The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 08, 1980
Filed:
Sep. 08, 1977
Ronald E Vaill, Penn Township, Allegheny County, PA (US);
William D Phillips, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
An improved grid sleeve bulge tool designed for securing control rod guide tubes to sleeves brazed in a fuel assembly grid. The tool includes a cylinder having an outer diameter less than the internal diameter of the control rod guide tubes. The walls of the cylinder are cut in an axial direction along its length to provide several flexible tines or ligaments. The end of each alternate tine is equipped with a semispherical projection which extends radially outwardly from the tine surface. A ram or plunger of generally cylindrical configuration and about the same length as the cylinder is designed to fit in and move axially of the cylinder and thereby force the tined projections outwardly when the ram is pulled into the cylinder. As the projections thereon outwardly into contact with the sleeve, they plastically deform both the sleeve and the control rod guide tube simultaneously to thereby form four bulges which extend outwardly from the sleeve surface and beyond the outer periphery of the grid peripheral strap.