Cominco, Ltd.

Robert E Manwell

Robert D Willans

Eric L Mawer

Clifford J Krauss

Douwe Ybema

Martin Vanderminnen

Edward G Baggio

Ronald N Honey

Charles A Sutherland

Harold K Harper

Michael Graham

George H Reeves

A system for casting electrodes includes a row of stationary, adjacent, plate casting molds flanked by a launder containing molten metal and a walking beam conveyor. One or two travelling carriages straddle the molds, launder and conveyor. A travelling carriage comprises a pair of rotary dippers, a pair of tipping/dispensers and electrode lifting device. Each dipper scoops a predetermined amount of molten metal from the launder and, while rotating, discharges it into a dispenser. When filled, the dispensers simultaneously tip to fill a mold from both sides of a mold center line over substantially the full length of parallel sidewall portions of the mold, whereby wave action is dampened and molten metal solidifies with even thickness and without flash. The bottom of the mold is water-cooled during casting. While an electrode is cast in one mold, the lifting device lifts anelectrode from an adjacent mold and transfers it onto the conveyor which then moves electrodes over a distance equal to that between electrode center lines. The operation of the travelling carriage, dippers, dispensers, water sprays, lifting device and conveyor are carefully timed, sequenced and concurrent where possible.

Electrode casting system

A tuyere for a metallurgical vessel comprising a solid metal tuyere body with a central gas feed bore. The gas feed bore contains at least one gas feed pipe. The tuyere body also has at least one water-cooled bore between the outer wall of the tuyere body and the gas feed bore. A water-cooled bore has a water passage for circulating water therethrough. A water cooling header with separated water inlet and outlet is attached to the tuyere body external to the metallurgical vessel. A water passage is provided for a flow of water from the water inlet through the water passage in the water-cooled bore to the water outlet. The cooling capacity of the tuyere is sufficient to cause the formation of a protective encrustation on the end of the tuyere, and to effectively reduce erosion and chemical reaction of the tuyere material and the vessel wall.

Tuyere for metallurgical vessels

An insulator for supporting a spooled electrode contact bar and head bars of removable, alternating cathodes and anodes in an electrolytic cell. The insulator comprises an elongated body formed of a synthetic material having a longitudinal outwardly and downwardly sloping upper surface extending from a center line to the side edges of the body, a row of equi-spaced shoulders formed longitudinally on each upper surface adjacent to the said center line offset relative to each other, each row of shoulders having a transverse channel formed between each pair of adjacent shoulders for draining liquid towards a side edge of the body, a longitudinal V-shaped groove formed between the two rows of shoulders for supporting the spooled electrode contact bar between the rows of shoulders and a cavity formed in each upper surface opposite each shoulder between the shoulder and the respective edge of the body for receiving an insulating block therein for supporting one end of the electrode head bars.

Cell top insulator

A method and apparatus for conveying and stripping electro-deposited metal sheets from cathode plates. A plurality of stations including a feed station, initial horizontal parting station, main vertical stripping station, replacement station, and discharge station are sequentially arranged within the stripping apparatus and cathode plates having metal sheet deposits thereon are conveyed through the apparatus by means of a reciprocating transfer carriage in combination with supporting slide bars and indexing means. Metal sheet deposits are stripped in a fast, simple and efficient manner by using closed entry horizontal knives to effect initial parting of each deposit and vertical stripping knives to remove the deposits from the two sides of the cathode plate without clamping of the cathode plate while controlling cathode plate sway. Liberated metal sheets are quickly removed from the apparatus and stripped cathode plates are conveyed from the apparatus at a discharge station.

Method and apparatus for stripping cathodes

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Trail, Canada

Robert E Manwell