C.—3.

AMALGAMATING AND GONGENTEATING AURIFEROUS ORBS. Improvements in the Construction and Method of Opbeating Electrical Apparatus for the Treatment op Ores containing Gold and other Precious Metals, and for Amalgamating THE SAME. I, William Joseph Weeden, of Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales, engraver, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for " Improvements in the Construction and Method of operating Electrical Apparatus for the Treatment of Ores containing Gold and other Precious Metals, and for Amalgamating the same," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement : — My invention has reference to that class of gold and precious metal-saving appliances in which electricity is used as the primary agent for separating the gold or other metals from thenores. It is understood that particles of ore held in suspension, or moved by a current of water, are subject to the influence of an electric current, so that the precious metals are dissociated from the soluble portion of the ore, but the particles of gold or other precious metals so influenced, it has been ascertained, are extremely light, and are only partially subject to the means hitherto employed for saving the same, such means being in the form of apparatus consisting of plates, peculiarly arranged, revolving electrodes, bands, rods, suspended carbons, carbon rollers, "wires—movable and stationary—copper plates electrically charged, and the like. Where these have been used as conductors they have been found to serve their purposes only partially by livening the mercury, but without retarding and wholly gathering the light gold or precious metals. In this invention I claim so to construct and operate my apparatus that after dissociating the gold or other precious metals from the soluble portion of the ore, it is retarded and collected upon certain parts of my apparatus in the form of amalgam, and by the same devices it is also, at other parts of the apparatus, precipitated into mercury baths placed at intervals where required. By the use of my apparatus the finer particles of precious metals contained in slimes, and also what is known as float gold are successfully treated, and saved within the apparatus. My apparatus is alike applicable to the treatment of ores containing platinum and gold, also antimony'for the recovery of gold therefrom, also for treating pyrites for the recovery of gold. For the treatment of the latter the pyrites are first roasted, then ground, and afterwards passed through my apparatus for electrical treatment. To treat antimony it is simply pulverised and passed through the apparatus. In treating the various classes of ore referred to, I find it unnecessary to use chemical solvents or solutions, as I have found a flowing current of water, charged with the pulverised particles of ore, when brought in contact first with one part of the apparatus and then with another part of the apparatus, is sufficient to effect the desired object of saving precious metals. If, however, salts or alkaline or the like were used in conjunction with my apparatus, we consider such process as forming part of my invention, as the results obtained—that is, the collection of the precious metals —would be identically the same. I construct my apparatus in any suitable form; it may be as a trough or chute, which may be either stationary or movable, or it may be a circular tray with a receiving hopper, and having radiating channels or zigzag channels, but in whatever form it may be considered desirable to construct it, the manner of operating is almost essentially the same. If in the form of a chute or trough, or conveyer, the said chute is used to receive the pulverised ore, which is mixed with sufficient water to produce a regular flowing current. The bottom and part of the sides are covered preferably with sheet zinc, which may be silvered or electro-plated in the same manner as copperplates are. Across the chute I construct a series of metal bridges, having dependent therefrom any suitable number of iron projections peculiarly shaped, and necessarily of such a length that they shall not come in contact with the bottom or sides formed of zinc. The form of these dependent pieces may be varied, but it is essential that the shape should be such,,and also that they should be so placed relatively to each other, that the flowing stream of water and ore shall be broken into diverging currents, by which means the ores under treatment are continually impinged against the surfaces of the intercepting dependent pieces. These dependent pieces, composed of iron and secured to the metal bridge, are connected to the electrical apparatus, which may be a dynamo, galvanic battery or accumulator, or other source of electricity. Similarly shaped dependent metal pieces, also attached to metal bridges, all of which are preferably composed of zinc, are placed in alternate rows, and are also electrically connected. The zinc pieces are necessarily of sufficient length to be brought in contact with the bottom plate of the chute. The aforesaid zinc plate, covering the bottom and part of the sides of the chute, is provided at certain intervals with mercurywells, and into these wells the zinc pieces are also placed. The general construction and arrangement of both the iron and zinc dependent pieces may be varied. In the drawings these pieces are shown of triangular shape with the feather edge pointing towards the current, so that the ore and the fluid will strike the two sides, which will have the effect of diverting them towards the adjacent pieces in the next row. But although shown in this form, which has been found in practice to answer my purpose, it is possible to construct them in the form of rods, or with vertical flutes or corrugations, or with horizontal flutes or corrugations ; the bottom and sides of the chute may also be made with corrugations. Moreover, the iron pieces may be constructed in nests, or may be grouped together in any suitable manner. The zinc pieces may be similarly grouped together. lam able to construct the dependent pieces in combination with a metal bridge so as to use wire, which may be woven together or interlaced in the form of spiral coils. These devices, when placed across the chute, will form a sieve, or a series of sieves, one of which would be composed of iron or its equivalent, and the other of zinc or its equivalent. The interstices or meshes will admit of the passage of the ore and water. Perforated plates may be made to answer in a similar manner, but in each instance, whether the construction be in any of the forms mentioned, and whether they be stationary or movable, the same relative positions must be occupied by the iron and zinc, or by carbons or metals which may

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