Servicing apparatus for gas cooled thermal reactors

Claim 1

IN A PRESSURIZED GAS-COOLED NUCLEAR REACTOR OF THE KIND INCLUDING A REACTOR CORE HOUSED WITHIN AN ENCLOSING SHELL, SAID SHELL PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF SPACED NORMALLY CLOSED POINTS OF ACCESS TO SAID CORE, AN APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING A MULTIPLICITY OF DISTINCT DIFFERENT SERVICING OERATIONS FOR SAID REACTOR, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A TRAVELING AUXILIARY PRESSURE VESSEL CONSTRUCTED TO WITHSTAND THE FULL GAS PRESSURE OF THE REACTOR, AN OPENING IN SAID AUXILIARY PRESSURE VESSEL, GAS-TIGHT SEALING MEANS FOR SAID OPENING, SAID SEALING MEANS BEING CONSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE A GAS-TIGHT SEAL BETWEEN SAID AUXILIARY PRESSURE VESSEL AND ANY SELECTED ONE OF SAID POINTS OF ACCESS, A PLURALITY OF DISTINCT DIFFERENT SEPARATE SELECTIVELY OPERABLE CORE SERVICING MECHANISMS FOR SERVICING A REACTOR CORE IN SAID SHELL, SAID SERVICING MECHANISMS BEING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID AUXILIARY PRESSURE VESSEL, AND POSITIONING MEANS FOR EACH SAID SERVICING MECHANISM, EACH SAID POSITIONING MEANS BEING DISPOSED AT LEAST IN PART WITHIN SAID AUXILIARY VESSEL AND CONSTRUCTED TO BRING ITS SAID MECHANISM SELECTIVELY INTO OPERATIONAL POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID OPENING, WHEREBY TO PLACE ITS SAID MECHANISM IN READINESS TO BE PASSED INTO THE ENCLOSING SHELL THROUGH A SELECTED POINT OF ACCESS AS AND FOR THE PURPOSE AFORESAID.