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:
Jul. 21, 1981
Filed:
Dec. 18, 1978
Rolf Kuhn, Wurzburg, DE;
GG. Noell GmbH, , DE;
Abstract
A device for use in handling nuclear elements, such as control rods, fuel elements and blind rods in a nuclear energy plant, comprises, a hoist having a gripper rod assembly, which includes a tubular column structure into which is engaged a top movable part which is adapted to be connected to a lifting cable. The top movable part carries a crossbar which is engaged by engaging members which are pivotally mounted within the tubular column structure of the gripper rod assembly and which have pin elements thereon which, when the engaging members are positioned inwardly, engage in recesses between teeth defined on the crossbar. The engaging elements are moved by an actuating rod which is reciprocatable in the tubular column structure and includes a piston portion which is movable in a fluid cylinder portion so as to shift the engaging members between an outwardly oriented postion in which they engage into teeth elements of an annular rim of a gripper casing or an axially inwardly oriented position in which they are moved inwardly sufficiently so that the gripper rod assembly will clear a top opening of the casing and permit disengagement thereof. The lower end of the gripper rod includes gripper levers which may be actuated to engage a holding plate, for example, of a fuel element in the form of a bundle of control rods. When the gripper rod assembly is lowered by the hoisting cable, it may be centered to move into the top opening of the gripper casing. The lower end is then movable to the lower end of the gripper casing and into engagement with a top plate of a bundle of fuel elements or control rods. The gripper housing may be moved with the gripper rods to orient it over the fuel elements so that its lower end may be latched to the fuel element during the time at which the control rods are lifted upwardly therefrom and positioned within the gripper casing. The gripper casing has guide elements, such as predefined openings, which guide the control rods upwardly therethrough and they include means for stopping the upward movement of the gripper rod assembly.