Apparatus for automatic regulation, during working, of the distance between the electrodes of electrolytic cells having a movable mercury cathode

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC CONTROLLED REGULATION OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE GRAPHITE ANODES AND THE MOBILE MERCURY CATHODE OF AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL FOR THE ELECTROLYSIS OF AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS, SAID ANODES HAVING SUPPORTING RODS AND SAID CELL HAVING A SOLE SUPPORTING SAID MERCURY CATHODE WITH SAID SOLE BEING CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH THE ANODES OF AN ADJACENT CELL BY A COPPER BAR TO PROVIDE FLOW OF CURRENT BETWEEN TH E SOLE OF SAID CELL AND THE ANODES OF AN ADJACENT CELL, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING FIRST RAILS DISPOSED ON EACH SIDE OF SAID CELL IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE CELL, A FIRST CARRIAGE ADAPTED TO MOVE ALONG SAID RAILS ABOVE SAID SUPPORTING RODS AND COMPRISING A CHASSIS MADE OF CROSSPIECES DEFINING SECOND RAILS, AND SECOND CARRIAGE RECEIVED BY SAID SECON RAILS, SAID SECOND CARRIAGE BEING PROVIDED WITH PINCERS HAVING A PLURALITY OF CATCHES, SAID PINCERS BEING MOVABLE IN THE VERTICAL DIRECTION AND BEING ADAPTED TO SEIZE SAID RODS SUPPORTING THE ANODES, THE MOVEMENTS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND CARRIAGES AND OF THE PINCERS BEING CONTROLLED BY MOTORS PROVIDED WITH BRAKES AND ACTUATED FROM A CONTROL POST BY MEANS OF CONTACTORS AND RELAYS ACCORDING TO A PREDETERMINED PROGRAM, THE INDICATION ESSENTIAL FOR THE REGULATION BEING OBTAINED BY MEANS OF A CONTACT PLUG CONNECTED TO TWO DIFFERENT POINTS OF SAID COPPER BAR, SAID PLUG PERMITTING MEASUREMENT OF THE INTENSITY OF THE CURRENT PASSING THROUGH THE ANODE WHEN THE LATTER IS PLACED IN CONTACT WITH THE MOVING CATHODE.