Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Ralph W Kalkbrenner

Richard M Kobuck

Andrew J Jarabak

Wallace H Sunderman

Edward G Mendola

Ronald F Antol

Hans E Leumann

Robert Duncan

Richard A Miller

John S Kerrey

Ralph W Kugler

Donald L Wolfe

Roger J Wiggins

Ignatius N Bova

A pellet turning apparatus for facilitating surface inspection of nuclear fuel pellets includes a pellet turner assembly and a pellet supply tray interface assembly. The pellet turner assembly includes a pellet turner deck and a swivel mechanism supporting the deck. The pellet turner deck is composed of a base frame mounted on the swivel mechanism, a plurality of elongated laterally-spaced pellet channel-defining members extending between and mounted at the opposite ends of the frame, a pellet rolling plate supported on the frame below the pellet channel-defining members, and an actuating mechanism coupled to the pellet rolling plate for moving the plate in oscillatory direction substantially perpendicular to the pellet channels for producing in situ turning of the pellets. The interface assembly is mounted to a pellet loading end of the pellet turner deck. The interface assembly is operable for disposing a pellet transfer end of a pellet supply tray at a desired elevation relative to the pellet loading end of the pellet turner deck. The interface assembly includes a tray elevating mechanism having engaging elements for coupling to the transfer end of the pellet supply tray, and an actuating cam mechanism coupled for moving the elevating mechanism to raise or lower the engaging elements and thereby raise or lower the transfer end of the supply tray respectively above or below the loading end of the pellet turner deck.

Nuclear fuel pellet turning apparatus and method

An automated facility for the large-scale production of superconducting magnets for use in a particle accelerator. Components of the automated facility include: a superconducting coil winding machine; a coil form and cure press apparatus; a coil collaring press; collar pack assembly apparatus; yoke half stacking apparatus; a cold mass assembly station; and a final assembly station. The facility can produce, on an economical manufacturing basis, magnets made of superconducting material for use in the ring of the particle accelerator. Each of the components is under the control of a programmable controller for operation having repeatable accuracy. All of the elements which are combined to form the superconducting magnet are thus manufactured with the dimensional precision required to produce a known, uniform magnetic field within the accelerator.

Apparatus for making a superconducting magnet for particle accelerators

Apparatus and process for making a superconducting magnet for particle

Process for making a superconducting magnet for particle accelerators

An automated facility for the large-scale production of superconducting magnets for use in a particle accelerator. Components of the automated facility include: a superconducting coil winding machine; a coil form and cure press apparatus; a coil collaring press; collar pack assembly apparatus; yoke half stacking apparatus; a cold mass assembly station; and a final assembly station. The facility can produce, on an economical manufacturing basis magnets made of superconducting material for use in the ring of the particle accelerator. Each of the components is under the control of a programmable controller for operation having repeatable accuracy. All of the elements which are combined to form the superconducting magnet are thus manufactured with the dimensional precision required to produce a known, uniform magnetic field within the accelerator.

Process for making a superconducting magnet coil assembly for particle

A grid assembly fixture for use in assembling grid straps to form a grid comprises a generally flat plate having first and second sets of parallel grooves, with the grooves of the sets at right angles. A retention strap comprises first and second pairs of bars, the bars of each pair hinged together adjacent their ends, and releasable joining elements for joining the pair of bars. A method of assembling the grid straps includes positioning a first set of straps in a grid assembly fixture, positioning a second set of straps at right angles to the first set to form a grid, placing outer straps on the grid, and placing a retention strap on the outer straps.

Grid assembly fixture, retention strap and method

In a system for inspecting fuel assembly guide thimbles, an apparatus for handling drag gages insertable within the guide thimbles includes a spider rotatably mounted to an upright support structure and supporting drag gages in a series of angularly-displaced storage positions about the support structure, and a drive operable to rotate the spider relative to the support structure and thereby moving the gages about an endless path to dispose a selected one thereof at a retrieval-and-return station. An elongated track mounted to the support structure extends outwardly above the spider, and a trolley is movable along the track between a remote position overlying a work station containing the fuel assembly to be inspected and a position adjacent to the support structure and overlying the drag gage retrieval-and-return station. A gripper mechanism, supported by a hoist which in turn is supported by the trolley, is operable for respectively gripping and releasing the selected one gage at the retrieval-and-return station. The hoist is operable to raise and lower the gripper mechanism and selected gage therewith away from and toward the retrievel-and-return station when the trolley is positioned adjacent the support structure and to raise and lower the gripper mechanism and gage therewith away from and toward the fuel assembly guide thimbles when the trolley is at the remote position. Also, a safety sleeve is normally disposed about the gripper mechanism for restraining it in a gripping relation with the drag gage.

Apparatus for storage, retrieval and deployment of drag gages used in

A clamping device for rectangular configurations characterized by two opposed jaws each having right-angled jaw portions and each pivotally mounted on separate support means for movement to and from each other so that the jaws form rectangular openings with self-adjusting aspect ratio for holding a rectangular workpiece.

Clamping device for rectangular workpiece

A strap and vane positioning fixture is provided for aligning simultaneously the segments of straps forming a fuel rod grid. The fixture comprises a plate having a plurality of rods extending from it, in rows and columns, positioned for entry into cells of a grid. The rods at the periphery of the plate comprise a first set and have at their upper ends a spade with a single blade, the remaining rods comprising a second set and having at their upper ends a spade with a pair of blades. A method comprising engaging vanes extending from certain straps to align segments of each strap between the slots thereof, and holding the straps in the aligned position.

Strap and vane positioning fixture for fuel rod grid and method

A workpiece handling assembly for gripping, manipulating and releasing a fixtured workpiece assembly for transport to and from and positioning in a workpiece welding station and the like by a hoist to minimize contamination of the welds comprising an inverted generally 'U' shaped gripping and manipulating gripping device including a telescopically extensible horizontal crossbeam structure having depending support arms extending downwardly from opposite ends thereof. The lowermost ends of said arms have pivoted gripper jaw members journaled therein for rotary movement about a common horizontal axis, including foot formations shaped to interfit and grip convergent grip edges of triangular protrusions projecting from the workpiece. The gripper jaw members are movable to and from gripping relation with the triangular protrusions, and the gripper jaw members can be latched at diametrically opposite angular positions to support the workpiece in either of two relatively inverted positions. A mounting plate is provided for the workpiece having cantilevered and eccentrically mounted latching pins associated with locating pins to latch the workpiece on the mounting plate.

Workpiece gripping and manipulating apparatus for laser welding systems

A grid assembly fixture for use in assembling grid straps to form a grid comprises a generally flat plate having first and second sets of parallel grooves, with the grooves of the sets at right angles. A retention strap comprises first and second pairs of bars, the bars of each pair hinged together adjacent their ends, and releasable joining elements for joining the pair of bars.

Grid assembly fixture, retention strap

Apparatus is disclosed for laser machining a work piece comprising a laser lens adapted to be releasably mounted to permit cleaning of the lens to remove any debris collected thereon during laser machining. The mounting includes a cylindrical base for defining a path along which the laser beam emitted by the laser source is directed onto the work piece, and a mounting member for mounting the laser lens with respect to the cylindrical base and adapted to be removably mounted on the cylindrical base in a manner whereby the lens is disposed to a certain position with respect to the cylindrical base. To this end, there is included a locking member engaging the cylindrical base and biasing the mounting member and its laser lens to the certain position with respect to the cylindrical base.

Laser lens and light assembly

Laser machining a work piece in an environment that is non-reactive to the material of which the work piece is made. In particular, the laser machining apparatus includes a chamber for readily receiving a work piece and means for moving the work piece along its X, Y, and Z axes with respect to the laser beam, while maintaining the purity of the machining environment. To this end, the machining chamber is mounted upon means for driving the machining chamber along X and Y axes. The machining environment is maintained within the machining chamber and a sealing means taking the form of a plate having a substantially flat surface, that is disposed of a substantially uniform distance from the peripheral edge of the machining chamber, so that the machining chamber may be driven without resistance by the moving means. The work piece is moved along the Z-axis, by means comprising a mounting plate rotatively disposed within the machining chamber and adapted to be coupled with drive means, whereby the mounting plate and the work piece secured thereto may be rotatively disposed with respect to the laser beam.

Movable machining chamber with rotatable work piece fixture

Welding plates for laser beam welding of a fuel rod grid are provided, each welding plate having a surface with a set of equally spaced, parallel grooves and with a second set of such grooves perpendicular to the first set. Each of the welding plates is provided with openings therethrough at the points of intersection of the straps forming the grid, so as to expose those points of intersection to a laser beam for laser beam welding of the points of intersection. A vane side welding plate has the walls of the laser beam access openings placed so as to hold vanes extending from the straps in deflected position. Stand-off pins and clamping bolts are provided, the latter having heads with access openings for the laser beam. The welding plates are provided with protrusions which extend laterally thereof, the protrusions having precisely located holes with precision bushings therein.

Growing community of inventors

Irwin, PA, United States of America

Ralph W Kalkbrenner