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:
Oct. 30, 1990
Filed:
Jun. 28, 1989
Wade H Widener, Columbia, SC (US);
David A Boatwright, Columbia, SC (US);
Abstract
An end cap is mounted on a fuel rod gripper to cover the end portions of fingers thereon to minimize impacts with grid cell dimples. The fingers are defined by circumferentially-spaced and longitudinally-extending slots in the gripper which permit the finger end portions to radially expand and retract between corresponding expanded and collapsed conditions. The end cap includes a body having a forward camming portion and a rearward mounting portion. The rearward mounting portion is hollow and configured to fit over and cover the end portions of the gripper fingers with the forward camming portion extending forwardly thereof. Also, circumferentially-spaced and longitudinally-extending attachment flutes are dispsoed internally of the hollow mounting portion of the body and project radially inwardly therefrom. The flutes are configured to releasably fit within the respective slots of the gripper when the finger end portions thereof are in the expanded condition and to be retained therein when the finger end portions are in the retracted condition.