Rod type fuel assembly

Claim 1

IN A FUEL ELEMENT BUNDLE ADAPTED FOR USE IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR CORE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL END PLATES; A NUMBER OF TIE RODS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID END PLATES; A PLURALITY OF ENCASED FUEL ELEMENTS SUPPORTED IN SPACED ARRAY BETWEEN ADJACENT ONES OF SAID END PLATES, EACH OF SAID FUEL ELEMENTS HAVING A PLUG MEMBER INSERTED INTO AN END THEREOF AND PROVIDED WITH A CENTRALLY TAPPED HOLE, SAID PLUG MEMBERS AND SAID FUEL ELEMENTS BEING SECURED TO ONE OF SAID PLATES BY HEADED SCREWS INSERTED THROUGH SPACED APERTURES IN SAID END PLATE AND THREADED INTO SAID TAPPED HOLES; MEANS FOR SECURING EACH OF THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID FUEL ELEMENTS TO ANOTHER OF SAID SPACED END PLATES, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND PLUG MEMBER INSERTED INTO THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID FUEL ELEMENT AND HAVING A THREADED STUD SECURED CENTRALLY THEREOF AND THREADED INTO A TAPPED APERTURE OF SAID OPPOSITE END PLATE; SCREW RETAINING PLATES MOUNTED ON SAID TIE RODS ADJACENT THE OUTERMOST ONES OF SAID END PLATES; AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID TIE RODS FOR CLAMPING SAID SCREW RETAINING PLATES AND END PLATES TOGETHER UPON SAID TIE RODS.