Handling apparatus for nuclear reactor refueling facility

Claim 1

IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR HAVING A PRESSURE VESEL AND BIOLOGICAL SHIELD, FUEL ELEMENTS LOCATED IN VERTICAL CHANNELS OF THE CORE, A SERVICING CHAMBE LOCATED WITHIN THE REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL AND BIOLOGICAL SHIELD AND DISPOSED VERTICALLY ABOVE THE CORE, A PASAGEWAY EXTENDING VERTICALLY UPWARDLY FROM THE SERVICING CHAMBE AND LOCATED ABOVE THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE CORE, AND MEANS FOR CIRCULATING A COOLANT GAS IN SAID CHANNELS; A REFUELLING APPARATUS, COMPRISING; AN ARM PERMANENTLY MOUNTED IN SAID SERVICING CHAMBER FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY SOEXTENSIVE WITH THE AXIS OF SAID PASSAGEWAY; DRIVE MEANS EXTENDING INTO SAID SERVICING CHAMBER AND CONNECTED WITH SAID ARM FOR ROTATING IT ABOUT SAID AXIS; A GUIDE TRACK RIGID WITH SAID ARM AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND INCLINED DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID AXIS TOWARD THE SIDE WALL OF THE SERVICING CHAMBER; A HANDLING MACHINE ADAPTED TO BE MOVED VERTICALLY AT SAID AXIS BETWEEN AN OPERATIVE POSITION SUPPORTED IN SAID SERVICING CHAMBER BY SAID TRACK AND INOPERATIVE POSITION RAISED OUT OF SAID SERVICING CHAMBER THROUGH SAID PASSAGEWAY; SAID HANDLING MACHINE, WHEN IN SAID OPERATIVE POSITION BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID TRACK FRO ROTATION THEREWITH FOR MOVEMENT THEREALONG BETWEN SAID AXIS AND THE OUTER END OF THE TRAACK; DRIVING MEANS LOCATED OUTSIDE OF SAID SERVICING CHAMBER AND CONNECTED WITH SAID HANDLING MACHINE FOR MOVING IT BETWEEN SAID OPERATIVE AND SAID INOPERATIVE POSITIONS AND FOR MVING IT UPWARDLY AND INWARDLY ALONG SAID INCLINED TRACK RELATIVE TO SAID AXIS AND FOR CONTROLLING OUTWARD AND DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLING MACHINE RELATIVE TO SAID AXIS DUE TO GRAVITATIONAL FORCE ACTING THEREON AND FOR HOLDING SAID HANDLING MACHINE IN FIXED POSITION AT ANY DESIRED POINT ALONG SAID TRACK, SAID HANDLING MACHINE INCLUDING A GRAB MOVABLE VERTICALLY, WHEN SAID HANDLING MACHINE IS DISPOSED IN SAID SERVICING CHAMBER BETWEEN A RAISED POSITION WHERE IT IS WHOLLY DISPOSED IN SAID SERVICING CHAMBER AND LOWERED POSITIONS FOR PLACING AND REMOVING THE REACTOR FUEL ELEMENTS; AND CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID GRAB FOR LIFTING IT FROM A LOWERED TO A RAISED POSITION AND FOR CONTROLLING THE LOWERING OF THE GRAB FROM A RAISED TO A LOWERED POSITION AND FOR HOLDING IT IN SELECTED POSITION.