Clean Gold Sluice A - Z

[ebuyc]

So I too have the same opinion as Joe. I contacted someone a few years ago (updated - I thought it was David but maybe it was Dennis from Fossickers.)  and offered to clean up his amateur looking website in exchange for some info on the clean gold system and a sluice trade of some sort. Although said someine was not rude or anything to me, something felt 'off' and no action ever came from it. Fast forward a year or two and I decided to buy a Pyramid Pro Pan after seeing bedrockbob use one. And I do love the PPP at this time.
Interesting thing is Bob came up with a GREAT pan mod and when Bob presented the 'improvement' to Fossickers it was not only rejected but Bob was told the mod would not work as it change the pan DESIGN or something !@#??

http://bedrockorbust.blogspot.com/2013/01/pyramid-pro-pan-mod.html[/b]]Bob's PPP mod

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

So no to the sluices but yes to the PPP.

As far as the sluices go - I always thought the rubber lining looked like drafting board material... Miller table like grip...

My 2 bits...



So the website I looked at a few years ago is gone or updated - not sure my memory is failing me - probably should not have posted anything at this point...
"I am losing my mind!"

[johnedoe]

I don't think David had anything to do with the Pyramid Pro Pan.
I believe it was designed by Dennis Katz. The Fossicker.

 
  No your not losing your mind .... just a senior moment....  
Pan and videos can be seen here..... The Fossickers

[overtheedge]

Ernie Wells article - Popular Mining Mag

Please understand that I am NOT suggesting that anyone infringe on the patent covering the Cleangold system.
Paraphrased from the USPTO, infringement is to manufacture, use, sell, import or induce others to manufacture.
The patentee, in return for PUBLIC divulgence, received the above EXCLUSIVE rights.

Infringement does NOT include talking about the patent, mentally dissecting the patent or analyzing the probable (in)efficiency.

The patent is published and by virtue of the US Constitution 1st Amendment, freedom of the press and freedom of speech, can be read, thought about, spoken about and should it merit it, ridiculed as just another vanity patent: no different from US patent #3,079,521.


I do not stand aside when threatened with lawsuits for exercising my Constitutional Rights.
Someone far wiser than me said something like, "All it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing."

I am not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV.
I would highly recommend reading the patent US#5927508 for yourself so as to avoid potential infringement in your construction efforts.
Each should always consider the potential outcomes of their actions.

Oh and looking at the Ernie Wells design and his use of magnetic sheeting, take a gander at the science of the magnetism in the magnetic sign material. Please notice the alternating magnetic poles induced in the sheeting during manufacture.

----------------
johnedoe, the article is copyrighted and still available in Volume 1 of the Popular Mining Encyclopedia.
I think you can still buy the set of 5 encyclopedias from Action Mining. Not exactly cheap, but I am glad I bought my set.
Old issues of the magazine can be found for sale occasionally on the web.
Not everything printed is in the public domain.
Ergo, you either gotta buy it, borrow it or use the inter-library loan system.
Never begrudge the producer/service provider their just rewards.
Not all products/services deserve ample compensation.
Caveat emptor.

eric

[JOE S (INDY)]

Well done, Eric   

[johnedoe]

I got the article and all I can say is Ernie's statement is pretty vague..... And if I might say, a paragraph in the "Idea Corner" isn't exactly what I would consider being an article.

I am a curious soul by nature and like to understand how things work, as well as the history of the concepts and their function.

As to the manufacture of mag sheeting , I am aware of the process and the way the magnetic poles are laid out.

I am also aware of the the effects of non magnetic materials passed through a magnetic field and the eddy effect/current produced.

With that in mind the strength of the magnetic sheeting is likely not enough to produce enough magnetic field to create any significant eddy effects to slow any of the golds progress down the sluice.

An example of an eddy current separator.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJtdxm3ubOI

An experiment to show the effect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjR8BpZDy6Q
Happy Thank's Giving all.....

An example of eddy currents on gold.... a little tedious video but it does demonstrate the point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMjODJG5n8M

[goldivanti]

I too had an unpleasant conversation with David Plath over the "Cleangold" system. I knew something was phony when I was told that the only way any information about the system would be divulged is if I bought the system. Furthermore there was the implicit threat of court action should I attempt to back engineer and/or tender an opinion about the system.

On another forum I was told by the owner of the forum that I would not be allowed to continue stating anything about the system. I could NOT even speak about the patent.

Further research showed that Mr Plath failed to divulge prior art about the system as patented. In the Popular Mining "Compendium" Vol 1, on page 107, Ernie Wells described the use of magnetic sign material in sluices. Same basic concept as the "Cleangold" system and predated the patent by several years. According to the cover, Vol.1 was for the first 12 issues of Popular Mining which began publishing with issue 1 in Feb. 1984. Issue 12 is dated Jan/Feb 1986.

So the "Cleangold" patent can be contested and whomever does will win. That is how the USPTO does business. Failure to divulge prior art whether accidental or on purpose results in the patent being ruled as invalid.

I stated this and in no way is the forum owner, representatives or readership responsible for my statements. I'm an old soldier and no over the hill surfer dude is going to intimidate me.

eric

I have the issue 12, dated January/February 1986.

The information you have referenced is not in that issue. Maybe in some other, but not in number 12.

[graeme1955]

goldivanti I have read your articles about artisanal mining in Uganda and I applaud your efforts!

[johnedoe]

In the for what it's worth dept.....
The patent on cleangold has expired about a year ago.
So those that wish to experiment can now do so.
However the instructions are copyrighted so going into some of that may get a little on edge.

Here is what appears to be the latest cleangold sluice video as well
Nome ... The vid was loaded 7 months ago.

https://youtu.be/Y7Ngq54hcUM

[johnedoe]

I too had an unpleasant conversation with David Plath over the "Cleangold" system. I knew something was phony when I was told that the only way any information about the system would be divulged is if I bought the system. Furthermore there was the implicit threat of court action should I attempt to back engineer and/or tender an opinion about the system.

On another forum I was told by the owner of the forum that I would not be allowed to continue stating anything about the system. I could NOT even speak about the patent.

Further research showed that Mr Plath failed to divulge prior art about the system as patented. In the Popular Mining "Compendium" Vol 1, on page 107, Ernie Wells described the use of magnetic sign material in sluices. Same basic concept as the "Cleangold" system and predated the patent by several years. According to the cover, Vol.1 was for the first 12 issues of Popular Mining which began publishing with issue 1 in Feb. 1984. Issue 12 is dated Jan/Feb 1986.

So the "Cleangold" patent can be contested and whomever does will win. That is how the USPTO does business. Failure to divulge prior art whether accidental or on purpose results in the patent being ruled as invalid.

I stated this and in no way is the forum owner, representatives or readership responsible for my statements. I'm an old soldier and no over the hill surfer dude is going to intimidate me.

eric

I have the issue 12, dated January/February 1986.

The information you have referenced is not in that issue. Maybe in some other, but not in number 12.

Here is some more info on Ernies article.
http://gpex.ca/smf/index.php?topic=17200.msg120258#msg120258

It is on page 107 of the popular mining encyclopedia... I have the set and found that article.

[johnedoe]

I have and use a cleangold sluice and it like any other piece of equipment has it's place.
I use it for beach mining and in that capacity it does work quite well.
I have captured gold in the -325 mesh up to 20 mesh.

I do run a series of different mats in my beach sluice not just cleangold... That gives some of the other shapes and sizes a chance to get captured that might run through the CG sluice.

Anyway not much else to say ... It is what it is and it does work.