Locking support for nuclear fuel assemblies

A locking device for supporting and locking a nuclear fuel assembly in place upon a fuel core support plate, the fuel assembly having an elongated, generally tubular configuration and the support plate having a vertically arranged bore for receiving the fuel assembly, comprising

• a suppport and locking sleeve having a continuous tubular portion disposed between the fuel assembly and the support plate bore, an upper portion of said sleeve having a plurality of upwardly extending fingers each forming at its upper end a contact surface facing radially inwardly and upwardly and a radially outwardly facing surface, a lower portion of said sleeve having a plurality of axially extending fingers each forming at its lower end a contact surface facing radially outwardly and downwardly and an opposed radially inwardly facing surface,
• means on the fuel assembly forming an annularly tapered surface arranged for engagement with said contact surfaces on said upwardly fingers, and
• means on the support plate bore forming an annularly tapered surface arranged for engagement with said contact surfaces on said downwardly extending fingers,
• said upper and lower fingers being sized so that their opposed surfaces bear on the support plate bore and the fuel assembly surface respectively while their contact surfaces are in engagement with the tapered surfaces on the fuel assembly and support plate bore respectively.