Fuel element changing and transporting apparatus for nuclear reactors

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A NUCLEAR REACTOR OF THE TYPE COMPRISING MODERATOR MEANS HAVING OPPOSITE SIDES, A PLURALITY OF TUBULAR ELEMENTS EXTENDING TROUGH SAID MODERATOR MEANS FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE THEREOF, EACH OF SAID TUBULAR ELEMENTS COMPRISING AN OUTSIDE TUBE AND AN INSIDE TUBE PLACED INSIDE AND SPACED FROM SAID OUTSIDE TUBE, ONE OF SAID TUBES BEING MADE OF MATERIAL CONTAINING FISSIONABLE MATERIAL, AND A COOLANT FLOWING THROUGH SAID TUBES IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS: A CONNECTING HEAD PLACED AT ONE END OF EACH OF SAID TUBULAR ELEMENTS AND PERMANENTLY PLACED OUTSIDE OF SAID MODERATOR MEANS AT ONE OF SAID SIDES THEREOF, A COVER MEANS AT THE SIDE OF SAID MODERATOR MEANS WHERE SAID CONNECTING HEADS ARE PLACED, EACH OF SAID CONNECTING HEADS COMPRISING A CONNECTING MEMBER MADE FAST ON SAID COVER MEANS AND FORMING A COOLANT INLET DISCONNECTABLY CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID TUBES OF THE RESPECTIVE TUBULAR ELEMENT, AND A COOLANT OUTLET DISCONNECTABLY CONNECTED TO THE SECOND TUBE OF THE RESPECTIVE TUBULAR ELEMENT, A RETAINING MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID CONNECTING MEMBERS AND RELEASABLY CONNECTED TO ONE OF THE TUBES OF THE RESPECTIVE TUBULAR ELEMENTS, AND AN APPARATUS PLACED AT THE SIDE OF SAID MODERATOR MEANS OPPOSITE THE SIDE WHERE SAID CONNECTING HEADS ARE PLACED, SAID APPARATUS INCLUDING MEANS FOR INSERTING SAID TUBULAR ELEMENTS AT SAID OPPOSITE SIDE INTO SAID MODERATOR MEANS AND PRESENTING SAID TUBULAR ELEMENTS TO SAID CONNECTING MEMBERS FOR RETENTION THEREON BY SAID RETAINING MEANS AND FOR RECEIVING SAID TUBULAR ELEMENTS FROM SAID MODERATOR MEANS AFTER RELEASE OF SAID RETAINING MEANS.