US554902A

US554902A - Territory

Info

Publication number: US554902A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 1913-02-18

Description

T. G. BARLOW-MASSIOKS. AMALGAMATOR FOR SEPARATING AND SAVING GOLD;

(No Model.)

Patented Feb. 18, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS G. BARLOW-MASSIOKS, OF PRESCOTT, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

AMALGAMATOR FOR SEPARATING AND SAVING GOLD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,902, dated February 18, 1896.

Application filed January 23, 1895. serial No. 535,911. (No model.)

gravel for saving the free gold, and I employ a suitable screen in which the gravel is exposed to the action of water to wash out the free gold, and a pump elevates the water and auriferous materials into a tank containing a series of inclines or riffles with pockets at their ends into which the gold is received and retained.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section illustrating the present improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan in larger size through one of the pockets at the line an 0c of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation, and Fig. 4 a vertical section, of one of the pockets, both figures being in magnified size.

The rotary screen A is of any desired character, into which the gravel is received and washed by water introduced into such screen, and the water and the materials washed out from the gravel pass into a tank 13, in which such rotary screen A is caused to revolve with the lower part of the screen below the level of the water in the tank, so as to facilitate the washing operation.

I provide a centrifugal or other suitable pump at O for receiving the materials from the tank B and delivering the same through the pipe O into a receiver D, which receiver D is in the form of a trough having a narrow opening through which the water and fine materials are discharged evenly into a trough F within an inclosure or vessel E, such trough F being at the upper part of such inclosure E. Vithin this tank or vessel E there is a series of inclines or rifiles, which may be of copper plates silver-plated, and these inclines stand in alternate directions and they are marked G, G, G G G G G, G and G the number being more or less than those represented.

At the foot of the incline G is a pocket F, which is preferably of cast-iron and in the form of a trough lying transversely of the vessel E and having a vertical flange at one side by which the trough is connected to a support, and at the other side and opposite the vertical flange the trough is provided at its upper edge with a support for the lower end of the incline G and below this with a support for the upper end of the incline G and with openings between these supports and above the overflow edge of the trough through which the water and fine materials flow as they pass from the incline G and are deflected by the vertical flange into the pocket F and from thence out upon the surface of the incline G. These supports consist of flanges projecting from the side of the pocket F for receiving and holding the lower end of the incline G and the upper end of the second incline or riffle G, and the pockets F F F F, F, F and F are made in the same manner as the pocket F, and they are placed in alternate positions at the ends of the respective inclines, so that the water and fine materials flow down the inclines in alternate directions, and into the pockets F F, &c. mercury or quicksilver is introduced so as to amalgamate with the fine gold and retain the same as the water and fine earthy materials flow through the respective pockets from one incline to the incline next below. Hence the fine materials being exposed to the amalgamating action in the pockets the gold is abstracted and retained by the quicksilver in such pockets, and little or none thereof escapes from the lowest pocket F", as the water runs away by the door or flap H at the bottom of the vessel E.

The vessel or tank E is constructed so that when closed it will have substantially watertight sides and bottom, but the cover Z of the vessel E is made removable, and it is advantageous to make one side of the vessel E removable, so as to give access to all of the inclines or riffles and the pockets for introducing or removing the quicksilver and amalgam.

WVhen the tank E is closed for use the sides are substantially water-tight, but the flap or gate H is to be opened to a greater or less eX- tent to allow the flow of water through said tank.

The plates or inclines G to G are to be secured at their respective ends to the pockets in any suitable manner-such, for instance, as by screws passing through the plates into the metal flanges of the pockets.

The water running away at the door or gate H is received into a vessel land may be dis charged in any suitable 111anner-sucl1, for instance, as by the pipe K, rotary pump K and delivery pipe 01 trough K -and there may be adjusting-screws at V for bringing the apparatus to the proper level. This is especially advantageous when the anialgamator is placed upon a car, as is frequently done in mining, so as to move the same into proximity to the excavating apparatus.

I claim as my invention The combination in an amalgamating ap-