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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Nuclear reactor fuel assembly duct-tube-to-handling-socket attachment system

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6391701
A reusable system for removably attaching the upper end of a nuclear reactor duct tube to the lower end of a nuclear reactor fuel assembly handling socket. A transition ring, fixed to the duct tube's upper end, has an interior-threaded section with a first locking hole segment. An adaptor ring, fixed to the handling socket's lower end has an outsithreaded section with a second locking hole segment. The inside and outside threaded sections match and can be joined so that the first and second locking hole segments can be aligned to form a locking hole. A locking ring, with a locking pin, slides over the adaptor ring so that the locking pin fits in the locking hole. A swage lock or a cantilever finger lock is formed from the locking cup collar to fit in a matching groove or in the locking ring prevent the locking ring's locking pin from backing out of the locking hole.
Assignee:
Dept. of Energy
Patent Number(s):
US 4366116
OSTI ID:
6391701
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English