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US3917335A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Fuel assemblies, grapples therefor and fuel transport apparatus for nuclear reactor power plant

Assignee: UNC NUCLEAR INDUSTRIES Inc A CORP OF
•
Filing: 1973-05-25
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Granted: 1975-11-04
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Expires: 1993-05-25
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Abstract

Abstract A nuclear fuel assembly in which vertically disposed fuel elements are spaced within a housing generally of a rectanguloid configuration. Each fuel element includes an upper end plug and lower end plug. Vertically spaced support plates are disposed in the housing with suitable openings to receive the upper and lower end plugs of the fuel elements for supporting the fuel elements with the housing. The upper plate is removable from the housing and the lower fuel plug is detachably connected to the lower plate. Other spacer plates are secured to the housing walls to reinforce same. A grapple having lifting plates with pins enter recesses formed in the housing for enabling the housing to be raised. After the fuel assembly is raised by the grapple, leaf spring retainers of the upper plate are dislodged for removing the upper plate from the housing. Now, the fuel elements can be removed selectively and individually from the fuel assembly by a removal tool. Aligned with and disposed above the removal tool is a transfer casing for housing the selectively removed fuel element while the selectively removed fuel element is transported to and from a fuel reprocessor.

Inventors

  • 👤 Cecil R Jones

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 14:19
CPC Classifications
G; G21; G21C; G21C3/00; G21C3/30; G21C3/32; G21C3/33; G21C3/332; G21C19/00; G21C19/02; G21C19/10; G21C3/326; G21C3/34; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E30/00; Y02E30/30; Y10; Y10S; Y10S294/00; Y10S294/906

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 85 words
A grapple for use with a nuclear reactor comprising an outer tube, depending lifting members mounted for horizontal sliding movement on the outer tube walls and extending within the outer tube, means mounted within the outer tube for rotary movement therein about the outer tube vertical axis, means connecting the means for rotary movement to the lifting members for converting the rotary motion into lateral movement of the lifting members, and means for inhibiting lateral movement of the lifting members whenever load is applied thereto.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 85 words
A grapple for use with a nuclear reactor comprising an outer tube, depending lifting members mounted for horizontal sliding movement on the outer tube walls and extending within the outer tube, means mounted within the outer tube for rotary movement therein about the outer tube vertical axis, means connecting the means for rotary movement to the lifting members for converting the rotary motion into lateral movement of the lifting members, and means for inhibiting lateral movement of the lifting members whenever load is applied thereto.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 39 words
A grapple as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for rotary movement comprise an actuator tube, a noncircular tube within the actuator tube and rotatable thereby, and resilient means supporting the non-circular tube on the actuator tube.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 57 words
A grapple as set forth in claim 2 wherein the connecting means comprise a horizontal cam plate mounted on the bottom of the non-circular tube, cam follower means secured to the lifting members, and means coupling the cam plate to the cam follower and causing lateral movement of the follower upon rotary motion of the cam plate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 52 words
A grapple as set forth in claim 2 wherein the inhibiting means are secured to the lifting members and adapted to engage and lock to the outer tube when load is applied, said resilient means being adapted to lift the lifting members and release the inhibiting means when the load is removed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 17 words
A grapple as set forth in claim 1 wherein the bottom of the outer tube is tapered.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 16 words
A grapple as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lifting members have laterally extending projections.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 25 words
A grapple as set forth in claim 1, in combination with a rigid, fixed guide tube, said grapple being vertically movable within the guide tube.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US1825025A Cited
US1825026A Cited
US3201166A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-11-03 1979-05-05 1979-11-04 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-11-03 1983-05-05 1983-11-04 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-11-03 1987-05-05 1987-11-04 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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