US1111251A - Amalgamator. - Google Patents

Description

G. R. DENNISON.

AMALGAMATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1913.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

34 ZQZQ ITNESSES: E 6? 6111 N m VENT R. C. 6? 06/70/600 THE NORRIS PETERS (70., FI-iGm-LITHO.v WASHINGTON. D C.

0. R. DENNISON.

AMALGAMATOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1913.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

[N VENTQR. 6506/70/60.

28 \7 WJTINESSES:

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. FHOTOLITHO. WAHHINGTON. D. C

GHARLES R. DENNISON, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

allel s-1 cation.

To all whom it may concern: I V Be it knownthat 1, CHARLES R. D NNI- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Youngstown, in the county of 'Maho'ning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amalgas mators, of which the following is a specifi- 3 ".This, invention relates to improvements in amalgamators and its principal object resides in the provision of a machinevo-f simple construction which while having a large amalgamating surface, requires in its opera- 'tion but a small quantity'of mercury for the-amalgamation of. all the values contained in thepulp under treatment. v A further object of m'y invention resides in the provision of aretort in which the :mercurywcontained: in the amalgam dis charged. from the machine, is vaporized and from which it isreturnedlto the amalgamat- -ing element of the apparatus, and stillother {obj ects of n my inventionf'reside in constructcontinuousaji l j j ingthe machine so asto r'enderthe amalga 5 and access1ble,.and in providlng ZLSIlCtlOIl mating 1 element thereof, readily removable means which draws the pulp along the ,amalgamating' surfaces, and conveys thetailings to a pointlof; discharge, and which thereby renders the process substantially drawings in the various views of which like parts are similarly designated, and in .which, .Figure 1v represents a vertical, longitudinal section throughthe apparatus, partially :in elevation, Fig. 2, a transverse section I taken-along the. linev 2,-2, Fig. .1,Fig. 3, a transverse section along th'elinefl33,'Fig. j 1;, Fig. 4, a longitudinal sectionalong the line H, Fig. 2, drawn to an enlarged 1 scale, and liig 5,,la-section along the line 5-35,. Fig.12.

' Referring iportion supports a cylindrical conduit 4.

centric opening of smaller diameter which connects with a feed-chamber 5 formed in.

the tank by means of a transverse partition.

6 anditconnects at its opposite endfwith annpright discharge flue 7 through which the tailings are removed from thermachine.

, ,A spiral screw 8atthe end of a vertical Specification of Letters Eatent. Application fiieajtmne 4, 1913. Serial No. 771,736.

, a, the awings by numerical reference characters, '2' designates a prefer-Q ably rectangular tank which in its bottom AMALGLAMATOR.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

end of the fiue to create by its rotary motion, a suction which will cause the tailings discharged from the cylinder to be drawn upwardly lnto the flue to an overflow point which is designated by the numeral 10 in Fig. l. The lower portion. of the flue has .lnteriorly, an inwardly projecting spiral rib 12 which serves to'counteract the whirling motion imparted to the upwardly. drawn material bythe action ofthe screw, and which thus accelerates the flow of the mate rial to the point of discharge.

The cylindrical conduit 4 is dividedinto two sections the lower one 3 of which is fixed in the tank, while the upper one 13 is'loosely supported upon the edges ofthe lower section and held against lateral"dis placement by means of flanges 14 which connect the, stationary part with the longitudinal walls of the'tank.

shaft 9 is rotatably' disposed at the lower.

a The removable section of the cylinder cara rice at its ends by means of radial spokes 15,

two bearings 16 for the support of a shaft 17 and the two sections of the tank are reinforced by means of, T-shaped hoops 18 which are likewise divided into two parts. 1

The shaft 17 connects-at a point inside the feed'chamber by means of a clutch 19, with adriving shaft 20 which projects 7 :v t througha bearing21 applied in an open- Iattain the above statedobjects by the. *mechanism' illustrated in the'accompanying w re screen and which is firmly secured to spokes 23-radiating from the'shaft and; at

s peripheral edges, to a surrounding cylin-- der24 which is made of similar material.

- The perforated cylinder and screw mounted on the shaft "17 constitute the amalgamating element of the apparatus which when the shaft is rotated, dips into a quantity of mercury contained in the bottom portion of, the cylindricalconduit, as is indicated at 25 in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

7 The crushed ore and water which in the form of a pulp are fed into the chamber 5, are by the rotary motion of the spiral screen and the suction created by the screw 8,

drawn through the conduit into the flue 7 and in their course'through the conduitare continually brought in intimate contact.

The shaft whose longitudinal axis is coincident with that of the cylinder 4:, carries a double helical, screw-blade22 which is composed of with the surfaces of the amalgamating element and the mercury which adheres there.- to, with the result that the latter amalgamates with the metallic values contained in a the pulp, while the tailings are drawn lIltO with the retort 28 shown in Fig. 2, in which it is subjected to artificial heat for the purpose of vaporizing the mercury which subsequently is returned to the cylinder e'through a pipe 29, which by means of a header 30 is connected with a plurality of openings in the removable section of the conduit.

lVhilethe retort employed in cooperation with the amalgamating element of my invention may be of any suitable construction, 1' preferably use a device of the construc .tionillustrated in the drawings in which the pipe 31- through which the amalgam is removed from the conduit 4, and the pipe 29 through which the volatilized mercuryis returned to the same, are attached respectively to hollow heads 32 and 33 which are connected by means of a plurality of tubes 34.

The structure composed of the heads and tubes is inclosed in a casing 35' which at its lower end communicates by means of a duct '36 with a source of heat, as 'for example the exhaust pipe of a steam or internal combustionengine used to operate the rotary elements of the amalgamator, and which at itsupper portion has an outlet 37 for the I discharge of the gases after they have com- -municated their heat to the contents ofthe structure into which the amalgam'is introduced. The mercury contained in the amalgam :being volatilized by the heat of the gases Tmay be removed through flowing through the casing 35, is returned to the conduit 4 of the amalgamator as'heremetal which was united'with the mercury, falls into the lower head 82' from which it outlet pipe 38. a

When it is desired to examine or inspect the amalgamating element of the apparatus the same may readily be removed by disconmeeting the upper headerBO from the pipe which connects it with the retort and lifting the upper section of the cylindrical conduit together with the shaft 17 after the latter has been disconnected from the driving shaft by "separating the members of the clutch.

By bending either the revolving cylinder 24 or the lower half of the conduit l, the distance between the two is enlarged at the bottom portion of the latter as is indicated at 39 in Fig. 2, for the purpose of providing drical "casing, a: rotary, amalgamating'ele a valve controlled a clear space in which the amalgam may collect it before it is discharged through the outlets 26. I v

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by'Letters-Patentis:

1. An amalgamator comprising amercury container, a rotary amalgamating element disposed to move through mercury 1n sald contalner and composedof a shaft, acyl1nder concentric therewith and a'helical blade thezedges-of which. engage the surface of said shaft and the inner surface of said cylinder, whereby to dividethe space between the two into a continuous spiral passage, the said cylinder and thezsaid blade being composed of foraminous material, means for teedmg ore into an endof saidcylmdenand meansfor the removal of tailings discharged .1

through its opposite end.

2. An-amalgamator comprising a mercury container, a rotary am'algamating element disposedfto move through mercury in said container and comprising a continuous? spiral conduit of ioraminou's material, 'means for. feedingzore, into one end of sald conduit, and means for thejremoval of tailings discharged through the opposite endot the same.

3. ,An amalgainatorcomprising acylin ment disposed tojmove through mercury contained in the bottom portion thereof and composed of a continuous spiral conduitof foraminous material, means tor -feeding ore into an end of, said conduit and meansfor the removal of tailings discharged through the opposite end of the same.

1 4. An amalgamator comprising cylin-" drical casing, a rotary amalgamating element disposed to "movethrough mercury contained in the bottom portion thereof and composed of acontinuous' spiral conduit of foraminous'material, means forfeeding ore into an end of said conduit and means tor the removal of tailings discharged through the opposite end of thesame, thesaid bottom portionjof the casing being spaced from the exterior surface of the said amalgamating. element to provide a settling space for the mercury.

5. An amalgamator comprisingj a cfontainer the bottom portion of which constitutes a settling space for mercury, and m i amalgamating element of foraminous material rotatablymounted-in said container and provided with means for conveying material from one of its ends to the other, the saidv container having outlets for the discharge of amalgam from the said! space, and in its 'upperportion, inlets for the distribution of mercury over the said rotary element.

6. Anamalgamator comprising a '*container, and anamalgamating element rotatably mounted therein andcomposed of 3.

g the wall of said container. 15

constitutes a settling space for mercury, and

shaft, a cylinder concentric therewith, and a 7. An amalgamator comprising a cylin-v drical container, and a cylindrical amalgamating element rotatably mounted therein and comprising a continuous spiral conduit of foraminons material, the outer surface of said element moving 1n close proximity to 8; An amalgamator comprising a cylindrical container the bottom portion of which Copies of thls patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

a cylindrical amalgamating element of foraminous material mounted in said container to move in close proximity to its peripheral wall and provided with means for conveying material from one of its ends to the other, the said container having outlets for the discharge of amalgam from the said space, and in its upper portion, inlets for the distribution 01: mercury over the said rotary element.

In testimonywhereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES R. DENNISON.

Witnesses:

,ABGJIER HYNDMAN, Rnr'os MILLER.

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