US1278163A - Mercury amalgamator. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQEQ LEWIS MARTIN'KELLOGG, 013 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

MERCURY AMALG-AMATOR.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS MARTIN KEL- LOGG, a citizenrof-the United States, and a resident of Los Angeles, in'the-county of Los Angeles and State of California,-have invented a new andiuseful MercuryAmalgamator,-of which the following is a specification:

My inventionrelates to improvements in a mercury amalgamator 1n which the merillustrated'in theaccompanying drawings in which? Figure I 1 is -a entire device taken on the line D, D. Fig. 2.

Fig. ,2 is a top View oft-heentire device Similar letters and'numerals. refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The-mercury pot 1 isa vesselladapted to contain -a body of mercury to the height of the dotted line-CL At its top is an overflow ore discharge rim 20 beyond which is formed an annular discharge. channel 19 having a spout 18 at'its lowest part. i

Through the: wall of: he vessel 1 and in proximity to the mercury level G is the mercury .dischargeport 4: which connects the interior of thevessel 1 withthe discharge chamber ,5. Thetchamber 5 is attached to the. side "of the-emercury vessel 1 reaching fromabelowethe mercury level C to above thearim 20 andcarries the wash water tube 11 ,with its regulating valve 10 and the mercury discharge conduit 12.

In the bottom of the mercury vessel is the mercury inlet conduit ltand ore inlet conduit 15.

Thearms 8 attached tosthefltophof the mercuryvessel form a bearing for thevhollowshaft '6. This hollow shaft, being rotatably mounted carries the pulley 7 ,at its,

top GIId'ELIIClJthGI'OtOI 13 at its lower end and alsoi carrieethe a h ater tubes 2% sad up zout'ofthe vessel by the lugs 2. V

isectional elevationof the Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

7 Application filed January 14, 1914. Serial No. 812,119.

25 which communicate with the interior'of theshaft. r

The rotor 13 is suspendedinto ,the mercury vessel and positively carries the screen baffles 1.7... Thestationary screenbaflies 3 are carried in proper settings within'the mercury vessel and are held from floating An anode 22 is carriedon the, top otithe rotor 13 at the level of the rim 20 in electricalf communication with the conductor A. In the bottom of the vessel is the cathode 23- carrying-the conductor B. by means of the bolt 16. A; wash water tube-26: with its regulatmg valve 9 is carried over the top of the amalgamator, its. discharge .end terminating in the top of the hollow shaft 6. The rotor 18 is held from floating up out of the vessel 1 by the set collar 27.

In the operation of this amalgamator,

I mercury is admitted to the vessel 1 by the conduit 14 which rising up tothe port 4 flows out through the port into'the chamber 5 passing away by the conduit 12. The tube 12 is-bent-up in the form of a seal to prevent water from v passing out with the.

mercury. The mercury discharging from the tube 12, after being properly filtered and intensified is returnedto the mercury vessel by the conduit 14., Y

The rotor 13 is rotated'slowly by a beltw over the pulley 7 and ore pulp suspended in water on being forced into the vessel through the conduit 15 floats up through the body of mercury carriedin the vessel its upward flow being properlyinterrupted by the ro-gv tatingscreens 17 and stationary screens 3.

The ore pulp and water then rises Y up from the surface of the mercury and'passing out from under the anode 22 over-flows the rim-20passing away by the channel 19 and spout 18.

In the amalgamation of precious metals with raw mercury and even to a greater extent with mercury that has been intensified in itsamalgamating properties by the. addition of some such chemical as metallic sodium, or with an electric current, or both, a certain amount of scum collects upon the surface of the mercury. This scum is composed of precious metals eitherin physical or chemical combination, and baser metallic combinations and mercury-and if it is not continuously removed it will accumulate to such an extent that it will break away from the mercury body and pass away with the failings thus causing a loss in values and in mercury.

In the device herein set forth the scum is continually removed with the out flow of mercury for as the outflowing mercury does not touch the top of the port f in its discharge from the vessel the scum upon its surface drifts out into the chamber with it to be caught finally in a proper filter.

It is readily seen that some of the ore pulp would ordinarily flow out over the surface of the mercury from the vessel into the chamber but such an action is frustrated by a flow into the vessel from the chamber through the port at over the surface of the outflowing mercury of a small amount of cleaning water which is admitted. to the chamber through the conduit 11.

By the rotation of the baffles 17 the body of mercury carried within the vessel is also impelled to rotate, with a lesser velocity, and by its rotation all the scum accumulating on the surface of the mercury is at some time circulated into proximity to the mercury discharge port through which it is then carried out of the vessel on the surface of the discharging mercury.

The chamber 5 with its sealed mercury discharge conduit is so arranged as not to interfere with a free overflow of the mercury from the vessel through the port 4.

In order to avoid the use of a sufficient amount of water, in floating the ore through the mercury, to carry the heavierparts of the ore pulp from the mercury surface over the discharge rim 20, the amount of water used to float the ore pulp is out down to a minimum and the necessary water for the final discharge of the ore pulp is admitted underneath the anode 22 by the tube 26, hollow shaft 6 and tubes 24 and 25. From these tubes or nozzles the clean water gently impinges downward into the stratum of tailings above the mercury with a stirring efiect causing the tailings to overflow the rim 20.

The conditions present in the treatment of different ores and placer ground vary greatly and while one ore might be successfully treated in the device herein set forth with the mercury intensified chemically and another ore would require that the mercury be treated only with an electric current still other ores of a more refractory nature require both the chemical and electrical treatment.

In the present device the necessary flow of a high amperage current is provided for by placing an anode 22 at the top of the vessel, its undersurfacc being in contact with the overflowing ore and water and the current from a proper source of electric energy, passing to the anode by the conductor A passes down through the water into the surface, and through the body of mercury returning to its source by the cathode 23 bolt 16 and conductor B. With the use of the electric current the vessel and rotor are made of a. material having a lesser conductivity than the mercury.

The-screen baffles 3 have cuts in their edges to match the lugs 2 and. in cleaning the device pins are inserted down through all of the screens and the rotor turned till the cuts in the screens 3 are right with the lugs 2. The arms 8 are then detached from the vessel and the arms, shaft, rotor and screens lifted away.

The mercury having been withdrawn from the vessel by the cock 21 the vessel and battles are easily cleaned of amalgam. For the reason that the mercury discharge port 4- is placed in such a position that the scum on the surface of the mercury can flow out on the surface of the outflowing mercury in fact constitutes an overflow mercury discharge from the vessel below the overflow ore discharge over the rim 20.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. In combination in an amalgamator an amalgamating receptacle adapted to contain mercury having an overflow ore discharge, a mercury overflow discharge from said receptacle below said overflow ore discharge and extending above and below the mercury level in said receptacle, means for preventing ore pulp from passing out of said receptacle on the surface of the mercury overflowing therefrom, an ore feed means for said receptacle, and means for supplying mercury to said receptacle, all substantially as set forth.

2. In combination an amalgamating receptacle adapted to contain mercury having an ore pulp overflow, a mercury chamber in proximity to said receptacle. a mercury discharge port for said receptacle communicating with said chamber, said port being below the ore pulp overflow and extending above and below the normal mercury level in said receptacle, means for preventing the rise of mercury to the top of said port, means for establishing a current of water from said chamber over the surface of the mercury in said port into said receptacle, a mercury discharge means for said chamber. a mercury feed means for said receptacle and means for feeding ore pulp to said receptacle, all substantially as set forth.

In combination. in an amalgamator, a receptacle adapted to contain mercury having an ore pulp overflow, a mercury discharge port for said receptacle below the ore pulp overflow and extending above and below the normal mercury level in said receptacle, means for preventing the rise of mercury to the top of said port. means for establishing a counter current of water over the surface of the discharging mercury in said port into said receptacle, means for circulating the surface stratum of the mercury in said receptacle into proximity to said port, means for bringing ore pulp into contact with the mercury, a mercury feed means for said receptacle and means for feeding ore pulp to said receptacle, all substantially as described.

LEWIS MARTIN KELLOGG.

lvitnessesz MARIAN R. KELLocG, GERTRUDE R. CROFT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

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