Vertical mercury cathode electrolytic cell with diaphragm enclosed perforated cathode support

Claim 1

IN A MERCURY VERTICAL CATHODE CELL, A TWO PIECE SHELLLIKE CELL BODY JOINABLE IN A FLUID TIGHT SEAL TO FORM A CELL CAVITY, SAID BODY PIECES HAVING THE INNER WALLS AT THE BOTTOM WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF OBSTRUCTIONS AND WHICH SLOPE INWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO THE HORIZONTAL AXIS TO FORM A TROUGH-SHAPED BOTTOM WITHIN THE CELL BODY, SAID SLOPING WALLS AND RESULTING TROUGHSHAPED BOTTOM BEING INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO THE HORIZONTAL AXIS TOWARDS AN OUTLET IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CELL BODY, A PLURALITY OF RECTANGULAR LEAF-LIKE CATHODE SUPPORTS ATTACHED BY AT LEAST ONE EDTE SUBSTANIALLY PERPENDICULARLY TO ONE PIECE OF SAID CELL BODY, AND CATHODE SUPPORTS BEING PLATS OF FERRUGINOUS MATERIAL HAVING A THICKNESS OF BETWEEN 3/64 INCH AND 1/8 INCH, SAID PLATES HAVING AN ARRAY OF PERFORATIONS WHICH ARE STAGGERED WITH RESPECT TO ADJACENT PERFORTIONS BUT ARE SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED OVER THE SIDE SURFACES OF THE PLATES, SAID PERFORATIONS HAVING A DIAMETER EQUAL TO BETWEEN 3/4 AND 1 1/2 TIMES THE THICKNESS OF SAID PLATE, THE AREA OF THE ARRAY BEING BEING 10 PERCENT AND 50 PERCENT OF THE AREA OF THE SIDE SURFACES OF THE PLATE, A PLURALITY OF RECTANGULAR LEAF-LIKE ANODE MEMBERS ATTACHED SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULARLY BY AT LEAST ONE EDGE TO THE SECOND PIECE OF SAID CELL BODY, SAID CATHODE SUPPORTS AND ANODE MEMBERS BEING ATTACHED TO THE RESPECTIVE BODY PIECES IN A PREDETERMINED SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP SUCH THAT THE LEAF-LIKE CATHODE SUPPORTS ARE DISPOSED BETWEEN THE LEAF-LIKE ANODE MEMBERS, SAID CATHODE SUPPORTS AND ANODE MEMBERS BEING ATTACHED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE BODY PIECES AT A DISTANCE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE PIECES TO THEREBY PROVIDE A SPACE BETWEEN THE BOTTOMS OF THE CATHODE SUPPORTS AND ANODE MEMBERS AND THE SLOPING BOTTOM OF THE CELL CAVITY, A DIAPHRAGM BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID CATHODE SUPPORTS AND ANODE MEMBERS, SAID DIAPHRAGM ENCLOSING THE CATHODE SUPPORT AT THE TOP AND BEING OPEN AT THE BOTTOM TO THEREBY PROVIDE COMMUNICATION OF THE CATHODE SUPPORT WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE CELL, SAID DIAPHRAGM ENCLOSING THE BOTTOM OF THE ANODES AND BEING OPEN AT THE TOP OF THE ANODES TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATION OF THE ANODE WITH THE TOP TO THE CELL, MEANS TO INTRODUCE ELECTROLYET BETWEEN THE DIAPHRAGM AND CATHODE SUPPORTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CATHODE SUPPORTS, MEANS TO DISCHARGE THE ELECTOLYTE FROM BETWEEN THE ANODE MEMBERS AND THE DIAPHRAGM FROM THE TOP OF THE ANODES, MEANS TO FLOW AMALGAM OVER THE CATHODE SUPPORTS MEANS TO VENT GASES FROM THE CELL, AND MEANS TO IMPRESS AN ELECTROLYSIS CURRENT BETWEEN SAID ANODE MEMBERS AND SAID CATHODE.