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AssigneesSaint-Gobain Techniques Nouvelles, Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
InventorsGilbert Chaze, Guy Cherel, Rene Guilloteau, Daniel Tucoulat
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The invention relates to a method and device for cutting a bundle of tubes containing a nuclear fuel into pieces having a preset length so that the fuel can be dissolved in a suitable solution. The bundle of tubes is introduced into a guide tube in a shearing machine and is clamped by two side clamps within the tube so as to limit the width of the bundle to the diameter of one tube of the bundle. The side clamps subject the bundle to a sideways thrust so that the tubes in the bundle are maintained contiguous without any excessive curvature. The bundle of tubes is then submitted to a cutting operation at right angles to its major dimension and after the blade has been returned to its inoperative position a safety plate is positioned near the cut section at a distance slightly greater than the forward movement of the bundle between two successive cutting operations. The side clamps are then withdrawn by a limited amount so that the resilience of the tubes causes them to remain in contact with the clamps. The bundle of tubes is then pushed forwardly after which the bundle is again clamped by the two side clamps prior to the next cutting operation.
A method of cutting a bundle of tubes comprising the steps of inserting a bundle of tubes into a guide tube, said tubes being in parallel relationship with each other, clamping said bundle inside said guide tube by means of at least two movable clamps each of said clamps subjecting said bundle to a controlled thrust in a plane perpendicular to the lengths of said tubes, adjusting said thrust wherein said tubes in said bundle become contiguous with each other without their longitudinal curvature exceeding a predetermined value, moving a blade from an inital position to cut said bundle along a plane generally perpendicular to the lengths of said tubes, retracting said blade to said initial position, moving a safety plate adjacent the cut end of said bundle, withdrawing said clamps a first time by a limited amount, said tubes remaining in contact with said clamps, pushing said bundle toward said blade in a direction parallel to the length of said tubes and, moving said bundle into a cutting path of said blade.
A method of cutting a bundle of tubes comprising the steps of inserting a bundle of tubes into a guide tube said tubes being in parallel relationship with each other clamping said bundle inside said guide tube by means of at least two movable clamps, each of said clamps subjecting said bundle to a controlled thrust in a plane perpendicular to the lengths of said tubes, adjusting said thrust wherein said tubes in said bundle become contiguous with each other without their longitudinal curvature exceeding a predetermined value, moving a blade from an initial position to cut said bundle along a plane generally perpendicular to the lengths of said tubes, withdrawing said clamps a first time by a limited amount, said tubes remaining in contact with said side clamps, pushing said bundle toward said blade in a direction parallel to the lengths of said tubes and, moving said bundle into a cutting path of said blade.
A device for cutting a bundle of tubes comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.