BETTS' PATENT QUARTZ PULVERISING MACHINE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1895, 16 March 1888, Page 12

BETTS' PATENT QUARTZ PULVERISING MACHINE.

Mr Henry Betts has (says the "Christchurch Press) just arrived from Reefton with a model of his recently patented gold quartz pulverising machine ; aud intends having a working plant made on the lines of his patent. There is no doubt that the machine invented by Mr Betts is far superior in design to any quartz crushing machine we have seen at work in this country, for its very simplicity prevents its being compared with that machine brought out by ths Red Hill Company , which possesses other expensive and complicated apparatus besides its Askham's pulveriser. Mr Betts has aimed at giving us a pulveriser that will also embrace the functions of an amalgamator and, besides this, be compact, easily worked, and suitable in cost and design for any part of New Zealand. The proposed machine is about 4ft Gin high by 4ft iv diameter, will weigh about 5 tons, and can be driven up to a high rate of speed by a 10-horse power engine, when it is calculated that it will reduce 2b tons of quartz to the consistency of flour in one hour (or equal the work of 15 head of stampers). In construction the machine resembles a large coffee mill, with this difference, that instead of the inner cone being taper and the revolving pnrt, it is tho outer shell which revolves and tapers in circumference from its upper edge to the middle of the inner cone, then spreads out like a great flange to cover the butt of the cone.

The quartz first enters the machine between the crown of the cone and the upper edge of the outer shel) ; the cone is fitted with numerous flanges of cast steel (which aro removable at will) and these form the cutting edge to the revolviug shell. When the quartz has passed through this first grinding portion of the machine it enters between the flange of the shell and the widest part of the cone, this wide part (or butt) of the cone is fluted to offer another cutting edge to the powdered quartz, and to distribute it more equally over the grinding surface. By the timo the quartz has passed through the machine it ia completely pulverised, and falls as a powder, or rather mud, into a copper trough, which completely encircles the base of the machinery. This trough is charged with mercury, and the powdered stone is brought into contact with the mercury by the action of forks attached to the lower edge of the revolving shell passing through the trough. Tho process of amalgamation is also assisted by a current of electricity which is conveyed to one or more parts of tho copper trough; thus the stone, besides being thoroughly pulverised, is treated to a more complete process of amalgamation than is generally accorded to ic. We can only conclude by wishing Mr Betts success with his invention, and we sincerely hope that the machine will work as satisfactorily in practice as it doea in theory.