Electrolytic reduction furnace constructions and method

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING AN ELECTROLYTIC REDUCTION FURNACE HAVING AN ANODE FORMED WITH A CURRENT CARRYING CARBONIFEROUS SHELL MOUNTED TO TURN ON A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED AXIS AND FITTED IN OPERATIVE RELATION TO IMMERSE A FIRST SURFACE PORTION OF SAID SHELL IN AN ELECTROLYTIC BATH CONTAINED IN A TROUGH PORTION OF A CATHODE AND TO POSITION A SECOND SURFACE PORTION OF SAID SHELL ACCESSIBLY FOR REBUILDING, SAID FIRST AND SECOND ANODE SHELL SURFACE PORTIONS BEING OF SIMILAR PREDETERMINED SHAPE AND SUBSTANTIALLY CONFORMING TO SAID CATHODE TROUGH PORTION, THE STEPS OF OPERATING SAID FURNACE WITH THE ANODE AT REST AND WITH SAID FIRST SHELL SURFACE PORTION IN REGISTER WITH AND AT A DESIRED SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM GAP DISTANCE FROM SAID CATHODE TROUGH PORTION AND IMMERSED IN SAID BATH AT A REQUIRED NORMALLY HIGH OPERTING TEMPERATURE FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME INTERVAL UNTIL SAID FIRST SHELL SURFACE PORTION IS CONSUMED TO A DESIRED RELATIVELY SHALLOW DEPTH, ROTATING SAID ANODE ON SAID AXIS THROUGH AN INCREMENT OF AT LEAST 120* OF ARC TO IMMERSE SAID SECOND SHELL SURFACE PORTION IN SAID BATH IN REGISTER WITH AND AT A DESIRED SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM GAP DISTANCE FROM SAID CATHODE TROUGH PORTION AND TO SIMULTANEOUSLY POSITION SAID CONSUMED FIRST SHELL SURFACE PORTION ACCESSIBLY FOR REBUILDING, COATING SAID CONSUMED FIRST SHELL SURFACE PORTION WITH A CARBONIFEROUS PASTE TO REBUILD SAID CONSUMED LAYER FORMING A REFINISHED SURFACE, PARTIALLY CURING SAID REFINISHED SURFACE TO SEMI-HARDNESS BY HEAT RADIATION FROM SAID FURNACE WHILE SAID SECOND SHELL SURFACE PORTION IS BEING CONSUMED BY THE OPERATION OF THE FURNACE, AND THEREAFTER ROTATING SAID ANODE TO REPLACE IN THE BATH IN OPERATIVE POSITION SAID CONSUMED SECOND SHELL SURFACE PORTION BY SAID FIRST REFINISHED PARTIALLY CURED PORTION, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY "FRYING" THE LATTER TO A CURRENT CONDUCTING HARDENED CRUST.