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:
Dec. 27, 1994
Filed:
Mar. 31, 1993
Robert A Haughton, Wilmington, NC (US);
James D Landry, Wilmington, NC (US);
Ralph J Reda, Wilmington, NC (US);
Robert J Sziemkiewicz, Wilmington, NC (US);
General Electric Company, San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
In an automated final weld apparatus, a transporter conveys nuclear fuel-loaded cladding tubes successively to a check station to verify the presence of a plenum spring in the open end of each cladding tube, a reader station where a unique first end plug serial number is read, an evacuation/backfill station where the cladding tube is backfilled with helium, a seam welding station where a final end plug is welded to the cladding tube open end, and a seal weld station where the tube is pressurized with helium through a pressurization hole in the final end plug, whereupon the pressurization hole is welded closed. After checking for helium leakage, the seam weld is inspected in a succession of inspection stations, and, depending on inspection results, the finished nuclear fuel rods are sorted into accepted and rejected lots.