Patent Number: 050193244
Section: claims

1. In a nuclear facility having a lock, a container, and a centering arrangement for aligning a lock opening in the lock with a loading opening in the base wall of the container for holding radioactive materials passed through the two openings when the container is docked at the lock, the centering arrangement comprising: a guided vehicle movable in a horizontal direction;  a carrier pivotally mounted on said vehicle for pivotal movement between a vertical position and a horizontal position;  said lock having a fixed point thereon;  said carrier having a carrier longitudinal axis and disposed on said vehicle so as to cause said axis to be in alignment with said fixed point when said carrier is in said horizontal position;  said carrier having an upper region defining an opening through which the container is lowered when loaded into said carrier while said carrier is in said vertical position;  said carrier and said container conjointly defining first, second and third contact engaging interfaces as said container is lowered into said carrier;  first centering means at said first interface for adjusting the rotational position of the container about the longitudinal axis thereof to precenter the loading opening with respect to the lock opening;  second centering means at said second interface for positioning the container so as to cause the longitudinal axis thereof to be centered on said carrier longitudinal axis with a first degree of accuracy;  third centering means at said third interface for further positioning the container so as to cause the longitudinal axis thereof to be centered to said carrier longitudinal axis with a second degree of accuracy greater than said first degree of accuracy thereby providing a precise alignment of said loading opening with said lock opening when the container is docked at said lock; and,  holding means for securing said container in said carrier after the container is completely lowered and centered in said carrier. 2. The centering arrangement of claim 1, the container having an upper end opposite said base wall thereof; said carrier having a bottom opposite said upper region thereof and a lower region next to said bottom; said first interface being at said upper region of said carrier and said upper end of said container; and, said second interface being disposed at the lower region of said carrier. 3. The centering arrangement of claim 2, said second centering means comprising an annular member mounted in said carrier at said lower region of said carrier and having an annular conical surface for contact engaging the outer surface of the container as it is lowered into the carrier thereby centering said longitudinal axes with respect to each other to said first degree of accuracy. 4. The centering arrangement of claim 3, said loading opening and said container having respective cross sections defining respective center points; said first centering means comprising a first guide part disposed on said upper end of said container and a second guide part formed on said carrier at said upper region thereof for engaging said first guide part to define said first interface as said container is lowered into said carrier for adjusting the rotational position of the container about the longitudinal axis thereof; and, said guide parts being positioned on said container and said carrier, respectively, so as to intersect a line (y) passing through said center points at said first interface. 5. The centering arrangement of claim 4, said line (y) being a vertical line after the container is completely centered and at rest in said carrier. 6. The centering arrangement of claim 4, said second guide part being a plate defining a slot having a V-shaped opening at its outer end for guiding said first guide part as the container is lowered into the carrier. 7. The centering arrangement of claim 4, said container having holding means detachably mounted on said upper end of the container; and, said first guide part being mounted on said holding means. 8. The centering arrangement of claim 4, said third centering means comprising two center pins mounted on said bottom of said carrier and two centering holes formed in said base wall of the container for receiving respective ones of said centering pins therein.