Machine for picking and distributing aluminum oxide into electrolytic cells

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION OF ALUMINUM BY ELECTROYLYTIC METHODS WHEREIN A PLURALITY OF CELLS ARE ARRANGED IN A HOUSING AND WHEREIN A CRUST FORMS ON THE CELL BATHS IN NORMAL OPERATION, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING MEANS FOR PIERCING THE CRUST DURING FEEDING OF ALUMINUM OXIDE TO VARIOUS ONES OF THE CELL BATHS AND TO VARIOUS PORTIONS OF EACH CELL BATH, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A PNEUMATIC PICK, A FEED HOUSING FASTENED TO SAID PICK TO FORM A PART THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE ALUMINUM OXIDE, THE OUTLET FOR SAID HOUSING BEING DIRECTED WHEREBY THE ALUMINUM OXIDE THEREIN WILL BE FED TO THE AREA OF SAID CRUST WHICH IS BROKEN BY SAID PICK, MEANS FOR FEEDING ALUMINUM OXIDE TO SAID HOUSING, MEANS FOR RELEALSING ALUMINUM OXIDE FROM SAID HOUSING THROUGH SAID OUTLET INTO THE OPENING PREVIOUSLY FORMED BY THE PICK, SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS BEING OPERATIVE TO RELEASE SAID OXIDE AS SOON AS SAID OPENING IS FORMED, MEANS FOR MOVING THE PICK AND HOUSING TOGETHER INTO VARIOUS POSITIONS ABOVE THE CELL BATHS, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FEED OF ALUMINUM OXIDE INTO AND OUT OF THE HOUSING AND FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF THE PNEUMATIC PICK, SAID MEANS FOR MOVING THE PICK AND HOUSING INCLUDING A SUPPORT IN THE FORM OF AN ARM MOUNTED FOR LINEAR MOVEMENT IN ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE CELL BATHS AND FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS ALIGNED WITH THE CENTER LINE OF THE LINE OF CELL BATHS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE PNEUMATIC PICK AND HOUSING FROM SAID ARM, AND INCLUDING A CONTROL PLATFORM INTEGRAL WITH AND ADJACENT THE PNEUMATIC PICK AND FEED HOUSING AND SHIFTABLE THEREWITH.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION OF ALUMINUM BY ELECTROYLYTIC METHODS WHEREIN A PLURALITY OF CELLS ARE ARRANGED IN A HOUSING AND WHEREIN A CRUST FORMS ON THE CELL BATHS IN NORMAL OPERATION, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING MEANS FOR PIERCING THE CRUST DURING FEEDING OF ALUMINUM OXIDE TO VARIOUS ONES OF THE CELL BATHS AND TO VARIOUS PORTIONS OF EACH CELL BATH, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A PNEUMATIC PICK, A FEED HOUSING FASTENED TO SAID PICK TO FORM A PART THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE ALUMINUM OXIDE, THE OUTLET FOR SAID HOUSING BEING DIRECTED WHEREBY THE ALUMINUM OXIDE THEREIN WILL BE FED TO THE AREA OF SAID CRUST WHICH IS BROKEN BY SAID PICK, MEANS FOR FEEDING ALUMINUM OXIDE TO SAID HOUSING, MEANS FOR RELEALSING ALUMINUM OXIDE FROM SAID HOUSING THROUGH SAID OUTLET INTO THE OPENING PREVIOUSLY FORMED BY THE PICK, SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS BEING OPERATIVE TO RELEASE SAID OXIDE AS SOON AS SAID OPENING IS FORMED, MEANS FOR MOVING THE PICK AND HOUSING TOGETHER INTO VARIOUS POSITIONS ABOVE THE CELL BATHS, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FEED OF ALUMINUM OXIDE INTO AND OUT OF THE HOUSING AND FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF THE PNEUMATIC PICK, SAID MEANS FOR MOVING THE PICK AND HOUSING INCLUDING A SUPPORT IN THE FORM OF AN ARM MOUNTED FOR LINEAR MOVEMENT IN ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE CELL BATHS AND FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS ALIGNED WITH THE CENTER LINE OF THE LINE OF CELL BATHS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE PNEUMATIC PICK AND HOUSING FROM SAID ARM, AND INCLUDING A CONTROL PLATFORM INTEGRAL WITH AND ADJACENT THE PNEUMATIC PICK AND FEED HOUSING AND SHIFTABLE THEREWITH.