US2479615A - Amalgamator, including electrical precipitation means - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 23, '1949.

INCLUDING ELECTRICAL R. L.. GulzzETTl 2,479,615 AMALGAMATOR,

. l PRECIPITATION MEANS Filed April 1e, 194s 2 Sheets-Sheet l /4 fior/nya Aug 23, 1949 R. GuizzETTl 42,479,615

AMALGAMATOR, INCLUDING ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATION MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EHL? Filed April 16, 1948 Patented Aug. 23, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AMALGAMATOR, INCLUDING ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATION MEANS Richard L. Guizzetti, Golden, Colo. Application April 1,6, 1948, Serial No. 21,447

placer methods of ore separation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for separating gold from gold bearing sands by electrical precipitation, said apparatus being relatively simple in construction, easy to operate and providing a high degree of recovery of gold from the gold bearing sand, particularly where the ore material is highly comminuted so that ordinary gold separation apparatus cannot be eiectively employed.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken through a gold separating apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a detail plan view of one of the electrode plates employed in the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 3 3 .of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail View taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 5-6 of Figure 2. v

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional View similar to Figure 3 but illustrating a modiiication of the present invention wherein multiple electrode plates are employedA and wherein electrically charged mercury is carried on both sides of the electrode plates.

Figure 8 is a schematic view illustrating the modication of the invention wherein multiple electrode plates are employed.

Referring to the drawings, II designates a housing having a top wall I2 in which is supported a generally funnel-shaped hopper I3. The outlet spout of the hopper is designated at I4 and is provided With a heater coil I5 wound on an insulating heat-resistant sleeve I6 encircling and secured to outlet spout I4.

Mounted on top wall I2 are supports I1 and I8 .on which are journalled respective rollers I9 and 20 carrying an end portion of a conveyor belt 2| 4 Claims. (Cl. 209-179) which is adapted to feed ore into hopper I3 from.

a suitable source.

, Designated at 22 is a hollow rectangular pedestal and projecting vertically from opposite walls thereof are respective post members 23 and 24, preferably of insulating material. Threaded through the upper portions of post members 23 and 2,4 are respective horizontal sleeve members 25 and 26 provided with hand wheels 2l and 28 for adjusting the sleeve members. Said sleeve members are internally threaded and engagedA therein are respective horizontal shaft members 29 and 3U. Secured to shaft member 29 is a rst electrode plate 3I and secured to shaft member 30 facing said rst electrode plate is a second electrode plate 3I similar in construction to the first plate.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 6, each electrode plate comprises a rectangular body of insulating material formed with a plurality of inclined, generally circular grooves 32, the ends of adjacent grooves being connected by semi-circular elbow conduits 33 embedded in the plate body. Communicating with the top groove is an inlet conduit 34 embedded in said body and communicating with the end of the bottom groove is an outlet conduit 35 similarly embedded. Secured to the f ace of the plate are a plurality of spaced vertical scraper bars 36 of` insulating material which traverse the respective inclined grooves 32 and which have blade-like projections 36 extending transversely across the upper portions of said grooves in the manner shown most clearly in Figure 6. From Figure 4, it will be seen that the grooves 32 have a relatively high lower lip 31 which prevents liquid from escaping from the grooves as it iiows downwardly therein.

Designated at 38 is an electrode which projects into the too groove 32A adjacent the inlet conduit 34. Electrode 38 is connected to one ter-n minal of a suitable source of high potential electricity such as an electrostatic machine or its equivalent. The other terminal of said source is connected to the electrode 3 3 carried by the Opposing plate member Designated at 3.9 and 39 are respective mercury reservoirs of insulating material mounted on supporting brackets 40 and 4 0 secured to the side walls. of housing I I. The reservoirs are connected through respective control valves V4I 4I and iiexible conduits 42 and 42' to the inlet conduits 34 of the electrode plates 3| and 3l. The outlet conduits 3 5 of said plates are connected by respective conduits 43 and 43' to a mercury still. Designated at 44 and 4 4' supply conduits leading from the still and are ranged tc supply distilled mercury to the respective tanks 3 9 and 3 9'.

Designated at 45 is a ,discharge conveyor belt positioned below the electrode plates 3I, 3|' and arranged to convey waste material passing do wardiy between the plates out of housing I to a suitable discharge point.

In operation, gold bearing screened sand is deposited into hopper I3 by conveyor belt 2| and passes through the spout I4, where it is dried by the action of heater coil I5. falls between the plates 3I and 3l and is subjected to a high electrical potential between the mercury streams flowing in the grooves 32 of the two plates 3l and 3l'. The particles of material are attracted to the mercury with sufficient velocity to impart relatively high momentum to the heavier gold particles. The gold particles therefore acquire enough momentum to overcome the surface tension of the mercury and to penetrate therein.- The mercury surface becomes covered with particles of dust which are scraped off by the scraper bars 36 asfthe mercury flows past said bars. The waste material drops down between the plates to the discharge conveyor belt and is carried' off thereby. The gold is carried off by the mercury and is recovered at the still. The distilled mercury is returned to tanks 39 and 39 through the supply conduits 44, 44'.

By means of hand wheels 21 and 28, the spacing between the plates 3l and 3|' may be adjusted to provide most efficient operation.

Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, the ore hopper is designated at 46, plurality of discharge spouts 41. The spouts are in close proximity to a heating winding 48 which dries the material passing throughthe spouts. Designated at 49 are spaced vertical electrode plates, each spout 41 being positioned so as to discharge ore material between a pair of adjacent plates. The plates 49 are formed with inclined grooves 32 in each face in the same manner as shown in Figure 2, the grooves being connected by semi-circular elbows 33. Designated at 50 is a mercury inlet conduit which is connected by means of branches 52 to the top grooves of alternate plates 49. Designated at 59' is a second mercury inlet conduit similarly connected to the top grooves of the remaining plates 49. The respective conduits 50 and 50' have projecting therein electrodes 53 connected respectively to the opposite terminals of a source of high potential electricity. Mercury is supplied to the respective conduits 5I'. The gold-bearing mercury leaves the plates through discharge conduits 54, 54 connected to the bottom grooves of alternate plates and is delivered to the still where the gold is separated from the mercury by distillation, as in the previously described embodiment of the invention.

The arrangement of Figures 7 and 8 enables a very substantial volume of ore material to be The dried material Vsaid hopper having a 50 and 59' from tanks 5I and i processed in a given period of time. Waste material iscarried off in the same manner as described in connection with the embodiment of Figure 1.

While certain speci c embodiments of a system for recovering fine gold from gold bearing sands by electrical precipitation have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilledrin the art.

Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed onV the invention except as deiined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for separating precious metal particles from comminuted ore comprising a hopper having a bottom opening, a pair of parallel terial will connecting the grooves prising a hopper having a vertical plate members separated by a small gap and positioned so that said gap is substantially below said bottom opening, said plate members. being formed with inclined grooves in their opposing faces, conductive liquid streams continuously movable through said grooves, and means establishing a high electrical potential between` the conductive liquid streams in the respective plate members.

2. An apparatus for separating precious metal particles from comminuted ore comprising ay hopper, outlet means at the bottom of said a plurality of parallel vertical plate members positioned so that the gaps between adjacent faces thereof are below said outlet means and so that material from the hopper may descend through said gaps, the adjacent faces of the plate members being formed with inclined grooves, conductive liquid streams continuously moving through said grooves, and means establishing a high electrical potential between conductive liquid streams in adjacent plate faces whereby metal particles in the ore mabe accelerated toward the liquid as the ore material descends through the gaps.

3. An apparatus for separating precious metal particles from comminuted ore material comprising a hopper having a bottom discharge opening, heating means at said discharge opening, a pair of parallel vertical plate members separated by a small gap and positioned so that said gap is substantially below said discharge opening, said plate members being formed with inclined grooves in their opposing faces, means in each face so as to define a continuous channel from the top of each plate to the bottom thereof, a respective stream of conductive liquid in the grooves of each plate member, and means establishing a high electrical potential between the conductive liquid streams in the grooves in the opposing plate faces.

4. An apparatus for separating precious metal particles from comminuted ore material combottom discharge opening, heating means at said discharge opening, a pair of parallel vertical plate members separated by a small gap and positioned so that said gap is substantially below said discharge opening, said plate members being formed with inclined grooves in their opposing faces, means connecting the grooves in each face so as to deiine a continuous channel from the top of each plate to the bottom thereof, a scraper bar secured to each face and traversing the grooves thereof, a respective stream of conductive liquid in the grooves of each plate member, and means establishing a high electrical potential between the streams of conductive liquid in the grooves in the opposing plate faces.

RICHARD L. GUIZZETTI.

REFERENCES ci'rED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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