Rotating gold pan for separating gold particles from ore

A separator for separating gold particles from gold ore, comprising:

• a pan mounting frame;
• a rotatable gold pan mounted on said frame for rotation about an axis, said gold pan including a bottom, a generally frusto-conical sidewall having a small diameter inner end connected to said bottom and a large diameter outer end, a hub cup at the center of the bottom, and a spiral rim inside said pan, spiraling inwardly from the outer end of the sidewall to said hub cup, first on the sidewall of the pan and then on the bottom of the pan;
• said pan mounting frame mounting the pan to lean backwards from vertical, into a position with said sidewall presenting a lower portion which slopes downwardly and forwardly from said bottom;
• wherein said hub cup has an open forward end where the cup intersects the bottom, and a closed bottom;
• wherein said cup slopes downwardly and rearwardly from said forward end to said closed bottom;
• wherein said spiral rib includes a radially inwardly directed surface which, below the hub cup, slopes forwardly and upwardly, both in the region of the sidewall and in the region of the bottom;
• a drive motor on said frame;
• a two speed drive transmission interconnecting the drive motor and the pan;
• wherein in use the pan is rotated by said drive motor and transmission at a selected speed and in a direction causing particles on the spiral rib to be moved along the spiral rib to the hub cup;
• and
• wherein in use gold ore is introduced into the pan while the pan is rotating, wherein relatively large particles of the ore gravitate radially of the pan, and move across the rib and out from the pan, and wherein small gold particles are held by the rib and are moved by the rib inwardly along the spiral path of the rib into the hub cup.

Apparatus for separating gold particles from gold ore, comprising:

• a frame including a front part having first and second legs and a top part interconnecting said first and second legs, and a rear part comprising at least one leg, said rear part having an upper end connected to the top part of said front part, said front and rear parts of the frame extending downwardly from their connection, and diverging apart as they extend downwardly;
• a transverse frame member extending between and interconnecting said first and second legs, said frame member supporting a rotatable drive element;
• a rotatable vessel mountable on said drive element, for rotation about an axis, said vessel including a bottom, a sidewall and a mounting shaft at the center of the bottom, said mounting shaft being connected to the drive element;
• a drive motor for rotating the vessel;
• a drive transmission interconnecting the drive motor and the drive element;
• and
• wherein in use gold ore is introduced into the vessel and the vessel is rotated.

Apparatus for separating gold particles from gold ore, comprising:

• a frame including a front part having first and second legs and a top part interconnecting said first and second legs, and a rear part comprising at least one leg, said rear part having an upper end connected to the top part of said front part, said front and rear parts of the frame extending downwardly from their connection, and diverging apart as they extend downwardly;
• a transverse frame member extending between and interconnecting said first and second legs, said frame member supporting a rotatable drive element;
• a rotatable vessel mountable on said drive element, for rotation about an axis, said vessel including a bottom, a sidewall and a mounting shaft at the center of the bottom, said mounting shaft being connected to the drive element;
• a drive motor for rotating the vessel;
• a drive transmission interconnecting the drive motor and the drive element;
• wherein in use gold ore is introduced into the vessel and the vessel is rotated;
• wherein the vessel is a gold pan, said sidewall is a generally frusto-conical sidewall having a small diameter inner end connected to said bottom and an open, large diameter outer end, said gold pan including a hub cup at the center of the bottom and a spiral rib inside said pan, spiraling inwardly from the outer end of the sidewall to said hub cup, first on the sidewall of the pan and then on the bottom of the pan;
• said mounting frame mounting the pan to lean rearwardly form vertical, into a position with said sidewall presenting a lower portion which slopes downwardly and forwardly from said bottom;
• wherein said hub cup has an open forward end where the hub cup intersects the bottom, a closed rear end, and wherein said cup slopes downwardly and rearwardly from said forward end to said rear end;
• wherein said spiral rib includes a radially inwardly directed surface which, below the hub cup, slopes forwardly and upwardly, both in the region of the sidewall and in the region of the bottom;
• wherein in use the pan is rotated by said drive motor in a direction causing particles on the spiral rib to be moved along the spiral rib to the hub cup;
• and
• wherein in use gold ore is introduced into the pan while the pan is rotating, wherein relatively large particles of the ore gravitate radially of the pan and move across the rib and out from the pan, and wherein small gold particles are held by the rib and are moved by the rib inwardly along the spiral path of the rib into the hub cup.

Apparatus for separating gold particles from gold ore, comprising:

• a frame including a front part having first and second legs and a top part interconnecting said first and second legs, and a rear part comprising at least one leg, said rear part having an upper end connected to the top part of said front part, said front and rear parts of the frame extending downwardly from their connection, and diverging apart as they extend downwardly;
• a transverse frame member extending between and interconnecting said first and second legs, said frame member supporting a rotatable drive element;
• a rotatable vessel mountable on said drive element, for rotation about an axis, said vessel including a bottom, a sidewall and a mounting shaft at the center of the bottom, said mounting shaft being connected to the drive element;
• a drive motor for rotating the vessel;
• a drive transmission interconnecting the drive motor and the drive element;
• wherein in use gold ore is introduced into the vessel and the vessel is rotated;
• wherein the vessel is a mill vessel and it includes mill elements, and
• wherein in use the vessel is rotated and during rotation the mill elements tumble and contact the ore and mechanically dislodge gold particles from the ore.

A method of separating gold particles from gold ore, comprising:

• providing a rotatable gold pan which includes a bottom, a generally frusto-conical sidewall, a hub cup at the center of the bottom, and a spiral rib inside said pan which spirals inwardly from the outer end of the sidewall to said hub cup, first on the sidewall of the pan and then on the bottom of the pan;
• providing a mounting frame for the pan;
• mounting the pan on the mounting frame for rotation about an axis which extends axially of the hub cup;
• positioning the pan on the frame so that the pan leans rearwardly and a lower portion of the pan sidewall slopes downwardly and forwardly from the bottom of the pan, and the spiral rib slopes forwardly and upwardly from the inner surface of the pan;
• providing a drive motor on said frame, connected to the gold pan to rotate the gold pan in a direction causing particles on the spiral rib to move inwardly along the spiral rib towards the hub cup;
• and
• introducing gold ore into the lower portion of the pan while rotating the pan, to cause relatively large particles to gravitate radially of the pan and move across the rib and out from the pan, and cause small particles to fall on the rib and be held by the rib and be moved by the rib inwardly along the spiral path of the rib into the hub cup.