Apparatus for electropolishing interior surfaces of vessels

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPOLISHING THE INTERNAL END AND SIDE WALL SURFACES OF A VESSEL WHICH IS SYMMETRICAL ABOUT AN AXIS OF REVOLUTION AND ADAPTED TO CONTAIN AN ELECTROPOLISHING SOLUTION, SAID APARATUS COMPRISING A BEARING ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID AXIS, INSULATING MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE VESSEL AND SUPPORTING SAID BEARING, A METAL CATHODE ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID BEARING AND COMPRISING A GENERALLY TRIANGULAR SHAPED END SECTION HAVING ITS APEX ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ADJACENT TO SAID AXIS AND A SECOND SECTION CONNECTED TO THE END OF THE FIRST SECTION OPPOSITE SAID APEX, THE WIDTH OF SAID SECOND SECTION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF THE ADJACENT END OF THE FIRST SECTION, INSULATING MEANS ADAPTED TO SPACE THE RESPECTIVE SECTIONS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY FROM THE INTERNAL END AND SIDE WALL SURFACES OF THE VESSEL, SAID END AND SECOND SECTIONS OF THE CATHODE INCLUDING RETICULATED AREAS EXTENDING SURFACES THE PATH OF GAS BUBBLES ARISING FROM SAID INTERNAL SURFACE OF THE VESSEL, MOTOR MEANS FOR PRODUCING RELATIVE ROTATION OF THE VESSEL AND CATHODE, AND MEANS FOR PASSING ELECTRIC CURRENT THROUGH THE SOLUTION BETWEEN THE VESSEL AND THE CATHODE.