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:
Mar. 10, 1987
Filed:
Oct. 09, 1985
Roy T Hardin, Jr, Unity Township, Westmoreland County, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A fuel transfer system for transferring fuel assemblies through a transfer tube between fuel exchange locations respectively in a fuel storage and handling building and a containment structure of a nuclear reactor includes a segmented track comprising first, second and third track segments and a segmented drive screw comprising first, second and third drive screw segments respectively associated with the fuel storage and handling building, the transfer tube, and the containment structure. Gaps between the successive, corresponding track segments and drive screw segments permit operation of valves for closing the ends of the transfer tube during normal operation of the reactor, which valves are then opened during fuel exchange operations. The adjacent but normally displaced ends of the first and second and of the second and third drive screw segments include respective, mating engagement means. Remotely operable means advance the first drive screw segment while rotating same to interengage same with the mating engagement means of the adjacent second drive screw segment and then simultaneously advance and rotate both thereof to engage the latter with the third drive screw segment and thereby interengage all three drive screw segments for common rotation. A fuel assembly transfer car carrying a fuel container is supported on the segmented track and selectively driven, through a split ring received on the segmented drive screw in accordance with the direction of rotation thereof, between the exchange locations. The container is pivotally mounted on the car and engages an upending mechanism at each of the fuel exchange locations, which automatically pivots the container from a horizontal position in passage from the transfer tube to a vertical position in the exchange locations, therein or having removed therefrom a fuel rod assembly, and which automatically pivots the container to a horizontal position as the car travels from the exchange location and through the transfer tube to the other exchange location.