A NEW GOLD SAVING MACHINE.

West Coast Times, Issue 7194, 17 September 1888, Page 4

A NEW GOLD SAVING MACHINE.

[Otago Daily Times, Sspt. 7.] Some 50 persons assembled at Messrs A. & T. Burl's foundry in Cumberland street yesterday afternoon to wif ness a trial of a new gold saving apparatus which, has lately been introduced from Australia. The trial was carried out under the superintendence of Mr George B. B. .Elliott, who bad previously explained the working of the machine to those present. The inven'ion is known as the improved hydraulic gold savin* machine to tbose present. The invention is known as the improved hydraulic gold saving machine, and consists of a box made with kauri planking into three compartments and stands about 3ft high. One compartment, 27in by 22in, it furnished sin from the top with a copper pate punched from the bottom side upward with 100 fiae hoes to the rquare inch. From the manner of punching, each hole is larger at the bottom than at tbe top. The copper, yielding to the punching machine, causes a cone to around each hole, forming a number of nozz'e*. The plate is strengthened and stiffened by square copper bars riveted to the bottom side of the plates in such a way that the corner of tbe bar only touches the plate. The second compartment, 18in x 18in, is fitted with a watertight box, or piston, llin deep ronnd the sides of which is secured leather pack, ing. This box or piston is caused to raise and fall Jin by eccentric motion 120 times per minute. The third compartment is 18in x 18in, and is used as a tank to receive tbe water which is to supply the machine ; t valve opening into the piston box ifl placed in the wall between the tank and that box. An opening is also made in tbe wall between the piston box and the box provided with the perforate plate. "When the piston is raised tbe valve opens and supplies with water the vacuum caused by the raiing of the piston. As the piston descends the valve close?, and the water is forced into tho first compartment aid up throu ghthe perforated plato. The spoocl of

the pißton causes Vquielc pulsating motion through the perforated plate ; a gridiron 6f hoop iron lin wide on its edge is fastened down on to the plate to keep in position a bed of tin ore which act* as a valve on the holes in the plates to keep any lighter substpnoe from getting through the holes. Before starting the michine ii filled with water up to fc bout 2ia or 3in of the plate, and is kept at about tbat level in the tank while the mach'rie is in motion. Nen-* comes the pa'ent improvement which cont ,-ists of a number of end'e*s belts waich t avel over rollers placed a 1 e-ch eni of the box over the plate passing through the upper portion of tbe ma enal or s-.nd i>ei g treate ', assi ting the water to carry fort ward over the tail end of tbe machine, the sand which has been relieved of the gold or nrnersls contained therein. &.11 g»»d and minerals equal in specific cravity to the tin f re bed wll pass through the holes and he secured in the bf>x btlow. The pitcntec is Mr George B. B. Elliott, Melbourne, and he cUv'nis thar the machine will save the finest gold without loss while pu'ting tnrough a machir-e of this aizs 60 tons per ton per ton. Once the machine is adjusted, it requires no atention, b ing antomati ally fed by the sc e;ned sand. The box b:low t c plate nr.y be locked, and the gold removed by the holier of the key when desirable.. From th- above description it will be *een that the coat of the construction will be nominal. Twenty machines wou'd treat 1000 tons of sand per day with <he attention of one man. With a plant of this description and a Weltnan dredge, itia claimed ttat it would be poor sand that would not leate a bandeome profit. Tbe trisl yesterday showed tbat the maclrne wai capable of doing good work, though its capacity as a gold saver could not be tested, as thtre was hirdly a color to be found in tbe sand put through. On Monday, howtver, when another trial will be ma'ie, a certa'n quant'ty of fine gold will be mixed with the smd treated, sp that an accurate estimate of tbe capabilities of the machine will be obtained.