Nuclear fuel pellet collating system
US4842808A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 25, 1988 |
| Grant date | Jun 27, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 25, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/53048
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A pellet collating system includes a tray positioning station located adjacent a pellet collating line with a tray transfer robot located therebetween. The tray positioning station has mobile carts lodged thereat, some supporting pellet supply trays and others supporting pellet storage trays. Pellets on one supply tray and later placed on one storage tray are of the same enrichment. Pellet enrichments on some trays are different from on others. The collating line includes pellet input, work and output stations arranged in tandem. The robot is operable to transfer supply and storage trays one at a time to and from the positioning station and the respective input and output stations. An input sweep head is operable for sweeping pellets onto the work station from a supply tray on the input station. A gripping and measuring head is operable for measuring a desired length of pellets on the work station and then separating the measured desired length of pellets from the remaining pellets, if any. An output sweep head is operable for sweeping the measured lengths of pellets from the work station onto a storage tray at the output station. The output sweep head is also operable for sweeping…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.