Electrolytic cell including cathode busbar structure, cathode fingers, and anode base

Claim 1

AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL COMPRISING A CATHODE BUSBAR STRUCTURE, CATHODE FINGERS HAVING A CATHODE FINGER STRUCTURE, AND AN ANODE BASE STRUCTURE WHEREIN: I. SAID CATHODE BUSBAR STRUCTURE COMPRISES AT LEAST ONE LEAD-IN BUSBAR AND PLURALITY OF BUSBAR STRIPS WHICH HAVE DIFFERENT RELATIVE DIMENSIONS, SAID LEAD-IN BUSBAR AND SAID PLURALITY OF BUSBAR STRIPS ARE FABRICATED FROM A HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE METAL AND ARE POSITIONED IN SUCH A CONFIGURATION WHEREIN THE LEAD-IN BUSBAR AND THE PLURALITY OF BUSBAR STRIPS ARE ADAPTED TO CARRY AN ELECTRIC CURRENT AND TO MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM CURRENT DENSITY THROUGH THE CATHODE BUSBAR STRUCTURE FROM ELECTRICAL CONTACT POINTS ADJACENT TO THE CATHODE FINGERS WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT VOLTAGE DROP ACROSS THE CATHODE BUSBAR STRUCTURE AND WITH THE MOST ECONOMICAL POWER CONSUMPTION IN THE CATHODE BUSBAR STRUCTURE, SAID CATHODE BUSBAR STRUCTURE IS ATTACHED IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT TO AT LEAST ONE SIDEWALL OF A CATHODE WALLED ENCLOSURE FABRICATED FROM A CONDUCTIVE METAL AND HAVING SIDEWALLS, SAID CATHODE WALLED ENCLOSURE THEREIN CONTAINS A PLURALITY OF CATHODE FINGERS; II. SAID CATHODE FINGERS HAVING A CATHODE FINGER STRUCTURE WHICH COMPRISES A CONDUCTIVE METAL CATHODE FINGER REINFORCING MEANS, LENGTHS OF HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE METAL POSITIONED IN THE CATHODE FINGER STRUCTURE, AND FORAMINOUS CONDUCTIVE METAL MEANS ATTACHED TO THE CATHODE FINGER REINFORCING MEANS THEREBY FORMING THE EXTERIOR OF THE CATHODE FINGER STRUCTURE AND PROVIDING GAS COMPARTMENT SPACE INSIDE THE CATHODE FINGER STRUCTURE, SAID LENGTHS OF HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE METAL ARE POSITIONED IN THE CATHODE FINGER STRUCTURE IN SUCH A CONFIGURATION WHEREBY THE LENGTHS OF HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE METAL ARE ADAPTED TO CARRY AN ELECTRIC CURRENT AND TO MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM CURRENT DENSITY THROUGH THE CATHODE FINGERS WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT VOLTAGE DROP ACROSS THE CATHODE FINGERS AND WITH THE MOST ECONOMICAL POWER CONSUMPTION IN THE CATHODE FINGERS, SAID CATHODE FINGER STRUCTURE THUS PROVIDES A STRUCTURE FOR THE CATHODE FINGERS, SAID CATHODE WALLED ENCLOSURE THEREIN CONTAINS A PLURALITY OF CATHODE FINGERS WHICH EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY ACROSS THE INTERIOR OF THE CATHODE WALLED ENCLOSURE AND THE CATHODE FINGERS ARE ATTACHED IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT TO AT LEAST ONE INTERIOR SIDEWALL OF THE CATHODE WALLED ENCLOSURE, SAID CATHODE BUSBAR STRUCTURE IS ATTACHED IN ELECTRICAL CONTACT TO THE EXTERIOR SIDEWALL OF THE CATHODE WALLED ENCLOSURE ON THE SIDEWALL ADJACENT TO THE ATTACHED CATHODE FINGERS; III. SAID ANODE BASE STRUCTURE COMPRISES A HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE METAL MEANS HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT AND LEVEL SURFACE AND HAVING A DECREASED CROSS-SECTION AS IT EXTENDS AWAY FROM THE ANODE OR INTERCELL CONNECTING BUSBAR MEANS TO FORM THE CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE OF A SUBSTANTIALLY STAIRSTEPPED TRUNCATED RIGHT TRIANGLE, SAID HIGHLY CONDUCTIVE METAL MEANS HAS SUCH A CONFIGURATION AND DIFFERENT RELATIVE DIMENSIONS WHEREBY IT IS ADAPTED TO CARRY AN ELECTRIC CURRENT AND TO MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM CURRENT DENSITY THROUGH THE ANODE BASE STRUCTURE TO ELECTRICAL CONTACT POINTS ADJACENT TO THE ANODE BLADES WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT VOLTAGE DROP ACROSS THE ANODE BASE STRUCTURE AND WITH THE MOST ECONOMICAL POWER CONSUMPTION IN THE ANODE BASE STRUCTURE.