Continuous carbon electrode

Claim 1

A METHOD OF FORMING A CONTINUOUS CARBON ELECTRODE IN A OPERATING ELECTROLYTIC FURNACE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALUMINUM FROM MOLTEN ALUMINA-CONTAINING ELECTROLYTE, SAID FURNACE HAVING A CAPACITY OF AT LEAST 50,000 AMPERES, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF HOLDING IN AN ELECTROLYTIC FURNACE A LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK IN A POSITION IN WHICH ITS LOWER PORTION REACHES INTO HOT MOLTEN ELECTROLYTE IN SAID FURNACE AND ITS UPPER FACE EXTENDS HORIZONTALLY AND IS SPACED FROM THE MOLTEN ELECTROLYTE ABOVE THE SAME; PLACING ON SAID HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING UPPER FACE OF SAID LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK WHILE THE SAME IS HELD IN SAID POSITION IN SAID FURFACE AN UPPER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK WITH A LAYER OF UNBURNT CARBONACEOUS BINDER MATERIAL IN PLASTIC CONDITION HAVING A THICKNESS OF AT LEAST 5 MM. AND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AN INTIMATE MIXTURE OF A CARBONIZABLE BINDER COMPOSITION AND OF CARBON PARTICLES HAVING A MAXIMUM SIZE OF ABOUT 3 MM. INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCKS; ENGAGING SAID LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK BY FIRST SUPPORTING AND LOWERING MEANS; DISCONTINUING HOLDING OF SAID LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK IN SAID POSITION THEREOF; LOWERING SAID LOWERING PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK BY SAID FIRST SUPPORTING AND LOWERING MEANS WITH SAID UPPER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK PLACED THEREON, WHEREBY SAID LAYER OF CARBONACEOUS BINDER MATERIAL REACHES WITHIN SAID FURNACE A ZONE SUFFICIENTLY HOT TO CARBONIZE AND HARDEN SAID BINDER MATERIAL AND TO THEREBY FIRMLY CONNECT SAID ELECTRODE BLOCKS TO EACH OTHER; SUPPORTING SAID UPPER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK AT LEAST AFTER SAID LOWERING OF SAID LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK BY SECOND SUPPORTING AND LOWERING MEANS; DISCONTINUING ENGAGEMENT OF SAID LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK BY SECOND FIRST SUPPORTING AND OWERING MEANS; AND FURTHER LOWERING SAID ELECTRODE BLOCKS FIRMLY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER BY SAID SECOND SUPPORTING AND LOWERING MEANS ENGAGING ONLY SAID UPPER PREBURNT CARBON BLOCK.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF FORMING A CONTINUOUS CARBON ELECTRODE IN A OPERATING ELECTROLYTIC FURNACE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALUMINUM FROM MOLTEN ALUMINA-CONTAINING ELECTROLYTE, SAID FURNACE HAVING A CAPACITY OF AT LEAST 50,000 AMPERES, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF HOLDING IN AN ELECTROLYTIC FURNACE A LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK IN A POSITION IN WHICH ITS LOWER PORTION REACHES INTO HOT MOLTEN ELECTROLYTE IN SAID FURNACE AND ITS UPPER FACE EXTENDS HORIZONTALLY AND IS SPACED FROM THE MOLTEN ELECTROLYTE ABOVE THE SAME; PLACING ON SAID HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING UPPER FACE OF SAID LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK WHILE THE SAME IS HELD IN SAID POSITION IN SAID FURFACE AN UPPER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK WITH A LAYER OF UNBURNT CARBONACEOUS BINDER MATERIAL IN PLASTIC CONDITION HAVING A THICKNESS OF AT LEAST 5 MM. AND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AN INTIMATE MIXTURE OF A CARBONIZABLE BINDER COMPOSITION AND OF CARBON PARTICLES HAVING A MAXIMUM SIZE OF ABOUT 3 MM. INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCKS; ENGAGING SAID LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK BY FIRST SUPPORTING AND LOWERING MEANS; DISCONTINUING HOLDING OF SAID LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK IN SAID POSITION THEREOF; LOWERING SAID LOWERING PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK BY SAID FIRST SUPPORTING AND LOWERING MEANS WITH SAID UPPER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK PLACED THEREON, WHEREBY SAID LAYER OF CARBONACEOUS BINDER MATERIAL REACHES WITHIN SAID FURNACE A ZONE SUFFICIENTLY HOT TO CARBONIZE AND HARDEN SAID BINDER MATERIAL AND TO THEREBY FIRMLY CONNECT SAID ELECTRODE BLOCKS TO EACH OTHER; SUPPORTING SAID UPPER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK AT LEAST AFTER SAID LOWERING OF SAID LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK BY SECOND SUPPORTING AND LOWERING MEANS; DISCONTINUING ENGAGEMENT OF SAID LOWER PREBURNT CARBON ELECTRODE BLOCK BY SECOND FIRST SUPPORTING AND OWERING MEANS; AND FURTHER LOWERING SAID ELECTRODE BLOCKS FIRMLY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER BY SAID SECOND SUPPORTING AND LOWERING MEANS ENGAGING ONLY SAID UPPER PREBURNT CARBON BLOCK.