Process and apparatus for replacing cathodes

摘要

A process and apparatus for removing from an electrolytic cell cathodes having an electrolytic deposit thereon and replacing them with cathodes from which said electrolytic deposit has been removed, comprising: (a) simultaneously lifting a first subgroup comprising the even-numbered cathodes from a first cell and a second subgroup comprising the odd-numbered cathodes from a second, adjacent cell while maintaining the orientation and disposition of said cathodes; (b) conveying said subgroups to a stripping installation while moving said subgroups perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of said cells until a collinear unstripped set of cathodes is formed; (c) placing said collinear unstripped set of cathodes at the entry to said stripping installation; (d) lifting a collinear stripped set of cathodes from the exit of said stripping installation, said collinear stripped set having sequentially numbered stripped cathodes equal in number, orientation and disposition to said collinear unstripped set; (e) conveying said collinear stripped set of cathodes to two adjacent cells while separating said collinear stripped set into a third subgroup comprising the even-numbered cathodes and a fourth subgroup comprising the odd-numbered cathodes of said collinear stripped set, said separating achieved by moving said third and fourth subgroup perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of said cells; and (f) simultaneously placing the cathodes of said third and fourth subgroups in two adjacent cells in the positions from which a first and a second subgroup have been removed.