Lorden's Patent Dryblower

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This Dryblower is of a very interesting design, I have never seen one like it. Has anyone seen one in action, if so what did you think of it.

Cheers Jemba

Lorden's Patent Dryblower

The Patent Cradle Dryblower, invented by Stephen Lorden and John Banfield in 1893 in Western Australia, revolutionised life for gold prospectors.

Three hundred were sold in the first year of production. After Banfield sold his share of the partnership in 1894, Lorden made improvements to the 1893 patent. The dry blowers were manufactured in Fremantle and agencies were established in all mining centres in Western Australia.

Unlike other goldfields, those in the desert regions of Western Australia had no water to separate the gold from other matter. This invention used a series of sieves to separate out the heavier gold together with a blast or current of air to blow away the foreign matter. This model has a pair of bellows to blast air and was constructed on the cradle principle using adjustable screens moving in a rocking motion.

Born on 1 May 1863 in Ballarat, Victoria, Stephen Lorden was the son of a miner and became a miner himself. He moved to Western Australia from Victoria in 1893 along with thousands of other miners seeking their fortunes on the newly discovered fields in the west.

The patentee does not claim that it will save gold from stuff containing none, but what is claimed is that if the gold exists whether of the finest flour or coarsest sort this machine will most assuredly save it.

1519446056_lorden_s_patent_dryblower.jpg


The model was constructed on the cradle principle with its adjustable screens moving in a rocking motion. It included a pair of bellows to blast air, to separate the heavier gold from other material. The machine, designed to be carried on a horse or a camel, weighed 100 lbs.

Stephen Lorden donated this Dry Blower to the Western Australian Museum in 1897.

1519446084_prospectors_using_lordern_dryblower..jpg


Taken From
http://museum.wa.gov.au/research/co...epartment-collection/lordens-patent-dryblower
 
Jemba,

I have only read about this dry blower...
The same article you just posted....

Cheers Nanjim
Jim
 
It sure would be good to view some plans of the Blower, but i cant find any. It would be great to see the thinking behind it all. :Y:
 
Jemba,

Yes it would be good to know the thinking behind it....
When I was thinking of building a dry blower a few years ago ...
I came across the same info that you posted and found very little else.....

The dry blower is on the back burner for now..

Cheers Nanjim
Jim
 
I could not find reference to them in the patent office but I did come across this information.

Jemba :Y:

DOCUMENTS -17- Lorden's Dryblower
T1985.390.a-u

Seventeen documents pertaining to Stephen Lorden's inventions: fourteen about the dryblower and three about the sash fastener. Patents and agreements with his partner. Detailed list at T85.390; photographs of Lorden, patent drawing; advertisements for dryblower at T70.65.
[.a-f] Documents - dry blowers
[.g] Documents - dry blower (x2)
[.h] (a,b,e,f,g) Documents - dry blowers
[.i] Documents - dry blower (x3)
[.j-q] Documents - dry blowers
[.r] Document - dry blower & photograph
[.t] Document - dry blower
[.u] Document - dry blower

Department:
History Department

Collection

History Collection
Collection Item Data
Accession Number: T1985.390.a-u
Accession Date: 23 Dec 1985

http://museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/content/T1985.390.-u
 
His original documents are held at the state library in Perth, with a copy held by the museum.

Anyone frequent those places ? Would love you to extract some digital copies and post the plans on the forum for all to enjoy. :Y:
 
The Kalgoorlie Museum has the dryblower that Lorden donated on display. They also have the plan that was submitted for patent on display as well.

Lorden`s workshop was in Collie st Fremantle. It is now the Chart and Map shop. This shop sits on 2 narrow blocks . Lorden was on the right hand one as you walk into the shop. The door on the right hand side. Took me a while to find it. I had the right street address but it would not fit in. Then a very nice lady in history section at the Town Hall said that is because the numbers in Collie St were reversed early in 1900. She produced an early town map and there it was.

Lorden sold his dryblower for about 4 ounces of gold which is about what a good detector costs these days.

As far as I can tell ( a work in progress) Steve Lorden was drowned in a boating accident on the Swan river in the mid twenties and left a wife and young family.

Driller.
 

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