Patent GB-1038133-A (GB)
Title: Nuclear reactor fuelling and servicing apparatus
Inventor: RAWSON PETER JOHN
IPC: G21F7/06
Filed: 1962-05-08
Abstract: 1,038,133. Fuelling and servicing reactors. ENGLISH ELECTRIC CO. Ltd. May 7, 1963 [May 8, 1962], No. 17590/62. Heading G6C. A transporter 14 for moving a fuelling or servicing machine 13 on a reactor pile cap 12 to enable the machine to be connected to a standpipe 10, comprises a body 15 of rectangular crosssection and of U-shape in plan and supported by two trolleys 16 having six wheels 17 and one trolley 18 having four wheels 19. The wheels have rubber tyres 20 engaging the file cap 12 directly without the interposition of guide rails. The transporter is propelled by a motor 21 driving the wheels 19 through gears 22, 23. Six jacks 26 fixed to the body 15 support a partcircular housing 24 accommodating a partannular roller track 25. A pair of support pedestals 27 each have a pair of rollers 29 whereby they are supported by the track 25. Each pedestal comprises a box-like upper structure 27a, a skirt 27c, a base 27d, and guides 27e, 27f for rollers 31, 33 mounted on the body 15 and the housing 24. The pedestals also have partcircular toothed racks 30 whereby they may be moved on the track 25 by a motor 34 driving pinions 37. A pair of jacks 28 carried by the upper structure 27a of each pedestal co-operate with four lifting arms 41 of the machine 13. In operation, the transporter is moved towards the machine 13 so that the latter passes through the opening 39 until it is concentric with the track 25, the pedestals 27 being moved by the motor 34 to bring the jacks 28 beneath the arms 41. The jacks 28 are extended to lift the machine 13 and the transporter is moved by the motor 21 to place the machine over the standpipe 10, the jacks 28 then being lowered so that the machine rests on the pile cap 12. To change the direction of movement of the transporter the jacks 26 are lowered so that the pedestals 27 are supported by the pile cap and are then further lowered to lift the wheels 17, 19 from off the pile cap, the weight of the transporter being taken by the pedestals. The motor 34 is operated to rotate the housing 24 and body 15 so that when the jacks are extended the wheels 17, 19 will move the transporter in the desired different direction. Another embodiment of the transporter described with reference to Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 (not shown) comprises a body 101 of U-shape in plan and supported by four twin-axle bogies 102 . . . 108 but are keyed so that they normally have 105. The bogies are mounted on central pivots only limited angular movement. The bogies 104, 105 are each driven by a motor 106 so that by varying the speed of one motor relatively to the other a slight change in the direction of movement of the transporter may be effected. The bogie wheels 109 have polyurethane tyres. Three lower jacks 110 each having a sole-plate 111 are arranged on the underside of the body 101 and may be extended to transmit the combined weight of the transporter and fuelling machine 112 to the pile cap 12. Three upper jack assemblies 113 on the body 101 each comprise three jacks 114 supporting a plate 115 and co-operate with arms 140 of the machine 112 to lift the latter. A floating pad assembly 116 supported by each plate 115 comprises a square pedestal 117 having a horizontal surface 118 on which load-bearing balls 119 can roll. The upper surfaces of the balls are engaged by a floating pad 122 surrounded by a frame 124 movable relatively to the plate 115 by four rams 127. Thus the pad 122 may be moved in two direction at right angles to one another the pad carrying a conical bearing block 125 through the intermediary of a rubber mounting 126. A pair of T.V. cameras 129 view downwards through reference rings 130 having cross-wires 131 the cameras being connected to monitor screens in a control room whereby the position of the transporter can be determined by the relationship between the cross-wires and grid lines marked on the pile cap 12. Crash barriers 134 on the transporter cause it to halt automatically should it meet an obstruction. A photo-electric device 136 in view of a light source 137 crosses the open end 139 of the body 101 so that should the light beam 138 be interrupted the transporter is stopped. The device 136 is rendered inoperative when the fuelling machine 112 is to be received in the end 139. In operation the transporter is moved so that the centre line of the machine 112 is equi-distant from the jack assemblies 113, the jacks 110 are extended to lift the wheels 109 off the pile cap and the jack assemblies are raised so that the conical bearing blocks 125 engage corresponding portions of the arms 140. Slight misalignment between the blocks 125 and arms 140 is corrected by operating the rams 127. The jacks 110 are now retracted. To change the direction of travel of the transporter through 90 degrees the jacks 110 are extended and each bogie 102 ... 105 is unlocked and rotated by a ram (not shown) through 90 degrees and is then locked in its new position. The machine is centralised over the standpipe 10 by the rams 127. In a modification (not shown) the balls 119 are replaced by two superposed layers of rollers, the rollers in one layer being at right angles to those in the other and a bearing plate being interposed between the two layers. Further the balls 119 may be replaced by a pressurized fluid. The transporter may be radio controlled.