Year: 1896

page_text: I, JOHN GUSTAF ADOLF RHODIN, of 104 Gilda Brook Road, Eccles, near Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Analytical Chemist and Electrical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved electrolyser or apparatus for use in electrolysis
and my object is to construct a cheap simple and efficient form of apparatus.
In constructing my improved apparatus I employ a cylindrical or other suitably
shaped vessel of earthenware or other suitable material with a flat base and open top.
On the inside of the bottom I form radial or other ribs or projections. Inside and
concentric with this vessel 1 fit a second vessel of earthenware or other suitable
material in the bottom of which are formed a series of tubes or hollow projections
in which are fitted a corresponding series of carbon rods all in metallic contact with
the positive pole of a dynamo or other source of electricity.
The tubes on the bottom of the second vessel project into a layer of mercury
covering the bottom of the first vessel and in metallic contact with the negative pole
of a dynamo or other source of electricity. A quantity of water or other suitable
liquid is placed on the mercury in the first vessel and in the interior of the second
vessel is placed a suitable electrolyte such as a solution of Chloride of Sodium or
Nitrate of Sodium or dilute Sulphuric Acid etc. The second vessel is closed by a
cover which is fastened to it and may be provided with an outlet pipe or passage
through which gases liberated during the electrolysis might escape. The second
vessel is fitted and provided with means whereby it may be rotated.
In operation when the second vessel is rotated and the tubes revolving with it
agitate the mercury which is prevented from rotating by the ribs or projections at
the bottom of the first vessel. During the electrolysis in the tubes the amalgam
formed is mixed up with the main bulk of the mercury and enters into re-action
with the water or other supernatant liquid whereby more or less depolarization is
caused and a commercial product is formed.
The gas liberated by the electrolysis may be taken up by a suitable absorbent
instead of being conducted away through the pipe in the cover.
The apparatus as described is so constructed that when desired heat may be applied
to it either internally or externally.
Dated this 28th day of September 1896.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Electrolyser or Electrolytic Apparatus.
I, JOHN GUSTAF ADOLF RHODIN, of 104 Gilda Brook Road, Eccles, near Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Analytical Chemist and Electrical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved electrolyser or apparatus for use in electrolysis
and my object is to construct a cheap simple and efficient form of apparatus.
In constructing my improved apparatus I employ a cylindrical or other suitably
shaped vessel of earthenware or other suitable material with a flat base and open top.
On the inside of the bottom I form radial or other ribs or projections. Inside and
concentric with this vessel I fit a second vessel of earthenware or other suitable
material in the bottom of which are formed a series of tubes or hollow projections in
which are fitted a corresponding series of carbon rods all in metallic contact with the
positive pole of a dynamo or other source of electricity.
The tubes on the bottom of the second vessel project into a layer of mercury
covering the bottom of the first vessel and in inetallic contact with the negative pole
of a dynamo or other source of electricity. A quantity of water or other suitable
liquid is placed on the mercury in the first vessel and in the interior of the second
vessel is placed a suitable electrolyte such as a solution of Chloride of Sodium or
Nitrate of Sodium or dilute Sulphuric Acid etc. The second vessel is closed by a
cover which is fastened to it and may be provided with an outlet pipe or passage
through which gases liberated during the electrolysis might escape. The second
vessel is fitted and provided with means whereby it may be rotated.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings-
Fig. 2 is a
Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of the improved apparatus.
plan of the under side of the inner vessel, and Fig. 3 a plan of the bottom of the
outer vessel.
In the Drawings,-a designates the outer cylindrical or other suitably shaped
vessel which I prefer to make of iron and b is the inner concentric vessel which I
prefer to make of earthenware. The bottom of the vessel a, as shown in plan in
Fig. 3, is provided with radial or other ribs or projections c (Figs. 1 and 3) and the
bottom of the vessel b as shown in Fig. 2, opens out into a series of hollow projections
or tubes f of any suitable section. The top of the vessel 'b is closed by a suitably
shaped lid or cover which may be made in one piece with the vessel, as shown in
Fig. 1, or may be a separate part secured thereto. Through holes in this lid I fit a
series of carbon rods or other suitably shaped carbons or anodes of other material g
which fit closely into these holes and project into the above mentioned hollow
projections yet without coming in contact with a layer of mercury d which seals
the openings of the hollow projections when the apparatus is put together. These
carbons or anodes are put in inetallic contact with one another by suitable means
such as for instance by casting a layer of lead h into an annular space formed by the
lid and into which the ends of the carbons or anodes project. The combined anodes
might conveniently be brought into metallic contact with a ring of metal which
surrounds a tube q into which the lid of the vessel b may be suitably prolonged.
The metal ring may then by means of a metallic brush m be put in contact with
the positive pole of a dynamo or other source of an electric current. The above
mentioned hollow projections or tubes f project into a layer of mercury d which seals
the inner part of the vessel b from connection with that part of the outer vessel a

page_text: which is not occupied by the inner vessel b. On the top of the mercury and filling this
last mentioned part of the vessel a is a layer of water or other suitable liquid p. The
inside of the second vessel b is filled with a solution of an electrolyte generally one
with a metallic kation forming the layer . The second vessel b is further provided
with means for slowly rotating it, such as for instance, a pulley t fixed round the
tube and provided with a collar running in a bearing 8 supported by an arm wor
the like, which also prevents the second vessel b from touching the bottom of the
first vessel a. The tube q may be connected with a system of gas conducting tubes
by means of a liquid seal or joint k. When the first vessel a is made of iron, which
is the preferred material, the layer of mercury is made into a kathode simply by
connecting the vessel a with the negative pole of the above mentioned source of
electric current.
In operation, when the electric current is flowing, the second vessel b is slowly
rotated during which operation the projections f agitate the layer of mercury d
which however, is prevented from revolving by the ribs or projections e. The amalgam
formed at the bottom of the projections is then mixed up with the main bulk of
the mercury principally by these projections sliding over the mercurial surface and
by the diffusing action between the mercury and the amalgam and by the internal
movement set up by the movement of the projections. The amalgam is thus brought
into contact and re-action with the supernatant water or other liquid p whereby a
commercial product is formed and more or less depolarization is caused and the
inercury is enabled to dissolve more of the kation and so on in a continuous process.
The anion separated out inside the vessel b may, whatever be its state of aggregation,
act upon a substance floating on or mixed with or dissolved in the electrolyte n and if
it be a gas it may eventually be conducted through the pipe q and a system of tubes
into other chemical apparatus or if of no value may be allowed to escape.
The apparatus as described, may as a consequence of its construction, have heat
applied to it with advantage either internally or externally either with the object
of diminishing electrical resistance or facilitating certain chemical re-actions or
for distilling certain chemical compounds out of the vessel b into a system of
condensers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. An apparatus for electrolysing solutions of salts with utilization of a mercury
kathode consisting of the particular electrolytic cell b capable of rotation, the bottom
of which is provided with tubes f dipping into the mercury contained in an outer
vessel a so that on rotating the electrolytic cell the amalgam formed within the said
tubes is mixed with the mercury and brought into better contact with the water or
other liquid contained in the outer vessel the bottom of which is for this purpose
provided with ribs c.
2. An apparatus for the electrolysis of electrolytes, with preferably a metallic
kation, soluble in mercury, the utilization of a mercury kathode which extends
considerably outside the electrolytic cell and through which the kation is diffused by
ordinary diffusion as well as by the contact surface formed by the electrolyte being
continuously removed from one part of the mercurial surface to another by rotating
the vessel containing the electrolyte bodily and further by providing means of
simultaneously extracting the kation from the amalgam all substantially as described.
3. In an electrolytic apparatus, the combination with the outer vessel a having
ribs c and adapted to contain a mercury kathode in metallic contact with the
negative pole of a dynamo or equivalent source of electricity, of the inner vessel b
provided with the tubes f and fitted so as to be capable of rotation and carrying
carbon rods or other suitable anodes in metallic contact with the positive pole of the
dynamo or equivalent, all arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for
the purposes herein described with reference to the accompanying Drawing.
4. The combination with the outer vessel a formed of iron or other suitable
material capable of resisting heat, of the inner vessel b constructed as a still and

page_text: sealed hermetically whereby heat can be applied to the apparatus to facilitate and
expedite the process of distilling acid compounds formed at the anode, substantially
as herein set forth.
Dated this 1st day of June 1897.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.