Patent Number: 047175311
Section: claims

1. An article transport system, comprising: means for moving said article from a first location toward a second location substantially within a first plane;  means for driving said moving means within said first plane; and  pivotable means fixedly disposed within the vicinity of said second location for automatically moving said article from said first plane into a second plane in response to said driven movement of said moving means within said first plane.  means upon said article for engaging said pivotable means.  said moving means comprises a railroad transport car; and  said article is a nuclear reactor fuel container pivotably mounted upon said transport car.  said first plane is a horizontal plane; and  said second plane is a vertical plane.  the center of gravity of said fuel container is located relative to the pivotable axis of said fuel container so as to bias said fuel container toward said horizontal plane.  means for moving said article between a first location substantially with a first plane;  means for driving said moving means within said first plane;  pivotable means fixedly disposed within the vicinity of said first location for automatically moving said article from said first plane into a second plane in response to said driven movement of said moving means within said first plane when said article is being transported from said second location to said first location; and  pivotable means fixedly disposed within the vicinity of said second location for automatically moving said article from said first plane into a second plane in response to said driven movement of said moving means within said first plane when said article is being transported from said first location to said second location.  said first plane is a horizontal plane; and  said second plane is a vertical plane.  means for moving said fuel container between said reactor containment handling pool and said spent fuel storage pool substantially within a first plane;  means for driving said moving means within said first plane;  pivotable first means fixedly disposed within said reactor containment handling pool for automatically moving said container from said first plane into a second plane in response to said driven movement of said moving means within said first plane when said fuel container is being transported from said spent fuel storage pool into said reactor container handling pool; and  pivotable second means fixedly disposed within said spent fuel storage pool for automatically moving said container from said first plane into a second plane in response to said driven movement of said moving means within said first plane when said fuel container is being transported from said reactor containment handling pool into said spent fuel storage pool.  said first plane is a horizontal plane within which said transport tube is disposed;  said second plane is a vertical plane within which said fuel container is disposed for unloading spent fuel and loading fresh fuel when said fuel container is located within said spent fuel storage pool; and  said second plane is a vertical plane within which said fuel container is disposed for unloading fresh fuel and loading spent fuel when said fuel container is located within said reactor containment handling pool.  stop means disposed within said reactor containment handling and spent fuel storage pools for limiting the movement of said fuel container from said first plane to said second plane.  means for moving said article from a first location toward a second location substantially within a first plane;  means for driving said moving means within said first plane;  pivotable bar means fixedly disposed within the vicinity of said second location for automatically moving said article from said first plane to a second plane in response to said driven movement of said moving means within said first plane; and  slotted bracket means upon said article for engaging said pivotable bar means.  said pivotable means is dependently supported at an elevational level disposed above said first plane of movement of said article; and  said article engaging brackets are secured upon an upper surface portion of said article.  said pivotable means is upstandingly supported at an elevational level disposed below said first plane of movement of said article; and  said article engaging brackets are secured upon an undersurface portion of said article.  means for biasing said pivotable means toward its initial position for engagement with said bracket means.  said biasing means comprises counterweight means.  said pivotable means comprises an arm, and said bar means comprises a pair of bars projecting laterally outwardly from said arm; and  said bracket means, comprises a pair of laterally spaced slotted brackets for engaging said pair of bars.  said pivotable means comprises a pair of laterally spaced arms, and said bar means comprises a laterally spaced pair of bars respectively mounted upon said pair of arms and projecting laterally inwardly toward each other; and  said bracket means comprises a pair of laterally spaced slotted brackets for engaging said pair of bars.  said brackets are disposed upon side surfaces of said article.  stop means for defining said initial position of said pivotable means for engagement with said bracket means. 2. An article transport system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: 3. An article transport system as set forth in claim 1, wherein: 4. An article transport system as set forth in claim 3, wherein: 5. An article transport system as set forth in claim 4, wherein; 6. An article transport system, comprising: 7. An article transport system as set forth in claim 6 wherein: 8. A transport system for use within a nuclear facility for transferring fuel containers through a transfer tube or conduit between a reactor containment handling pool and a spent fuel storage pool, comprising: 9. A transport system as set forth in claim 8, wherein: 10. A transport system as set forth in claim 8, further comprising: 11. An article transport system, comprising: 12. An article transport system as set forth in claim 11, wherein: 13. An article transport system as set forth in claim 11, wherein: 14. An article transport system as set forth in claim 11, further comprising: 15. An article transport system as set forth in claim 14, wherein: 16. An article transport system as set forth in claim 11, wherein: 17. An article transport system as set forth in claim 11, wherein: 18. An article transport system as set forth in claim 17, wherein: 19. An article transport system as set forth in claim 14, further comprising: