US565812A - O o o o ott o o o o - Google Patents

Description

Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1-. M. STODDARD.

ORB GONGENTRATOR.

No. 565,812. Patented Aug. 11, 1896.

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. STODDARD. ORE CONGENTRATOR.

No. 565,812. Patented Aug. 11, 1896.

Wiigzsszs UNITED STATEsfATENT FFICE.

MERCHANT STODDARD, OF FARMINGTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR'OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES H. SCOTT, OF SAME PLACE.

ORE-CONCENTRATORU SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,812, dated August 11, 1896.. Application filed September 25,1895. Serial No. 563,650. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: from the particles of earthy matter by bring- Be it known that I, MERCHANT STODDARD, ing them in contact with a body of mercury a citizen of the United States, residing at and forming an amalgam. The ordinary Farmington, in the county of'Van Buren and sluice-boxes in common use have been found 5 5 State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and usepractically useless in handling this ore, for ful Ore-Concentrator, of which the following the reason that the gold would not be taken is a specification. up by the quicksilver and for the additional This invention relates to an improvement reason that said gold was so fine that it would in ore concentrators or amalgamators, and be swept on and awaywith the Water without 60 has for its object to simplify and improve gravitating to the bottom of the sluice-boxes. the construction of devices of this nature In order to overcome the difficulties just re 7 with a view to obtaining one in which pro ferred to, this invention contemplates imvision is made for saving the finest float-gold, parting to the concentrating trough or table for scouring particles of quartz and removing a rapid and short lateral reciprocation and 65 the mineral coatingtherefrom, and for .savin providinga series of riffle pans or sections ing and separating the precious metals from of novel construction, which are placed withthe tailings of the quartz-mill. in said trough and formed in such manner To this end the invention contemplates the that when such reciprocating motion is imuse, in connection with a Vibratory or'shakparted to the trough the sand, water, and ore 7o ing concentrator trough or table, of a series deposit will be thoroughly agitated and given of removable riffle-pans of novel construc an approximately circular or rotary motion tion, in which the separated ore is conducted between adjacent riffles or cleats, thereby to and deposited. in a pocket arranged beeffecting a gravitation of the heavierpartineath and connected to the bottom of each cles of the auriferous earthto the bottom of 2 5 riffle-pan. said pans or sections. The quartz or earthy The invention further consists in certain particles containing the precious metal are novel features and details of construction thus subjected to a violent agitation and the and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter coating or deposit of iron referred to is fully described, illustrated in the drawings, scoured therefrom in such manner as to ex- 0 and finallyembodied in the claim. pose the metal to the action of the quick In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is silver. a perspective'view of an improved ore-con- Referring now to the accompanying drawcentratorconstruoted in accordance with this ings, 1 designates a suitable elongated sup invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal porting-frame forming a guiding-base upon 35 section through thesame. Fig. 3 is a plan which the. ore concentrating trough 2 is view thereof. Fig. 4 is an end elevation mounted. This base-frame comprises, essen- I showing the manner of imparting a transtially, two longitudinal beams arranged in verse reciprocating movement to the concenparallelism and a series of transverse bars trating-trough. Fig. 5 is a transverse verticonnecting said beamsat their upper edges, 9Q 0 calsection through the machine, showing also as shown. Between the end transverse timthe crosssectional shape of the riffle-pans. bers and the timbers lying next adjacent and Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail perspective view parallel thereto are arranged guiding and of one of the riffle pans or sections. antifriction rollers 3, the spindles of which Similar numerals of reference designate have their bearings in the transverse timbers 5 5 corresponding parts in the several figures of just referred to. These rollers are arranged the drawings. at the front and rear of the base-frame or ad- In some sections of the country, for injacent to the longitudinal timbers thereof, as stance, on thePlatte river in Colorado, the shown in the cross-sectional view, and are gold taken from the river is almost invariably formed with peripheral grooves which are roe 5o coated with iron or other mineral deposit, so adapted to receive depending ribs or rails 3 that the precious metal cannot be separated secured to the bottom of the concentratorbelt or band from any suitable motor, preferably the same motor which drives the elevator, by means of which the pulverized ore,

&c., is lifted and deposited upon the sieve or screen hereinafter referred to. To the opposite ends of the driving-shaft 4: are secured grooved eccentrics 6, from which connecting- 3 rods 7 extend inward and attach pivotally to the ends of the concentrator-trough, the outer ends of said rods having straps 8, which pass around the eccentrics in the grooves therein. By means a rapid reciprocation is imparted to the trough 2 for the purpose of agitating the material contained therein.

The tr0ugh2 is divided intov two compartments or gutters by a central longitudinal partition orrib 8, and within said gutters are arrangedfriiile-pans 9. These pans maybe made of any desi'redlen'gth and correspond in width to the interior transverse measurement of the trough-gutters, 'so that they will ht snugly therein and be properly confined in place during the agitation of the trough, the number of these pans or sections being limited only by the length of the trough 2. Each of said pans or section's is in the form of a shallow rectangular tray, which is preferably formed from sheet metal. The bottom of the pan is depressed centrally and longitudinally, or made slightly V shaped, so as to form a longitudinal valley or gutter 10, by meansof which the concentrated ore is conveyed to the lower end of the pan or tray; At such lower end each of the riffle-pans is provided with an aperture 11 through its bottom through which the ore may drop intoa cup or pocket 12, secured to the under side of said pan. This pocket rests in an aperture formed therefor in the bottom of the concentratortrough 2. a 1

13 designates aseries of trai'isversely disposed riffles or cleats which are made substantially 'L-shaped in cross-section and arranged at suitable intervals longitudinally of the pan, The particular sh'ape'of these riffles affords an overhanging ledge or flange and material-1y assists in the proper agitation of the sand, water, 820., contained between the adjacent riffles or cleats. The bottom edges of I "said riffles are elevated slightly ab'o vethe bottom of the tray or pan, as shown, so that sufficient space is left to permit the longitudinal passage of the concentrated ore.

sary. v

Superpos'ed above one of the projecting 'endsof the shakingcon'centrator trough and connected therewith is a transversely-inclining sieve or screen 14, forn'1ed, preferably, from perforate sheet metal and provided upon three of its sides with vertically-extending guards or fenders 15, the lower end of said screen being left unobstructed to permit the escape of water and the larger particles of quartz therefrom. This screen may be removed when necessary.

In the operation of the device the crushed or pulverized ore is deposited by the elevator upon the inclined sieve or screen 14 simultaneously with a stream of water. The particles of ore of the proper size pass through the screen and fall between the riffies or cleats of the pans or sections 9, and by reason of the receiving end of the trough 2 being located at a higher elevation than the discharge end the material deposited therein gradually works its waytoward such discharge end. Owing to the short and rapid vibration of the concentratojr trough and the riffle-pans therein a thorough and violent agitation is imparted to the water, &c. thus effecting a corresponding agitation of the pulverized ore and the consequent gravitation of the heavier particles containing the precious metal to the bottom *of the pans. During the agitation the iron or other mineral deposit is scoured from the particles of "ore, and upon the descent of such particles to the bottom of the pans the metal is gathered by thefquicksil ver, with which such bottom is covered, and finally finds its way through the longitudinal valleys or gutterslO into the receiving po'ck ets 11, from which it may be conveniently removed when desired. At the same time the greater mass of 'sand and quartz which is free fro'1n the precious metal, by reason of it lighter specific gravity, is retained between the riffles 'orcleats 13, from whence it may be removed after the gold has been separated therefrom and passed into the pockets 11-.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the concentrating-trough operates in a perfectly level -and horizontal plane and such mot-ion, together with the particular form of the riflles, results in imparting the desired agitation of the contents of the rifflepans. It will be apparent that more than two rows of rifflep'ans may be employed, according to the capacity which it is'd'esired to give the concentrator. Theapparatus above described has been found very efficient in use after a long practical test and will effect a saving of the finest float-gold, and such metal as is found in the tailin-gs from the quartz-mill, which would otherwise be lost. The apparatus is very simple and inexpensive in construction, may be manufactured at slight cost, and the feature of the removable riffie pans or sections adds materially to the convenience and portability of the device as a whole. 7 I

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

forming a pocket or receptacle which is arranged centrally of one end of the pan and at the terminus of the V-shaped gutter, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MERCHANT STODDARD.

WVitnesses:

J. W. MILLER, T. W. MOCRARY.

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