Improvements in the Method of and Means for Electrolysis of Substances in a State of Fusion.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 18th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Electrolysis of
Substances in a State of Fusion.
1, MARTIN KILIANI of Neuhausen, Switzerland, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
In the electrolysis of a body in a state of fusion, when the heating of the electrolyte
is effected by the current alone, the heated region is limited to the portion between
the electrodes, unless the current be so intense that the mass between the poles is
heated far above its melting point, and gives off heat to the surrounding particles.
Such superheating, however, affects injuriously the separation of the elements, since
the latter are all the more easily recombined in the fused electrolyte, in proportion
as the temperature is increased. Therefore, in order to secure economy of working,
the temperature of the electrolyte must be kept as low as possible.
If the current be only strong enough to just maintain the substance in a state of
fusion and favourable for electrolysis, then, with the electrodes as hitherto arranged-
that is, moveable to only a very small extent and that in a vertical direction for
the purpose of enabling the carbon points when burned down to be adjusted to
their normal distance apart-there forms at the surface of the bath a solid crust which
prevents the continuous addition of fresh material, the mixture of the latter with the
fused material, and the regulation of the distance between the poles, and thus renders
impossible any continuous regular working of the process.
If, however, either one or both of the electrodes be caused to move continuously,
especially with an oscillating pendulum motion or with a concentric or eccentric
rotation the crust is continually stirred back into the fused mass; and thus, on
the one hand, there is always maintained, on the surface of the material which is being
electrolysed, an opening through which fresh material can be added, and, on the other
hand, the distance of the electrodes from one another, when altered by burning down
of either of them, can be easily readjusted.
A simple motion of rotation will often suffice to obtain a satisfactory result, but in
such a case, the immersed electrode should in cross-section have projecting parts, so
as to have a general angular or irregular shape. If, on the other hand, the cross-
section of the immersed electrode be made perfectly or approximately circular or
concentric then the movement given to the electrode must be excentric, and this may
be most easily effected by placing the electrode in a position excentric to its turning
axis, or by means of any suitable excentric mechanism.
On the accompanying drawings there is shown, by way of example, one simple
concentric arrangement according to this invention of the electrode spindle, with an
angular electrode mounted concentrically.
Fig. 1. shows the electrolysis apparatus in sectional elevation.
Fig. 2. is a plan thereof.
The pillars a carry the receptacle for the fused substance to be electrolyzed; the
negative current is led into the substance from below by means of the conductor c.
The bridge d on the two pillars carries the appliance for holding and moving the
positive electrode e. In the head d' there is the spindlef of the electrode, its cross-
section showing the form of a rack into which the pinion g gears, the latter being
worked by the hand wheel h², by means of the worm gearing h.
The teeth and spaces of the spindle fare constructed so as to form respectively
rings and grooves round the whole periphery of the spindle, so that the pinion g can
be put into gear with the spindle, as with a rack at any position of the pinion. On
the spindle f there is mounted a worm-wheel k secured by a feather key in such a

page_text: manner that the spindle can he moved endwise through the eye of the wheel k, the
worm gears into the worm wheel & and is connected to the shaft of the driving
pulley. The positive current enters quite simply by means of brushes in the
bearing of the electrode spindle.
The immersed electrode thus receives continuous rotating motion from the shaft
of the worm gear whilst it can be raised or lowered by the hand-wheel h².
It is evident that this invention may be carried out in many different ways, without
departure from its essential features. For instance the receptacle b, which contains
the fused mass may be caused to rotate or be made adjustable in an up and down
direction, or both electrodes, that is to say, the spindle f and the receptacle b, may be
caused to move, or many other modifications may be adopted.
Dated this 20th day of April 1889.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Electrolysis of
Substances in a State of Fusion.
I MARTIN KILIANI, of Neuhausen, in the Republic of Switzerland, Manager, 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:
In the electrolysis of a body in a state of fusion, when the heating of the electrolyte
is effected by the current alone, the heated region is limited to the portion between
the electrodes, unless the current be so intense that the mass between the poles is
heated far above its melting point, and gives off heat to the surrounding particles.
Such superheating, however, affects injuriously the separation of the elements, since
the latter are all the more easily re-combined in the fused electrolyte, in proportion
as the temperature is increased. Therefore, in order to secure economy of working,
the temperature of the electrolyte must be kept as low as possible.
If the current be only strong enough to just maintain the substance in a state of
fusion and favourable for electrolysis then with the electrodes as hitherto arranged-
that is, moveable to only a very small extent and that in a vertical direction for the
purpose of enabling the carbon points when burned down to be adjusted to their
normal distance apart-there forms at the surface of the bath a solid crust which
prevents the continuous addition of fresh material, the mixture of the latter with
the fused material, and the regulation of the distance between the poles, and thus
renders impossible any continuous regular working of the process.
If, however, either one or both of the electrodes be caused to move continuously,
especially with an oscillating pendulum motion or with a concentric or eccentric
rotation the crust is continually stirred back into the fused mass; and thus, on the
one hand, there is always, maintained, on the surface of the material which is being
electrolysed, an opening through which fresh material can be added, and, on the
other hand, the distance of the electrodes from one another, when altered by burning
down of either of them, can be easily re-adjusted.
A simple rotary motion of the electrode around its own axis will often suffice to
obtain a satisfactory result, but in such a case, the immersed electrode should in
cross-section have projecting parts, so as to have a general angular or irregular shape.
If, on the other hand, the cross-section of the immersed electrode be made perfectly
or approximately circular or concentric, then the movement given to the electrode
must be eccentric, and this may be most easily effected by placing the electrode
in a position eccentric to its turning axis, or by means of any suitable eccentric
mechanism.

page_text: On the accompanying drawings there is shown one simple concentric arrangement
according to this invention of the electrode spindle with an angular electrode mounted
concentrically.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation with some of the parts shewn in section, of an eletrolytic
apparatus constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same,
the spindle which gives vertical motion to the positive electrode being drawn in
section through y-y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view in line x-x
Fig. 1.
The pillars a a carry the receptacle for the fused substance to be electrolised; the
negative current is led into the substance from below by means of the conductor c.
The bridge d on the two pillars carries the appliance for holding and moving the
positive electrode e. In the head d there is the spindle f of the electrode, its
vertical section showing the form of a rack into which the pinion g gears, the
latter being worked by the hand wheel h², by means of the worm gearing hh.
The teeth and spaces of the spindle fare constructed so as to form respectively rings
and grooves round the whole periphery of the spindle, so that the pinion g can be put
into gear with the spindle, as with a rack at any position of the pinion.
The anode shown at e is inserted into the head o and held therein removeably by
means of the clamping or binding screws p. The head o is screwed upon or otherwise
fastened to the lower end of the cylindrical spindle rack f, which works loosely through
the bushing d' in the centre of the bridge or crosshead.
On the spindle f there is mounted a wormwheel & secured by a feather key in such
a manner that the spindle can be moved end wise through the eye of the wheel k, the
worm gears into the worm wheel k and is connected to the shaft of the driving
pulley 1.
From this it will be seen, that by revolving the helt pulley 1 (by means of a belt
connected to the driving wheel of any suitable motor) a revolving motion is imparted
through the worm i and intermeshing cog wheel k to the cylindrical rack f and the
rectangular electrode e affixed in the lower end of the same. It follows that when the
lower end of the anode bas been lowered sufficiently to cause its immersion in
the electrolyte, this slow revolving motion around its own axis will stir the surface of
the electrolytic bath within the receptacle b so as to effectually prevent the formation
of a crust in the vicinity of the electrode.
Vertical adjustment of the electrode e may be effected as required by means of the
hand wheel the shaft of which is provided at its upper end with a worm h¹ which
gears with a toothed wheel h. On the shaft of this wheel is a pinion 9 the teeth of
which engage with the annular grooves in the cylindrical rack f. It will be seen that
by turning the hand wheel ² the cylindrical rack f and with it the electrode e at its
lower end may be raised or lowered at will so as to properly adjust its lower end in
relation to the electrolyte and to the cathode or negative electrode. The positive
current is introduced by means of brushes or by any other suitable appliances connected
to or in contact with the bearing for the head o which of course should be suitably
insulated.
It is evident that this invention may be carried out in many different ways, without
departing from its essential features. For instance the receptacle b, which contains
the fused mass may be caused to rotate or be made adjustable in an up and down
direction; or both electrodes, that is to say, the spindle and the receptacle 6 may be
caused to move, or many other modifications may be adopted.
b
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In the electrolysis of bodies capable of fusion the hereinbefore described method
of (a) protecting the surface of the electrolyte from solidifying; and (b) of uniformly
distributing the solid additions among the molten contents of the bath the said method
consisting in imparting motion to one or both electrodes in a pendulous or circular or
eccentrically rotary manner.

page_text: 2. In an apparatus for the electrolysis of bodies capable of fusion an electrode (or
electrodes) moving with a pendulous or circular or eccentrically rotary movement,
with relation to the bath and capable of being adjusted in a vertical direction.
Dated this 18th day of January 1890.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.