EP0159091B1 - Process and installation for filing used anodes - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for stacking spent anodes, which comprises a spent electrolytic plate and a pair of suspension ears and which are suspended vertically by their ears from hooks, according to which method the spent anodes are, the one after the other, first lifted from the hooks by their ears and then brought from their vertical position to a substantially horizontal position.

Such a method is described in patent application WO 83/02289, more particularly on page 13, last paragraph. In this known method, the anodes, which have been brought into the substantially horizontal position, are moved horizontally, the displaced anodes are lifted while keeping them in a substantially horizontal position, the raised anodes are rotated alternately 90 ° and - 90 ° around a vertical axis, the turned anodes are lifted and moved, still keeping them in a substantially horizontal position, to a place where they are deposited one on the other. A battery is thus obtained in which the orientation of an anode is the inverse of the orientation of the previous anode and of the next anode, that is to say a stable battery. It is obvious that such a battery is much more stable than a battery, in which all the anodes have the same orientation, since the spent electrolytic plate of a spent anode is thinner than its suspension ears. This known method has the drawback of. require a large number of steps to arrive at a stable battery and, therefore, a complicated device for its implementation. It also requires a large work area for its implementation.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method as defined above, which avoids the drawbacks of the known method.

• on tourne les anodes, qu'on a soulevées des crochets, alternativement 90° et - 90° autour d'un axe horizontal, qui, si on remplaçait les anodes épuisées par les anodes neuves dont elles proviennent, coïnciderait sensiblement avec l'axe horizontal médian des anodes neuves, celui-ci étant situé dans le plan de l'anode neuve et à une distance égale du sommet de ses oreilles et du bord inférieur de sa plaque électrolytique,
• on descend les anodes tournées jusqu'à une position inférieure,
• on lâche les anodes dans la position inférieure,
• on prévoit un support en dessous de la position inférieure susdite, sur lequel s'empilent les anodes lâchées, et
• on descend le support de manière que le sommet de la pile d'anodes, qui se forme sur lui, reste en dessous de la position inférieure susdite.

In the process of the invention

• the anodes, which have been raised from the hooks, are rotated alternately 90 ° and - 90 ° around a horizontal axis, which, if the exhausted anodes were replaced by the new anodes from which they come, would substantially coincide with the horizontal axis median of the new anodes, this being located in the plane of the new anode and at an equal distance from the top of its ears and the lower edge of its electrolytic plate,
• the turned anodes are lowered to a lower position,
• the anodes are released in the lower position,
• a support is provided below the above-mentioned lower position, on which the loose anodes stack, and
• the support is lowered so that the top of the anode stack, which forms on it, remains below the above-mentioned lower position.

The present invention also relates to an apparatus for stacking spent anodes, which comprises a spent electrolytic plate and a pair of suspension ears and which are suspended vertically by their ears from hooks, this apparatus comprising means for unhooking and rotation adapted to lift the exhausted anodes from the hooks by their ears, to rotate the raised anodes so as to bring them from their vertical position to a substantially horizontal position, and to release the turned anodes.

Such an apparatus is described in the patent application WO 83/02289 cited above. This known device comprises, in addition to the above-mentioned detachment and rotation means, a pair of conveyor chains, a rotary table and a stacking device. The detachment and rotation means deposit the anodes on the conveyor chains, bringing them into the above-mentioned substantially horizontal position. The conveyor chains move the deposited anodes to the top of the turntable. The turntable lifts the anodes and rotates them alternately 90 ° and - 90 °. The stacking device lifts the anodes from the turntable, moves them and deposits them on top of each other to form a stable stack. An essential component of the release and rotation means is formed by elements for supporting the anode plate while the latter is brought into the substantially horizontal position. These support elements can range from a rest position to a work position and vice versa. These support elements must pass, in the working position, between the two conveyor chains at the moment when the release and rotation means deposit an anode on these chains, and they must pass between the chains, in the rest position, at the moment when the detachment and rotation means are raised to detach the next anode. Since the distance between the two chains is limited by the dimensions of the anodes, the support elements necessarily have reduced dimensions and, consequently, a limited field of action. Consequently, this known device is unable to process anodes, the plate of which is exhausted to such an extent that its surface is appreciably smaller than the surface of the new plate from which it originates, since such anodes do not exhibit support points for the aforementioned support elements. Such anodes could also not be carried by the conveyor chains. This known device also has the drawback of being complicated and bulky and of requiring a large investment.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus as defined above, which avoids the drawbacks of the known apparatus.

• les moyens de décrochement et de rotation sont adaptés à tourner les anodes soulevées alternativement 90° et - 90° autour d'un axe horizontal, qui, si les anodes épuisées étaient remplacées par les anodes neuves dont elles proviennent, coïnciderait sensiblement avec l'axe horizontal médian des anodes neuves, celui-ci étant situé dans le plan de l'anode neuve et à une distance égale du sommet de ses oreilles et du bord inférieur de sa plaque électrolytique, et il comprend en outre
• des premiers moyens de transport adaptés à déplacer verticalement les moyens de décrochement et de rotation entre une position supérieure de décrochement d'une anode suspendue et une position inférieure de lâchage d'une anode tournée,
• des moyens de support situés en dessous de la position inférieure susdite, et
• des seconds moyens de transport adaptés à déplacer les moyens de support verticalement.

The apparatus of the invention is characterized in that

• the detachment and rotation means are adapted to rotate the anodes lifted alternately 90 ° and - 90 ° about an axis horizontal, which, if the spent anodes were replaced by the new anodes from which they come, would substantially coincide with the horizontal median axis of the new anodes, this being located in the plane of the new anode and at an equal distance from the top from his ears and from the bottom edge of his electrolytic plate, and he further understands
• first means of transport adapted to vertically displace the detachment and rotation means between an upper detachment position of a suspended anode and a lower release position of a turned anode,
• support means located below the aforementioned lower position, and
• second means of transport adapted to move the support means vertically.

• La figure 1 représente une vue schématique en plan d'une installation pour laver et empiler des anodes épuisées, dans laquelle est incorporé un appareil selon l'invention pour empiler les anodes lavées.
• La figure 2 représente une coupe verticale à travers l'installation de la figure 1, faite selon la ligne II-II de la figure 1.
• La figure 3 représente une vue agrandie en élévation frontale d'un dispositif pour transporter des anodes épuisées dans l'installation de la figure 1.
• La figure 4 représente une vue latérale du dispositif de la figure 3.
• La figure 5 représente une vue agrandie en plan d'un poste pour empiler dans l'installation de la figure 1 des anodes épuisées apportées par le dispositif de transport des figures 3 et 4.
• La figure 6 représente une vue en élévation latérale du poste d'empilement de la figure 5.
• La figure 7 représente une vue en élévation frontale du poste d'empilement de la figure 5.
• La figure 8 représente le décrochement d'une anode épuisée du dispositif de transport de la figure 3 au poste d'empilement de la figure 7.
• La figure 9 représente l'empilement proprement dit d'une anode épuisée au poste d'empilement de la figure 5.
• La figure 10 représente une vue en plan d'une pile d'anodes formée au poste d'empilement de la figure 5.

Other details and particularities of the invention will emerge from the description, given below by way of nonlimiting example and with reference to the attached drawings, of a method and installation for washing and stacking spent anodes, in which is incorporated an embodiment of the method and apparatus according to the invention.

• FIG. 1 represents a schematic plan view of an installation for washing and stacking spent anodes, in which an apparatus according to the invention is incorporated for stacking the washed anodes.
• 2 shows a vertical section through the installation of Figure 1, made along the line II-II of Figure 1.
• FIG. 3 represents an enlarged view in front elevation of a device for transporting spent anodes in the installation of FIG. 1.
• FIG. 4 represents a side view of the device of FIG. 3.
• FIG. 5 represents an enlarged plan view of a station for stacking in the installation of FIG. 1 spent anodes supplied by the transport device of FIGS. 3 and 4.
• FIG. 6 represents a side elevation view of the stacking station of FIG. 5.
• FIG. 7 represents a front elevation view of the stacking station of FIG. 5.
• FIG. 8 shows the step of an exhausted anode of the transport device of FIG. 3 at the stacking station of FIG. 7.
• FIG. 9 represents the actual stacking of an exhausted anode at the stacking station of FIG. 5.
• FIG. 10 represents a plan view of a stack of anodes formed at the stacking station of FIG. 5.

In the different figures, the same reference notations designate identical elements.

• un poste de chargement 3, dans lequel une anode épuisée est suspendue à un chariot 2,
• un poste de lavage 4, dans lequel les anodes épuisées suspendues aux chariots 2 sont lavées par aspersion,
• un poste de contrôle 5, dans lequel l'aptitude des anodes à être empilées est contrôlée,
• un poste de déchargement 6 pour anodes qui sont inaptes à être empilées,
• un premier poste d'empilement 7 pour anodes qui sont aptes à être empilées, et
• un second poste d'empilement 8, qui est identique au premier et qui entre en action lorsque le premier est en panne.

The installation represented in FIG. 1 comprises an endless monorail 1, provided with a number of carriages 2 with individual drive and control. Monorail 1 successively serves:

• a loading station 3, in which an exhausted anode is suspended from a carriage 2,
• a washing station 4, in which the spent anodes suspended from the carriages 2 are washed by spraying,
• a control station 5, in which the ability of the anodes to be stacked is checked,
• an unloading station 6 for anodes which are incapable of being stacked,
• a first stacking station 7 for anodes which are capable of being stacked, and
• a second stacking station 8, which is identical to the first and which comes into action when the first is out of order.

The anode stacks 9 formed at the stacking station 7 are removed at 10, and the stacks 11 formed at the station 8 at 12.

As shown in FIG. 3, a spent anode 13 consists of a spent metal plate 14 provided with two suspension lugs 15. The upper edge of the plate 14 and the suspension lugs 15, which have not been immersed in the electrolyte during the electrorefining of the original anode (see dotted lines) of which the spent anode 13 constitutes the waste, are naturally much thicker than the rest of the spent plate 14. The plate 14 of a spent anode 13 may be as large as the plate of the original anode, but it may also be smaller, as shown in Figure 3, or even much smaller than that of the original anode. The plates 14 of the spent anodes 13 can therefore have very different dimensions. In the present patent application, the median horizontal axis of an original anode or a new anode is considered to be the axis 16 which is located in the plane of the new anode at an equal distance D from the top of its ears and from the lower edge of its electrolytic plate (see Figure 3).

The loading station 3, shown in FIG. 2, comprises a pair of conveyor chains 17 provided with a motor not shown advancing the chains step by step in the direction of the arrow 18. The spent anodes 13 to be washed coming from the electrolysis room are deposited in groups by a spreader 19 on the pair of chains 17, which brings the anodes 13 to a balance beam device ("walking beam") 20. The latter lifts the anodes 13 one by one chains 17 and suspends them from the hooks 21 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) of the carriages 2, which bring them individually to the washing station 4.

The washing station 4 is analogous to the washing station for pairs of cathodes, which is described in the aforementioned patent application WO 83/02289 and which must simply be split to arrive at the present washing station 4. This washing station 4 therefore comprises a washing compartment 22 and a rinsing compartment 23 provided with nozzles 24.

The control station 5 comprises means 25, for example opto-electronic means, for checking whether the plate 14 of the anode 13 includes the support points necessary for its subsequent processing at the stacking station 7 or 8.

The unloading station 6 includes means, for example a walking beam device 26, for. unhook the anodes 3 from the carriages 2, the plate 14 lacking the support points necessary for their subsequent processing at the stacking station 7 or 8.

• des moyens de décrochement et de rotation 27 pour enlever des chariots 2 les anodes 13, qui n'ont pas été décrochées au poste 6, et pour amener ensuite les anodes 13 dans une position sensiblement horizontale en les tournant alternativement 90° et - 90°,
• des moyens de transport 28 pour déplacer les moyens de décrochement et de rotation 27 verticalement entre une position supérieure de décrochement d'une anode suspendue et une position inférieure de lâchage d'une anode tournée,
• des moyens d'empilement 29 comprenant des moyens de support, sur lesquels s'empilent les anodes 13 lâchées par les moyens de décrochement et de rotation 27 dans la position inférieure susdite, et des moyens de transport pour déplacer les moyens de support verticalement, et
• des moyens d'évacuation 30 pour évacuer les piles d'anodes formées par les moyens d'empilement 29.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the stacking station 7 comprises:

• unhooking and rotating means 27 for removing from the carriages 2 the anodes 13, which have not been unhooked at station 6, and then bringing the anodes 13 into a substantially horizontal position by rotating them alternately 90 ° and - 90 ° ,
• transport means 28 for moving the detachment and rotation means 27 vertically between an upper detachment position of a suspended anode and a lower releasing position of a turned anode,
• stacking means 29 comprising support means, on which the anodes 13 released by the release and rotation means 27 stack in the aforementioned lower position, and transport means for moving the support means vertically, and
• evacuation means 30 for evacuating the anode stacks formed by the stacking means 29.

The transport means 28 comprise a frame 31 mounted on a leg 32. The frame 31 comprises two uprights 33 having an I-shaped profile and constituting a vertical raceway 34 for the wheels 35 of a carriage 36. The carriage 36 is actuated by the rod 37 of the cylinder 38. A fork 39 is attached to the carriage 36, the legs 40 and 40 ′ of which carry the release and rotation means 27.

The offset and rotation means 27 comprise a sheet 41 formed by two beams 42 and 42 ′ having a U-shaped profile and by a cross member 43. A beam 44 is fixed a pivot 44 which extends through the end of the leg 40 of the fork 39. The pivot 44 can be coupled to and decoupled from a coupling device 45, for example an electromagnetic coupling device. The coupling device 45 is connected to the rod of a cylinder 46. This cylinder 46 is mounted on the leg 40 of the fork 39. When the pivot 44 is decoupled from the coupling device 45, it can rotate freely. When the pivot 44 is coupled to the coupling device 45 and that the rod of the cylinder 46 is brought out, the pivot 44 performs, together with the pile 41, a rotation of 90 ° clockwise . When the cylinder rod 46 is then retracted, the pivot 44 performs, together with the pile 41, a rotation of 90 ° in the opposite direction. To the beam 42 'is fixed a pivot 44', which is in line with the pivot 44 and which extends through the end of the leg 40 'of the fork 39. The pivot 44' can be coupled to and decoupled of a coupling device 45 '. The coupling device 45 'is connected to the rod of a cylinder 46'. This cylinder 46 'is mounted on the leg 40' of the fork 39. When the pivot 44 'is decoupled from the coupling device 45', it can rotate freely. When the pivot 44 'is coupled to the coupling device 45' and the rod of the cylinder 46 'is pulled out, the pivot 44', together with the pile 41, rotates 90 ° clockwise of the clock. When the cylinder rod 46 'is then retracted, the pivot performs, together with the pile 41, a rotation of 90 ° in the opposite direction. It goes without saying that the pivot 44 'must be decoupled from the coupling device 45' when the cylinder 46 is working and that the pivot 44 must be decoupled from the coupling device 45 when the cylinder 46 'is working.

In the beam 42 of the hoist 41 are mounted a hook 47 and a movable fork 48. This hook 47 and this fork 48 can be brought from a rest position, shown in dotted lines in Figure 8 and in solid lines in Figure 9, in a working position, shown in solid lines in Figure 8 and in dashed lines in Figure 9. The rear of the fork 48 is rigidly fixed to a fin 49, which pivots on a fixed pivot 50 and which is connected at 51 to the rod of a cylinder 52. The upper part of the hook 47 , which ends in a pair of teeth 53, is connected at 54 by an articulated coupling to a fixed pivot 55, while its lower part is connected by a pivot 56 to the fin 49. The hook 47 and the fork 48 are in the rest position, when the cylinder rod 52 is retracted (see FIG. 9), and in the working position, when the. cylinder rod 52 is extended (see Figure 8). The beam 42 'of the hoist 41 also carries a hook 47', ending in a pair of teeth 53 '(see Figure 6), and a fork 48' as well as the elements necessary for their actuation, the assembly being the reflected image of what has just been described about the hook 47 and the fork 48. The hoist 41 and its rotation system are designed so that, when a new anode is suspended by its ears from the hooks 47-47 'in the working position, the axis of rotation 80 of the beam substantially coincides with the median horizontal axis of the new anode.

The stacking means 29 comprise a frame 57 having two pairs of uprights 58 and 58 '. The pair of uprights 58 is provided with a raceway for the wheels 59 of a carriage 60. The pair of uprights 58 'is provided with a raceway for the wheels 59' with a carriage 60 '. The carriages 60 and 60 'are interconnected by a first pair of chains 61 and a second pair of chains 62. The chains 61 run from the carriage 60' to the carriage 60 passing around the rollers 63, 64 and 65, while the chains 62 do this by passing around rollers 66, 63 and 64 (see Figures 6 and 7). The length of the chains 61 and 62 is such that the carriages 60 and 60 'are always at the same level. The carriage 60 'is actuated by a telescopic cylinder 67. Thanks to the system of chains and rollers described above, movement of the carriage 60' goes hand in hand with an identical movement of the carriage 60. The carriage 60 is provided with two fins 68 , to which a support element 69 is fixed. The carriage 60 ′ is also provided with two fins 68 ′, to which a support element 69 ′ is fixed. The support elements 69 and 69 ′ are intended to carry the anodes 13 released by the offset and rotation means 27.

At the upper part of the frame 57 of the stacking means 29 are fixed two pairs of guide elements 70 and 70 'having a U-shaped profile. These guide elements 70 and 70' have a double purpose: to prevent the ears 15 of the anode 13, which is being released by the release and rotation means 27, cannot make a substantial horizontal movement, and guide the ears 15 of the anode 13, which has just been released by the release and rotation means, during the fall of the latter.

The discharge means 30 comprise a pair of endless chains 71 mounted on two pairs of sprockets, not shown. One of these pairs of pinions is driven by a motor, not shown. Chains 71 are hollow axle chains with rollers, which are commercially available. On the chains 71 are mounted pairs 72 of support elements 73, a pair 72 of support elements 73 being intended to receive a stack of anodes of the stacking means 29. Each support element 73 is mounted on two successive axes of the chains 71 and is provided on its two sides with two wheels 74, for which the two beams 75 form an upper raceway and the two beams 76 a lower raceway. The entire weight of the upper strand of the pair of chains 71 and its load is therefore carried by the beams 75, while the entire weight of the lower strand of the pair of chains 71 is carried by the beams 76. The beams 75 and 76 are mounted on crosspieces 77, which together with two longitudinal members 78 form the frame of the evacuation means 30.

The installation of FIG. 1 further comprises detection devices known per se and not shown for detecting the arrival of an empty carriage 2 at the loading station 3 and the arrival of a carriage 2 loaded at the washing compartment 22, to the rinsing compartment 23, to the control station 5, to the unloading station 6, to the first stacking station 7 and to the second stacking station 8. The detection device associated with the unloading station 6 does not enter in action only when the control station 5 has detected an exhausted anode which cannot be processed at station 7 or 8. The detection device associated with the second stacking station 8 does not come into effect until the first station stack 7 is broken. When a carriage 2 is detected by one of these detection devices, its motor 79 (see FIG. 3) stops for a predetermined time T, for example for 5 seconds.

The installation works as follows. When an empty carriage 2 is detected at the loading station 3, it stops and the transporter device 20 comes into action and suspends an exhausted anode 13 in the carriage 2. After a time T, the loaded carriage 2 leaves the loading station 3 to go to the washing station 4. When the loaded cart 2 is detected in the washing compartment 22, it stops and the nozzles 24 of this compartment come into action. After a time T, these nozzles cease their action and the carriage 2 passes to the rinsing compartment 23. When the carriage 2 is detected in the rinsing compartment 23, it stops and the nozzles 24 from this compartment come into action. After a time T, these nozzles cease their action and the carriage 2 passes to the control station 5. When the carriage 2 is detected at the control station 5, it stops and the control means 25 come into action and check whether the plate 14 of the spent anode 13 suspended from the carriage 2 comprises a fulcrum for at least one of the forks 48 and 48 'in the working position. If the control means 25 do not detect this fulcrum, that is to say when the plate 14 of the anode 13 is so exhausted that it would not be supported by at least one of the forks 48 and 48 ', if the anode 13 was suspended by its ears 15 from the hooks 47 and 47' and if the hoist 41 was in a position other than vertical, the anode 13 cannot be processed at the stacking station 7 or 8. In this case, the detection device associated with the unloading station 6 comes into action and the carriage 2 leaves the control station 5 after a time T. When the carriage 2 is then detected at the unloading station 6, it stops and the balance beam transporter 26 detaches the anode 13 from the carriage 2 and drops it into a basket, not shown. After a time T, the unloaded carriage 2 leaves the unloading station 6 and returns, passing through the stacking stations 7 and 8, the loading station 3.

• le chariot 36 des moyens de transport 28 se trouve dans sa position inférieure, la tige 37 du cylindre 38 étant rentrée ;
• la palanche 41 des moyens de décrochement et de rotation 27 se trouve dans une position horizontale, montrée en lignes pointillées à la figure 6, avec sa traverse 43 située entre les jambes 40 et 40' de la fourche 39, le pivot 44 étant accouplé au dispositif d'accouplement 45, le pivot 44' étant découplé du dispositif d'accouplement 45' et les tiges des cylindres 46 et 46' étant rentrées ; et
• les crochets 47 et 47' ainsi que les fourches 48 et 48' sont en position de repos, les tiges des cylindres 52 et 52' étant rentrées. Lorsque le chariot 2 s'arrête au poste d'empilement 7, la tige 37 du cylindre 38 sort et le chariot 36 passe avec la palanche 41 à sa position supérieure. Lorsque le chariot 36 est détecté dans sa position supérieure par un dispositif de détection connu en soi et non représenté, la tige du cylindre 46 sort et la palanche 41 effectue une rotation de 90° dans le sens des aiguilles de l'horloge, ce qui l'amène dans une position verticale, montrée en lignes pleines à la figure 6. Lorsque la palanche 41 est détectée dans cette position verticale par un dispositif de détection connu en soi et non représenté, les tiges des cylindres 52 et 52' sortent, ce qui amène les crochets 47-47' et les fourches 48-48' en position de travail, les crochets 47-47' soulevant maintenant l'anode 13 par ses oreilles 15 des crochets 21 du chariot 2 (voir figures 6 et 8). Lorsque les crochets 47-47' et/ou les fourches 48-48' sont détectés dans leur position de travail par un dispositif de détection connu en soi et non représenté, le pivot 44 est découplé du dispositif d'accouplement 45, le pivot 44' est accouplé au dispositif d'accouplement 45' et la tige du cylindre 46' sort ; la palanche 41, qui porte maintenant une anode épuisée 13, effectue de nouveau une rotation de 90° dans le sens des aiguilles de l'horloge, ce qui l'amène dans une position horizontale avec, cette fois-ci, les crochets 47-47' situés entre les jambes 40-40' de la fourche 39. Pendant et après cette rotation l'anode 13 est soutenue dans la palanche par les crochets 47-47' et par une jambe d'au moins une des fourches 48-48'. Lorsque la palanche 41 chargée est détectée dans la position horizontale par un dispositif de détection connu en soi et non représenté, la tige 37 du cylindre 38 rentre et le chariot 36 amène la palanche 41 chargée dans sa position inférieure de lâchage, les oreilles 15 de l'anode 13 portée par la palanche 41 étant situées maintenant dans les éléments de guidage 70' (voir figure 9). Lorsque la palanche 41 est détectée dans la position inférieure de lâchage par un dispositif de détection connu en soi et non représenté, les tiges des cylindres 52-52' rentrent et l'anode 13 tombe sur les éléments de support 69-69' des moyens d'empilement 29. Ces éléments de support 69-69' se trouvent à ce moment quelques centimètres en-dessous de la position inférieure de lâchage de la palanche 41, le cylindre télescopique 67 étant complètement sorti. Pendant que les tiges des cylindres 52-52' rentrent, c'est-à-dire pendant que les crochets 47-47' et les fourches 48-48' vont de leur position de travail à leur position de repos, l'anode 13 garde toujours sensiblement la même position grâce aux éléments de guidage 70' ; ces éléments 70' guident en outre l'anode 13 pendant sa chute. Le chariot 2 chargé qui s'était arrêté au poste d'empilement 7 est reparti déchargé après un temps T pour passer de nouveau au poste de chargement 3.

If the control means 25 detect the abovementioned support point, which is normally the case, the loaded carriage 2, which has left the control station 5, goes to the first stacking station 7, where it stops. When the carriage 2 loaded with an anode 13 arrives at the stacking station 7:

• the carriage 36 of the transport means 28 is in its lower position, the rod 37 of the cylinder 38 being retracted;
• the pile 41 of the offset and rotation means 27 is in a horizontal position, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 6, with its crosspiece 43 located between the legs 40 and 40 ′ of the fork 39, the pivot 44 being coupled to the coupling device 45, the pivot 44 'being decoupled from the coupling device 45' and the rods of the cylinders 46 and 46 'being retracted; and
• the hooks 47 and 47 'and the forks 48 and 48' are in the rest position, the rods of the cylinders 52 and 52 'being retracted. When the carriage 2 stops at the stacking station 7, the rod 37 of the cylinder 38 comes out and the carriage 36 passes with the hoist 41 to its upper position. When the carriage 36 is detected in its upper position by a detection device known per se and not shown, the rod of the cylinder 46 comes out and the hoist 41 rotates 90 ° in the clockwise, which brings it to a vertical position, shown in solid lines in Figure 6. When the pile 41 is detected in this vertical position by a detection device known per se and not shown, rods of cylinders 52 and 52 'come out, which brings the hooks 47-47' and the forks 48-48 'in the working position, the hooks 47-47' now lifting the anode 13 by its ears 15 from the hooks 21 of the carriage 2 (see figures 6 and 8). When the hooks 47-47 'and / or the forks 48-48' are detected in their working position by a detection device known per se and not shown, the pivot 44 is decoupled from the coupling device 45, the pivot 44 'is coupled to the coupling device 45' and the cylinder rod 46 'comes out; the pile 41, which now carries an exhausted anode 13, again rotates 90 ° clockwise, which brings it into a horizontal position with, this time, the hooks 47- 47 'located between the legs 40-40' of the fork 39. During and after this rotation the anode 13 is supported in the block by the hooks 47-47 'and by a leg of at least one of the forks 48-48 '. When the loaded hoist 41 is detected in the horizontal position by a detection device known per se and not shown, the rod 37 of the cylinder 38 retracts and the carriage 36 brings the loaded hoist 41 into its lower release position, the ears 15 of the anode 13 carried by the sheet 41 now being located in the guide elements 70 '(see FIG. 9). When the pile 41 is detected in the lower release position by a detection device known per se and not shown, the rods of the cylinders 52-52 'retract and the anode 13 falls on the support elements 69-69' of the means stacking 29. These support elements 69-69 'are at this moment a few centimeters below the lower release position of the hoist 41, the telescopic cylinder 67 being completely extended. While the rods of the cylinders 52-52 'retract, that is to say while the hooks 47-47' and the forks 48-48 'go from their working position to their rest position, the anode 13 always keeps substantially the same position thanks to the guide elements 70 '; these elements 70 'further guide the anode 13 during its fall. The loaded carriage 2 which had stopped at the stacking station 7 left unloaded after a time T to return again to the loading station 3.

When the next carriage 2 stops at the stacking station 7, the rod 37 of the cylinder 38 comes out and the carriage 2 returns with the hoist 41 to its upper position. The rod of the cylinder 46 'retracts and the hoist 41 rotates 90 ° in the opposite direction to that of the clock hands, which brings it back to its vertical position. The rods of the cylinders 52-52 'come out and the anode is lifted from the carriage. The pivot 44 'is decoupled from the coupling device 45', the pivot 44 is coupled to the coupling device 45, the rod of the cylinder 46 retracts, and the loaded hoist rotates 90 ° in the opposite direction to that of clock hands. The rod 37 of the cylinder 38 retracts, the sheet 41 returns to its lower release position, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 6, the ears 15 of the anode 13 carried by the sheet now being located in the guide elements 70. The rods cylinders 52-52 'retract and the anode 13 falls on the previous anode. The cycle described above can start again.

As the anodes stack on the supports 69-69 ', the telescopic cylinder 67 retracts so that the upper anode remains a few centimeters below the release position of the hoist 41. When the stack of anodes has reaches a predetermined height, the telescopic cylinder 67 retracts completely and the stack of anodes is thus deposited on a pair 72 of support elements 73 of the evacuation means 30. The chains 71 of the evacuation means 30 move while evacuating thus the stack of anodes, the telescopic cylinder 67 comes out and the formation of a stack of anodes on the supports 69-69 'can start again.

Very stable batteries 9 are obtained as shown in FIG. 10.

It should be understood that many modifications can be made to the installation described above without affecting the essence of it.

It is thus, for example, that the second stacking station 8 can be eliminated, but it goes without saying that this modification reduces the flexibility of the installation.

The monorail 1 and the carriages 2 can be replaced by a transport chain provided with pairs of hooks, but this modification would also reduce the flexibility of the installation.

The telescopic cylinder 67 can be replaced by a conventional cylinder, but the latter would be more bulky than the telescopic cylinder.

The unloading station 6 can be placed downstream of the stacking stations 7 and 8 by means of an ad hoc modification of the installation control system.

It is also possible to stop each carriage 2 in each of stations 3, 22, 23, 5, 6, 7 and 8. This would simplify the system control system and would not cause a loss of productivity, when there is a sufficient number of carts.

Instead of having the carriages 2 stop for a predetermined time T in the stations where they must be loaded or unloaded, they can also be stopped in these stations for the time necessary for their loading or unloading, the end of the loading or unloading operation then being detected by an ad hoc detection device.

Instead of bringing in the rod 37 of the cylinder 38 when the loaded hoist 41 is detected in the horizontal position, it is also possible to bring in this rod as soon as the loaded hoist has rotated for example 20 ° so as to combine the end of the rotation and the start of the descent of the loaded hoist.

Instead of bringing out the rod of the cylinder 46 (or retracting the rod of the cylinder 46 ') when the carriage 36 is detected in its upper position, it can also be done as soon as the carriage 36 is detected in an intermediate position between its lower position and its upper position so as to combine the end of the rise and the start of the rotation of the unloaded hoist.

Claims (9)

1. A process for stacking spent anodes (13), which comprise a spent electrolytic plate (14) and a pair of suspension lugs (15) and which are vertically suspended by their lugs to hooks (21 according to which process the spent anodes are, one after the other, first lifted from the hooks by their lugs and afterwards brought from their vertical position in a substantially horizontal position, this process being characterized in that

the anodes, that have been lifted from the hooks, are alternately rotated 90° and - 90° around a horizontal axis (80) which, if the spent anodes were replaced by the new anodes they originate from, would substantially coincide with the horizontal median axis (16) of the new anodes, this latter axis being located in the plane of the new anode and at equal distance from the top of its lugs and from the lower edge of its electrolytic plate,

the rotated anodes are lowered to a lower position,

the anodes are released in the lower position,

under the aforesaid lower position there is provided a support (69, 69'), on which the released anodes form a pile, and

the support is lowered in such a way that the top of the anode pile being formed on it remains below the aforesaid lower position.

2. A process according to claim 1, characterized in that the lugs of the anode, that is being released, are prevented from moving substantially.

3. A process according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lugs of the anode, that is just released, are guided during the fall of the anode, that brings the anode from the aforesaid lower position to the aforesaid top of the anode pile.

4. A process according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that, before lifting the spent anodes from the hooks, one examines whether they are suited to be handled by the means, that one has for rotating the lifted anodes.

5. An apparatus (5, 7) for stacking spent anodes (13), which comprise a spent electrolytic plate (14) and a pair of suspension lugs (15) and which are vertically suspended by their lugs to hooks (21), said apparatus comprising unhooking and rotating means (27) adapted to lift the spent anodes (13) from the hooks (21) by their lugs (15), to rotate the lifted anodes so as to bring them from their vertical position in a substantially horizontal position, and to release the rotated anodes, said apparatus being characterized in that

the unhooking and rotating means (27) are adapted to rotate the lifted anodes alternately 90° and - 90° around a horizontal axis (80), which, if the spent anodes were replaced by the new anodes they originate from, would coincide substantially with the horizontal median axis (16) of the new anodes, this latter axis being located in the plane of the new anode and at equal distance from the top of its lugs and the lower edge of its electrolytic plate, and it includes moreover

first conveying means (28, 31-40, 40') adapted to move the unhooking and rotating means (27) vertically between an upper position for unhooking a suspended anode and a lower position for releasing a rotated anode,

supporting means (69, 69') located under the aforesaid lower position, and

second conveying means (58-68, 58'-60', 68') adapted to move the supporting means vertically.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises guiding elements (70, 70') adapted to prevent the lugs (15) of the anode (13), that is in the lower releasing position, from making a substantial horizontal movement.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the guiding elements (70, 70') extend downwards.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5, 6 or 7, characterized in that it comprises means (5, 25) to examine whether the spent anodes (13), which are suspended to the aforesaid hooks (21), are suited to be handled by the said unhooking and rotating means (27).

9. An apparatus according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the unhooking and rotating means (27) comprise

a yoke (41, 42, 42', 43),

a first pivot (44) fastened to the yoke (41),

first driving means (46) to cause the first pivot (44) to rotate first 90° clockwise and afterwards 90° in the opposite direction, or vice versa,

first coupling means (45) to couple the first pivot (44) with the first driving means (46) and to uncouple it therefrom,

a second pivot (44') fastened to the yoke (41) and in line with the first pivot (44),

second driving means (46') to cause the second pivot (44') to rotate first 90° clockwise and then 90° in the opposite direction, or vice versa,

second coupling means (45') to couple the second pivot (44') with the second driving means (46') and to uncouple it therefrom,

a pair of hooks (47, 47', 53, 53'),

a pair of forks (48, 48'), and

means (49, 50,. 51, 52, 52', 54, 55) mounted on the yoke (41) to bring the hooks and forks from a rest position to a working position and vice versa.

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