Reversible electrochemical coulometer

Claim 1

AN ELECTROCHEMICAL COULOMETER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A TUBULAR CHAMBER, A BASE PORTION, A GENERALLY CONICAL PORTION EXTENDING INTO THE CHAMBER FROM THE BASE PORTION, SAID BASE AND CONICAL PORTIONS PROVIDING A CLOSURE FOR ONE END OF THE CHAMBER, AN UPWARDLY SLOPING PORTION GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE CONICAL PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE TUBULAR CHAMBER PROVIDING FOR ANOTHER END OF THE CHAMBER, AN APERTURE IN THE UPWARDLY SLOPING PORTION, A FILL TUBE EXTENDING FROM THE APERTURE FOR FILLING SAID CHAMBER WITH AN ELECTROLYTE, AT LEAST A PAIR OF ELECTRODES EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CONICAL PORTION AND INTO SAID CHAMBER, ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES HAVING A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF METAL PLATED THEREON FOR TRANSFER TO THE ELECTROLYTE AND FROM THE ELECTROLYTE TO THE OTHER ELECTRODE, AN ELECTROLYTE SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SAID CHAMBER FOR CONDUCTING ELECTROLYSIS BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES, AND FORMING AN EXPANSION BUBBLE WITHIN SAID CHAMBER FOR PREVENTING DAMAGE TO THE COULOMETER DUE TO EXPANSION OF THE ELECTROLYTE, AND SAID CONICAL PORTION AND SAID UPWARDLY SLOPING PORTION PREVENTING SAID BUBBLE FROM CONTACTING THE ELECTRODES IN ANY ORIENTATION OF THE COULOMETER.