Arthur Wilfley
Arthur Redman Wilfley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Maryville, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | February 20, 1927 (aged 66) |
| Occupation(s) | Mining engineer, inventor |
| Known for | Wilfley table, Wilfley Packingless Pump |
Arthur Redman Wilfley (April 29, 1860 – February 20, 1927) was an American mining engineer and inventor who operated primarily in Colorado.
Wilfley is credited with creating the Wilfley table, an oscillating mineral separation device that enhanced the extraction of silver, gold, and other valuable metals by utilizing longitudinal riffles. This apparatus became widely adopted globally due to its superior efficiency in ore concentration. Subsequently, he engineered the Wilfley Packingless Pump, which incorporated a distinctive centrifugal seal designed to manage heavy tailings, sands, slurries, and limes commonly found in milling operations. Both inventions gained international acclaim for their dependability and effectiveness. These technological advancements led to the establishment of his company, A. R. Wilfley and Sons, Inc.
Early life
Born on April 29, 1860, in Maryville, Missouri, Arthur Wilfley was the son of a former forty-niner who had not found success. At age eighteen, Wilfley relocated with his family to Kokomo, near Leadville, Colorado, intending to start a lumber mill to support the needs of nearby gold rush communities.
Despite limited formal schooling, Wilfley supported his education by working as an assistant mineral surveyor. He acquired knowledge in assaying from a chemist and pursued mining engineering studies on his own. By 1883, he earned certification as a United States deputy mineral surveyor and entered into partnership with his employer as an engineer.
Mining career and inventions
During the gold and silver boom in Kokomo, Wilfley confronted difficulties processing refractory sulfide ores. After silver production began to decline around 1884, he remained in Kokomo, leasing a mining claim in 1887 and constructing a smelter. His efforts concentrated on extracting silver from sulfide minerals; by 1892 he had acquired additional mines and implemented the Austin process involving heat-based silver separation. However, within a year zinc contamination issues and falling silver prices posed problems.
Concentrating table
Seeking to enhance the economic recovery of silver, Wilfley designed a mechanical concentrator that relied on differences in mineral density rather than thermal methods. By 1896 he had refined the Wilfley Table, which was patented in 1897. This device allowed for profitable extraction of gold and silver from lower-grade ores by passing pulverized ore mixed with water over a slanted riffled vibrating surface to separate metals as they flowed off. When applied to tailings, this method improved mineral recovery rates by approximately 35–40% compared to prior techniques.
The introduction of the Wilfley Table transformed ore dressing worldwide; by the 1930s more than 25,000 units were operational. Although commercially successful, Wilfley endured thirteen years of legal battles over patent rights before ultimately prevailing.
Centrifugal pumps
Starting in 1902, Wilfley turned his attention to centrifugal pumps to solve problems related to moving heavy tailings at milling facilities. Collaborating with his son, he developed a centrifugal pump capable of handling abrasive slurries and resisting corrosive substances. Completed in 1913, this pump achieved success comparable to that of the Wilfley Table and by 1919 resulted in the formation of A. R. Wilfley and Sons. By 1924, Wilfley had secured twenty-four patents and was acknowledged in Webster's Dictionary for his invention of the table. He continued improving the pump’s expeller design, obtaining a patent in 1920; this innovation became an important international achievement and a hallmark of his professional legacy.