Suspension of anodic casings in cells for the electrolytic production of aluminum

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING METAL BY ELECTROLYSIS IN A FUSED BATH, INCLUDING A POT STRUCTURE CONSTITUTING A CATHODE, AN ANODE OF THE CONTINUOUS TYPE, A CASING FOR SAID ANODE MOUNTED INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID POT STRUCTURE FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO, A VERTICALLY MOVABLE SUSPENSION BEAM ABOVE SAID CASING, AND CONTACT ROD SUSPENDING SAID ANODE FROM SAID BEAM; A SUSPENSION SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING SAID CASING FROM SAID BEAM AND CAPABLE OF MAINTAINING SAID CASING APPROXIAMATELY AT A DESIRED CONSTANT POSITION OF ELEVATION RELATIVE TO SAID POT STRUCTURE DURING VERTICAL DISPLACEMENTS OF SAID ANODE AND OF SAID SUSPENSION BEAM, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING POLYGONAL LINKAGE MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF COPLANAR LINKING MEMBERS CONVERGING TO FORM A PLURALITY OF PIVOTED JOINTS, ONE OF SAID PIVOTED JOINTS BEING ATTACHED TO A FIXED SUPPORT APART FROM SAID BEAM, A SECOND OF SAID PIVOT JOINTS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID ANODIC BEAM, AND A THIRD OF SAID PIVOT JOINTS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID CASING, AND MEANS ARRANGING SAID LINKING MEMBERS OF SAID LINKAGE MEANS FOR TRANSLATING VERTICAL MOTION INTO MOTION COMPONENTS ACTING AT LEAST PARTIALLY IN A NON-VERTICAL DIRECTION SO THAT VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CASING WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY NEGLIGIBLE FOR A CONSIDERABLE VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ANODIC BEAM.