US710690A

US710690A - Gold-separator.

Info

Publication number: US710690A
Application number: US8693401A
Authority: US
Inventors: White Wolf M Hickey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1901-12-23
Filing date: 1901-12-23
Publication date: 1902-10-07
Anticipated expiration: 1919-10-07

Description

No. 7I0,690. Patented Oct. 7, I902.

W. W. M. HICKEY.

GOLD SEPABATOB.

(Applicltion filed Dec. 23, 1901,)

(No Model.)

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VHI'IE XVOLF M. I'IICKEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

GOLD-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.710,690, dated October 7, 1902.

Application filed December 23, 1901. Serial No. 86,93 (No model.)

To (0Z7, whom it 772(01/ concern:

Be it known that LWHITE WOLF M. HICKEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco,State of California, have invented an Improvement in Gold-Separators; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an apparatus for separating gold from sand and other material with which it may be associated and means for saving and retaining the gold.

It consists in a novel arrangement of suspended oscillating sluices and ri'ffles, a means for supplying water and material and distributing the same over the surfaces, means for arresting the gold and separating it from the sand and discharging the sand from the apparatus.

It also consists in means for separating the larger and worthless rock or gravel and discharging it independent of the sand and other discharges.

It further comprises details of construction, all of which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section made through the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan of the sluice e7. Fig. 3 is a plan of the tank Fig. 4 is a plan of the short sluice 44.

Ais a framework of any suitable form or construction best adapted to carry the operative parts of my apparatus. The upper part of this framework carries a hopper 2, into which the material containing the gold or other heavy matter which is to be separated therefrom is delivered by sluice or other convenient means. Into the hopper 2 water is discharged through a perforated rose-jet, as shown at 3, and the supply, if plentiful and suitably located, can be delivered by pipes; but if there is but little water and it is desirable to use it over as often as possible it is elevated through a pipe l by means of a pump-plunger operating therein and actuated through a connecting-rod 5from a lever o and a crank 7 upon some revoluble shaft of the apparatus. The outer end of the rod 6 is here shown as suspended from a swinging rod or link 8, so that as it is moved by the crank 7 it causes the connecting-rod 5 to swing backward and forward, and thus vertically reciprocate the slidable guided rods 5, through which connection is made between it and the pump-plunger.

The bottom of the hopper 2 consists of a perforated plate 9, which is slidable backward and forward against the bottom of the hopper, and it is movable upon antifrictiouroller bearings 10. Beneath the hopper are the sluice-frames 11 and 12, which are suspended from the frame A by links 13, so that they may receive a longitudinal swinging movement. The upper frame 11 has a perforated screen-bottom, as 14, and the frame 12 has angular riffles 15, extending across from side to side, the angles being uppermost and the edges of the riftles at a short distance above the bottom of the sluice, so that the finer material may pass beneath these ritlies and in contact with the bottom, which is covered with metal, and may be amalgamated, so as to obtain any gold which is thus carried along in contact with it. The larger portion of the passing material passes over these riffles, and from their peculiar shape and position they form little dams over which the material flows, and at the foot of each it forms a plunging current which carries the material into forcible contact with the bottom of the sluice before it rises to pass over the next riffle. This peculiar arrangement of riitles is very effective in saving the gold which passes beneath and over them. The sluices are oscillated by means of a pitman 16, extending from a log or lugs on the sluice to one part of the double crank 7 before referred to. The perforated bottom 9 of the hopper 2 is in like manner oscillated by 1068.118 of connecting-rods 17, one end of which rods is attached to the sides of the sluice 11 and the other end is connected with the slidable bottom 9, so that this bottom is moved in unison with the movements of the sluices, while the hopper 2 remains stationary. In this manner the material within the hopper is constantly agitated and caused to fiow through the perforations in the bottom and fall upon the screen-bottom of the uppermost sluice. These two sluices l1 and 12 are slightly inclined, so that the flow of material will be from the receiving end toward the opposite end. The end of the sluice 12 is the bottom of the sluice 12 and oscillates therewith. This sluice discharges into a hopper-shaped receiver, as at 20, this receiver being fixed to the top of a closed watercontaining tank 21. Within the receiver is an amalgamated drum 22, journaled and revoluble beneath the opening 20, so that the material falling through this opening falls upon the top of the drum, which, being amalgamated, provides another surface for saving any gold which may have escaped the riffies in the sluice above. The lower part of this drum revolves in water contained in the tank 21. the tank 21 are journaled trunnions 23, around which the endless canvas belt 24 is passed. This belt is sufiiciently slack so that its central portion concaves downwardly into the water beneath the drum 22, and the two parts of the belt may be kept separate by means of one or more rollers 25, extending across from one side to the other of the tank. This belt may be of any well-known and appropriate construction and may be driven by any of the well-known means. The sand or other material escaping over the drum 22 is washed off in the water within the tank and falls upon the belt 24 and is carried by it up over the outer end of the tank 21, where it is delivered into a sluice 26, and the water overflowing from the tank at the same point carries the sand down, delivering it into another opening hopper 27 to fall upon a second revoluble amalgamated drum 28, contained within the hopper and dipping into a water-coutaining tank 29, similar to the one previously described. The endless traveling belt 30,

-mounted and carried in'all respects similar to the one shown at 24, receives the material which falls from this drum and delivers it upon the inclined top 31 of a tank 32. The center of this top 31 has a circular opening through which the material may fall into the tank,and while the sand is thus delivered upon it the wateroverflowingfrom the tank 29 serves to carry the material along with it and into the tank. A vertical shaft 33 is journaled to turn centrally within the tank, its lower end in a step at the bottom, and this shaft carries the stirrers 34, which are fixed to it and, as here shown, in the form of rectangular loops of difierent lengths, so that as the shaft revolves these loops pass through and agitate all parts of the mass within the tank andv prevent it from settling to the bottom.

32 is a metal cylinder fixed within the rectangular tank surrounding the revoluble arms 34 and leaving a space at the corners into which the water may .pass free of the greater portion of the sand and material which has traveled with it to this point. This water may then be returned to the pump through At opposite ends and upon the top of a return-pipe 38 in a practically filtered and clean condition. The overflow from the interior inclosure 32, passing down the chute 35, falls upon a water-wheel 36, so journaled as to receive its impact. In order to prevent any coarse material from falling upon and clogging the water-wheel, I have shown a curved grating 37, extending above the water-wheel from the higher part of the sluice to the lower, and by this means the coarser material is carried clear of the wheel, only the water and the finer material acting upon it. The shaft of this water-wheel 36 has sprockets upon the outer end, and from these sprockets a chain passes around a sprocketwheel mounted upon the shaft of an amalgamated drum 39, journaled at the foot of an ofiset 40 at the lower end of the sluice 35, so

that the material before finally escaping is again brought into contact with an amalgamated surface to save any valuable material which may have escaped to this point. Over this drum is an arched grating41, which prevents any coarser material from coming into contact with the drum. Thus the gratings 37 and 41 are hinged at their upper ends, so that they can be easily turned backwardly about their hinges, the lower ends resting upon the bottom of the sluice when they are in use. The vertical shaft 33 has its upper end turnable in a guide which is hinged, as shown at 42, and the opposite end is normally held in place by a button or latch, as at 43. This being turned to one side allows the hinged guide to be turned back, and the shaft 33, with its stirrers 34, can then be easily removed from the tank at any time.

In some cases it maybe found desirable to separate the sand from the water without allowing the two to enter the tank 32.. In this case I have shown a short sluice 44, adapted to fit over the tank 32 and receive the discharge from the belt 30. A parabolic partition 45 surrounds the sleeve 46 of the vertical shaft, and as the ends of the partitions diverge outwardly, leaving channels upon each side between it and the sides of the sluice, the sand will be diverted by this partition into the channels and will thus flow over into the sluice 35 without entering the tank 32. A considerable portion of the water will flow over the top of the partition 45 and be allowed to fall into the tank 32, from which it may be returned by the part 38 for further use, as previously described.

When this apparatus is to be used for milltailings or fine pulverized material, the apparatus as here described will be sufficient for all purposes; but when used for placermining or working material which contains large gravel and worthless material I employ a sluice 47, which is adapted to be hinged to the lower end of the screen-bottomed sluice 11, forming a practical continuation of it at a considerable incline. The lower end of the sluice 47 rests upon an antifrictional roller 48, so that it is movable longitudinally in unison with the movements of the screen 11, to which it is detachably connected. This sluice 47 has at its lower end divergent partitions 49 upon each side of the center, which is open at this point to allow the shaft 33 to extend up through it. The sides of the sluice 47 terminate before reaching the extreme lower end of the sluice, and the partitions 49 thus divert any large gravel outwardly through the spaces thus left and discharge them toward the machine, leaving only such material to be operated upon by the machine as will pass through the screen-bottom 14 of the sluice 11.

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

1. The combination in a gold-separator of inclined suspended sluices connected and movable in unison, the uppermost of said sluices having a perforated or screen bottom, a close bottom in the lower sluice and angular rifiies having upwardly-converging sides said riffles extending across the sluice and havingtheir wide bases out of contact with the bottom of the sluice, whereby the finer material may pass beneath the riflies and the greater portion of the material may pass up the inclined sides of the riifle and over the top thereof, and a hopper through which material is delivered into the upper sluice.

2. A gold-separator including inclined detachable screen frames with suspending links, means by which a longitudinal oscillation is produced, a screen-bottom in the upper sluice and a close bottom in the lower sluice, substantially A-shaped riffles extending across the lower sluice and with their wide bases or under sides out of contact with the bottom, whereby the finer material may pass beneath the riffles and another and greater portion of the material may pass over the tops of the riffles, and dams are formed at the base of the riftles which result in the material being carried into forceful contact with the bottom of the sluice, a stationary hopper located above the upper sluice, a perforated bottom movable beneath the hopper, connections between said bottom and the sluices whereby it is oscillated in unison therewith.

3 A gold-separator including separable chutes inclined in the same direction with suspending links, mechanism whereby they may be oscillated longitudinally, a screen-bottom to the upper sluice and angular inverted riffles extending above the close bottom of the lower sluice and out of contact therewith, a stationary hopper located above the upper sluice, a movable perforated bottom, and antifrictional rollers upon which it is supported below the hopper, links connecting said bottom with the movable sluices whereby said bottom is oscillated in unison with the movement of the sluices, a rose or sprinkling device discharging water into the hopper, a supply-pipe and pumping mechanism, connections between said mechanism and the crank-shaft by which the sluices are oscillated whereby the movements of the sluices and the pumping mechanism are made in unison.

4. The combination in a gold-separator of inclined suspended end-shaking sluices having a perforated inclosed bottom respectively, and inverted riftles extending across the lower sluice out of contact with the bottom, a hop per with a perforated oscillating bottom located above the upper sluice, a pumping mechanism and means wherebyit is actuated in unison with the oscillations of the sluices, a plurality of amalgamated rollers journaled and turnable with their lower portions submerged in water-tanks, chutes for delivering the material upon the tops of said rollers, endless traveling belts submerged in the tanks and receiving the material as it falls from the rollers, said belts discharging the material from each of the tanks successively, and a tank having a vertically-journaled shaft and stirring-arms into which the material is delivered, said tank having an inclosure exterior to which the water is separated from the sand, and a pipe by which said clean water is returned to the pumping apparatus.

5. The combination in a gold-saving apparatus of inclined suspended end shaking sluices, with perforated inclosed bottoms and riftles respectively, said riffles being substantially A-shaped in cross-section and having their wide bases out of contact with the bottom of the sluice, a plurality of tanks with submerged amalgamated revoluble drums to receive the material and endless traveling belts beneath the drums acting to transmit the material after it passes the drums, a vertical rectangular tank into which the material is discharged from the last of the belts, said tank having a circular inner compartment within which the material is received, a vertical shaft and stirring-arms carried thereby revoluble in an inner compartment, a pipe connecting with the outer compartment to return the clear water therefrom and a pumping apparatus operated in unison and acting to deliver the return-water into the supplyhopper of the apparatus.

6. The combination in a gold-separator of inclined suspended end-shaking sluices with perforated bottoms and riffles, a stationary supply-hopper with perforated shaking bottom, a water-supply pump and mechanism by which the pump and the shaking sluices are actuated in unison, a plurality of water-containing tanks with revoluble amalgamated drums journaled horizontally across 'them, and chutes by which the material is successively delivered upon the tops of the drums, endless traveling belts passing beneath the drums to receive and transmit the material falling therefrom, a separating-tank with vertical shaft and stirrers carried thereby, a discharge-chute, a Water'wheel located in said chute in the path of the passing material and one or more amalgamated drums journaled ITO across the lower part of the sluice connections between said drums and water-wheel whereby they are rotated by the passing material.

7. The combination in a gold-separator of astationary receiving-hopper, a water-supply therefor, a movable perforated bottom, inclined oscillating sluices upon which the material and water are delivered, a plurality of water-containing tanks, with amalgamated drums journaled and revoluble therein and endless traveling transmitting-belts passing below the drums, a separatingtank into which the material is delivered and from which a portion of the water is separated and returned in a clear condition, a sluice into which the material is delivered from said tank, a Water-wheel and revoluble amalgamated drums driven thereby located in the sluice, and arched screens extending over the water-wheel and the drums as described.

8. The combination in a gold-separator of a stationary receiving-hopper, inclined longitudinally-oscillatingsluiceslocatedbeneath the hopper with perforated bottoms and riffies made substantially A-shaped in cross-section and with their wide bases presented toward and maintained out of contact with the bottom of the sluice whereby the finer material passes under the riftles and the larger portion of material passes over the tops of rilfies, a perforated bottom to the hopper movable in unison with the sluices, and an inclined chute having its upper end hinged to the uppermost movable sluice, a roller upon which the lower end is supported and diverging partitions at the lower end by which coarse gravel is discharged exterior to the machine.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WHITE XVOLF M. HIOKEY. Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, GEO. I-I. STRONG.