US800378A - Amalgamator. - Google Patents

Description

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. LIGHTNER, .OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM PRIEST AND ONE-THIRD TO HENRY FEIGE, OF SAN FRANCISCO,

CALIFORNIA.

AM'ALGAIFIATOR.

Specification of Iletters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed December 27, 1904. Serial No. 238,464,

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY L. LIGHTNER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of-San Francisco and State of California, have invented'new and useful Improvements in Amalgamators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for the amalgamation or saving of precious or' valuable metals.

It consists in the combination and arrangement of mechanism and in details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in. which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my apparatus, partially in section. Fig. 2 is a similar View looking from the right of 'Fig. 1.

It is the object of my invention to combine with a surface of mercury or an amalgamated surface a device adapted to discharge air under pressure upon said surface in such a manner as to move the material which has been delivered upon the surface and to separate therefrom any gold or valuable heavy substance, which separated material will be retained and the gangue will be discharged.

The device may be employed in various ways, either operating in a'direct line or, as

shown in the present case, as a revolubleap- 'paratus.

In the present construction A represents a frame of any suitable size and propor and 2 is a circular pan depressed in then and rising toward the periphery, the angle' at which the rise takes place being such as will serve the required purpose in the best manner and which canbe determined by experiment. The surface of the pan 2 may be of amalgamated copper, silver, or otherwise adapted to retain gold, silver, or other metal capable of being amalgamated, or if such metal as platinum be found in the material whichis being worked the central portion of the pan may contain a body of mercury, so

that the platinum, being heavier than the n1ercury, will sink through it to the bottom and will thus be saved, while gold ,or silver will be amalgamated with the mercury.

Above the center of the pan 2 is suspended a hopper or receiver 3 of any suitableor desired shape, into which the material to be treated is delivered through a-pipe or sluice, as at 4. Through the center of the receiver 3 passes a hollow pipe 5, and this is connected by a revoluble joint, as at 6, with the pipe 5", which forms an air-discharge from the fan blower 7. The loose joint 6 may be telescopic or otherwise constructed to maintain the continuity of the passage from the blower through tain amount of movement. The movable portions of the apparatus are carried upon a vertically-movable frame, as at lent arrangement, as at9.

In order to revolve the shaft 5, I have shown a disk 10 mounted upon a horizontal revolubleshaft, as at 11, with any suitable means for. communicating motion thereto, such as a pulley. The disk 10 has its face adapted to contact with the peripheryr of a wheel, as at 12, this wheel being fixed upon the vertical pipe 5 so that its face being in contact with the disk 10 motion from the disk will be com-. municated to the Wheel and the tube will be revolved. The wheel is turnable within a at 14, this arm may be raised or lowered and the Wheel moved along the tube 5, so as. to bring it nearer to or farther from the center of the disk 10, with a corresponding-change in'the speed of revolution. of the tube and below the receiver 3 radial f tubular arms 15 project above the amalga- "mated surface 2, and these arms are perfo+ rated with jet-holes for a purpose to be hereinafter described. In the present caseI have shown a raised block 16 located in the center of the pan 2 and having a concaved upper surface. The lower end of the tube 5 is or perforations 17 The revolu ble apparatus as described may be supported upon suitable ball or equivalent bearings, as ati18.

The bottom of the receiver or hopperifi has holes madepi n'it, as shown at 19, for the discharge of the material.--

ered into it through the conveyer 4.

apparatus being set in motion and ing applied to drive the fan within its case, a blast of air will be discharged through the 8, and this is adjustable by a screw or equiva-' slotted arm 13, and by means of a screw, as

At the lower end,

which has bee'nfdelive The operation willthen be as follows; pow

pipe 5 and through the holes 17 at the bottom the pipes and at the same time allow of a cerconvexed and has in this convexed end holes and also through the holes which are made in the radially-disposed pipes 15. The pulp mixed with a sufficiency of water passes into the hopper or receiver 3 and is thence delivered through the holes 19 at the bottom into the pan 2. The perforated arms 15 are adjusted with relation to the surface below by raising or lowering the frame 8, and the speed at which they are revolved is regulated by the movement of the wheel 12 to or from the center of the disk 10 which drives it. The pulp is blown out from the central cup 16 by the blast of air through the hole 17, and the perforations in the pipes 15 discharge the air at such an angle with relation to the bottom that the pulp is gradually moved outwardly by the blast of air delivered from the perforations and the movement is also spiral and gradual by reason of the revolution of the perforated arms. Thus the pulp, gold, or any valuable material is constantly turned over and over and brought into contact with the mercury or amalgamated surface, with the result that anything capable of amalgamation will be retained upon the surface before the periphery of the pan has been reached and the worthless material will be discharged over the edge. If platinum or any material having a greater specific gravity and not capable of amalgamation be found to be mixed with the other material, it will sink through the body of mercury in the center of the pan and can be collected whenever aclean-up is made.

The disk 10 can be adjusted at any time to provide for suitable driving contact with the wheel 12 by means of an adjusting-screw, as at 11".

By this construction I am enabled to provide a continuous feed of material and by the aid of the blast of air to separate and retain the valuable metals While the waste is continually discharged over the edge of the pan.

It will be understood that the air-blast might be used upon a direct-inclined amalgamated surface with equivalent results; but it is believed that the rotary apparatus will provide for more rapid and extensive work.

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

1. The combination in an amalgamator of a circular amalgamated concaved surface, means for supplying pulp and water upon the central portion of said surface, and an air-blast apparatus having radial outlets capable of discharging jets directly upon said surface in a downwardly and outwardly direction whereby the pulp is carried up the incline and the waste is delivered over the outer edge thereof.

2. The combination in an amalgamator of a circular amalgamated concaved surface, means for supplying water with pulp containing valuable metal centrally upon the surface, an air-blast apparatus, a conducting-pipe and radially-disposed arms having perforations adapted to discharge a blast of air downwardly and outwardly upon the inclined surface.

3. ,T he combination in an amalgamator of a circular concaved amalgamated surface, means for supplying water and pulp containing valuable metal centrally upon said surface, an airblast apparatus, a vertical revoluble air-conveying pipe, arms projecting radially from the lower part of the pipe above the amalgamated surface, said arms having jet-openings inclined downwardly and outwardly with relation to the surface.

4. The combination in an amalgamator of a fixed circular concaved amalgamated surface, a receiver suspended above the center of said surface having discharge-openings in the bottom for mixed water and pulp, an air-blast apparatus, a vertical tube extending through the bottom of the receiver, radial tubular arms extending above the amalgamated surface having perforations for the discharge of air downwardly and outwardly and means whereby said tube and arms are revolved.

5. In an amalgamator, a concaved pan adapted to engage and retain valuable metals, a receiver having a perforated bottom located above said table, an air-blast apparatus, an air-conducting tube extending therefron'i vertically through the bottom of the receiver having perforations in its lower end, radially-disposed perforated tubes extending outwardly from the vertical air-tube above the pan-bottom, means for revolving the tube and the arms, said means comprising a revoluble friction-disk and a wheel movable upon a feather on the tube and to or from the center of the friction-disk with which it contacts.

6. An amalgamator comprising a concaved pan having its surface coated or charged with mercury, a raised concaved center within the pan, a receiver for water and pulp suspended above the pan-center and having dischargeopenings around the bottom, an air-blast apparatus, an air-pipe extending vertically therefrom through the bottom of the pulp-receiver having perforations in the bottom discharging into the convexity of the raised center, radial arms extending outwardly from the tube below the receiver and in proximity with the concaved bottom, said arms having air-discharge jet-openings in the lower part, a mechanism by which the arms are revolved and the rate of speed changed, a frame upon which the apparatus is carried, and means by which said frame may be raised or depressed with relation to the pan.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY L. LIGHTNER.

Witnesses:

S. H. Nonnsn, E. VnReLz.

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