Cells for the production of chlorine from hydrochloric acid

Claim 1

IN A BIOPOLAR ELECTROLYTIC CELL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CHLORINE AND HYDROGEN FROM HYDROCHLORIC ACID, A FILTER PRESS CONSTRUCTION CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF INTERMEDIATE CELL UNITS, A CATHODIC END SECTION, AN ANODIC END SECTION AND MEANS TO PRESS SAID END SECTIONS AND INTERMEDIATE CELL UNITS TOGETHER IN FLUID TIGHT CONTACT, MEANS TO IMPRESS AN ELECTRIC CURRENT ACROSS THE CELL, EACH INTERMEDIATE CELL UNIT COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR OPEN FRAME, A BIPOLAR GRAPHITE PLATE ELECTRODE FITTED IN SAID FRAME AND ACTING AS A CATHODE ON ONE SIDE THEREOF AND AS AN ANODE ON THE OTHER SIDE THEREOF, SAID GRAPHITE PLATE HAVING VERTICAL GROOVES ON THE SIDE FORMING THE CATHODE FACE, A RIGID IMPERVIOUS VERTICAL DIVIDER PARTITION ON THE SIDE FORMING THE CATHODE FACE OF SAID FRAME AND INTEGRAL THEREWITH AND HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR SHAPE, SAID DIVIDER PARTITION EXTENDING DOWNWARD A SUBSTANTIALLY MINOR PART OF THE VERTICAL DIMENSION OF SAID FRAME, WHEREBY A SPACE IS FORMED BETWEEN SAID PARTITION AND THE SIDE FORMING THE CATHODIC FACE OF SAID GRAPHITE PLATE ENCLOSED EXCEPT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SPACE, A DIAPHRAGM FITTED TO THE LOWER TRANSVERSE EDGE OF SAID RIGID DIVIDER PARTITION AND EXTENDING OVER THE ENTIRE FACE OF SAID RECTANGULAR OPEN FRAME, WHEREIN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE SIDE FORMING THE CATHODIC FACE OF SAID GRAPHITE PLATE AND SAID DIAPHRAGM DEFINES A CATHODE CHAMBER AND THE SPACE BETWEEN THE SIDE FORMING THE ANODE FACE OF SAID GRAPHITE PLATE AND THE NEXT ADJACENT DIAPHRAGM DEFINES AN ANODE CHAMBER, A BROKEN GRAPHITE FILLING IN SAID ANODE CHAMBER, PASSAGES EXTENDING IN THE LONGITIDUNAL DIRECTION OF THE CELL IN THE UPPER AND LOWER CORNERS OF SAID FRAME, OPENINGS FROM EACH ANODIC CHAMBER INTO ONE OF SAID UPPER LONGITUDINAL PASSAGES FOR THE PASSAGE OF HYDROGEN AND SPENT ACID, TRANSVERSE PASSAGES IN ONE OF SAID END SECTIONS CONNECTING WITH SAID LONGITUDINAL UPPER PASSAGE FOR THE PASSAGE OF HYDROGEN AND SPENT ACID FROM SAID CELL, OPENINGS FROM EACH CATHODIC CHAMBER INTO THE OPPOSITE UPPER LONGITUDINAL PASSAGE INTO SAID ANODE CHAMBERS FOR HYDROCHLORIC ACID, A MANIFOLD CONNECTING WITH OPENINGS IN SAID ANODIC AND CATHODIC END SECTIONS FOR FEEDING HYDROCHLORIC ACID INTO SAID CELL, OUTLETS CONNECTING WITH SAID TRANSVERSE PASSAGES FOR WITHDRAWAL OF HYDROGEN, SPENT ACID AND CHLORINE, CONDUITS CONNECTED WITH SAID OUTLETS AND TO A SINGLE SPENT ACID DISCHARGE CONDUIT HAVING AN OVERFLOW CONDUIT, SAID OVERFLOW CONDUIT BEING OF SUCH HEIGHT TO PROVIDE A LIQUID SEAL BETWEEN SAID HYDROGEN AND CHLORINE OUTLETS AND TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF ELECTROLYTE IN THE CELL ABOVE THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID DIVIDER, SAID CONDUITS BEING PROVIDED AT THE RESPECTIVE OUTLETS WITH A BRANCH COUPLING TO PROVIDE FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF HYDROGEN AND CHLORINE, A NEGATIVE BUS BAR ADJACENT THE CATHODIC SECTION AND FLEXIBLE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SAID BUS BARS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE END SECTIONS.