US775414A

US775414A - Apparatus for extracting precious metal from ores.

Info

Publication number: US775414A
Application number: US19314504A
Authority: US
Inventors: John Joseph Berrigan
Original assignee: JOHN BERNSTROM; FRANCIS J AREND
Current assignee: JOHN BERNSTROM; FRANCIS J AREND
Priority date: 1904-02-11
Filing date: 1904-02-11
Publication date: 1904-11-22
Anticipated expiration: 1921-11-22

Description

in E No. 775,414. PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904.

J. J. BERRIGAN. APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING PRECIOUS METAL FROM CRES.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 11, 1904.

'No MODEL. 25mm'- IIN 25:;

i, 7 3 MM u v. 7

, HUA'IIAA s r IIIIIIIIIIIII Il ||||l No. 775,414. PAT-RRTRD Nov. z2, P904'.

J. P. RRRRIGAN. APPARATUS PoR RXTRAGTING PRECIOUS MRTAL PROM oRRs.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented November 22, 1904.

` PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN JOSEPH BERRIGAN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN OR TO FRANCIS J. AREND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND JOHN BERNSTROM, OF

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN.

APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING PRECIOUS METAL FROM ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,414, dated November 22, 1904.

Application filed February 11, 1904. Serial No. 193,145. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN JOSEPH BERRIGAN, of East Orange, Essex county, New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Extracting Precious Metals from Ore, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the extraction of precious metal from its ore by means of a solution chemically active to dissolve said metal. In the case of gold or silver heavy oressuch a solution is one containing a cyanid which, as is well known, has a selective action to dissolve gold or silver in preference to the baser metals.

My present invention consists in the apparatus hereinafter set forth for extracting and separating the enriched solution, and in the construction and arrangement thereof, as more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the mixing device and one of the agitators which receives the cyanid or other solution chemically active to dissolve the precious metal (hereinafter termed the solution) and the comminuted ore or orepulp, (hereinafter termed the ore.) Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the entire apparatus.

Similar characters of reference indicate like parts.

The ore is placed in any suitable receptacle, as 1, from which it is delivered by the spout shown into the hopper 2. From the hopper 2 it passes to the interior of the conveyerchamber 3, in which chamber is a spiral conveyer 4, rotated by any suitable means, such as the belt and pulley 5.

6 is a tank in which is placed the solution and which communicates with the interior of the conveyer-chamber 3 by means of the pipe 7, provided with a suitable valve 8. As fast as the ore enters the chamber 3 it is carried by the rotating screw conveyer 4, longitudinally said chamber, until it meets the descending stream of solution from the tank 6. The combined solution and ore then pass from the conveyer-chamber 3' by the pipe 9, which is directly below the inlet for the solution into the agitator 10. The construction of this agitator is similar to that of the separator illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 677,926, granted to me July 9, 1901, with the difference that the sole outlet is arranged above the bottom of the bowl, and hence there is no separate liquid-outlet in the bottom of the bowl, as shown in my said patent. By reason of this omission the apparatus can no longer act as a separator for solids and liquids, but only as an agitator and means for centrifugally forcing the ore through the solution in the manner hereinafter explained. My saidagitator is provided with a standard 12, in which is journaled the hollow rotary shaft 13, which carries the revolving bowl 14. In said bowl is a separating-chamber 15, eccentrically placed, having an outlet-opening 16, which by passage 17 in the partition 18 communicates with the outlet 19 in bowl 14. Within the shaft 13 is anotherrotary shaft, 20, which by suitable gearing rotates the shaft 21, journaled in the bottom of bowl 14 and also in the receiving-box 22. Said shaft 21 lcarries. radial arms 23, provided with Scrapers 24, and within the box 22 it carries radial arms 25,

The combined solution. and ore passing through the pipe 9 enters the receiving-box 22, from which it is ejected by .centrifugal force of rotation and also by the rotary arms 25 at the open side 26. It thus becomes thrown toward the eccentric wall 27 of the separating-chamber 15, while the liquid forms a ring around the inner periphery of the bowl. This liquid ring of solution remains during the operation of the apparatus. The ore is thrown through it and so against the inner surface of the bowl with great force. It is then carried by the Scrapers 24 around to the opening 16, where,together with such moisture as may remain in it, it is ejected through the passage 17 and opening 19 into the surrounding casing 33, as indicated by arrows a, and so by gravity is conducted through the conduit 28 to the second agitator B of the series. This agitator is similar to the first agitator A, Fig. 2. The liquid which remains in the ore delivered into it forms a ring, as before, which remains, while the ore again containing a percentage of moisture proceeds by the casing 34 and conduit 29 to agitator C. Here it is again vsubjected to the same treatment, and finally escapes to the separator D.

The construction of the separator is exactly the same as that of eachof the agitators with the difference that it has a liquid-outlet, as indicated at 30, dotted lines, Fig. l, and as shown in my patent aforesaid. Its operation upon the combined materials isv fully set out in said Letters Patent. The exhausted ore from which the metal has now been removed passes from the separator, as indicated by the arrows to the casing 35 and delivery-spout 36 and so to receiving vessel 31.. The liquid escapes by pipe 30 to a fixed cup 39 on standard 12, and thence by pipe 37 to any suitable vat 32.

The agitators A B C may be supported, as shown, at different levels upon a suitable frame E. Power may be obtained from an electric motor F, operating by gearing Gr the vertical shaft H, supported onl said'frame E, which shaft has pulleys I, from which extend belts which actuatev the driving-pulleys K L on the several agitators and separator.

The operation of the apparatus as a whole is as follows: Because the ore is conducted by the conveyer into a descending stream of solution the two ingredients enter the first agitator well combined and lwith a' large amount of air intermingled With them.V The ore in this rst agitator being thrown with great force through the liquid ring formed of solution every particleof it becomes subjected to the effect of that solution. remaining agitators similar rings are formed from the liquid, the ore is forced again and again through this liquid and so subjected to repeated action thereof. The same thing happens in the separator, but from this the exhausted ore and enriched liquid separately escape. The supply of material being continuous and its flow through the apparatus due to gravity as it descends from receptacle to receptacle being'constantly maintained the liquid rings, once established, remain, the perstirred into it.

centage of vsolution which is removed in the ore escaping from each agitator being replaced by new solution from the next preceding agitator or from the initial mixing de- Vice, so that whatever the amount of enriched liquid may be which finally flows from its outlet in the separator per given time it is replaced by the liquid entering the apparatus from the mixing device in approximately the same time.

air in large amounts,and this, as is well known, greatly facilitates the reaction of the solution on the ore. The solution does not percolate through .the ore nor is the dry ore merely The fine ore and mingled air are literally sprayed through the rings of so- Inasmuch as in the The forcibleagitation of the mix-` ture constantly introduces oxygen from the" lution. The result is a great saving of time and a 'great increase in the percentage of metal taken up by thesolution. 'The latter is treated to obtain the metal by any well known method.

I claim- 1.\In an apparatus for extracting precious metal from ore bya solution chemically active .to dissolve said metal, means for mixing said to dissolve said metal, means for mixing said ore in comminuted form with said solution, means for centrifugally agitating said mixture and means for centrifugally separating the enriched solution from said ore.

3. In an apparatus for extracting precious metal "from ore by a solution chemically active to dissolve metal, means for producing a stream of said solution, means for conveying comminuted ore to said stream, and means for subsequently mixing said ore and said solution.

4. In an apparatus for extracting precious metal from ore by a solution chemically active to dissolve said metal, means for producing a stream of said solution, means for conveying comminuted ore to said stream to mix therewi-th and means for centrifugally separating the enriched solution from said ore.

5. In an'apparatu's for extracting .precious metal from ore by a Vsolution chemically active to `dissolve said metal, means for producing a stream of said solution, means for conveying comminuted ore to said stream to mix therewith, means for agitating the mixture and means for centrifugally separating the enriched solution from said ore.

6. In an apparatus for extracting precious. metal from ore by an aqueous solution chemically active to dissolve said metal, means for projecting comminuted ore through said solution contained in a receptacle, and means for removing said ore from said receptacle.

7.l In an apparatus for extracting precious metal fromore by a solution chemically active to dissolve said metal, means for projecting comminuted ore, in mixture vwith a body of:- solvent solution and contained in a receptacle, through said solution and means for removingv saidore from-said receptacle. 1

8. In an apparatus for extractingprecious metal from ore by a solutionchemically active to dissolve said metal, means for projecting comminuted ore, in mixture with a body of .solvent solution and contained in a receptacle having an outlet, through said solution, and a conveying device in said receptacle constructed to Yconvey said ore to said outlet.

IOO

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9. In a centrifugal agitator, a receptacle for the material to be agitated rotary on an eccentric axis and having the sole outlet for said material located above its bottom.

10. In a centrifugal agitator,`a receptacle for the material to be agitated rotary on an eccentric axis and having the sole outlet for said material located above its bottom and in its circumferential Wall.

11. In a centrifugal agitator, a receptacle for the material to be agitated rotary on an eccentric axis and having the sole outlet for said material located above its bottom, and means for conveying said material in said vessel from its place of deposit to said outlet.

12. In an apparatus for extracting precious metal from ore by a solution chemically active to dissolve said metal,.a plurality of centrifugal agitators disposed at different levels, and a centrifugal separator constructed to receive the material escaping from the lowest agitator of the series.

13. In an apparatus for extracting precious metal from ore by a solution chemically active to dissolve said metal, a mixing device for the solution and comminuted ore, a plurality of centrifugal agitators, and a centrifugal separator; the aforesaid parts being relatively disposed so that the material under treatment flows by gravity from said mixing device to said agitators and thereafter to said separator.

14E. In an apparatus for extracting precious metal from ore by'a solution chemically active to dissolve said metal, a horizontal vessel having on its upper side an inlet for solution and an inlet for ore, and, under said solution-inlet and in its lower side, an outlet for the mixed materials, in combination With a conveying device for moving the ore from said ore-inlet to said outlet.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

Y JOHN JOSEPH BERRIGAN.

Witnesses:

WM. H. SIEGMAN, I. A. VAN WART.