Electrolytic cell including a starting cathode having an integral supporting means

Claim 1

IN AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL FOR THE ELECTRODEPOSITION OF METAL COMPRISING AN ANODE AND A CATHODE STARTING SHEET HAVING A BODY CONSTITUTING A DEPOSIT AREA FOR IMMERSION IN AN ELECTROLYTE, A CATHODE BAR FOR SUPPORTING THE CATHODE STARTING SHEET, MEANS FOR HANGING SAID STARTING SHEET FROM THE BAR, AND MEANS SUPPORTING THE CATHODE BAR TO MAINTAIN SAID STARTING SHEET IMMERSED IN AN ELECTROLYTE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING AS THE CATHODE STARTING SHEET BAR HANGING MEANS INTEGRAL LOOP MEANS AT THE UPPER EDGE OF THE CATHODE STARTING SHEET BODY, SAID LOOP MEANS HAVING A PORTION CONSTITUTING AN INTEGRAL EXTENSION OF SAID STARTING SHEET BODY AND INCLUDING AT LEAST THREE TONGUES EXTENDING GENERALLY IN THE SAME DIRECTION, SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER THEREBY DEFINING SLOTS THEREBETWEEN, AND BENT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO FORM SIDE BY SIDE LOOP TONGUES, THE CATHODE BAR BEING DISPOSED IN SAID LOOP MEANS, AND JOINT MEANS SECURING A FREE END OF THE LOOP MEANS INTEGRAL EXTENSION SURROUNDING SAID BAR TO SAID SHEET, SAID JOINT MEANS BEING DISPOSED ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE ELECTROLYTE, WHEREBY SAID SHEET IS SUSPENDED TRULY SYMMETRICALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID CATHODE BAR AND ENTRAPMENT OF ELECTROLYTE BETWEEN METAL LAYERS AT THE JOINT IS ELIMINATED WITH ATTENDANT ELIMINATION OF IMPURITIES ADDITION TO THE ELECTRODEPOSITED METAL.