Dissociable gaseous hydrocarbon anode for igneous electrolytic furnaces, particularly for aluminum-making

Claim 1

AN ANODE FOR AN ELECTROLYTIC FURNACE, OF THE TYPE ADAPTED TO BE FED WITH DISSOCIABLE GASEOUS HYDROCARBON AND IMMERSED IN THE FURNACE ELECTROLYTE, WHICH COMPRISES A STATIONARY METAL CASING CONSISTING OF A VERTICAL CYLINDER OPEN AT THE BOTTOM, A FLUID-TIGHT HORIZONTAL PLATE CLOSING THE TOP OF SAID METAL CASING, A POROUS ANODIC MASS ENCLOSED IN SAID CASING, METAL STUDS DISPOSED VERTICALLY IN SAID CASING AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HORIZONTAL PLATE IN A FLUID-TIGHT MANNER, SAID METAL STUDS BEING FORMED WITH AN AXIAL PASSAGE ADAPTED TO SUPPLY AT THE LOWER END OF SAID STUDS A GASEOUS HYDROCARBON UNDER PRESSURE, SAID STUDS ALSO SERVING AS MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE ANODIC MASS AND AS CURRENT LEAD-IN-TERMINALS, A CYLINDRICAL METAL SHEATH SECURED TO SAID HORIZONTAL PLATE AND SURROUNDING EACH OF SAID STUDS, THE LEVEL OF THE ANODIC MASS IN EACH SHEATH BEING CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE ANODIC MASS INCLUDED OUTSIDE SAID SHEATHS, THE LENGTH OF SAID SHEATHS BEING SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID STUDS, SAID POROUS ANODIC MASS SURROUNDING AND EXTENDING BELOW THE LOWER OPEN ENDS OF SAID STUDS AND SHEATHS.