US766626A - Gold-saving apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

PATBNTED AUG. 2, 1904.

E. S. KELLEY. GOLD SAVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

NTTEE STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD S. KELLEY, OF ST. JOSEPH, h'IICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIS IV. COOPER, OF KENOSHA, W'ISCONSIN; HENRY S. COOPER EXECUTOR OF SAID IVILLIS IV. COOPER, DECEASED.

GOLD-SAVING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,626, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed May 22, 1902. Serial No. 108,536.

To all whom, it may concer-71,:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. KELLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing' at St. Joseph, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gold-Saving Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to separators and concentrators for placer-mining and free-gold- Io quartz milling; and one of the objects of the invention is to produce an improved apparatus for saving gold from sand and earth.

A further object of the invention is the production of a sluice-box through which water I5 and sand are passed by the action of a screw and without creating a current in the sluicebox.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a longitudinal central section through this 2O goldsaving apparatus. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on dotted line 2 Q. of Fig. I. Fig. 3 is a fragmental plan view of the sluicebox with the conveyor-screw removed. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the funnel in the trapbucket.

In the embodiment herein shown of this apparatus I provide a sluice-box l, substantially semitubular and formed with the integral bottom trough Q. The side walls and bottom of the trough 2 are provided at intervals with grooves 3 for receiving partitions to 'oe later herein described. The bottom trough 2. is made somewhat deeper at the upper or receiving end of the sluice-box, and the sluicebox is set so that the bottom trough inclines toward said receiving end, an opening closed by a screw-plug' LI being provided for draining and cleaning' the sluice-box and bottom trough. The upper walls of the sluice-box 40 also are higher at the receiving' end of the box, and at its lower end the box is provided with a discharge-opening 5. At each end of the box are secured bearings 6 for a shaft 7, having' the conveyer-screw 8 and a drive-pulley 9 fixed thereon. Partitions IO, of copper or other suitable material amalgamated by being dipped into (No model.)

quicksilver and having' their upper edges cut on thc are of a circle corresponding' with that of the conveyer-screw, are set into the grooves 3 in the bottom troug'h of said sluice-boX, and between these partitions similar integral bottom and side plates ll are placed, lying in the bottom trough 2. The lower edges of these partitions are also cut away slig'htly in the 5 5 openings l2, leavinga channel throughout the length of the sluice-box for cleaning without removing the partitions or the conveyor; also,

to permit the amalgam to flow toward the forward end of the sluice-box, this end being' the 6o lower one.

At the upper or receiving' end of the sluicebox I set the trap-bucket 13, cut away at one side to permit an overflow into the sluice-boX, and into this trap-bucket is set a funnel I4, rectangular at its upper end and having' a rectangular lower spout rear turned in the bucket and provided with a long narrow dischargeopening' 15, covered in the bucket by a quantity of Quicksilver 16 sutlicient to rise above 70 the said discharg'e-opening' 15. This quicksilver forms a seal through which the sand and water are forced before they overflow from the bucket and enter the sluice-box.

An amalgamated plate I7, similar to the plates l0 and Il, is placed in the trap-bucket 13 and made to conform to the inner walls thereof. This plate is placed in the bucket in an inclined position between the lower end of the funnel and the overflow edge of the S0 trap, the lower edg'e of said plate resting upon the Quicksilver in said bucket. A ilume 18 conveys the water and sand to and discharges them into the open upper end of the funnel 14.

In order to enliven the Quicksilver 16 in the bucket I3, I may connect the quicksilver and the pulp in said bucket with the poles of a battery or with a dynamo, as will hereinafter more fully appear, the action of the electric current keeping' said Quicksilver Huid and preventing it from flouring and wasting away with thc flowing water.

At the rear end of the sluice-box I provide lower side of the discharge-opening an amalgamated plate 19, rising on an incline' from the last partition 10 in the bottom trough 2 of said box to a point slightly below the The plate 19 is made slightly shorter than'the space between the end ofthe sluice-box and said partition 10, so that the space 2O is left near `the discharge-opening to admit particles-oi1 gold or amalgam to the pocket 21 under said plate 19.

22 and 23 refer to wires connecting the quicksilver and the pulp, respectively, in the trap-bucket 13 with a source 24 of electrical energy. The trap-bucket 13 may be formed of any suitable material, except that when its contents is to be connected with a source of electric energy the bucket should be made of a substance non-conducting of electricity.

In the operation of my improved gold-saving apparatus gold-bearing sand and water from other concentrators or from any other source are brought to the apparatus by means box 1. The conveyer-screw 8 is driven at a comparatively slow rate of speed, holding the water back in the sluice-box and preventing it from flowing therethrough. As the water has no current as it passes through the sluicebox the earth and sand contained in said water is precipitated, falling into the bottom trough 2. The bottom trough soon fills With sand; but the gold and amalgam in the sand being much heavier constantly settle to the bottom of said bottom trough, where they come into contact with and are retained by the quicksilver on the plates 10 and 11. The excess of sand is' constantly being pushed rearward by the traveling screw and carried by the water from the sluice-box to the discharge-opening. Should the sand being discharged from the sluice-box carry any particles of gold or amalgam, these particles are likely to be caught by the inclined amalgamated plate 19 or carried over the rear edge of said plate through the space 20 into the pocket 21 under said plate.

At suitable intervals the amalgamated copper plates 10, 11, 17, and 19 are removed from the apparatus and burned in order to secure the gold which has adhered to the quicksilver upon said plates. When it is desirable to clean the sluice-box, water is` introduced into the discharge end of said box and the screwplug 4 removed from its opening, whereupon the water will run through the bottom trough and out of said Screw-plug opening, carrying The openings 12 besand and dirt with it.

tween the partitions 10 and the bottom of the trough v2 permit the water to pass Jfrom one end of the 4trough to the opposite end thereof.

I claim as my invention4 y 1. In a gold-saving'apparatus, in combination, a sluice-box; a bottom trough extending longitudinally thereof; amalgamated partitions in said trough; mechanism, a portion of which extends transversely of said sluice-box from side to side thereof and divides thesluicebox into a plurality or' compartments; means for actuating said mechanism to positively move earth and water with comparative slowness through said sluice-box to prevent current in or agitation of the fluid mass; anda pocket having an inlet-opening in its upper side near the discharge from said sluice-box, into which inlet-opening gold particles may fall by gravitation.

2. In a gold-saving apparatus, in combina-y tion, a sluice-box; a bottom trough extending longitudinally thereof, which bottom trough is inclined away from the discharge end of said sluice-box to restore mercury to the receiving end of the sluice-box; transverse partitions in said bottom trough, said partitions being cut away at their lower edges' to provide an opening for the passage of the mercury; and mechanism for positively moving earth and water with comparative slowness through said sluicebox to. prevent current in or agitation of the Huid mass.

3. In a gold-saving apparatus, in combination, a sluice-box; a conveyer fitting closely to the inner walls thereof; means'for rotating said conveyer to carry earth and water positively and with comparative slowness through said sluice-box, to prevent current in or agitation of the Huid mass; a bottom trough extending longitudinally of said sluice box; amalgamated partitions in said trough; and a pocket having an inlet-opening near the dischargeopening of said sluice-box, into which inletopening gold particles fall by gravitation.

4:. In a gold-saving apparatus, in combination, a sluice-box; a bottom trough extending longitudinally thereof, which bottom trough is inclined away from the discharge end of said sluice-box to restore mercury to the receiving end of the sluice-box; transverse partitions in said bottom trough, said partitions being cut away at their lower edges to provide an opening for the passage of the mercury; and a conveyer-screw adapted to fit the inner walls oi' said sluice-box.

5. In a gold-saving apparatus, in combination, a sluice-box; a bottom trough extending longitudinally of said sluice-box, which bottom trough is inclined away from the discharge end of said sluice-box'to restore mer- IOO IIO

IZO

cury to the receiving end of the sluice-box;

ltransverse partitions in said bottom trough, said partitions being cut away to provide an opening at their lower edges for the passage of the mercury; a conveyer-screw adapted to proximity to the sides of said box; transverse amalgamated partitions in said bottom trough, extending into close proximity to the periphery of said screw; amalgamated bottom and side plates in said trough, said transverse partitions being cut away on their lower sides; and a pocket having' an inlet-opening near the discharge-opening of said sluice-box.

EDW'ARD S. KELLEY.

/Vitnesses:

Gr. H. KNAAK, ED. A. GAST.

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