US1075609A - Electrolytic cell. - Google Patents

Description

G. w. STONE. ELECTROLYTIC QELL. APPLICATION FILED 11, 13.13, 1911. RENEWED JULY 15', 1913.

1,075,609. Patented Oct. 14,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. W. sTONE. ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

APPLICATION FILED MAIL-6, 1911. RENEWED JULY 18, 1913. 1,075,609.

Patented Oct. 14, 1.913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2'.

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GEORGE W. STONE, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR '10 HOOKER ELECTRO- CHEMICAL COMPANY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

Application filed March 6,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls, in the .county of Niagara State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrolytic Cells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electrolytic cells, and particularly diaphragm cells intended primarily for the electrolysis of alkali chlorids.

One object of the invention is the provision of a construction wherein the cathode chambers are securely heldin position and alinenient during operation, yet may be very quickly removed for the purpose of,

of cleaning or changthe attaching means being such as to avoid all liability offailure through the corrosion of screw-threads or other delicate parts.

The invention further provides a cellbody having a base and upwardly-extending end members, hereinafter referred to as a U-shaped body, said body being usually of concrete or cement composition, provided with an interior lining impervious and inert to the electrolyte or the anode products of electrolysis, and provided further with an external reinforcing frame of metal to which the metal sides, carrying the cathodes,

ing the diaph agms,

are secured by means of wedges, cams, or.

equivalent devices.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein the present improvements are illustrated as applied to an electrolytic cell of the type employing a permeable diaphragm.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the cell, parts being broken away to disclose the interior construction; Fig.

2 is a vertical section of the same in two different planes, the left side of the figure being a substantially central section, and the right side a section intermediate the ends and center: and Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view of a slightly modified construction.

In said drawings, 1 represents a U-shaped body preferably. constructed of concrete or cementpomposition. For cells of large dimensions, and-.moreparticularly for cells of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 14,1913.

1911, Serial No. 612,477. Renewed July 18, 1913. Serial No. 779,874.

great length, it is desirable or necessary that this body should be provided with external metallic reinforcing or supporting members, such for example as a metallic casing shown at 2 in Fig. 2, or a system of angle-bars securely bolted together as shown at 20 in Fig. 3. Owing to the more or less permeable character of the concrete, it is inevitable that under ordinary conditions there should be some leakage of current to the reinforcing members, resulting, according to whether such members are anodic or cathodic, either in their rapid corrosion or in such accumulation of caustic inthe concrete body as will not only seriously weaken and ultimately destroy it, but will also impair the efficiency of the cell by diffusing back intothe central or anode compartment, as well as leading to other irregularities of operation. These difliculties are obviated in the present construction by providing a substantially impervious interior lining or facing for the concrete body. In

the construction illustrated this lining com-" prises slabs 3 of slate or other suitable material set in asphaltum or thelike and covering the bottom and sides of the interior face of the body.

Plates which may be of slate, reinforced concrete or the like, extend between the upper ends of the arms of the U-shaped body on each side thereof, and having their outer faces flush therewith, and support a cover 6 which may be of concrete or other plastic cast in place. Or if preferred these side plates may be of metal, as illustrated at 4:, covered interiorly with, a suitable insulating composition 5 whichis resistant to the electrolyte; for this purpose hard rubber, v

vulcanized to the metal may be employed. The plates 4 may be secured at their ends to the upwardly extending arms of the U- shaped body, as by means of bolts 4:.

7, 7 represent plates of, graphite serving as anodes, said plates secured by graphite pins or plugs 8 to graphite leading-in rods or bars 9. The weight of the means of anodes may be supported by blocks 10 of slate 'or other suitable material resting on v The recessed sides or cathode-chambers 11 of the cell may be of steel or cast iron. The cathodes 12 of perforated sheet-metal extend across the recessed portions of these chambers, and are preferably riveted or otherwise firmly united to themI- When the .cell is assembled the cathodes are overlaid by diaphragms 28, of asbestos paper or cloth or other suitable material. The cathode chambers may be closed with the exception of apertures 14 for the escape'of hydrogen, as illustrated in Fig. 2; or they may be open at the top as illustrated in Fig. 3. In this latter construction the upper margins of the cathodes are riveted or other- 15 wise secured to a transverse bar or vertical flange 13 which forms a part of the cathodechamber, and in case of a cast metal cathodechamber may be integral therewith. Exteriorly, the cathode-chambers may be provided with suitable bosses 29 for attachment to the cathode leads. The anode leads are secured to the tops of the graphite leading-in rods 9 in any suitable manner;

Each cathode chamber may also be provided with a central pocket 15 so placed that the caustic liquor will drain freely into it, this pocket being provided with a glass indicating t-ube 16 by means of which the level of the caustic liquor may be observed. 17 is a tube affording access to the indicating-tube "16 for the purpose of cleaning. This arrangement is employed when a liquid, as a mineral oil, is present in the lateral compartments for the purposes described in U. S. Patent No. 779,383, issued January 3, 1905, to C. P. Townsend. In such case the level of the caustic liquor in the pocket 15 may be automatically controlled by the provision of upwardly inclined, adjustable, caustic out-- 4 flow pipes 18, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The means for securing the cathode-chambers in operative position constitute an essential part of the present invention. I-Ieretofore these chambers have been secured di- 4 rectly to the cell body either by threaded bolts passing through the body of the cell, or by clamps passing around the body, or bearing upon the body, and secured by threaded set-screws. In either case considerable time is required under the best conditions for re- .leasing or setting the cathode-chambers, and the screw-threads are very liable to corrosion under the conditions of operation. According to the present invention these cham- -bers are secured by simple mechanical devices which obviate these difficulties. One construction embodyii'agg the invention is as follows: A rectangular frame of angle-bars is provided on each side of the cell and strongly bolted thereto, the interior dimensions of the frame being slightly larger than the separable cathode-chambers. As shown, these frames comprise top and bottom members 19 and 20 and lateral members 21.

These several members are permanently scsesses the advantages of simplicity and cercured in place by through-bolts 22. The outwardly extending webs of the angle- bars 19, 20 and 21 are slotted or apertured at intervals, as indicated at 23 in Fig. 1, and into these apertures or slots devices are inserted to bear upon the cathotie-chambers and hold them in their proper positions. Appropriately formed wedges will serve the purpose; or a cam may be substituted for the wedge, as in the construction illustrated. In this construction cams 21 are shown as pivotallymounted at 25 in bearings 26 carried by the outwardly extending webs of the several angle-bars. Thesecams are provided with short handles 27 by means of which they may be manipulated to exert an adjusted pressure upon the peripheral flanges of the cathode-chambers to hold them in place or to' release them at will. This construction postainty of operation as compared with through-bolts, clamps or similar devices, and has been found to decrease greatly the labor costs in the maintenance of the cells. Furthermore, the upper angle-bars 19 serve to stiffen and support the side plates 4, to which they may be firmly secured by appropriate bolts or rivets, throughout their entire length and the construction permits these side plates to be made in several sections if desired. These considerations are of great technical value, in that they render it quite practicable to construct cells of great length and ampere-capacity, utilizing the reinforced concrete construction above de-' 100 scribed to give the requisite strength to the cell-body. The uniform and properly adjusted pressure applied around the entire periphery renders unnecessary the use of special packing to obtain a liquidtightj oint,

the margins of the diaphragms 28 usually serving this purpose.

I claim: v v

1. In an electrolytic cell, a body of concrete having external metallic reinforcing members, said body having an anode compartment provided with a substantially nonpervious interior facing.

2. In an electrolytic cell having a U- shaped body and separable cathode-chambers, bars extending between the arms of said body, and means engaging said bars and cathode-chambers for retaining the latter in position.

3.111 an electrolytic cell having a U- 12 shaped body and separable cathode-chambers, side plates extending between the upper portions of the arms of said body, bars extending between the'arms of said body and supporting said side plates, and means engaging said bars and cathode-chambers for retaining the latter inposition.

4 In an electrolytic cell having a U- shaped body and separable cathode-chambers, metallic frame-members secured to 1 said body and surrounding said cathodeengaging said frame-members and cathode- 10 chambers, and means engagmg sa1d framechambers for retaimng the latter 1n position.

members and cathode-chambers for retain- In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature mg the latter in position. in presence of two Witnesses.

5. In an electrolytic cell having a U- shaped body and separable cathode-cham- GEORGE STONE hers, metallic frame-members constructed of Witnesses: angle-bars secured to said body and sur- FRANK W. SMITH,

rounding said cathode-chambers, and means E. J. REILLY, Sr.

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