Fused salt electrolytic cell for the production of refractory metals

Claim 1

IN AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE ADAPTED TO CONTAIN AN ELECTROLYTE, THE COMBINATION INCLUDING: AN ANODE; A FIXED TUBULAR CATHODE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING ELECTRIC CURRENT TO SAID ANODE AND CATHODE; MEANS INCLUDING SAID TUBULAR CATHODE ARRANGED TO FEED A VAPOROUS HALIDE OF A REFRACTORY METAL INTO SAID ELECTROLYTE ADJACENT SAID CATHODE TO FORM READILY DISPLACEABLE MASSES OF POROUS REFRACTORY METAL CONTINUOUSLY ON SAID CATHODE; CATHODE STRIPPING MEANS IN SAID CELL COMPRISING A MEMBER ENGAGED AROUND SAID CATHODE AND MOVABLE RELATIVE THERETO; MEANS ARRANGED TO ACTUATE SAID STRIPPING MEMBER TO SUCCESSIVELY STRIP MASSES OF POROUS REFRACTORY METAL FROM SAID CATHODE; AND METAL COLLECTING MEANS COMPRISING AN AIR-TIGHT COLLECTING-AND-STORAGE CHAMBER ARRANGED EXTERIORLY OF SAID CELL RECEPTACLE, A PASSAGE SEALED FROM THE ATMOSPHERE AND EXTENDING FROM A POINT IN SAID CELL BENEATH SAID CATHODE TO SAID COLLECTING-ANDSTORAGE CHAMBER, AND A BASKET MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID PASSAGE, SAID BASKET HAVING A HANDLE ARRANGED TO BE OPERATED FROM A POINT EXTERIORLY OF SAID CELL TO MOVE SAID BASKET IN SAID PASSAGE TO AND FROM A POSITION BENEATH SAID FIXED CATHODE, THEREBY TO RECEIVE THE REFRACTORY METAL STRIPPED FROM SAID CATHODE AND TO CARRY SAID METAL OUT OF SAID ELECTROLYTE INTO SAID AIR-TIGHT COLLECTING-AND-STORAGE CHAMBER.