Process and apparatus for the electrolytic production of materials

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PERFORMING AN ELECTOLYTIC PROCESS INVOLVING THE EVOLUTION OF COMBUSTIBLE GASES IN A CELL HAVING A CARBONACEOUS ELECTRODE AND A MOLTEN ELECTROLYTIC BATH HAVING A SURFACE MANIFESTING A TENDENCY TO CRUST FORMATION, WHICH COMPRISES COLLECTING THE GASES EVOLVED BY THE ELECTROLYSIS IN A ZONE DIRECTLY ABOVE THE BATH SURFACE, THE SAID GAS COLLECTING ZONE EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE SAID CARBONACEOUS ELECTRODE AND LESS THAN TO THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF THE ELECTROLYTIC BATH, CONDUCTING SAID GASES ADJACENT TO AT LEAST ONE RELATIVELY LIMITED AREA OF THE BATH SURFACE, SAID AREA BEING WITHIN THE SAID GAS COLLECTING ZONE AND COMPRISING A PORTION OF THE BATH SURFACE WITHIN THE SAID ZONE, ADMIXING AN OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS WITH THE SAID GASES, BURNING SAID GASEOUS ADMIXTURE ADJACENT TO THE SAID AREA OF BATH SURFACE TO FACILITATE THE RETENTION THEREOF IN A SUBSTANTIALLY MOLTEN STATE, THE SAID AREA BEING ADAPTED FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF MATERIAL TO AND FROM THE SAID ELECTROLYTIC BATH AT THE SAID AREA, AND MAINTAINING THE CONDITIONS OF ELECTROLYSIS SUCH THAT THE BATH SURFACE, EXTERNALLY OF THE SAID GAS COLLECTING ZONE, IS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY SOLIDIFIED STATE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PERFORMING AN ELECTOLYTIC PROCESS INVOLVING THE EVOLUTION OF COMBUSTIBLE GASES IN A CELL HAVING A CARBONACEOUS ELECTRODE AND A MOLTEN ELECTROLYTIC BATH HAVING A SURFACE MANIFESTING A TENDENCY TO CRUST FORMATION, WHICH COMPRISES COLLECTING THE GASES EVOLVED BY THE ELECTROLYSIS IN A ZONE DIRECTLY ABOVE THE BATH SURFACE, THE SAID GAS COLLECTING ZONE EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE SAID CARBONACEOUS ELECTRODE AND LESS THAN TO THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF THE ELECTROLYTIC BATH, CONDUCTING SAID GASES ADJACENT TO AT LEAST ONE RELATIVELY LIMITED AREA OF THE BATH SURFACE, SAID AREA BEING WITHIN THE SAID GAS COLLECTING ZONE AND COMPRISING A PORTION OF THE BATH SURFACE WITHIN THE SAID ZONE, ADMIXING AN OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS WITH THE SAID GASES, BURNING SAID GASEOUS ADMIXTURE ADJACENT TO THE SAID AREA OF BATH SURFACE TO FACILITATE THE RETENTION THEREOF IN A SUBSTANTIALLY MOLTEN STATE, THE SAID AREA BEING ADAPTED FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF MATERIAL TO AND FROM THE SAID ELECTROLYTIC BATH AT THE SAID AREA, AND MAINTAINING THE CONDITIONS OF ELECTROLYSIS SUCH THAT THE BATH SURFACE, EXTERNALLY OF THE SAID GAS COLLECTING ZONE, IS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY SOLIDIFIED STATE.