Improvements relating to electrode holders for electric smelting furnaces

924,842. Self-baking furnace electrode. C. SPIGERVERK, and ELEKTROKEMISK A.S. May 25,1960 [May 25,1959],No. 18556/60. Class 39 (3). In an electric smelting furnace having a continuous self-baking electrode 1 with a metal casing 2, the electrode holder comprises two clamps arranged to grip the casing 2 at levels spaced vertically apart, the upper clamping means 3, 4 being connected to electric supply by cable 5 and being liquid cooled and the lower clamping means 6, 7, 8 having suspension means 9 for the electrode and being either without fluid-cooling means or being provided with thermal insulation means 7 to reduce heat losses from the electrode. As shown, pressure rings 4, 8 are hollow for water cooling and supply cable 5 is also water cooled. 3, 6 are upper and lower sets of clamps, 6 being of steel. The lower set 6 are clamping plates of Cr-Ni steel with a surface layer of oxide or a separate layer of electrically insulating material to prevent current from passing to the suspension 9. The baking zone of the electrode is between the two sets of clamps and relative adjustment of 4, 6 or of the heat insulation 7 adjusts the baking zone height between the two sets of clamps. The layer 7 of heat insulating material may have a thin casing of sheet iron. The casing 2 may have ribs of sheet iron or knobs may be pressed therein. The heat insulation may be poorer in the upper parts of 6 than in the lower parts. The lower set of clamps may be made up of a number of interchangeable units each comprising a clamp and part of layer 7 in its sheet iron casing.