Patent Number: 046719202
Section: description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 is an elevational view, in cross-section, of an ice basket 10 having a cylindrical, perforated metal sidewall and divided into a series of compartments, delineated by cruciforms 14. In a typical installation, the cruciforms 14 are disposed at axially displaced positions, or elevations, spaced apart by approximately six foot intervals within the basket 10, and define a succession of seven compartments 11-1 through 11-7, each containing initially a full charge of ice. The cruciforms 14 may be of the conventional X-shaped configuration having radially extending legs, the inner limits of the legs typically being welded in a common joint or juncture and the outer edges of the legs being welded directly to the retaining rings of the ice basket 12, at the corresponding elevations. The radial legs of each such conventional X-shaped cruciform thus defines quadrant areas at each elevational cross-section of the ice basket 12. The open, upper end 12a of ice basket 10 affords limited access to the interior of the basket 10, the lower end 12b typically being enclosed by a grating or meshlike end closure (not shown) which is contiguous with support structure (not shown) for the basket 10. The cruciforms 14 support the charges of ice within the corresponding compartments, despite the fact that sublimation has resulted in reduced charges of ice existing within the lower compartments. For example, whereas the charges of ice 9-1 and 9-2 substantially fill the corresponding compartments 11-1 and 11-2, in the lowermost compartments 11-6 and 11-7, significantly depleted charges of ice 9-6 and 9-7, respectively, remain. Whereas removal of the charge of ice at the uppermost compartment 11-1 is feasible with conventional tools since accessible through the open upper end 12a, removal of ice from the successively lower compartments is a difficult task. FIG. 2 is a simplified, perspective view of a typical arrangement of ice baskets as hereinbefore described and identified therein at 10', illustrating the perforated cylindrical sidewall 12' of each and showing the lattice support frame 50. The frame 50 includes at each of plural, spaced elevations, parallel extending support beams, shown at two illustrative such elevations by the beams 51-1, 51-1, . . . 51-2, 51-2, . . . . Further, extending between each of the parallel beams 5' and directly engaging the sidewalls of the individual ice baskets 14' are corresponding pairs of criss-cross or X-shaped lateral basket supports 52-1, 52-2. As a first step in the maintenance method of the present invention, the individual ice baskets 14 are weighed to determine the presence of sublimated voids and thus to identify baskets requiring maintenance. The weighing may be performed in accordance with the apparatus employed in the above referenced application entitled "COMPACT ICE BASKET WEIGHING TOOL," incorporated herein by reference. Plastic inflatible bags, schematically illustrated at 54, are inserted in surrounding relationship with respect to an ice basket 10 identified as requiring maintenance, and are inflated so as to surround and isolate the basket and prevent ice spillage out of the holes in the sidewalls of the ice basket. The uppermost level of support beams 51-1 defines a deck area on which a support frame for the tool of the invention is received, as now described, with reference to FIGS. 3-7 hereof. FIGS. 3 and 4 comprise, respectively, an elevational view and a top plan view, of the maintenance screw drill/conveyor tool 60 of the present invention. The tool 60 comprises a support frame 62 which is positioned on the upper edges of the lattice frame support beams 51-1, spanning the open, upper end of a selected ice basket 12. The support frame 62 includes a base platform 64 and four vertically oriented support rods, or shafts comprising a front pair 66a and a rear pair 66b (shown in partially broken-away form in FIG. 3) secured at their lower ends to the platform 64 and interconnected to each other at their upper ends by a top support plate 70, the latter having suitable holes 72 therein aligned with threaded bores 74 in the upper ends of the rods 66a and 66b for receiving screws 76. Double cam locks 65 include hooked arms 67 which hook around the lattice frame support beams 51-1 in FIG. 2 and secure the tool 60 in position. A support shelf 80 is mounted at a fixed position by collars 78 on the rear pair of support rods 66b as viewed in FIG. 3. An electrically powered winch 84 including a motor 85 and gear box 86 is mounted on the platform 80 by brackets 81 and 82, the latter secured to the platform 80 by bolts 83. Shaft 87 is driven from the gear box 86 and its free end is supported in a bearing housing 88, likewise secured to the platform 80 by bolts 83, and carries a spool 89 thereon about which a wire rope 90 is wound. The wire rope 90 is received over pulleys 92 and 93 affixed by brackets 95 to the underside of the top support plate 70. The wire rope 90 extends vertically downwardly from the pulley 93 and is secured to a movable support plate 98 which is mounted on collars 100 having internal bearings 102 for axial, or vertically reciprocating sliding movement on the front pair of support rods 66. A right-angle reversible drill 104 is secured by a pair of brackets 106 to the movable support plate 98 and connected through a power cord 108 to a source of AC power. An auger shaft section 110 is coupled to the drill 104 by a conventional coupling 112 and extends axially downwardly therefrom, parallel to the support rods 66a, and carries a rotary bit 114 on the lowermost end thereof. A clamping device, or gripper, 116 is shown in FIG. 4 in its displaced position relative to the auger 110 and, in FIG. 5, as rotated into position for engaging the auger 110. The gripper 116 is mounted by a bracket 117 and rotary bearing mount 118 on the right front support rod 66a, as seen in FIG. 3, for being rotated between the inoperative and operative positions above noted. A pair of jaws 120, 22 are pivotally connected as shown at 121, the fixed jaw 122 being secured to the plate 117. In the closed or engaged position as shown in FIG. 4, the pivotal jaw 120 is positioned in surrounding relationship with the auger 110 and clamped thereabout, pin 123 being received through a corresponding aperture 124 in the spring lock bar 126, the latter being secured to the fixed jaw 122 by a screw 127. The jaws 120, 122 may be adjusted in position by a long bolt 128 which is threaded through a mounting block 130 and which is rotatably connected at its free end within the fixed jaw 122 by a set screw 132. When not in use, the gripper or clamping device 116 is rotated away from the auger so as to permit drilling operations to proceed, as seen in FIG. 4. A funnel 140 is mounted by bracket 142 to a bushing 144 for rotatable positioning relative to the left front support rod 66a, permitting same to be rotated to the inoperative position shown in FIG. 4 or, in a clockwise direction from that inoperative position of FIG. 4, to an operative position as shown in FIG. 3 in which the funnel 140 is essentially coaxial with the auger 110, the channel 141 in the sidewall of the funnel 140 receiving the lower portion of an auger section 111 therein. As will be apparent, FIG. 4 has been simplified for clarity of illustration as to the structures associated with the support rods 66a and 66b and shown in phantom lines therein; specifically, only bushing 144 and bearing mount 118 are shown with the associated left and right front rods 66a, and only the collars 78 are shown with the associated pair of rear support rods 66b in phantom lines. FIGS. 6 and 7 are side and end elevational views of a section 111 of the auger 110, illustrating as well the drill bit 114. As before noted, a continuous helical fin 113 is formed on the auger 110. The auger section 111 includes a bore llla at its lower end for receiving the shank 114a of the bit 114, a pin 115a locking the two together. The opposite end of the auger section 111 includes a shank lllb and a spring loaded pin 115b adapted for being received in and locked to the corresponding bore llla of a successive auger shaft section 111. In operation, the platform 64 is secured to the lattice frame 50, the drill 104 is energized to rotate the auger shaft 110 and the bit 114 to drill an axial hole through the ice within the basket 112 is located over the open end 12a of the ice basket 10 with the bit 114 and auguer shaft 110 positioned over one of the quadrants defined by the cruciforms. In practice, the bit 114 and auger shaft 110 preferably are positioned near the inside of the sidewall 12, since the bit 114 has a tendency to walk, or travel, over to the inside of the wall 12 and follow the wall 12 down the height of the basket 10. The ice which is cut by the bit 114 is exhausted from the ever-deepening hole by the auger fin 113. As the drilling proceeds, winch 84 is operated at a speed, coordinated with the speed of drilling, to permit the movable support plate 98 to descend; the drilling is continued until each topmost auger section has progressed into the ice, leaving only approximately one foot of the upper end exposed above the ice. The drill 104 and the winch 84 then are stopped and the clamping device or gripper 116 is rotated in place for clamping the auger 110. The drill 104 then is disconnected at coupling 112 and the winch 84 is operated to raise drill 104 to the topmost position of its travel, and a successive auger section 111 coupled in place. The clamping device 116 then is rotated out of position and the drilling then continues. Once a hole is drilled through the ice basket to the desired depth, typically 42 feet to 43 feet from the top, the drill 104 is again raised to its uppermost position under control of the winch 84, the necessary additional section 111 of the auger 110 being added, as before described. The funnel 140 then is rotated into position, the open slot 141 in the side of the funnel receiving therein the corresponding portion of the auger shaft section 111. The drill 104 then is switched to the reverse direction of rotation and turned on, while the winch motor 84 is left in the "OFF" position thereby to lock the auger 110 at its current elevation and prevent same from backing out of the ice basket 12. Ice in particulate form, such as granular ice chips or flakes, then is fed into the funnel 124 and pulled down into the ice basket 12 through the drilled hole by the reverse rotating auger 110. It has been demonstrated experimentally that such ice chips or flakes readily flow down through the drilled hole, as fed or conveyed by the rotating auger 110, and fill the voids within the successive chambers. As the level within each chamber fills, the ice begins to compact against the auger, slowing the rotational speed of the drill 104, and causing the auger 110 to attempt to back out of the basket 12. This condition is sensed by the operator and the tool 60 then is operated in the reverse sequence from the drilling operation, to remove an auger section 111, as before described, and thereby raise the auger 110 to permit the ice filling operation to continue, section by section. When the auger has been retracted fully from within the basket, the basket is weighed to determine if the required complement of ice is present. If the required amount of ice is present, the bags 54 are deflated and moved, along with the tool 60, to a further ice basket 10 requiring replenishment of the ice. If not, the operation may be repeated, typically proceeding down a different quadrant of the internal configuration of the ice basket as defined by the prior art type of cruciforms. The tool of the invention thus affords a highly effective and efficient technique for filling sublimation voids, in the charges of ice within ice baskets as are employed in nuclear power generating systems, and significantly, eliminates the requirement of known apparatus and methods for complete removal of all remaining quantities of the prior ice charges before reloading the baskets with new ice. Numerous modifications and adaptations of the present invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art and thus it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and adaptations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.