Electrolytic cell for preparation of alloys of lead with alkaline metals

Claim 1

AN ELECTROLYSIS FURNACE APPARATUS FOR PREPARING AN ALLOY OF LEAD AND AN ALKALINE METAL BY ELECTROLYSIS OF A MOLTEN ALKALINE HALIDE ELECTROLYTE IN CONTACT WITH AN BETWEEN A MOLTEN LEAD CATHODE AND A CARBON ANODE, COMPRISING AN ELECTOLYSIS CELL HAVING A BOTTOM WALL, A COVER AND SIDE WALLS DEFINING A SINGLE CHAMBER, A DEPENDENT CARBON ANODE STRUCTURE EXTENDING INTO THE CELL THROUGH SAID COVER TO A POINT REMOVED FROM THE BOTTOM WALL, ELECTRIC CURRENT FEEDING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE ANODE, THE CELL HAVING AN OUTLET FOR GASES FORMED IN THE ELECTROLYSIS, THE CELL BEING ADAPTED TO RETAIN A BODY OF MOLTEN LEAD AND MOLTEN LEAD ALLOY IN ITS LOWER PART, ON SAID BOTTOM WALL, AND BEING ADAPTED SO THAT IN OPERATION THE MOLTEN LEAD AND LEAD ALLOY PROVIDE A CATHODE BELOW THE LOWER END OF THE CARBON ANODE, A LOWER PORTION OF THE CELL STRUCTURE PROVIDING A TRAP INTO WHICH MOLTEN LEAD FLOWS, THE TRAP BEING IN A LOCALITY FREE OF ANY ANODE, BEING REMOVED LATERALLY FROM THE LOWER END OF THE CARBON ANODE, THE TRAP HAVING A BOTTOM WALL WHICH IS BELOW THE LEVEL OF THAT ZONE OF THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE CELL OPPOSITE THE ANODE, SO AS TO ACCUMULATE IN THE TRAP SUCH SLAGS AS MANY FORM, DOWNWARDLY OPENING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL CONDUCIT MEANS FOR REMOVING MOLTEN LEAD ALLOY AND ACCUMULATED SLAG FROM SAID TRAP AT A LEVEL THEREOF BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE BOTTOM WALL ZONE OPPOSITE THE ANODE, SO THAT SUCKING OUT OF ALKALINE HALIDE ELECTROLYTE TOGETHER WITH THE ALLOY IS MINIMIZED.