Patent ID: 6978530

Claim:
A method of preparing a basket assembly for interring spent nuclear fuel rods, the basket assembly comprising a plurality of support disks disposed parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another, the support disks all having at least two lifting beam apertures disposed therethrough, the method comprising the steps of: (a) disposing a plurality of basket assembly support disks on a basket assembly fixture comprising: (i) an elongate base having a first end, an opposed second end and a longitudinal axis; (ii) a pair of lifting beams disposed above the base and generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base, each lifting beam having a first end and an opposed second end; (iii) a lifting beam elevator for alternatively raising and lowering both ends of each lifting beam; (iv) a lifting beam lateral shifter for laterally shifting both ends of each lifting beam; (v) a transverse beam disposed generally horizontally above the frame, the transverse beam also being disposed below and generally perpendicular to the two lifting beams, the transverse beam having a first end and an opposed second end; and (vi) a transverse beam elevator for alternatively raising and lowering both ends of the transverse beam; the plurality of basket assembly support disks being disposed in vertical planes within the frame of the basket assembly fixture with each of the pair of lifting beams being disposed generally horizontally through one of the lifting beam apertures in each of the support disks; (b) lifting the plurality of support disks away from the frame of the basket assembly fixture by raising the lifting beams using the lifting beam elevator; (c) vertically aligning the plurality of support disks using a vertical aligner, the lifting beam elevator and the transverse beam elevator; (d) laterally aligning the plurality of support disks using a lateral aligner and the lifting beam lateral shifter; (e) thereafter rigidly attaching the plurality of support disks to one another to form the basket assembly; and (f) thereafter removing the pair of lifting beams from the basket assembly and removing the basket assembly from the basket assembly fixture.