Improved Ore Washer

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Our engravings illustrate the invention of H. Barnard, of this city, which is designed to insure the more perfect separation of gold from auriferous quartz, when crushed, or from any other ore, by mechanical means alone, or combined with amalgamation, and also a washer for any kind of ore. Fig. 1. represents a general gold washer and separator, and Fig. 2 is an amalgamator and separator combined, intended more especially to break up and disintegrate auriferous substances which require severe agitation, such as those combined with clay, manganese, c, and also to extract the most minute quantities of gold from iron, sand, or crushed quartz, by means of quicksilver. The inventor has experienced all the changing scenes of a miner's life on both sides of our continent, and he has endeavored to produce a machine which shall fulfil the want which he himself has felt, namely, one which is simple, durable, portable, and not liable to get out of order; and of his success any miner or mechanic will at once be able to judge. These machines are made of different sizes, to suit the amount of work to be done, the smaller size being about four feet high, and weighing about 250 lbs. In Fig. 1, A is a sieve pan, that separates pebbles, c, from the finer auriferous substances, which then pass on to a small convex retention rim pan, C, and from that to a large concave retention rim pan, B, being carried through the center of the pan, B, on to another small convex, C, and over its edge to a large concave, B, and through its center to the general receiving pan, D, the gold being retained behind the rims. Close at the back of each retention rim is a small hole, which, during the process of washing, is cosed with a stopper. In order to collect the gold or ores retained behind the rims, the stoppers are withdrawn, and a stream of clear water introduced at the top, which waslies all the ores through the holes into the general receiving pan, D, from which it can be colected into any suitable vessel. By means of an eccentric, F, the vertical shaft which holds the pans is given five vibratory motions to each revolution of the pans jy the gearing, E, and by means of the cam, agitator throws the light waste over the edge of the pan to the one below, which is made broader, to receive it, and so on to the next in order, till it passes to the bottom pan, E, the gold being retained in the tipper ones. In each of these pans is a hole closed with stoppers, which can be removed to allow the gold G, it also receives the same number of vertical motions in the same time. Fig. 2 is composed of a series of pans, increasing in diameter, and attached to the shaft by set screws. The substances to be separated are introduced with water by a to be washed through when desired. In amalgamating, a similar process is carried on, quicksilver being added to the sand and water, and the amalgam is retained or finally caught in the lower pan. All that is necessary for the perfect operation of the machine is to properly regulate the sluice or race, discharging on to the sieve pan, A, thence passing through holes into the small concave pan, B. C represents a series of agitators, one in each pan, so arranged as to be moved up and down with the pans, always in the same line, by the screw, D. This motion and quantity of water necessary to throw off the waste matter. These machines were patented February 16, 1858, and they may be seen at No. 206 William street, New York, where all communications can be addressed to Barnard's Gold Separator, for further information.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 13 Issue 44This article was published with the title “Improved Ore Washer” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 13 No. 44 (), p. 348
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican07101858-348b

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