Apparatus for the continuous manufacture of metallic anodes from molten metal

An apparatus for cutting a moving metallic strip into uniform pieces along a predetermined profile, comprising:

• (a) a frame;
• (b) a cutting zone;
• (c) a carriage mounted on said frame above said moving metallic strip, said carriage adapted to move within said cutting zone in a direction of movement with the movement of said metallic strip and in the opposite direction;
• (d) a thermal cutting device containing at least one plasma torch, said cutting device mounted on said carriage and adapted to travel in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said metallic strip;
• (e) an endless roller conveyor having an upper run for supporting said metallic strip in the cutting zone, said roller conveyor adapted to move in said cutting zone in the same direction as said metallic strip, each roller of said roller conveyor including an inner cavity defined by a peripheral surface for supporting said metallic strip and opposed side walls, and a plurality of apertures formed in said side walls providing a communicating path from the exterior of each said roller to its inner cavity for entry of a cooling liquid, said apertures arranged in a position in said side walls to retain a volume of cooling liquid within said inner cavity providing a measure of cooling during movement of each roll along said upper run;
• (f) a tank filled with a cooling liquid, each said roller of said roller conveyor moving through said tank for entry of said cooling liquid through said apertures into said inner cavity thereby to mix with and thereby reduce the temperature of the cooling liquid therein and to cool the peripheral surface and side walls of each said roller before moving toward said upper run;
• and
• (g) an evacuation zone for the cut metallic pieces.