US621092A

US621092A - jocelyn

Info

Publication number: US621092A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1899-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 1916-03-14

Description

No. 621,092. 4 Patented Mar. I4, I899.

A. H. JOGELYN.

AMA'LGAMATOR.

(Apph t nfildAg 25 1897 (No Model.)

In u an for .flllwrt. HJoce A'IENT Futon.

ALBERT H. JOOELYN, OF NEl/V YORK, N. Y.

AMAL GAMATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,092, dated March 14, 1899.

A Application filed August 25, 1897. Serial No. 649,416. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. J OOELYN, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, (Brooklyn,) in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amalgamators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amalgamators, and

more particularly to plate amalgamators, and is in the nature of an improvement on my improved amalgamating device shown and described in my coutemporaneously-pending application, Serial No. 594,742, filed June 8, 1896.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved amalgamating means comprising a plurality of shiftable or sliding readily separable or removable amalgamati'ng members or plates interchangeable one with another, whereby the cleaning up of the amalgam can be quickly accomplished.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved system of interlocking shiftable plates.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved amalgamating-plate which may be readily melted up with the amalgam attached thereto without materially impairing the same.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a series of shiftable members or blocks, each carrying a removable amalgamating-plate, which may comprise a backingplate formed of any desired material and a removable face-plate formed of any suitable amalgamating material.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one form of this amalgamating means illustrated in operation. Fig. 2 is a top view thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the lower end of the same. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view thereof on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is an end view of one of the amalgamating members or plates, and Figs. 6 and 7 are end views of other forms of said members or plates.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

Heretofore, as set forth in my contemporaneously-pending application above referred to, Various amalgamating means or sluices have been used in connection with a battery. The construction of apron or sluice, however, more generally used in practice is that in which large heavy previously silver-plated copper plates are fixedly secured in position by suitable fastening devices. These amalgamating-plates have, however, been found expensive in practice owing to the time and labor necessary to secure the proper cleaning up thereof, as the plates being fixedly secured in position and not freely separable or removable the clean ups cannot be made except at predetermined periods and with considerable labor, it being necessary to permanently cutoff the flow of pulp or slime over the plates for a considerable length of time to permit the amalgam to be scraped therefrom. This scraping action, which usually takes place where the plates are secured in position and which in itself is inconvenient and laborious, is also liable to injure the plates, as it is often necessary to use chisels to scrape off the amalgain, thereby also scraping off the silver plating or coating. Moreover, when the silverplating becomes scraped or worn off it is again necessary to cut off the flow of pulp for a considerable length of timelin order to remove the plates for the purpose of resilver-plating, they usually being sent for this purpose to a factory, and since it is well known in-the art that the plates become more or less impregnated with amalgam, remaining permanently attached thereto and incapable of being removed by the usual modes of cleaningup, it follows that this shipping of the plates for replating results in a material loss of the precious metal. I In order to avoid these serious disadvantages and defects, an improved amalgamating means comprising a series of improved amalgamating members or plates is provided and in the use of whichthe separation of the amalgam therefrom is facilitated, and this without the loss of any appreciable amount thereof or without the constant liability of injuring the plates and without the necessity of shutting off the sluice for any appreciable length of time.

As a preface to a further description of this improved plate amalgamator it will be understood that the general construction thereof shown and described herein may be more or less varied Without departing from the general scope of the invention, and while the separable or removable amalgamating-plates are shown herein carried by a trough or sluice it will be understood that this is not necessary, as they could be supported in position in any other desired manner. In the preferred construction thereof herein shown and described the supporting means for the removable amalgamating-plates preferably comprises a trough 3, which may be constructed of metal orwood; but when formed of the latter material it is preferably lined with some suitable material 4 to prevent the escape of the mercury or flakes of gold which may pass between the sides of the trough and the ends of the plates, the latter being so disposed in the trough that they can be easily shifted therein in the manner hereinafter set forth. In practice any desired number of these troughs may be disposed side by side on the supporting-bed A in any suitable manner with the usual or anydesired inclination, and when constructed of wood are preferably provided with reinforcing cross-bars 5, or each trough may comprise a plurality of longitudinally-extending compartments. The number of such troughs or compartments generally corresponds with the number of stamps in the battery and the number of ore-pulp or slime streams flowing therefrom, one stream flowing through each trough or compartment, whereby one or more of such streams can be cut off from its respective trough or compartment to permit the removal of one or more amalgamating-plates therefrom without affecting the operation of the other troughs or compartments or necessitating the shutting down of the mill. Therefore a description of one of these troughs is deemed sufficient for the purpose of this specification. It will be understood, however, that instead of forming troughs in the manner just described the same result may be obtained by disposing on the bed A, between the adjacent ends of every parallel series of the removable amalgamating-plates, a removable or fixed side wall formed of any suitable material. Carried by the floor 6 of this trough 3 is a suitable track 7, constructed in any desired way, but herein shown comprising a pair of conVeXlyshaped members, such as tubes or pipes laid longitudinally of said trough and constituting a supporting means, on which the amalgamating-plates are shiftable in the manner hereinafter set forth. This track may, however, be disposed directly on the bed A. By means of this track the shifting of the plates is more easily accomplished, as it decreases the frictional resistance, which would otherwise be considerable if the plates were disposed directly on the floor of the trough. This track also permits the formation of a space 30 between the floor 6 and the under side of the amalgamating-plates or the blocks 14: for flushing purposes, while also facilitating the removal of such blocks. This trough 3 is shown provided at its upper end with a distributing-plate 8, formed of any suitable material, preferably without an amalgamatin g-surface. This plate, which has side walls 9, is provided with a downwardly-depending flange 10, adapted to overlap one, as the upwardly-extending flange 21 of the adjacent amalgamating-plate,which is disposed slightly below the distributing-plate. To permit this overlapping and also the ready removal of the amalgamating-plate, the distributing-plate support 8 is shown recessed at 8. The lower end of this trough is provided with an extension 12 for the reception of any desired number of receptacles or riiiles 13, the upper edges of which are shown disposed level with the floor 6 of said trough, so that such riflies are in position to catch any free mercury or float or particles of gold escaping from the plates or the bottom of the trough. Carried by the supporting-track 7 for shiftable or sliding movement is a series of readily removable or separable amalgamating members or plates 15, disposed one above another and one preferably overlapping and engaging an other. In one construction of this amalgam ating means a series of oblong members or blocks 14, of any suitable thickness and corresponding in number with the removable plates, are shiftably disposed on the track 7 one above an other, preferably throughout the approximate length of the trough. Removably carried by each of these blocks let is an amalgamating member or plate 15, the plates being so disposed relatively to each other that each preferably overlaps its adjacent plate and is removable independently thereof. In one form thereof herein shown and described each of these amalgamatin g members or plates 15 comprises a suitable backingplate 16, constructed of any desired material adapted for the purpose. In practice these backing-plates may be constructed of aluminium, whereby they will not rust or corrode or become brittle by contact with the mercury used to affiliate the gold, as would be the case with plates of this size formed of copper, brass, or iron.

Each backing-plate 16 is formed or provided with means adapted to maintain it in position relatively to its companion plate and 011 its block 14, and in the present construction the plate has a depending flange 20 at its front longitudinal edge an d an upwardly-extending flange 21 and a depending flange 22 at its rear longitudinal edge, whereby when the plates are in position the depending flange 22 of each plate engages one side of its respective block and prevents the slipping or disengagement of the plates while in operation, while the flange 20 of one plate overlaps and engages the flange 21 of an adjacent plate, and thus prevents the sand and ore-pulp percolating between the plates.

The plates formed in the manner herein described may be struck out of sheet metal or cast, or such plates may have their flanges bent or folded in position, if preferred.

Each backing-plate 16 in this construction is provided with a readily separable or removable amalgamating-surface, shown herein comprising a face-plate 17 ,which may consist of any suitable amalgamating material-such, for instance, as that which is herein termed, for the purposes of this specification, as mass-silver, which will be understood to include what is generally known to be pure silver and also an alloy of silver. These face-plates, however, or the backing-plates themselves may consist of any suitable base 'material and be silver-plated or otherwise treated,if desired. In practice,however,this removable face-plate 17 may be preferably formed as a thin silver plate of sufficient pliability to permit it to be readily bent around and over the backing-plate and to retain its position, the flanges of the backing-plate constituting means for holding the face-plate in position.

Instead a thin silver plate the face-plate 17 may consist of any suitable metal foil-such, for instance, as silver-foildisposed on the backing-plate in a similar manner to that just described, and which foil may be sufficiently thin to permit the same to be readily squeezed or wrung out, thereby to free the same from the mercury at the proper time. By means of these removable face-plates 17, each of which in practice, when composed of pure silver, weighs about one ounce or less, the necessity of scraping the amalgam from the plates is avoided,as by removing the'face-plate such plate,together with the amalgam thereon,can be shipped away or the plate melted up with the amalgam thereon or separated therefrom in any desired manner, a new face-plate being readily and easily bent on the backingplate in place thereof. Moreover, by having the face-plates removable, each of which, as

above stated, in practice weighs about one ounce, it will be readily seen that a number may be sent by mail or otherwise shipped at a comparatively small cost to replace those worn out and quickly placed in position without shutting down the mill and only by temporarily cutting off the sluice. Moreover, the cost of silver-plating, as well as the cost of the copper plates, is entirely done away with, and as these improved plates always keep a purewhite highly-amalgamable silver surface and do not discolor and are absolutely non-corrosive they never have to be resilvered, as is the case with the copper plates, and when they have become unfit for use they can be readily melted up as bullion. In practice each of the amalgamating-plates 15 may be about twelve inches in length and about three inches in width and will be disposed substantially in v the position shown and above described, so that the depending flange 20 of one plate will overlap the upwardly-extending flange 21 of the adjacent plate, while the depending flange 22 of each plate will extend between the adjacentsides or Walls of a pair of blocks 14, whereby such plate, as well as the adjacent blocks, will be maintained against displacement. By this means of disposing the plates 15 a series of steps are formed, over which flows the ore pulp or slime from the battery. By having the plates constructed as above set forth it will be seen that a large number of steps or descents to each foot is obtainable, shown herein as four in number, aggregating about an inch fall to the foot, whereby a more thorough distribution of the ore-pulp over the plates is obtained than is the case where the plates are of large dimensions.

To maintain the amalgamating-plates l5 and their blocks 14; in position, suitable means are provided, and in the preferred form thereof shown herein the trough 3 is provided at its lower end with a fixed cross bar or member 25, intermediate which and the lowerm 0st removable amalgamating-platc 15 and its block 14: is disposed a removable locking member or block 26. A metal plate 27, of any suitable material, preferably un provided with an amalgamating-surface, is shown fixedly secured to the locking-block 26 and has a depending flange 27 extending over the edge of the fixed cross-bar 25 and to which it issecured by a fastening device 28. The removable locking member 26 is provided with a device 29 for removing the same, together with its metal plate 2'7, when the latter is unfastened from the cross-bar'25.

In operation the plates having been treated in the usual or any desired way with mercury after the run has been made or during such run, if desired, when it is found that a sufficient quantity of amalgam has formed on the plates 15 the flow of pulp to the particular trough desired to be cleaned is temporarily cut ofi or diverted. The fastening device 28 is then manipulated tovpermit the removal of the locking member 26, at which time the particular amalgamatingplate or plates 15 having the amalgam to be cleaned therefrom can be quickly removed. In practice as the amalgamating-plates at the upper end of the trough usually have the largest amount of amalgam thereon hence when the locking-block 26 has been removed such plates can be quickly and easily detached, the remaining plates quickly shifted upward on the track,either by pushing or drawing said plates upward as a whole, which is permitted by the overlapping or interlocking flanges, thereby to fill up such space, and new or clean plates, corresponding in number with those removed, then quickly inserted at the bottom of the trough in a manner that will be readily understood. The removed amalgamating-plates can then be subjected to heatas, for instance, by immersing them in warm or hot water or otherwise treatedthereby to soften the amalgam and permit the removal thereof with despatch or the silver or metal foil face-plate l7 removed from the backing-plate 16 with the amalgam thereon and melted up therewith and new face-plates bent on the backing-plates, from which it will be seen that by means of this improved apparatus any appreciable loss of amalgam is impossible, While at the same time the laborious scraping of the plates, as heretofore practiced, in order to clean off the amalgam is completely done-away with.

Instead of constructing each plate of separable members the entire plate 15 may consist of silver or of some suitable amalgamating material adapted for the purpose, Fig. 6, whereby it can be melted up with the amalgam, and as the plate when constructed of precious metal can when no longer desired for use in the apparatus be melted up into bullion there is no additional expense except the temporary outlay in providing such plates. lVhen the plates 15 are formed in this manner, they are of sufficient stiffness to maintain their shape when in use and are disposed on the blocks in the same manner as above set forth, and as the weight is inconsiderable they can be forwarded by mail, as hereinbefore set forth.

If found desirable, the blocks 14 may be entirely dispensed with, and the amalgamating-plates, either comprising the separable members 16 and 17 or formed as one plate, disposed directly on the tracks or other supporting means in a similar manner to that shown and described in my said application, Serial No. 594,742. In this case it would be necessary simply to provide some suitable means for maintaining the plates in position, thereby to prevent the shifting of the same. One means of attaining this result is shown in Fig. 7'. In this construction each plate is provided with parallel depending flanges 20' adjacent to its front edge, thereby forming a bifurcated flange adapted, when in position, to receive or extend over or overlap the upwardly-extending flange 21 of the adjacent plate, thus forming interlocking means and permitting the plates to be disposed directly on the track, as by means of such interlocking

flanges

20 and 21 the plates will be held in position relatively to each other and can be readily shifted in a body on the track after one or more have been detached.

I claim-- 1. An amalgamating device comprising a sluice formed of a series of fiat, non-panform'ed amalgamating-plates disposed in position to form a stepped surface to permit the free passage of water thereover, one plate overlapping and interlocking with another, and each plate readily removable from the series independently of its companion plate, and of a construction, and formed entirely of metal suitable to be melted up with the amalgam attached thereto;

2. An amalgamating device comprising a sluice formed of a series of shiftable, freelyremovable, interchangeable, overlapping and interlocking flat, non-pan-formed amalgamating plates disposed in position to form a stepped surface to permit the free passage of water thereover, all of said plates being simultaneouslyshiftable on the removal of one or more of said plates from the series, and each of said plates of a construction, and formed of precious metal throughout,wl1ereby it may be melted up with the amalgam at: tached thereto.

3. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means 5 and a series of shiftable, removable, and interchangeable amalgamating plates carried thereby and forming a stepped surface to permit the free passage of Water thereover, each of said plates being constructed entirely of mass silver, whereby it may be melted up with the amalgam attached thereto, and each of said plates having a depending flange and an upwardlyextending flange, respectively extending below and above the amalgamating metal surface of its plate, the flange of one plate overlapping the flange of a companion plate, whereby said plates are shiftable as a whole over said supporting means on the removal of one or more of said plates.

4. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means and a series of removable amalgam atingplates carried thereby, each of said plates comprising a backingplate having a downwardly-extending flange adjacent to one edge thereof, and a depending and an upwardly-extending flange adjacent to the other edge thereof forming means for maintaining said plates in position, and a removable amalgamating-plate overlapping said flanges.

5. In adevice of the class specified, the combination of supporting means; a series of amalgam atin g-plates carried thereby, each of said plates comprisinga backing-plate having three or more flanges, one flange of one plate overlapping the flange of another plate and another flange of said plate being overlapped by a flange of another plate; and a removable metal-foil face-plate superimposed on said backing-plate.

6. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means; and a series of amalgamating-plates carried thereby, having amalgamating-surfaees, each of said plates having a bifurcated flange adjacent to one edge thereof, the sides of said flange being formedindependently of said plate, and an upwardlyextending flange adjacent to the other edge thereof, said flanges forming means for maintaining said plates in position relatively to each other.

7. In an amalgamating device, the combination of supporting means; and a series of amalgamating-plates carried thereby, each of said plates having a bifurcated flange adjacent to one edge thereof, and an upwardlyextending and a dependingflange adjacent to ITO the other edge thereof, and also having an amalgamating-surface, the bifurcated flange of one plate interlocking with the upwardlyextending flange of a companion plate.

8. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means; and a series of amalgamating-plates carried thereby, each of said plates having a bifurcated flange adjacent to one edge thereof adapted to interlock with a part of a companion plate, the two sides of said flange being formed independently of said plate, and each of said plates being formed entirely of metal suitable, to be melted up with the amalgam attached thereto Without affecting the quality thereof.

9. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means; and a series of removable amalgamating-plates carried thereby, each of said plates having a bifurcated flange adjacent to one edge thereof, and an upwardly-extending flange and a depending flange adjacent to the other edge thereof, the bifurcated flange of one plate interlocking with the upwardly-extending flange of a companion plate, and each of said plates being formed throughout of precious metal, whereby it may be melted up with the amalgam attached thereto.

10. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means; and a series of removable amalgamating-plates carried thereby, each of said plates comprising a backing-plate having a bifurcated flange adjacent to one edge thereof, adapted to interlock with a part of a companion plate, the sides of said flanges being formed independently of said plate, and a removable amalgamating face-plate superimposed on said backing-plate and overlapping a part of said bifurcated flange.

11. In a device of the class specified, the

combination, of supporting means; and a sc-- ries of removable amalgamating-plates carried thereby, each of said plates'comprising a backing-plate, having a bifurcated flange adjacent to one edge thereof, and an upwardly-extending flange adjacent to the other edge thereof, and a removable metal-foil faceplate superimposed thereon, the bifurcated flange of one plate interlocking with the upwardly-extending flange of an adjacent plate.

12. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means; a series of shiftable, independent members or blocks carried thereby; and afreely-removable nonpan-formed amalgamating-plate carried by each of said blocks, one plate overlapping another and all of said blocks and plates being simultaneously shiftable over said supporting means on the removal of one or more of said blocks and its plate.

13. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means; a series of independent members or blocks carried thereby and slidable thereover; and an amalgamating-plate carried by each of said blocks, and constructed entirely of mass silver,

whereby it may be melted up with the amalgam attached thereto without affecting the quality thereof, said plates interlocking one with another.

14. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means; a series of shiftable members or blocks carried thereby; and a removable amalgamating-plate carried by each of said blocks one overlapping the other and forming a stepped surface to permit the free passage of Water thereover, each of said plates comprising a backing-plate and an amalgamating metal face-plate.

15. In a device of the class specified, the

combination of supporting means; a series of shiftable members or blocks disposed thereon; and an amalgamating-plate carried by each of said blocks, and comprising a backing-plate and a removable metal-foil faceplate superimposed thereon.

16. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means; a series of rectangular, relatively thick blocks disposed thereon for-shiftable movement thereover; and a non-pan-formed amalgamating-plate carried by each of said blocks and having a plurality of flanges, one flange of each plate overlapping the flange of an adjacent plate, and another flange of the same plate being overlapped by the flange of another adjacent late.

p 17. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means; a series of blocks disposed thereon; and a removable amalgamating-plate carried by each of said blocks, and each having a plurality of flanges, one flange of each plate engaging one of the walls of its respective block, another flange of said plate overlapping and engaging the flange of a companion plate, and another flange of the same plate being overlapped and engaged by the flange of another companion plate.

18. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means; a series of blocks disposed thereon; and a removable amalgamating-plate carried by each of said blocks, and each comprising a backing-plate having a plurality of flanges, one flange of each plate engaging one of the walls of its respective block, another flange of said plate overlapping the flange of a companion plate, and another flange of the same plate being overlapped by the flange of another companion plate; and a removable amalgamating face-plate carried by said backing-plate.

19. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means; a series of shiftable and removable members disposed thereon; and a removable amalgamating-plate carried by each of said members, and each comprising a backing-plate having a plurality of depending flanges and an upwardly-extending flange, one depending flange of each plate engaging one of the walls of its respective member, and the other depending flange of said plate overlapping the upwardly-extending flange of a companion plate; and a removable amalgamating metal-foil face-plate superimposed on said backing-plate.

20; In a plate-amalgamator, the combination of supporting means; a series of removable amalgamatingplates carried thereby, one plate overlapping its companion plate, and each plate comprising a backingplate and a removable metal-foil face-plate; and locking means for maintaining said plates in position relatively to said supporting means and relatively to each other.

21. In a device of the class specified, the combination of supporting means; a series of shiftable blocks carried thereby; an amalga- 1nating-plate carried by each of said blocks, and comprising a pair of readily-separable members; and means for maintaining said blocks and plates in position relatively to said supporting means.

22. In an apparatus of theclass specified, the combination of a trough, a track carried thereby, a series of normally removable blocks, shiftably carried on said track, a normally-removable amalgam atin g-plate carried by each of said blocks, and comprising a backing-plate having a plurality of flanges, and a flexible amalgamating-plate carried thereby, and overlapping said flanges, one flange of each plate overlapping a flange of another plate, and one flange of each plate engaging a wall of its respective block, and means for locking said blocks and plates in position.

In an apparatus of the class specified, the combination of a trough provided with a lining, and having at its upper end a distributing-plate for the reception of a stream of ore pulp or slime, and having at its lower end a mereury-receptacle, a track carried by said trough, a series of normally-removable, shiftable blocks carried on said track, an amalgamating-plate removably disposed 011 each block, and comprising a backing-plate, having an upwardly-extending, and a pair of depending flanges at the longitudinal edges thereof, and a mass-silver face-plate, extending over the face and overlapping the flanges of said backing-plate, one depending flange of each plate overlapping the upwardly-extendin g flange of an adjacent plate, and the other depending flange of each plate engaging one of the Walls of its respective block, and means for locking said plates in position.

24. An amalgamating-plate comprising a flat surface having adjacent to one edge thereof a flange extending upwardly from said surface, and also a flange entirely extending below said surface, and having adjacent to another edge thereof another flange extending below said flat surface.

25. An amalgamating-plate having, ad jacent to one edge thereof, an upwardly-e:\:tending and a depending flange, and, adjacent to another edge thereof, a depending bifurcated flange adapted to interlock with the upwardlyextending flange of another plate when said plate is in operative position.

26. A plate adapted to amalgam ate precious metal and having a rigid bifurcated flange adapted to interlock with a part of another plate when in operative position, said flange having its two sides formed independently of the plate and extending in a plane perpendicular to the amalgamatirig-surface of said plate.

27. A plate adapted to amalgamate precious metal, and com prising a backing-plate having a rigid bifurcated flange adapted to interlock with a part of another plate when said plate is in operative position, said flange having its two sides formed independently of the plate and extending in a plane perpendicular to the amalgamatingsurface of said plate; and a removable amalgamatin g faceplate.

28. An amalgamating-plate com prising a backing-plate having a pair of depending flanges and an upwardly-extending flange, and a removable metal-foil face-plate superimposed on said backing-plate.

29. An amalgamating-plate comprising a backing-plate of aluminium; and a metalfoil face-plate superimposed thereon.

ALBERT II. J OOELYN.

\Vitnesses:

C. S. WEED, A. 13. MA'r'rINoLv.