Patent Number: 050193244
Section: description

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates a laterally guided vehicle for operating on rails and which is remotely controlled so as to be movable in the direction of a lock 2. The vehicle 1 has two side holders 3 for accommodating a Maltese-cross transmission (not shown) for pivotally journalling the carrier 4. The carrier 4 comprises a frame and accommodates a container 5 therein. The Maltese-cross transmission for pivoting the carrier 4 is actuated via a toothed disk 6, a toothed belt 7 and a toothed disk 8 via a drive (not shown). The container carrier 4 is equipped with an annular part 9 having an inner conical surface 10. Two pins 12 are provided in the base 11 of the container carrier 4 and each of these pins has a conical end portion. A part 13 is attached to the carrier 4 at the head region thereof and has a slot-like opening 14 which expands outwardly so that the opening 14 terminates in a V-cut 15. Three holders 16 are likewise provided at the head region of the container carrier 4 and are uniformly distributed about the periphery of the carrier. The holders 16 each include a clamping piece 18 and a counter clamp 19 pivotally mounted on the frame of the carrier 4 and a remotely-manipulated spindle 17 for tightening clamping piece 18 to hold the container 5 in place. The container 5 has two through openings 20 and two blind openings 21 all arranged at the lower end thereof. The container 5 is equipped with a holding loop 22 on its upper end so as to permit transport of the container via an overhead crane. The holding loop 22 is releasably attached to the container and in a position which cannot be mistaken. The holding loop 22 is provided with a part 23 configured as a rod having a circular cross section. The parts 23 and 13 are guide parts which conjointly define a container guide 24. The operation of the centering arrangement of the invention is described below. The container 5 is a terminal storage container for cut irradiated fuel rods and is positioned with a remotely-controlled crane into the carrier 4 with the latter in the vertical position. For centering, the container 5 first reaches the opening 14 of guide part 13 with its guide part 23 whereby a precentering of the container 5 occurs. This centering is in a very specific angular position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container and is predetermined by the position of the lock openings. The container 5 then passes through the annular part 9 which centers the container 5 with its longitudinal axis to the longitudinal axis of the carrier 4. The longitudinal axis of the carrier is calibrated to the point M of the lock 2. Just before the container 5 meets up with the base 11, the two pins 12 on the carrier 4 engage corresponding ones of the blind openings 21 in the base of the container 5 which effects a fine centering. Then, when the container 5 comes into contact engagement with the base 11, an even finer centering is obtained which brings the container 5 into precisely a position which assures an accurate alignment of the container openings 20 with corresponding ones of the openings in the lock when the container 5 is later docked at the lock 2. The container 5 is held in this position to prevent a change in position by means of the holders 16 which are pivoted into place and tightened. The carrier 4 together with the container 5 is then pivoted out of the vertical position into a precise horizontal position by means of the Maltese-cross transmission. The container is then transported to the lock 2 so as to be docked thereat. One of the two container openings 20 is provided for filling the container with fuel rods which have been just previously cut to a length corresponding to the inner length of the container. The other container opening 20 is provided for a conduit which is connected to a vacuum device for drawing away the dust in the container 5 which was produced by cutting the fuel rods. It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.