amalgam are drawn from an outlet provided for the purpose, the light stuft or tailings being carried over the discharge.

In the treatment of certain classes of ore it may be necessary to add certain chemicals in order to asist in the extraction of the metallic contents. This should be done prior to the ore being introduced into our machine for trituration, but such addition forms no part of our invention.

We are aware that the trituration and subsequent amalgamation of finely-divided ores is not new, such treatment being the object of our former invention, for which we have obtained United States of America Letters Patent No. 445,300; also, that ore has been previously ground between circular mullers and discharged into an outer annular amalgamating well or pan, but our invention, as before described, differs essentially from these former inventions, both in purpose and construction, in the following respects: The purpose of such grinding is a further reduction of coarse ore. Our machine receives the ore after such further reduction, for a trituration to impalpable fineness, involving a considerable' amount of friction, and consequently increase of temperature. Such trituration is caused to alternate with an amalgamation with percussion. The ore pulp is trturated and amalgamated under percussion in a rotating amalgamator, alternately again and again, until it has passed through the machine. Such amalgamation is accompanied by sharp percussion of the ore against the walls of the amalgamating-pan, causing the metals to be automatically separated from the gangue, and the amalgamation to be materially assisted. The alternate trituration and amalgamation is combined with the final amalgamation with percussion by means of a distributer, and a further amalgamation in a settling-pan before final discharge of the tailings. Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what We claim is- 1. In combination with the series of plates IOO IIO

arranged in pairs With means for revolving the plates of each pair in opposite directions, means for feeding the ore between the upper pair of plates at the center, and an annular pan having a raised Wall surrounding each pair of plates to catch the material thrown therefrom, said pan having an annular amalgamating channel and a funnel shaped bottom for conveying the material to the central portion of the next pair of plates, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the series of plates arranged in pairs and revolving in opposite directions, the amalgamating pans arranged to receive the ore from one pair of plates and convey it to the next, the distributer plat-e O having a conical center and a perforated outer Wall, and an annular shield surrounding said outer wall and arranged to receive the material thrown therefrom, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the triturating plates, and amalgamating pans, the stationary settling pan having a series of annular partitions forming zigzag passageways, the rocking bar having rakes carried on opposite ends thereof with fingers depending into the passageways, and means for rocking said bar, substantially as described.

4:. ln combination, the central shaft, the series of triturating plates carried thereby, the top and bottom radial arms j ournalcd on the shaft7 the Vertical rods connecting said radial arms, the'seeond set of triturating plates supported from the vertical rods, means for rotating the central shaft in one direction and means for rotating the radial arms and rods in the opposite, substantially as described. 4

In Witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands in presence of two witnesses.

JOHhT THOMAS PENNY. WILLIAM. HENRY RHIHARDSON. lVitnesses:

FRANCIS H. SNOW, C. STANLEY BURenss.

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