New Gold-Washing Machine.

Cromwell Argus, 18 May 1870, Page 6

New Gold-Washing Machine.

I by practical miners that s| much larger quantity of gold escapes fith the tailii gg than is secured by all the present methods of washing. The gold thus lost, which is of the finest description, /is carried off by the action of the water. i Many attempts have: been made to remedy i n this respect of the machine *** Jase ; but without success. A perfor theobtaining of gold from has yet ti be invented ; aud the who shall contrive the necessary apwill be worthy of an liouour second Igßp o that due to he discoverer of gold for without oubt such a machine give an imiense stimulus to the iudusti r of the colony. Many BHiMfelds, now nnjroductive, would then Mr Milner Stephen by which he hopes stones will be seas well as gold of a :iru ' yesterday, at his ec ted it. The lower ■ ' ' *°° den tom, open the water to flow off. : ’ 3 a^^xe( t ii'on frames. having on the one which the machine is other a rod which suprod is on the eccenhr) can be lengthened or of a screw ; the effect P oyition of the cradle, ev enly, or to make it t° empty its contents r;u^ ; the principal intended ’/ i ; •’’W •■‘■now done by se-V.’-vi i : *0~ * en gth it is the width being ~£'rl4’Z'y •’ &':s/ '^vß^- 7 three foot. of a shift and decks or com--888 n Bnß I ' V -fljß| e hopper, which ti?S-K'h'-- L & .sides set at "1" 'dfl B t° retain large ’ (ft '■ ' t-iVle'm?flk and dirt having fa 11 s into the V .* * ; 1 ’ ’ * , a strong ’’ •'■ f- • H^i‘ s to allow , ./^ r ’ Jfl- At * mM second re-■c^'V/aV.-’Y‘-Jv’ -■ is tructed as the motion of 1 gems being Ktuth A frnne--1!l receiver, 4't\? ’■^"■W I,e ytu ff separate, P’ggiHg. Ihit the .is the bottom r \' «*'^’?^.'^p^»yed_jfjor_th e HBBf the finest gold It con.sist.sfjof *»■ pan, each a its edges forming-the °f a oirch. JBy the motion of the mmAorn side b side, the contents of ■pe will be tlrown in the form of the Bpguroj co , and this prevent the gold from escaping. In that pan the quicksilver will be placed, and alp a framework of spikes, as in the upper 3art, to keep the quicksilver well sepdated, and thus make it more effective iijcatching the gold-dust as it falls from abtfe. The cradle is supplied with an ordinry sluice-box. Yesterday, Mr Stephen, lb way of experiment, put about forty srall rubies, sapphires, and tones, half a dozen nuggets, [Jpj l Ti f H tKinbmfnl r.f i nto some bocketsful of dirHpnd set' the macliine through tlie washing process. The result was that all the precious stones and- nuggets of gold were found in the gem receiver, aud about the quantity of fine gold put into the dirt was taken out of the amalgamating pan. In this experiment, however, there was no quicksilver used, which of course made the result more satisfactory, showing that the construction of the lower part was peculiarly adapted for the retention of the dust, some of which was so fine as to float in the water when moved about in a tin dish. The motive power required for working the machine will be small. One man very readily kept yesterday, when the experiwas made-; and a child of eight year’s 3 turned the handle when the cradle

Has empty. Another feature of tlie maPcjiiie is that its contents cannot be tam(Pred with, as tlie hopper may be locked /own. There is also, as an adjunct to the (machine, an apparatus for crushing cement, burnt quartz, or cascalho, frequently the matrix of diamonds. This consists of two rollers, the one being the centre part of the i'main axle, and the other being above, and Iworking on it by means of a cog wheel. Some good sized pieces of stone were yesterday crushed by way of experiment, and tdmmachine appeared to do the work were not able to form an capacity of the machine, HHHHphcu inforfiis us that from other he has made, it will wash of dirt an hour. We undcrStephen purposes making trials of his machine in the few djiys.— Sydney Morning