Mechanical handling apparatus for loading and unloading heterogeneous nuclear reactors

Claim 1

IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR HAVING A VERTICALLY CHANNELED CORE, A FUEL ELEMENT CARRIER ADAPTED TO BE LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE CORE FOR TRANSFERRING FUEL ELEMENTS BETWEEN SAID VERTICAL FUEL CHANNELS AND SAID CARRIER, WHICH CARRIER COMPRISES A MAGAZINE ROTATABLE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, SUPPORTS FOR FUEL ELEMENTS POSITIONED ON A PITCH CIRCLE ABOUT SAID VERTICAL AXIS, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE MAGAZINE STEP BY STEP ABOUT SAID AXIS SO THAT EACH FUEL SUPPORT IS IN TURN POSITIONED IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE SAME FUEL CHANNEL AND MEANS FOR MOVING FUEL ELEMENTS VERTICALLY THROUGH THE FUEL ROD SUPPORTS UP THROUGH SAID CHANNELS, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A PIVOTED LOADING ARM ON SAID CARRIER HAVING A PART ADAPTED FOR PROJECTING THROUGH SLOTS IN THE RADIAL INNER SIDES OF THE FUEL SUPPORTS SO AS TO EXTEND UNDERNEATH THE FUEL ELEMENTS THEREIN AND MEANS FOR OPERATING THE LOADING ARM SYNCHRONOUSLY WITH A STEP BY STEP ROTATION OF THE FUEL CARRIER MAGAZINE SO THAT FUEL ELEMENT LOADING AND UNLOADING ACTIONS ARE EFFECTED ESSENTIALLY MAINLY BETWEEN PERIODS OF ROTATION OF THE FUEL CARRIER MAGAZINE, SAID LOADING ARM OPERATING MEANS COMPRISING A LINK COUPLING THE LOADING ARM WITH A CONCENTRIC PIVOT ON A ROTATABLE CONTROL WHEEL, A MOTION TRANSMITTING COUPLING BETWEEN SAID CONTROL WHEEL AND MAGAZINE ROTATING APPARATUS AND PERIPHERAL ACTUATION SPOKES ON SAID CONTROL WHEEL.