Mercury vertical cathode electrolytic cell

Claim 1

IN A MERCURY VERTICAL CATHODE ELECTROLYTIC CELL ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A FLUID-TIGHT, BOX-LIKE STRUCTURE, CATHODE SUPPORTS HAVING A MERCURY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, GRAPHITE ANODES, ELECTROLYTE INLET AND DISCHARGE MEANS, VENT GAS AND MERCURY REMOVING MEANS, AND MEANS TO IMPRRESS AN ELECTROLYTIC CURRENT BETWEEN THE ANODES AND CATHODES THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES; (A) AT LEAST ONE BI-POLAR ELECTRODE STURCTURE CONTAINING A MULTIPLICITY OF GRAPHITE ANODES AND CATHODE SUPPORTS, EACH OF SAID ANODES BEING ATTACHED TO THE SAME FACE OF AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING BACKING PLATE AND EACH OF SAID CATHODE SUPPORTS BENG ATTACHED TO THE OPPOSITE FACE OF SAID BACKING PLATE, SAID ANODES AND CATHODE SUPPORTS BEING IN SPACED APART RELTIONSHIP AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE FACES OF SAID BACKING PLATE, EACH ANODE HAVING A TUBULAR COLLECTOR MEMBER POSITIONED ALONG ITS TOP EDGE, SAID COLLECTOR PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF THE CELL AND THE ELECTROLYTE AND GAS VENTING MEANS, EACH CATHODE SUPPORT FITTED WITH A SPREADER BAR EXTENDING ALONG THE LENGTH OF ITS TOP EDGE AND THE BOTTOM OF EACH OF SAID CATHODE SUPPORTS COMMUNICATING WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE CELL, A POROUS DIAPHRAGM COVERING SAID ANODES AND TUBULAR COLLECTOR MEMBERS AND SEPARATING SAID ANODES AND TUBULAR COLLECTOR MEMBERS FROM SAID CATHODE SUPPORTS, SAID BI-POLAR ELECTRODE STRUCTURE POSITIONED IN SAID CELL BODY BY MEANS OF SAID COMMON BACKING PLATE ATTACHED TO TOP AND BOTTOM FRAME MEMBERS OF SAID CELL BODY, AND (B) A MERCURY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM COMPRIISING AN OPENTOP BOX-LIKE MEMBER INERT TO BRINE AND MERCURY HAVING A MULTIPLICITY OF SAPCED PERFORATIONS ARRANGED IN A SERIES OF ROWS AT SPACED APRAT INERVALS ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX, EACH ROW OF SAID SPACED PERFORATIONS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX, A CONDUIT MEANS FOR INTRODUCING MERCURY TO SAID BOX, SAID CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH A MERCURY SUPPLY, SAID MERCURY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM POSITONED IN SAID CELL ABOVE SAID BI-POLAR ELECTRODE STRUCTURE SUCH THAT EACH ROW OF PERFORATIONS IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID BOX IS ABOVE A MERCURY SPREADER BAR ON A CATHODE SUPPORT.