Finally got the Provisional Patent Application in...

[Jim in Idaho]

Back in August, I came up with an idea for a dry gem recovery machine. I've been working on this for 3 years. Finally gave it up as impossible a year ago. Then the idea in August. Testing revealed that it worked. Then I took it down to Bonanza Bar on the Snake, and recovered 4,000 flakes of micron gold, running wet. That from about 1/2 yard of bank-run material. All I did was remove the rocks bigger that 2". I decided then I was going to try and patent it. So far, I've found nothing like it in my "Prior Art" searches. I started doing some of the drawings in October, then got sidetracked by nice weather, and didn't get back at it until Middle of November. 250 hours later, I have the entire Utility Patent Application done, except the Abstract. I decided to go ahead and file the Provisional App, so I could spend more time reviewing the Utility filing before sending it in. Got the Prov in tonight....what a relief. Finally have a locked-in filing date, and time, and can put "Patent Pending" on any of the units I sell, or demonstrate. I'm going to delay publicizing the videos until I've got 20 of the units for sale. Nobody will want them in the winter anyway. I'm just so tickled to have the Provisional done, I had to tell my friends on T-Net. You guys that have nothing but real flour gold in your area are going to love this machine.
Yee Haa!!
Jim

 

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[johnedoe]

Yup.... I am definitely looking forward to more info on this contraption.....
Though what I use has a very good capture rate and material handling capabilities. My sluice can handle about a ton an hour....
Which is usually more than I can..

 

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[Reed Lukens]

Is it time to take that tractor down to the beach yet Johnedoe?

 

[johnedoe]

Not yet Reed.
Creek is low since we haven't had much rain and there are only skim deposits at this point.... But things are shaping up.
Was giving some thought to taking a weekend and going up to to Cape Disappointment though after the little woman heals up....
Also I want to make a new high-banker for the beach.... I have the mats just have to go get the ABS.

 

[johnnysau]

Please dont take the tractor down to the beach, Thats why were OVER REGULATED as is, STUPIDITY. Being subtle is the best choice i think. johnnysau

 

[arizau]

Please dont take the tractor down to the beach, Thats why were OVER REGULATED as is, STUPIDITY. Being subtle is the best choice i think. johnnysau

Occasionally members post "tongue in cheek" comments and reply's and they often are humorous additions to this forum. Just saying.

 

[RichieRich]

I'm here in Meridian. Would love to show it to the IGPA club here in Boise

 

[johnedoe]

Humor can easily be missed........

Now as far as tractors.... I can think of a number of places I WOULD like to run a tractor through.......... just think about that one minute or two.....

 

[Reed Lukens]

Please dont take the tractor down to the beach, Thats why were OVER REGULATED as is, STUPIDITY. Being subtle is the best choice i think. johnnysau

Now that's funny there
Gotcha

What's going on with Sherry?

 

[Capt Nemo]

Oh I'd love to run a bobcat on the beach!

 

[johnedoe]

Now that's funny there
Gotcha

What's going on with Sherry?

Had a little surgery.... Nothing serious as long as she takes it easy during the healing period, a couple more weeks and she can get back to a more normal lifestyle.... So I am pretty much the chief cook and bottle washer for a little bit yet.... She is doing REALLY well.

 

[johnedoe]

Oh I'd love to run a bobcat on the beach!

That or do what the New Zealand black sanders do.......

 

[Reed Lukens]

Grant, the prototype is too big to pack anywhere, and made of steel. I purchased the material to make myself an aluminum version that is also smaller. I don't have a problem getting the prototype out of the truck, but I wouldn't want to carry it more than a 100' or so. It wouldn't be too bad made of aluminum. I've been too busy to make my aluminum unit. Now that the patent is in, I can get after it. Won't do me much good, though, until spring, other than doing dry testing in the shop. I'm send the prototype to a friend in Ontario, Canada for further testing, so will need the new one. I'm going to get in contact with some members on here that I feel are serious guys, and make them a special deal on a few of these so they can get more testing done. I want guys that have the time, and the will, to get out and use them, and guys with the experience to make a fair comparison to other types of devices. And, guys that can keep their mouths shut...LOL
Jim

Getting back on track
Sorry Jim are you going to be able to make it out of ABS? Or is aluminum the ticket? I can't wait to see it, sounds great!!!
Reed

 

[johnedoe]

ABS would surely be lighter... Plenty strong too.

 

[arizau]

She is doing REALLY well.

Glad to hear that!

 

[Reed Lukens]

Grant, the prototype is too big to pack anywhere, and made of steel. I purchased the material to make myself an aluminum version that is also smaller. I don't have a problem getting the prototype out of the truck, but I wouldn't want to carry it more than a 100' or so. It wouldn't be too bad made of aluminum. I've been too busy to make my aluminum unit. Now that the patent is in, I can get after it. Won't do me much good, though, until spring, other than doing dry testing in the shop. I'm send the prototype to a friend in Ontario, Canada for further testing, so will need the new one. I'm going to get in contact with some members on here that I feel are serious guys, and make them a special deal on a few of these so they can get more testing done. I want guys that have the time, and the will, to get out and use them, and guys with the experience to make a fair comparison to other types of devices. And, guys that can keep their mouths shut...LOL
Jim

You know, this brings to mind what happened with Bernie and the Gold Well Sluice. His partner went and patented it in Canada for himself, renamed it and started selling it all over from up there... Are you patenting it up there also?

 

[johnedoe]

I remember that.... That really sucked.
Anything ever happen with that sluice Haven't seen or heard anything about it in a long time.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

It will be awesome to have the wet or dry choice and that someone is finally doing this.
The big brands are about selling equipment and it's not as much money for them if one machine can fit in various applications.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Reed, the deal on patents is that any person that's listed as an inventor on the patent can legally make deals to license it. No consensus of the co-inventors needed. On foreign patents...the book I'm using, which is considered the "bible" for doing your own patent app., says foreign patents are so expensive that very few people that get one ever earn back the cost.
As far as materials, I'm thinking either aluminum, or ABS, or a combination, assuming I don't license it out. Ideally is to use as many readily-available parts as possible, and the least special-skills (tig, mig, machining, etc) labor as possible. I've been way too busy to do much thinking on the build.
For all you people I want to be up front with the progress. I ran some more tests the last few days, and am unhappy with the dry results on gems.
My initial tests were with small garnets, and it did very well, recovering 93%. But, there's a phenomenon called granular convection (just learned that last night), whereby small particles, of near-equal specific gravity, always float larger particles to the top. I new this from all my testing over the years, but didn't know the term for it. So, the garnet test wasn't a good test. I needed some larger "gems" to test. A few weeks ago, I bought some alumina grinding spheres of 6mm diameter. They retain on a #4 screen, and the manufacturer said the SG was about 3.5-3.7, which is pretty close to diamond.
I ran them with various mixtures of sand/gravel, and the results were poor. Ran from 30% to 50% on the recovery, depending on how tight I classified the feed. The 50% test was getting rid of all raw material under 1/8". On my water jig, I get 70% when doing that. By classifying down to no more size difference than 1:2, I get 100% with the water jig. I haven't done that test, yet, with the new unit. I don't expect good results. This problem has plagued the packaging industry for many years.....mixed materials, that are stratified by the time the customer gets them.
This has nothing to do with the new unit's gold recovery....it does REALLY well on flour, and any other gold, or other heavy metal, wet or dry.
I may end up writing a new Provisional App., excluding the gem info. I don't want to claim something that doesn't work well, though the Patent Office doesn't care if it works or not. I'm just keeping the record straight here.
Jim

 

[ncclaymaker]

Spoke to Bernie this last summer. He had closed his website, but had a minor presence on facebook. I've a 12" X 5' sluice by him. The very best investment that I've made. With a minor tweek to eliminate vibration from large stones, his sluice handles everything that the 4" dredge can throw at it. A bit pricey, but have recovered more Carolina fine gold than I've ever imagined. Needless to say, it has paid for itself many times over.

By the way... the folks that "borrowed" his intellectual property may be located at (non supporting vendor deleted). Plastic, and a mirror image of Bernie's quality product. Would suggest not to consider purchasing from intellectual pirates.

 

[CyHawkGold]

Howdy Jim,

Congratulations on the patent.
Sounds like the perfect solution for the glacier gold here in Iowa. Don't really care about the gem capabilities of it, haven't heard of any around here.
Each time there's a warming spell I'm ready to hit the crick, but there's still too much ice.
Any time frame on having those twenty available?

Good luck

Dave