Girdles for vertically stacked solid moderator bars in a nuclear reactor

Claim 2

IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR COMPRISING A VERTICAL STACK OF SOLID MODERATOR BARS OF SUBSTANTIALLY POLYGONAL CROSSSECTION, A HORIZONTAL GIRDLE FOR HOLDING THE STACK TOGETHER IN SPITE OF THERMAL EXPANSION AND THE WIGNER EFFECT, SAID GIRDLE COMPRISING A SERIES OF LINKS DISTRIBUTED AROUND THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF THE PILE, EACH OF SAID LINKS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BOTTOM MEMBER ENGAGING A SIDE OF SAID POLYGONAL PILE AND EXERTING A FORCE OF COMPRESSION NORMAL THERETO, SPRING MEANS LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL PART OF EACH LINK, AND MEANS INCLUDING SAID SPRING MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY CONNECTING THE NEIGHBORING ENDS OF EACH TWO LINKS BETWEEN WHICH A LINK CARRYING ONE OF SAID SPRING MEANS IS LOCATED.

Claim 3

IN A GIRDLE AND RESTRAINT MEANS COMPRISING AN ELASTIC BAND AROUND A NUCLEAR REACTOR SOLID MODERATOR STRUCTURE, A FIRST PLURALITY OF SPACED BOXES IN SAID BAND, FIRST CONNECTORS FOR NON-EXTENSIBLY COUPLING NEIGHBORING ENDS OF SAID BOXES, A SECOND PLURALITY OF SPACED BOXES IN SAID BAND, SECOND CONNECTORS FOR NON-EXTENSIBLY COUPLING NEIGHBORING ENDS OF SAID SECOND PLURALITY OF BOXES, A BOX OF SAID SECOND PLURALITY OF BOXES BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN ADJACENT BOXES OF SAID FIRST PLURALITY OF BOXES, SAID FIRST CONNECTORS PASSING OVER SAID SECOND BOXES AND SAID SECOND CONNECTORS PASSING BESIDE SAID FIRST BOXES, A PLATE FOR EACH BOX, SAID PLATES BEARING ON SAID STRUCTURE, AND RADIALLY COMPRESSIBLE RESILIENT MEANS BETWEEN EACH PLATE AND ITS CORRESPONDING BOX.

Claim 4

IN A GIRDLE AND RESTRAINT MEANS COMPRISING AN ELASTIC BAND AROUND A NUCLEAR REACTOR SOLID MODERATOR STRUCTURE, A FIRST PLURALITY OF SPACED BOXES IN SAID BAND, FIRST CONNECTORS FOR NON-EXTENSIBLY COUPLING NEIGHBORING ENDS OF SAID BOXES, A SECOND PLURALITY OF SPACED BOXES IN SAID BAND, SECOND CONNECTORS FOR NON-EXTENSIBLY COUPLING NEIGHBORING ENDS OF SAID SECOND PLURALITY OF BOXES, A BOX OF SAID SECOND PLURALITY OF BOXES BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN ADJACENT BOXES OF SAID FIRST PLURALITY OF BOXES, SAID FIRST CONNECTORS PASSING OVER SAID SECOND BOXES AND SAID SECOND CONNECTORS PASSING BESIDE SAID FIRST BOXES, A PLATE FOR EACH BOX, SAID PLATES BEARING ON SAID STRUCTURE, AND RADIALLY COMPRESSIBLE RESILIENT MEANS BETWEEN EACH PLATE AND ITS CORRESPONDING BOX.