Patent Number: 047479957
Section: claims

1. With a cruciform shaped radioactive control rod of the type having four substantially equidistantly spaced plate-like sheaths extending from and along a large portion thereof so as to provide a first set of opposed sheaths and a second set of opposed sheaths, each sheath containing at least one radioactive rod, and a velocity limiter at one end thereof, apparatus for separating said velocity limiter from the remainder of said control rod, said apparatus comprising: shearing means for simultaneously shearing each set of two opposed sheaths adjacent the velocity limiter, said shearing means including a first shearing head operative from a first direction to shear one of the sheaths of a respective set and a second shearing head operative from a second direction substantially opposite to said first direction to shear the other of the sheaths of the respective set;  rotating means for providing relative rotation of the sheaths with respect to said shearing means such that said shearing means can simultaneously shear the other set of two opposed sheaths, to thereby separate the velocity limiter from the remainder of the control rod. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1; wherein said rotating means includes rotatable turntable means for supporting the control rod thereon in a vertical arrangement with the velocity limiter resting thereon, and control means for controlling rotation of said rotatable turntable means. 3. Apparatus according to claim 2; further including aligning means associated with said rotatable turntable means for selectively aligning each set of opposed sheaths with said first and second shearing heads. 4. Apparatus according to claim 1; wherein the control rod includes at least one hole at a position adjacent the velocity limiter and at a position at which there are no radioactive rods, and said shearing means is positioned in line the said at least one hole to shear the sheaths thereat.