Fuel rod pellet loading head

Claim 2

In an assembly for the loading of nuclear fuel pellets into a fuel rod, including a main housing having an inert atmosphere and adapted to receive fuel pellets for loading into elongated fuel rods and a longitudinal extending trough for receiving pellets in end-to-end relationship, wherein the improvement comprises a pellet loading assembly disposed for longitudinal alignment with said trough and said fuel rod, said assembly including a member having a seat for slidably receiving fuel pellets longitudinally from said trough, means for providing relative adjustable vertical alignment between said fuel rod and said seat, said seat being constructed and arranged so that said seat will substantially tangentially contact said pellets for the length thereof only at two locations, whereby the pellets will be transferred from said loading trough to said fuel rod without chipping thereof.

Claim 3

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said seat has a truncated configuration including a pair of opposed sloping sides for tangential contact with said pellets.

Claim 4

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said seat includes a first plurality of arcuate grooves traversing said seat.

Claim 5

The assembly of claim 3 wherein said seat includes at least one opening located between said adjacent ones of said grooves and extending lengthwise between said seat and a manifold located at the bottom thereof.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said means for providing relative adjustable vertical alignment between said fuel rod and said seat includes vertical extending slots.

Claim 7

In an assembly for loading of nuclear fuel pellets into a fuel rod, including a main housing having an inert atmosphere and adapted to receive fuel pellets for loading into fuel rods, and a trough for receiving said pellets in end-to-end relationship, wherein the improvement comprises a pellet loading assembly disposed for alignment with said trough and said fuel rod, said assembly including a member having a seat for slidably receiving said fuel pellets, said seat being constructed and arranged so that said seat will substantially tangentially contact said pellets for the length thereof only at two locations, said assembly including a notched fuel rod locator member operably supporting said fuel rod at one end thereof and mounted for adjustable vertical movement relative to said seat so that the notch of said locator member may be properly vertically aligned relative to said seat to facilitate the transfer of pellets from said loading assembly into said fuel rod, whereby the pellets will be transferred from said loading trough to said fuel rod without substantial chipping thereof.

Claim 8

In an assembly for loading of nuclear fuel pellets into a fuel rod, including a main housing having an inert atmosphere and adapted to receive fuel pellets for loading into fuel rods, and a trough for receiving said pellets in end-to-end relationship, wherein the improvement comprises a pellet loading assembly disposed for alignment with said trough and said fuel rod, said assembly including a member having a seat for slidably receiving said fuel pellets, said seat being constructed and arranged so that said seat will substantially tangentially contact said pellets for the length thereof only at two locations, said assembly including a notched fuel rod locator member operably supporting said fuel rod at one end thereof and mounted for adjustable vertical movement relative to said seat so that the notch of said locator member may be properly vertically aligned relative to said seat to facilitate the transfer of pellets from said loading assembly into said fuel rod, whereby the pellets will be transferred from said loading trough to said fuel rod without substantial chipping thereof.

Claim 9

The assembly of claim 6 including means for securing said fuel rod in position in said notched member.

Claim 10

The assembly of claim 6 wherein said notched fuel rod locator member includes at least a pair of laterally spaced slots which extend in a vertical direction for permitting said adjustable vertical movement of said fuel rod relative to said seat.

Claim 11

In an assembly for the loading of nuclear fuel pellets into a fuel rod, including a main housing having an inert atmosphere and adapted to receive fuel pellets for loading into fuel rods, and a trough for receiving said pellets in end-to-end relationship, wherein the improvement comprises a pellet loading assembly disposed for alignment with said trough and said fuel rod, said assembly including a member having a seat for slidably receiving said fuel pellets, said seat being constructed and arranged so that said seat will substantially tangentially contact said pellets for the length thereof at only two locations, said seat further includiNg a first plurality of arcuate grooves traversing said seat, and said pellet loading assembly including cover means disposed at least in partial overlying relationship relative to said seat and having a lower surface including a second plurality of arcuate grooves for cooperation with said first plurality of grooves to define air passageways about said pellets when they are located between said seat and said cover means, whereby the pellets will be transferred from said loading trough to said fuel rod without substantial chipping thereof.

Claim 12

In an assembly for the loading of nuclear fuel pellets into a fuel rod, including a main housing having an inert atmosphere and adapted to receive fuel pellets for loading into fuel rods, and a trough for receiving said pellets in end-to-end relationship, wherein the improvement comprises a pellet loading assembly disposed for alignment with said trough and said fuel rod, said assembly including a member having a seat for slidably receiving said fuel pellets, said seat being constructed and arranged so that said seat will substantially tangentially contact said pellets for the length thereof at only two locations, said seat further includiNg a first plurality of arcuate grooves traversing said seat, and said pellet loading assembly including cover means disposed at least in partial overlying relationship relative to said seat and having a lower surface including a second plurality of arcuate grooves for cooperation with said first plurality of grooves to define air passageways about said pellets when they are located between said seat and said cover means, whereby the pellets will be transferred from said loading trough to said fuel rod without substantial chipping thereof.