The Babcock & Wilcox Company

Donald Lawrence Goddard

John Howard Nolan

Barrett John Short

A rotatable and retractable storage lug (50), especially suited for, but not limited to, nuclear reactor applications is claimed. The lug (50) is equipped with a rotatable and slidable weight-cylinder assembly (76 and 64) in coaxial relationship with a pivoted support beam (60). Furthermore, the weight-cylinder assembly (76 and 64) and support beam (60) are connected together by a lockable channel (70 and 70A), groove (68 and 68A) and pin (62 and 62A) arrangement. By rotating the cylinder (64), the support beam (60) will assume either a horizontal or working position or a vertical or stored position.

Retractable storage lug

An illustrative embodiment of the invention provides pressure relief valve means for the core support cylinder of a nuclear reactor vessel during a failure or accident of the nuclear reactor system. The valve means is responsive to differential pressure across the valve which in one direction sealably seats the valve plate against the valve body, and which, in the other direction opens the valve for pressure relief of the cylinder. Moreover, the valve means is provided with energy absorbing means which limit the impact load of an 'explosively' opening valve on the reactor vessel wall.

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Lynchburg, VA, United States of America

Donald Lawrence Goddard