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:
Jun. 11, 1991
Filed:
Mar. 14, 1986
Wade H Widener, Cayce, SC (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for loading cylindrical fuel pellets into tubular fuel rods includes pellet segregation means for detecting and segregating an undersized pellet prior to its entry into a fuel rod. The segregation means includes a pair of laterally separated guide rails adapted to support the lateral side edges of the advancing pellets, and such that a pellet of undersized diameter will drop to a level below that of the properly sized pellets. A lateral shoulder is positioned at the downstream end of the guide rails for engaging and holding any dropped pellet so that it cannot advance into the fuel rod. Also, a pellet deflecting plate is positioned at the upstream end of the guide rails, to interrupt the contact between adjacent pellets and thus assure that an undersized pellet is not carried along the guide rails by the adjacent pellets.