Patent ID: 8483346

Claim:
A control rod spider assembly for use with a nuclear fuel assembly, said control rod spider assembly including a spider structure and at least one control rod, an attachment joint for fastening the control rod to the spider structure, said attachment joint comprising: a hollow connecting finger of said spider structure having a central bore defined therethrough from a bottom end to a top end thereof, an upper end portion of said bore being smaller in diameter than a bottom portion of said bore so as to define a downwardly facing annular shoulder on the interior of said finger between said bottom and top end portions; an elongated upper end plug of said control rod having a first upper axial, reduced diameter portion with a male or female fastener profile formed on or within an axial section thereof, at least a portion of said upper axial reduced diameter portion fastener profile extending substantially to or through said top end of said connecting finger when the upper end plug is inserted through said connecting finger from said bottom end thereof and said elongated upper end plug having a second axial portion having a male fastener profile formed on or along an axial section of the exterior thereof that mates with a corresponding female profile on an interior wall of the connecting finger when the upper end plug is inserted through the connecting finger from said bottom end thereof, the second axial portion fastener profile having one of either a right hand or a left hand oriented closure and the reduced diameter upper axial portion fastener profile having the other of the right hand or left hand oriented closure; fastening means insertable to engage at least a portion of said upper reduced diameter axial fastener profile section of said upper end plug once said upper end plug has been inserted through said connecting finger and the upper end plug lower portion fastener profile is engaged with the corresponding fastener profile on the connecting finger, said fastening means having an internal fastener profile that mates with the fastener profile on the upper end plug reduced diameter upper axial portion when engaged; and anchoring means for rotationally affixing the fastener means to the connecting finger.