Patent Number: 047160101
Section: abstract

A remotely controlled tooling apparatus is disclosed for supporting and selectively disposing a tool with respect to a workpiece illustratively taking the form of a core barrel of a nuclear reactor. Illustratively, a core barrel is of a substantially cylindrical configuration and has a plurality of flow holes disposed therethrough. The remotely controlled apparatus comprises a tool carriage, a support table carried thereby for receiving the tool, a strongback assembly for supporting and guiding the tool carriage with respect to the core barrel, and a pair of clamps affixed to the strongback assembly for engaging the core barrel for suspending the strongback assembly upon the core barrel. The tool carriage and its support table carried thereby are selectively disposed with respect to the core barrel, whereby the tool may be engaged and disengaged with and from the core barrel. In an illustrative embodiment of this invention, the tool takes the form of an arm for releasably holding a plug to the inserted into a selected one of the existing flow holes.