Year: 1898

page_text: We, GEORGE BELL and GEORGE WILLIAM BELL, both of 97, Newsham Drive,
Newsham Park, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;
This invention has reference to electrolytic apparatus for electrolytically decom-
posing alkaline salts in solution for the production of pure alkaline hydrate
and chlorine from alkaline chlorides, and for the decomposition of other salts of
the alkali metals, and similar substances, for the production of other products;
and it relates, more especially to that type of cell in which the alkaline base,
liberated by electrolysis in one chamber, forms an amalgam with mercury or
similar fluid metal, and the amalgam and mercury is taken away from the elec-
trolyte, and passed into and oxydized in a separate chamber or place, by bringing
it into contact with water or other oxydizing liquor.
The invention has for its object to provide improvements hereafter described
in connection with such cells by which the mercury is readily and simply moved
from the decomposing chamber to an oxydizing chamber, and vice versa, with an
economy of mechanism or apparatus, and of power.
According to this invention, the alternation of movement of the mercury to and
from the two vessels or chambers of a cell of the kind referred to, is effected by
varying the hydrostatic head in these two chambers, z., the decomposing chamber
or the oxydizing chamber.
In one case, this variation of head is effected by alternately supplying liquor
or water to the oxidizing chamber, so that the head is raised; and by this
raising of the head, the mercury in the bottom of this chamber will be forced
out through a suitable passage or passages into the bottom of the other chamber.
When the mercury has been retained in the latter chamber, for a sufficient length
of time, the head of liquor or water is lowered, and the mercury containing the
amalgam will flow back into the oxydizing chamber, the levels or bottoms of
the chambers being so. arranged as to effect this object.
In another case, the alkaline solution in the decomposing chamber may be
alternately raised and lowered similarly as above described, and with the same
effect,
This supply and discharge of liquor will take place into and out of the cells
or chambers by suitable pipes, the discharge being preferably arranged with two
openings, one above the other, at the upper and lower levels required; and the
pipes will be provided with valves or cocks for regulating and governing the supply
and discharge.
According to one arrangement, where there are a plurality of cells, the liquid
supply and discharge conduits will be arranged in parallel, and so adapted, that
one valve, or set of valves may be used to control the flow of liquids throughout
these cells, or, if desired, the supply and discharge of liquids in raising and

page_text: lowering the head may be in series, in case of the cells being disposed one bove
another.
The cell above described has been referred to as consisting of two chambers,
but it may, if desired, consist of three, viz. -two decomposing chambers and one
oxydizing chamber, or vice versa, and the invention is in no way restricted as to
the type or arrangement of cells or compartments.
The chambers of the cell also may be made separate structures connected
together by a lute, or they may be made in one structure with partitions between
them.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicants Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.
We, GEORGE BELL and GEORGE WILLIAM BELL, both of 97, Newsham Drive,
Newsham Park, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment;
This invention has reference to electrolytic apparatus for electrolytically decom-
posing alkaline salts in solution for the production of pure alkaline hydrate
and chlorine from alkaline chlorides, and for the decomposition of other salts of
the alkali metals, and similar substances, for the production of other products;
and it relates, more especially to that type of cell in which the alkaline base,
liberated by electrolysis in one chamber, forms an amalgam with mercury or
similar fluid metal, and the amalgam and mercury is taken away from the elec-
trolyte, and passed into and oxydized in a separate chamber or place, by bringing
it into contact with water or other oxydizing liquor.
The invention has for its object to provide improvements, hereinafter described,
in connection with such cells, by which the mercury is readily and simply moved
from the decomposing chamber to an oxydizing chamber, and vice-versa, with an
economy of mechanism or apparatus, and of power.
According to this invention, the alternation of movement of the mercury to and
from the two vessels or chambers of a cell of the kind referred to, is effected by
varying the hydrostatic head in these two chambers, viz., the decomposing chamber
or the oxydizing chamber.
In one case this variation of head is effected by alternately supplying liquor
or water to the oxidizing chamber, so that the head is raised; and by this
raising of the head, the mercury in the bottom of this chamber will be forced
out through a suitable passage or passages into the bottom of the other chamber.
When the mercury has been retained in the latter chamber, for a sufficient length
of time, the head of liquor or water is lowered, and the mercury containing the
amalgam will flow back into the oxydizing chamber, the levels or bottoms of
the chambers being so arranged as to effect this object.
In another case, the alkaline solution in the decomposing chamber may be
alternately raised and lowered similarly as above described, and with the same
effect.
This supply and discharge of liquor will take place into and out of the cells
or chambers by suitable pipes, the discharge being preferably arranged with two

page_text: openings, one above the other, at the upper and lower levels required; and the
pipes will be provided with valves or cocks for regulating and governing the supply
and discharge.
According to one arrangement. where there are a plurality of cells, the liquid
supply and discharge conduits will be arranged in parallel, and so adapted, that
one valve, or set of valves may be used to control the flow of liquids throughout
these cells, or, if desired, the supply and discharge of liquids in raising and
lowering the head may be in series, in case of the cells being disposed one above
another.
The cell above described has been referred to as consisting of two chambers,
but it may, if desired, consist of three, vir.:-two decomposing chambers and one
oxydizing chamber, or vice versa, and the invention is in no way restricted as to
the type or arrangement of cells or compartments.
The chambers of the cell also may be made separate structures connected
together by a lute, or they may be made in one structure with partitions between
them.
The drawings hereto annexed illustrate the invention, Figure 1 being a side
elevation partly in section, and Figure 2 a transverse section at A A Figure 1,
of a pile of cells wherein each cell comprises three chambers, two decomposing
chambers, and one oxydizing chamber. Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view
illustrative of the mode of actuating the valves of the apparatus.
Referring to the drawings, the decomposing chambers are designated a, and the
exydizing chamber b. The two sets of chambers a are arranged in multiple in
pile, one over the other; and are separate structures from the chambers b; and
these chambers are similarly arranged in pile.
These two sets of chambers a and b may be disposed any where conveniently in
relation to each other, and connected up together. are the anodes, say carbon
rods, passed through the end walls of the chambers a, and standing a short
distance above the surface of the mercury, current being conveyed to them in
any suitable known way.
In the case shewn, the raising and lowering of the head of liquor is applied to
the decomposing chambers a. The electrolyte to be decomposed, say brine, is
supplied to the several chambers a through a vertical main c, fed from the upper
brine tank at the top of the pile, and branches c',, each of which has a regulating
tap on it; and the normal outflow and outlet from these chambers takes place
through the branches connected with the common vertical main d, a valve
controlled by the solenoid d³ being provided on each branch to close these
branches when it is desired to raise the head in a, and to open them when it is
desired to lower it.
The escape of gas, say chlorine, and also any outflow of electrolyte that may
take place when the head has been raised, is carried off by the common vertical
main f, and branches f¹.
With regard to the oxydizing chambers b, the flow takes place in series through
the several successive superposed chambers, by means of circulating pipes c
the upper end of each of which communicates with each chamber at the normal
liquor level, whilst its lower end communicates with the lower chamber at a point
below this level; and so on throughout the cell. This provides for the requisite
sequential concentration, and for the maintenance of the levels throughout. The
gas liberated in these chambers b is carried off by a main , communicating with
each of the said chambers at a point above the level of the liquor therein.
The communication between the lower part of the chambers and the ends of
the chamber with which they are respectively connected, for the vibratory
How of mercury to and from them, is by a tube h at each side of the apparatus,
lying below the level of these floors, and connecting them a groove. a and b,
inclined towards the tubes, being provided along the adjacent edges of these
two chambers at the bottom, so as to better convey the mercury from the chambers
to these tubes in its flow from one to the other, and at the same time serve as a

page_text: lute to prevent the two liquors in a and b from having access to each other. These
tubes may be of glass, and standard or gauge tubes h may be provided on them,
and connected with their respective chambers, just below the liquor level in
them, and also above it, to indicate the height or levels in the respective chambers,
and the actions going on.
With regard to the mode of action of the valves de, this is diagrammatically
illustrated in Figure 3. The chambers a constituting the pile at one end, are
adapted to be worked in one direction, say so as to discharge the mercury containing
its charge of alkali amalgam, whilst the others at the other side are receiving the
mercury which has been oxydized back from the chambers b, by means of switch k
having a revolving contact ¹, half of which is metal, and half an insulation;
and on which the brushes, connected electrically with the solenoids, for
operating the valves bear. The switch is connected with a source of electric
supply, and the brushes are connected up with all the solenoids d³ in each pile
of chambers a in series; and thus as the contact revolves, it energizes the
magnets of the solenoids of one set of chambers, and de-energizes the magnets of
the other set; and thus one set of valves will be open when the other is closed.
In action, the chambers a are supplied with an electrolyte, say brine, from the
upper brine supply tank 7, by the vertical mains e, which communicate with all
of them; and the supply is regulated and rendered uniform to all by the cocks c².
Normally, during the process of decomposition, the valves on the branches d'
are open, and the outflow of liquor from the chambers is passed through these
valves into the common main d. Then when the mercury containing the amalgam
of alkali is to be discharged, the current is cut off from the solenoids by the
switch described, and the valves & all close; and the supply of liquor through c
being continued, the level in these chambers a begins to rise, and the level in the
chambers being constant, this excess of head and pressure in a, acting upon the
face of the mercury lying on the bottom of them, forces it by way of the tubes h
at each side into the chambers b, the electrolyte being prevented from going with
the mercury by reason of these tubes being placed below the normal surface of
the mercury in a. After the desired period of exposure of the mercury to the
liquor in bit being held out of a by this differential head of liquors-the valves d
are opened by energizing the solenoid magnets ; whereupon the level of liquid
in the chambers of the pile falls quickly to the level of the opening by which
the outflow takes place; and the mercury then in 6 flows back by its own head or
gravity through the pipes into a-the bottoms of which may be slightly inclined
towards band a balauce is then restored. During the decomposing action the
valves are kept open.
While the mercury is being discharged from one pile of chambers a, it is
passing into the others from the chambers b.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim
is:-
1. The herein described method of effecting the alternation of flow of mercury
to and from the decomposing and oxydizing chambers of an electrolytic cell, con-
sisting in alternately raising and lowering the head of liquor on the mercury in
said chambers, or one of said chambers.
2. An electrolytic apparatus comprising the decomposing chamber a, and an
oxydizing chamber b, in substantially parallel planes, connected with each other
at the lower part; having a valve on one of the liquor discharge pipes from said
chambers, by which the closing and opening of one of the chambers, and the
raising and lowering of the level of liquor therein, is effected; for the purposes
specified.
3. In an electrolytic apparates the arrangement and combination of a series
of decomposing chambers a in pile, one directly upon the other; a series of
oxydizing chambers arranged in pile, one directly above the other; the valves dz

page_text: on the liquor discharge pipe d; an electromagnet connected with each of said
valves, and an alternating operating electric actuating device connected with said
magnets for intermittently opening and closing said valves; for the purposes
set forth.
4. In an electrolytic apparatus of the kind herein referred to, the arrangement
of multiple cell chambers and pipes connecting them, and through which the
fluids flow; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. The electrolytic cell having its parts constructed and arranged particularly
as set forth with reference to and shewn in the drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of February
1899.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicants Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.