Patent US2257247A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3128235A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US3128235A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Fuel elements for nuclear reactors

Assignee: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
•
Filing: 1959-01-19
•
Granted: 1964-04-07
•
Expires: 1979-01-19
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

No abstract record available.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hackney Stanley
  • 👤 Jerkins Ernest Edward

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 12:02
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04R; H04R7/00; H04R7/02; H04R7/12; G; G21; G21C; G21C3/00; G21C3/02; G21C3/04; G21C3/06; G21C3/14; G21C3/30; G21C3/32; G21C3/33; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E30/00; Y02E30/30

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 139 words
FOR A NUCLEAR REACTOR, A FUEL ELEMENT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN ASSEMBLY COMPRISING FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PLATE MEMBERS SPACED BEYOND ONE ANOTHER ON A COMMON AXIS AND HAVING A LATTICE OF HOLES DEFINED THEREIN, A FIRST SPACER BAR DISPOSED BETWEEN THE OPPOSED FACES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND PLATE MEMBERS, A SECOND SPACER BAR DISPOSED BETWEEN THE OPPOSED FACES OF THE SECOND AND THRID PLATE MEMBERS, MEANS CLAMPING BOTH THE PLATE MEMBERS AND THE SPACER BARS TOGETHER, A FIRST CLUSTER OF ELONGATED FUEL MEMBERS DISPOSED LENGTHWISE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND PLATE MEMBERS AND END LOCATED BY HOLES THEREIN, A SECOND CLUSTER OF ELONGATED FUEL MEMEBERS DISPOSED LENGTHWISE BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD PLATE MEMBERS AND END LOCATED BY HOLES THEREIN, A SLEEVE MEMBER DISPOSED LENGTHWISE ABOUT SAID ASSEMBLY AND MEANS ATTACHING SAID ASSEMBLY TO SAID SLEEVE MEMBER.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 139 words
FOR A NUCLEAR REACTOR, A FUEL ELEMENT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN ASSEMBLY COMPRISING FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PLATE MEMBERS SPACED BEYOND ONE ANOTHER ON A COMMON AXIS AND HAVING A LATTICE OF HOLES DEFINED THEREIN, A FIRST SPACER BAR DISPOSED BETWEEN THE OPPOSED FACES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND PLATE MEMBERS, A SECOND SPACER BAR DISPOSED BETWEEN THE OPPOSED FACES OF THE SECOND AND THRID PLATE MEMBERS, MEANS CLAMPING BOTH THE PLATE MEMBERS AND THE SPACER BARS TOGETHER, A FIRST CLUSTER OF ELONGATED FUEL MEMBERS DISPOSED LENGTHWISE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND PLATE MEMBERS AND END LOCATED BY HOLES THEREIN, A SECOND CLUSTER OF ELONGATED FUEL MEMEBERS DISPOSED LENGTHWISE BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD PLATE MEMBERS AND END LOCATED BY HOLES THEREIN, A SLEEVE MEMBER DISPOSED LENGTHWISE ABOUT SAID ASSEMBLY AND MEANS ATTACHING SAID ASSEMBLY TO SAID SLEEVE MEMBER.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 186 words
FOR A NUCLEAR REACTOR, FIRST AND SECOND FUEL ELEMENT ASSEMBLIES, EACH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PLATE MEMBERS SPACED BEYOND ONE ANOTHER ON A COMMON AXIS AND HAVING A LATTICE OF HOLES DEFINED THEREIN, TIE RODS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND SECURED TO SAID FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PLATE MEMBERS, A FIRST CLUSTER OF ELONGATED FUEL MEMBERS DISPOSED LENGTHWISE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND PLATE MEMBERS AND END LOCATED BY HOLES THEREIN, A SECOND CLUSTER OF ELONGATED FUEL ELEMENTS DISPOSED LENGTHWISE BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD PLATE MEMBERS AND END LOCATED BY HOLES THEREIN, GRAPHITE SLEEVE MEANS ENCLOSING WITH CLEARANCE SAID ASSEMBLIES, MEANS ATTACHING ONE OF SAID TIE RODS TO SAID SLEEVE MEMBER AND COUPLING ONE END OF THE FIRST FUEL ELEMENT ASSMEBLY WITH ONE END OF THE SECOND FUEL ELEMENT ASSEMBLY, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A BLOCK, A FIRST PAIR OF PINS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE BLOCK WITH THE TIE RODS AT ONE END OF THE FIRST FUEL ELEMENT ASSEMBLY AND WITH THE SLEEVE MEMBER AND A SECOND PAIR OF PINS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE BLOCK WITH THE TIE RODS AT ONE END OF THE SECOND FUEL ELEMENT ASSEMBLY.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 186 words
FOR A NUCLEAR REACTOR, FIRST AND SECOND FUEL ELEMENT ASSEMBLIES, EACH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PLATE MEMBERS SPACED BEYOND ONE ANOTHER ON A COMMON AXIS AND HAVING A LATTICE OF HOLES DEFINED THEREIN, TIE RODS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND SECURED TO SAID FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PLATE MEMBERS, A FIRST CLUSTER OF ELONGATED FUEL MEMBERS DISPOSED LENGTHWISE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND PLATE MEMBERS AND END LOCATED BY HOLES THEREIN, A SECOND CLUSTER OF ELONGATED FUEL ELEMENTS DISPOSED LENGTHWISE BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD PLATE MEMBERS AND END LOCATED BY HOLES THEREIN, GRAPHITE SLEEVE MEANS ENCLOSING WITH CLEARANCE SAID ASSEMBLIES, MEANS ATTACHING ONE OF SAID TIE RODS TO SAID SLEEVE MEMBER AND COUPLING ONE END OF THE FIRST FUEL ELEMENT ASSMEBLY WITH ONE END OF THE SECOND FUEL ELEMENT ASSEMBLY, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A BLOCK, A FIRST PAIR OF PINS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE BLOCK WITH THE TIE RODS AT ONE END OF THE FIRST FUEL ELEMENT ASSEMBLY AND WITH THE SLEEVE MEMBER AND A SECOND PAIR OF PINS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE BLOCK WITH THE TIE RODS AT ONE END OF THE SECOND FUEL ELEMENT ASSEMBLY.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2773823A Cited
US2832733A Cited
US2898280A Cited
US2852456A Cited
US2985575A Cited
US2848404A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1967-04-07 1967-10-07 1968-04-07 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1971-04-07 1971-10-07 1972-04-07 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1975-04-07 1975-10-07 1976-04-07 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag