US3696656A

US3696656A - Apparatus for carrying and straightening electrolytic anode plates to be installed in an electrolytic cell

Info

Publication number: US3696656A
Application number: US42028A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kizo Nara; Izumi Sukekawa; Yasuo Yamada
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Metal Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Metal Corp
Priority date: 1970-06-01
Filing date: 1970-06-01
Publication date: 1972-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-10

Abstract

An apparatus for conveying, at regular intervals, electrolytic anode plates and installing them at regular intervals in an electrolytic cell, comprises a feed-in section, a device for straightening said anode plates by pressing or hammering each of said anode plates thereby to remove camber, torsion, and casting fins from the anode plates, and a feed-out section.

Description

United States Patent Nara et a1.

[54] APPARATUS FOR CARRYING AND STRAIGHTENING ELECTROLYTIC ANODE PLATES TO BE INSTALLED IN AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL [7 2] Inventors: Kizo Nara, Osaka; Izumi Sukekawa, Tokyo; Yasuo Yarnada, Osaka, all of Japan [73] Assignee: Mitsubishi Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo-to, Japan [22] Filed: June 1, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 42,028

[52] US. Cl ..72/420, 72/422 [51] Int. Cl ..B2lj 13/10, B2ld 43/10 [58] Field of Search .72/420, 422

1 Oct. 10,1972

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,096,808 7/1963 Holsteyr ..72/420 X 2,730,175 1/1956 Piperoux ..72/420 X Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-R. M. Rogers Att0rneyRobert E. Burns and Emmanuel J. Lobato [57] 7 ABSTRACT An apparatus for conveying, at regular intervals, electrolytic anode plates and installing them at regular intervals in an electrolytic cell, comprises a feed-in section, a device for straightening said anode plates by pressing or hammering each of said anode plates thereby to remove camber, torsion, and casting fins from the anode plates, and a feed-out section.

6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTED U 10 I973 3 6 96. 6 56 sum 2 OF 4 FIG.3

PATENTEDum 10 m2 3,696,656

sums or 4 FIG.'?

FIG.8

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to apparatus for conveying and straightening electrolytic anode plates to be installed in an electrolytic cell. More particularly, it relates to an improved mechanism for conveying and straightening copper slabs to be an electrolytic anode in an electrolytic cell.

Anode plates of crude copper, crude lead, or crude tin for use in the electrolytic refining of copper, lead, or tin are generally cast in such a shape that they possess a planar portion which undergoes electrolytic corrosion as the result of electrolysis and lugs provided at the upper both ends of the planar portion and to be used for hanging the anode plate in an electrolytic cell. These anode plates are usually cast in an open-horizontal type mold when produced in large quantity. These cast anode plates are conveyed froma casting plant to an electrolysis plant- (tank house) where they are separated from each other and positioned at predetermined intervals for them to be adequately installed in the electrolytic cell. The anode plates thus spaced are installed into the electrolytic cell in their spaced condition, whereby the anode plates are placed in opposition to a number of cathode plates one after the other maintaining the fixed interval.

However, on account of the casting mold being of the open-horizontal type, undesirable irregularities occur with the anode plate cast in the above-described manner such as camber on the planar portion due to a temperature difference on both surfaces of the anode plate, torsion on the lugs, and casting fins on one surface of the anode plate facing the open side surface of the mold. Owing to such irregularities on the anode plates, if the space interval between the anode and cathode plates is shortened, there inevitably takes place a short circuit and the electric-current efficiency of the electrolytic cell becomes lowered. In order to avoid such trouble, the facing distance between the anode and cathode plates must be made larger. If the facing distance between the electrodes becomes larger, however, the total number of the electrodes to be placed in the electrolytic cell decreases, which, in turn, reduces the production quantity per unit floor in the electrolytic refining. In order to avoid any decrease in productivity, therefore, it has been well known to increase the configurative precision of the anode plate by machining. However, the foregoing machining work has scarcely been utilized, because of various losses caused by the machining, which surpass the increase in number of the electrodes placed in the electrolytic cell, i.e., increase in production per unit floor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an essential object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for eliminating the above-described difficulties encountered with the electrolytic anode plates in respect of their transportation to and installation in the electrolytic cell.

Another object of the invention is to provide an efficient mechanism for straightening and rectifying undesirable irregularities such as cambers, torsions and casting fins on'the electrolytic anode plates during the refining operations.

The foregoing objects and other objects of the invention as well as characteristic features and functions of the invention will become more apparent and more readily understandable from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which same or equivalent members are indicated by the same reference numerals and charac- IGI'S.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 0 paratus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the straightening section of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the feed-out section of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is a front view of an example of the anode plate used in an electrolytic cell;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the anode plate of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of another embodiment of the conveying and straightening apparatus according to the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIGS. 1 to 7 relative to one embodiment of the present invention, the feed-in section of the apparatus comprises a stand 2 receiving a vertical stack of side-by-side anode plates 1 conveyed from a casting plant, a supporting jack 3 to cause the stand to move up and down, a chain-conveyor 4 to pick up each of the anode plates I laid on the stand 2 at its supporting lugs B, hereinafter referred to as lug parts, when the stand 2 has come down, a frame 5 which moves along rails 7 by means of rolling wheels 6, a jack 8 which causes the frame 5 to roll back and forth, and another jack 9 secured to the frame 5 having a telescopic end part 9a which is provided with books 10. The hooks 10 move down from their respective positions shown in FIG. 3

by the extension of the jack 9, and, at the same time, move toward the conveyor 4 by the rolling of the frame 5, where they get in underneath the lugs of the top anode plate in the stack which has been carried there by the conveyor 4 and temporarily detained at the position by a stopper. Subsequently, the hooks lift up the top sheet by its lugs due to the retraction of the jack 9. Further, by the reverse rolling of the frame 5, the thus lifted anode plate is moved, and, finally, by the downward movement of the hooks 10 and the rolling back movement of the frame 5, the anode plate is transferred onto a truck 11 which is hereinafter described.

The truck 11 is rollably supported on a rail 12 which in turn is movable in the up and down directions by a jack 13 located at the bottom center part thereof. When the anode plate 1 is transferred onto the truck 11 from the hooks 10, the truck 11 and the rail 12 is moved up to the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 2. The truck 11 is electrically driven by means of an electric motor (not shown), which operates in the following ways: as soon as it receives the anode plate from the hooks of the carrying frame, it automatically rolls away up to the designated position at the center part of the straightening section as indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 2 and stops there; then the truck 11 moves down along with the rail 12 for only the period during which a straightening work as will be described later exerted on the anode plate; when the working is completed, it moves up again along with the rail 12 to receive the straightened anode plate; upon completion of this receiving operation, the truck 11 starts rolling automatically towards its maximum position at the feed-out section, where it stops and subsequently moves down along with rail 12 to a position shown by dot-dash-lines in FIG. 2, in its state of holding the anode plate so as to transfer the same to the conveyor of the feed-out section to be described in detail at a later paragraph, thereafter returns to its original position by the automatic reversing operation.

The straightening section of the apparatus comprises a special press device 15 including a platen 16 and a cross-head 17 which are opposed to each other with the above-mentioned rail 12 interposed therebetween. A set of jacks 18 are accommodated in the cross-head l7 and when each of the telescopic ends thereof extend through the cross-head, they push the anode plate 1 carried by the abovementioned truck 11 onto the platen 16 so as to bring the lug parts B of the anode plate 1 to a position above the protruded part 19 of the platen 16, as best seen in FIG. 4. The anode plate is hooked on the platen 16 by the subsequent downward movement of the truck 1 1 along with the rail 12 and the retraction of the telescopic end part of the jacks 18. When the anode plate hangs on the platen 16, the cross-head 17 advances by means of a cylinder in the press 15 to press the anode plate on its both surfaces between the platen l6 and the cross-head 17 to rectify and remove the cambers and casting fins thereby to flatten the anode plate. As soon as this straightening operation is completed, jacks 20 provided on top of the platen 16 begin to extend and the telescopic end part thereof presses the lug parts B of the anode plate 1 against the protruded part 19 so as to correct the torsions of the lug parts B. Upon completion of each corrective operation on the anode plate, the jacks 20 retract to their original positions, the cross-head moves backwards, and, at the same time, a telescopic end part of another jack 21 accommodated in the platen 16 extends forward passing through the platen to knock the anode plate 1 thus corrected off the platen and the truck 11 moves upward with the rail 12 and receives the falling anode plate afterwhich the truck rolls further on the rail 12.

The feed-out section of the apparatus comprises a pair of rollers 22 to maintain the upright condition of the anode plate 1 being carried by the truck 11, a frame 23 which rolls on the rail 25 by means of wheels 24, a jack 26 to cause the frame 23 to roll, and a jack 27 provided on top of the frame 23 having a telescopic end part 27a which is provided with hooks 28. These hooks 28 move from their positions shown in FIG. 5 toward and across the rail 12 due to the movement of the frame 23 and when the truck 11 carrying the straightened anode plate 1 stops at the designated position, the hooks 28 are caused to move toward the anode plate by the reversing operation of the frame 23. When the hooks 28 come underneath the lug parts 8 of the anode plate 1, the hooks are lifted by retraction of the jack 27 thereby to lift the anode plate by the lugs. Then the anode plate is moved to a conveyor 29, described later, by the reversing operation of the frame 23 and finally the hooks 28 are moved down to the position shown in FIG. 5 by the extending action of the jack 27, whereby the straightened anode plate is transferred onto the conveyor 29.

The chain conveyor 29 receives the straightened anode plate 1 from the hooks 28 and carries the anode plate up to a stand 30 by holding it at the lug parts B and the conveyor coacts with a stopper to deposit the anode plate on the stand. A plurality of anode plates are thus sequentially brought by the conveyor 29 and deposited on the stand 30 in a vertical stack by means of a stopper are received. The stand 30 is supported by a jack 31 and the stacked anode plates are unloaded from the conveyor 29 by the extending operation of the jack 31. The thus unloaded anode plates are transferred in a stacked arrangement to a conventional transporting and separating device associated with the apparatus of the present invention, where they are separated at a fixed interval, and, in that state, installed in an electrolytic cell.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 comprises three principal sections: a feed-in section which batchwise receives cast anode plates and spaces them at a fixed distance; a corrective or straightening section which corrects irregularities on the anode plate surfaces thus spaced by means of a main press and an auxiliary press and then sequentially carries forward each straightened anode plate; and a feed-out section which receives the straightened anode plates one by one and then transfers them batchwise. Consequently, when this feed-in section is used as a feed-in section for a tank house (electrolysis cell) and this feed-out section is connected to a part corresponding to the feed-out section in a conventional tank house, it becomes possible that anode plates which have been straightened with high accuracy and increased in number ever before be readily installed in the electrolytic cell.

Further, since, in the present invention, both surfaces of the planar part as well as the lugs of the anode plate are pressed between the two pressing plates constituting a pressing machine, the cambers and casting fins on the anode plate and the torsion on the lug parts can be effectively corrected. Also, according to the present invention, the pressing means for repeated pressing operations can be made into a single step, and in addition, the anode plate to be installed in the electrolytic cell can increase in number without decreasing in weight.

Another embodiment of the straightening apparatus according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 and comprises a supporting stand 32 which receives a stack of anode plates transferred from a casting plant and which is moved upwards by a jack (not shown) upon receiving them; a chain-conveyor 33 which carries a number of anode plates loaded thereon in suspension by way of their lug parts B as they are when the supporting stand 32 which has already received anode plates is moved downwards; another chain-conveyor 34 which receives the anode plates from the chain conveyor 33 and carries the anode plates in the same suspended state by way of the lug parts B thereof as in the case of the conveyor 33; and working beams 35, both ends of which are pivotally fixed to the extreme end parts of arms C which are, in turn, pivotally attached to a shaft (not shown) at the base ends thereof whereby each beam undergoes clockwise motion in response to rotation of the shaft. By the upward-forward component of this clockwise motion, the top sheet out of the stack of the anode plates carried by the conveyor 34 is picked up at its lug parts B, and, by the downward-backward component of the clockwise motion, the top anode plate thus picked up is deposited on the rear end part of an appropriate fixed receiving stand by way of the lug parts B. By the subsequent upward-forward component, the next anode plate is picked up, and, at the same time, the first or top anode plate already picked up is forwarded again, and, by the succeeding downward-backward component, the two anode plates thus picked up are deposited on the front part of the abovementioned receiving stand, thereafter repeating the abovedescribed operations in recurrent mannerto intermittently advance all the anode plates at the regular intervals.

The apparatus comprises further a circulating chainconveyor 36 which moves in a vertical direction and is provided with pawls d. The pawls d are designed to receive an anode plate by its lug parts B from the working beams 35 which has picked it up from the end part of the receiving stand by the upward-forward movement thereof, at the time of its subsequent downwardbackward motion.

Also included in this apparatus is a hammerstraightening means 37 comprising a platen 38, a crosshead 39 opposed thereto in a manner to be able to change its position, a plurality of air hammers 41 supported by the cross-head 39, and a hydraulic cylinder 40. The conveyor 36 carrying the anode plates by means of the pawls d is so installed as to run between the platen 38 and the cross-head 39. The hydraulic cylinder 40 actuates the cross-head 39 so that the cross-head may be moved away from theplaten before the anode plate comes in between the platen 38 and the cross head 39, and may approach the platen when the anode plate is between the platen and the cross-head. A part c protruding from the cross-head 39 is adjustable in its extent of protrusion and presses the anode plate to the platen 38 to fix the position of the anode plate when the cross-head approaches the platen 38, or", the anode plate, and at the same time controls the moving quantity of the cross-head 39, thereby to regulate the hammering interval of the air hammer with respect to the anode plate.

The apparatus further includes a chain-conveyor 42 for loading the anode plates already corrected by the hammer-straightening device and being transferred by the conveyor 36 again, and a chain-conveyor 43 receives the anode plates successively carried by the conveyor 42 and transfers them to a storing lot 44 while maintaining their space intervals and stores them there. Most of the stacked anode plates are lifted up, as they are, by a crane or the like lifting means and installed in the electrolytic cell.

In the embodiment'of FIGS. 8 and 9, the straightening'device 37is provided at oneportion of the route through which a batch of the anode plates are carried in and outfor installation in the electrolytic cell at a tank house. The device itself is provided with a number pounded, the planar part A of the anode plate is flattened by the hammering action of the multitude of hammers 41, while being held by the platen 38. Further, by this straightening operation, the torsion on the lug parts B is corrected and casting fins are also removed from the anode plate. Thus, the anode plates can be perfectly installed in the electrolytic cell with their configurative accuracy being maintained.

As described above, accordingto the embodiment of FIGS. Sand 9, since each anode plate has high shape accuracy, both the torsion on the lug parts B and the casting fins are removed with the consequence that the distance between the adjacent anode plate and the cathode plate can be reduced. This enables the number of the electrodes to be installed per cell to increase thereby increasing productivity per unit floor of the electrolytic refining.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for straightening plates comprising: first transfer means for receiving a vertical stack of side-by-side plates to be straightened and individually and successively transferring each plate in a vertically orientated state into a straightening zone; straightening means in said straightening zone coacting with said first transfer means for receiving each vertically orientated plate and applying straightening forces to the plate while same is in a vertically orientated state to effectively straighten the plate; and second transfer means coacting with said straightening means for receiving the straightened plates therefrom and transferring same to a storage zone in a vertical stack of side-by-side straightened plates.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1; wherein said first and second transfer means include a common passageway extending through said straightening zone and mounted to undergo vertical movement, a truck movable along said common passageway and having means thereon for supporting a plate in its vertically orientated state during movement of said truck along said common passageway, means for vertically moving said common passageway into and out of a transfer position, and means cooperative with said straightening means for both transferring a plate supported by said truck to said straightening means and transferring a straightened plate from said straightening means to said truck when said common passageway is in said transfer position. I

3. Apparatus according to claim 2; wherein said straightening means comprises a plate having supporting means thereon for releasably supporting a plate in its vertically orientated state, means operative when said common passageway is in said transfer position for .transferring a plate to said supporting means, and

means for applying straightening forces transversely to the plate supported by said supporting means to force same against said plate to effect straightening of the plate.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2; wherein said first transfer means includes a first conveyor assembly operative to individually convey each plate in a vertically orientated state to said truck; and wherein said second transfer means includes a second conveyor assembly operative to individually convey the straightened plates from said truck to said storage zone.

5. An apparatus for conveying and straightening electrolytic anode plates to be installed in an electrolytic cell at regular intervals comprising in combination:

a. feed-in means for receiving, picking-up, and conveying a plurality of anode plates each having supporting lugs and spacing the anode plates at regular intervals, said feed-in means comprising a movable receiving stand for receiving batchwise a stack of anode plates to be worked, a supporting jack operative to move said receiving stand up and down, means to convey each of the stacked anode plates laid on the stand by picking it up by the supporting lugs when the receiving stand lowers, a frame, horizontal and vertical jacks connected to said frame to respectively move same in both backward-and-forward and up-and-down directions and wherein said vertical jack includes at the extreme end part thereof a set of hooks to pick up the anode plate at its supporting lugs, and means defining guide passages along which said frame moves;

b. receiving and conveying means for receiving and conveying the anode plates transferred from said frame to a subsequent working stage comprising means defining another guide passage, and supporting means for supporting said another guide passage and effecting movement thereof in upand-down direction;

. straightening means receptive of the anode plates from said receiving and conveying means for straightening the anode plates to rectify undesirable irregularities on the surfaces thereof and at the lugs, said straightening means comprising pressing means including a platen, and a cross-head disposed in opposition to each other and with said another guide passage interposed therebetween, a plurality of jacks mounted on said cross-head operative to push the anode plate carried by said receiving and conveying means to the side of said platen, a protrusion on a surface portion of said platen facing said cross-head and engageable with the supporting lugs of the anode plate upon both downward movement of said another guide passage and retraction of said plurality of jacks, means for advancing said cross-head towards said platen to press both surfaces of the anode plate between said platen and cross-head to rectify irregularities, and horizontal and vertical jacks connected to said platen, said vertical jacks advancing downward upon completion of the surface pressing operation to rectify irregularities on the lugs of the anode plate and said horizontal jacks knocking the thus rectified anode plate off said platen to again transfer the same to said receiving and conveying means for transfer to the subsequent stage; and

d. feed-out means for receiving, conveying, and laying down the corrected anode lates comprising a rame, a horizontal and vertica acks operative to respectively move said frame in both backwardand-forward and up-and-down directions and wherein said vertical jack includes at the extreme end part thereof a set of hooks to pick up the corrected anode plate at its supporting lugs, means defining guide passages along which said frame moves, means coacting with said receiving and conveying means to receive the anode plates from said frame in response to movement of said hooks by said vertical jack, and areceiving stand for sequentially receiving and laying down the corrected anode plates carried by said receiving and conveying means.

6. An apparatus for conveying and straightening electrolytic anode plates to be installed in an electrolytic cell at regular intervals comprising in combination and sequence:

a. a supporting stand movable up-and-down to receive a stack of anode plates each having supporting lugs;

b. first conveying means for conveying each of said plurality of anode plates suspended by their supporting lugs;

0. second conveying means for receiving transfer of the anode plates from said first conveying means; d. a pair of arms disposed adjacent to said second conveying means;

e. a plurality of beams each connected at each end thereof to one of said arms operative to cyclically pick-up and forward the anode plates carried forward from said second conveying means;

f. third conveying means movable in a substantially vertical direction and including a plurality of pawls for receiving the anode plates by their supporting lugs from said beams;

g. means to straighten the anode plates to rectify any irregularities thereon including a platen, a crosshead disposed in opposed relationship from said platen, a plurality of hammers supported by said cross-head, and a hydraulic cylinder to actuate said cross-head to effect movement thereof away from said platen to allow insertion of the anode plate between said platen and cross-head and to effect movement thereof toward said platen upon positioning of the anode plate therebetween,

h. a protrusion at the extreme end of said hydraulic cylinder to press-fix the anode plate in a predetermined position during movement of said crosshead towards said platen and to control the extent of movement of said cross-head thereby regulating the hammering stroke of the hammer with respect to the anode plate;

i. fourth conveying means to load thereon the thus hammer-straightened anode plates carried by said third conveying means; and,

j. fifth conveying means for receiving the corrected anode plates successively carried by said fourth conveying means and transferring them to a storing lot while maintaining their space intervals.

Claims

2. Apparatus according to claim 1; wherein said first and second transfer means include a common passageway extending through said straightening zone and mounted to undergo vertical movement, a truck movable along said common passageway and having means thereon for supporting a plate in its vertically orientated state during movement of said truck along said common passageway, means for vertically moving said common passageway into and out of a transfer position, and means cooperative with said straightening means for both transfeRring a plate supported by said truck to said straightening means and transferring a straightened plate from said straightening means to said truck when said common passageway is in said transfer position.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2; wherein said straightening means comprises a plate having supporting means thereon for releasably supporting a plate in its vertically orientated state, means operative when said common passageway is in said transfer position for transferring a plate to said supporting means, and means for applying straightening forces transversely to the plate supported by said supporting means to force same against said plate to effect straightening of the plate.

5. An apparatus for conveying and straightening electrolytic anode plates to be installed in an electrolytic cell at regular intervals comprising in combination: a. feed-in means for receiving, picking-up, and conveying a plurality of anode plates each having supporting lugs and spacing the anode plates at regular intervals, said feed-in means comprising a movable receiving stand for receiving batchwise a stack of anode plates to be worked, a supporting jack operative to move said receiving stand up and down, means to convey each of the stacked anode plates laid on the stand by picking it up by the supporting lugs when the receiving stand lowers, a frame, horizontal and vertical jacks connected to said frame to respectively move same in both backward-and-forward and up-and-down directions and wherein said vertical jack includes at the extreme end part thereof a set of hooks to pick up the anode plate at its supporting lugs, and means defining guide passages along which said frame moves; b. receiving and conveying means for receiving and conveying the anode plates transferred from said frame to a subsequent working stage comprising means defining another guide passage, and supporting means for supporting said another guide passage and effecting movement thereof in up-and-down direction; c. straightening means receptive of the anode plates from said receiving and conveying means for straightening the anode plates to rectify undesirable irregularities on the surfaces thereof and at the lugs, said straightening means comprising pressing means including a platen, and a cross-head disposed in opposition to each other and with said another guide passage interposed therebetween, a plurality of jacks mounted on said cross-head operative to push the anode plate carried by said receiving and conveying means to the side of said platen, a protrusion on a surface portion of said platen facing said cross-head and engageable with the supporting lugs of the anode plate upon both downward movement of said another guide passage and retraction of said plurality of jacks, means for advancing said cross-head towards said platen to press both surfaces of the anode plate between said platen and cross-head to rectify irregularities, and horizontal and vertical jacks connected to said platen, said vertical jacks advancing downward upon completion of the surface pressing operation to rectify irregularities on the lugs of the anode plate and said horizontal jacks knocking the thus rectified anode plate off said platen to again transfer the same to said receiving and conveying means for transfer to the subsequent stage; and d. feed-out means for receiving, conveying, and laying down the corrected anode plates comprising a frame, a horizontal and vertical jacks operative to respectively move said frame in both backward-and-forward and up-and-down directions and wherein said vertical jack includes at the extreme end part thereof a set of hooks to pick up the corrected anode plate at its supporting lugs, means defining guide passages along which said frame moves, means coacting with said receiving and conveying means to receive the anode plates from said frame in response to movement of said hooks by said vertical jack, and a receiving stand for sequentially receiving and laying down the corrected anode plates carried by said receiving and conveying means.

6. An apparatus for conveying and straightening electrolytic anode plates to be installed in an electrolytic cell at regular intervals comprising in combination and sequence: a. a supporting stand movable up-and-down to receive a stack of anode plates each having supporting lugs; b. first conveying means for conveying each of said plurality of anode plates suspended by their supporting lugs; c. second conveying means for receiving transfer of the anode plates from said first conveying means; d. a pair of arms disposed adjacent to said second conveying means; e. a plurality of beams each connected at each end thereof to one of said arms operative to cyclically pick-up and forward the anode plates carried forward from said second conveying means; f. third conveying means movable in a substantially vertical direction and including a plurality of pawls for receiving the anode plates by their supporting lugs from said beams; g. means to straighten the anode plates to rectify any irregularities thereon including a platen, a cross-head disposed in opposed relationship from said platen, a plurality of hammers supported by said cross-head, and a hydraulic cylinder to actuate said cross-head to effect movement thereof away from said platen to allow insertion of the anode plate between said platen and cross-head and to effect movement thereof toward said platen upon positioning of the anode plate therebetween; h. a protrusion at the extreme end of said hydraulic cylinder to press-fix the anode plate in a predetermined position during movement of said cross-head towards said platen and to control the extent of movement of said cross-head thereby regulating the hammering stroke of the hammer with respect to the anode plate; i. fourth conveying means to load thereon the thus hammer-straightened anode plates carried by said third conveying means; and, j. fifth conveying means for receiving the corrected anode plates successively carried by said fourth conveying means and transferring them to a storing lot while maintaining their space intervals.