Mercury cathode electrolytic cell

Claim 1

IN AN ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS HAVING A MERCURY CATHODE FOR THE ELECTROLYSIS OF ELECTROLYTIC SOLUTIONS, A ROTATING HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL SHAFT DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY, A PLURALITY OF CIRCULAR PLATES ATTACHED TO SAID SHAFT ALONG ITS AXIS, ANODE FRAMES SUSPENDING ANODES ABOVE EACH OF SAID PLATES, SAID ANODES BEING STATIONARY, DISPOSED RADIALLY AROUND SAID HOLLOW SHAFT AND PROVIDED WITH ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS AT THEIR PERIPHERAL SIDES, A SHELL ENCLOSING SAID SHAFT. PLATES AND ANODES, HYDRAULIC SEALS AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF SAID SHELL BETWEEN SAID SHELL AND SAID ROTATING SHAFT, MEANS IN SAID SHELL FOR INTRODUCING AN ELECTROLYTIC SOLUTION AND MERCURY ONTO EACH OF SAID PLATES, MERCURY DISTRIBUTION MEANS FOR PROVIDING EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF MERCURY TO SAID INTRODUCING MEANS, MEANS AT THE TOP OF SAID SHELL FOR WITHDRAWING GASEOUS PRODUCT, MEANS IN SAID SHAFT FOR WITHDRAWING AMALGAM FROM EACH OF SAID PLATES INTO THE HOLLOW CENTER OF SAID SHAFT, MEANS AT THE UPPER END OF SAID SHAFT FOR INTRODUCING CAUSTIC WASH WATER, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID WASH WATER AT A CONSTANT LEVEL IN SAID HOLLOW SHAFT, MEANS IN SAID SHAFT FOR WITHDRAWING WASH WATER, MEANS AT THE LOWER END OF SAID SHAFT FOR WITHDRAWING AMALGAM, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING AN INERT GAS INTO SAID HOLLOW SHAFT TO PLACE A BACKPRESSURE ON SAID AMALGAM AND CAUSE MERCURY TO OVERFLOW SAID PLATES AND FLOW TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF SAID SHELL, MEANS IN SAID SHELL FOR WITHDRAWING SPENT SOLUTION AT A POINT BELOW SAID PLATES, COMPRISING AN OUTLET FOR SAID SPENT ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION, AN OUTLET FOR MERCURY, AN OUTLET FOR EVOLVED GASES, AND MEANS, FOR PREVENTING EVOLVED GASES TO ENTER THE ELECTROLYSIS ZONE, HYDRAULIC SEAL MEANS BETWEEN SAID ROTATING SHAFT AND SAID AMALGAM WITHDRAWAL MEANS, MEANS FOR RAISING THE LOWER END OF SAID SHAFT AND DECREASING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN CATHODES AND ANODES, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT, SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID CELL, AND ELECTRICAL CATHODE CONTACT MEANS.