Static drop mercury electrode
First Claim
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1. A static mercury drop electrode comprising:
- a housing forming a reservoir for liquid mercury;
a dropping mercury capillary having first and second ends and forming a capillary passage therebetween with said capillary passage terminating in a downward direction at said second end; and
valve means for selective air-purging passage of mercury from said reservoir to said first end of said capillary to form static mercury drops at said second end of said capillary, said valve means including a valve seat positioned in said reservoir beneath the surface of said mercury at said first end of said capillary, sealing means for forming a sealing surface, and control means for selectively controlling the relative position of said sealing surface and said valve seat between an open position with said sealing surface disengaged from said first valve seat and in contact with mercury in said reservoir, and a closed position with said sealing surface engaged with said first valve seat to prevent flow of said mercury from said reservoir to said capillary passage.
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Abstract
Mercury flow from a reservoir of mercury to a mercury drop capillary extending vertically downward from the reservoir is governed by selective engagement of a sealing surface immersed in the mercury reservoir with a valve seat also immersed in the mercury reservoir to allow for controlled formation of mercury drops at the lower end of the capillary which drops, after formation, are held non-growing or static. The capillary is removable from the housing and when so removed the sealing surface engages the housing of the reservoir to prevent loss of mercury from the reservoir.
30 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A static mercury drop electrode comprising:
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a housing forming a reservoir for liquid mercury; a dropping mercury capillary having first and second ends and forming a capillary passage therebetween with said capillary passage terminating in a downward direction at said second end; and valve means for selective air-purging passage of mercury from said reservoir to said first end of said capillary to form static mercury drops at said second end of said capillary, said valve means including a valve seat positioned in said reservoir beneath the surface of said mercury at said first end of said capillary, sealing means for forming a sealing surface, and control means for selectively controlling the relative position of said sealing surface and said valve seat between an open position with said sealing surface disengaged from said first valve seat and in contact with mercury in said reservoir, and a closed position with said sealing surface engaged with said first valve seat to prevent flow of said mercury from said reservoir to said capillary passage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 20)
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9. A static mercury drop electrode comprising:
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a housing forming a reservoir for mercury; a dropping mercury capillary extending from said housing, said capillary having first and second ends and forming a capillary passage from said reservoir at said first end to said second end with said capillary passage terminating in a downward direction at said second end and said passage being of sufficiently small diameter to form hanging mercury drops at said second end, an air-impervious valve means for forming a selectively operable air-purging passage from said reservoir to said first end of said capillary to allow controlled formation of static mercury drops at said second end of said capillary, said valve means including a first valve seat formed by said first end of said capillary and positioned in said reservoir beneath the surface of said murcury, sealing means for forming a sealing surface, and control means for selectively moving said sealing surface between an open position with said sealing surface disengaged from said first valve seat and in contact with said mercury in said reservoir and a closed position with said sealing surface engaged with said first valve seat to prevent passage of said mercury in said reservoir to said capillary. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A static mercury drop electrode comprising:
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a housing for holding liquid mercury; a hanging drop capillary extending vertically downward from said housing with the upper end of said capillary extending into said housing to form a first flat surface and said capillary being of sufficiently fine bore to allow formation of hanging mercury drops at the lower end of said capillary; and a plunger moveably mounted in said housing and having a lower second flat surface immersed in said mercury paralled to said first flat surface, said second flat surface of said plunger selectively moveable in a direction to intersect the plane defined by said first flat surface and engageable with said first flat surface to allow selective formation of static mercury drops at the lower end of said capillary. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification