Patent ID: 7715517

Claim:
An apparatus fix supporting nuclear fuel assemblies comprising; a body structure comprising at least one substantially vertically oriented elongated cell for receiving a nuclear fuel assembly, the hod having a top, a bottom and a first lateral side; at least one elongated slot in the first lateral side of the body structure that forms a passageway into the cell through which a vertically oriented fuel assembly can be loaded; the elongated slot having a fixed size and being formed between a pair of substantially vertical retaining members so that (i) when the fuel assembly is in a first rotational position about a vertical axis, the fuel assembly can pass through the elongated slot in an unobstructed manner, and (ii) when the fuel assembly is in a second rotational position about the vertical axis, the fuel assembly can not pass through the elongated slot; and means for supporting the fuel assembly in the second rotational position within the cell in a substantially vertical orientation.