# US 4,394,895 A · Facilities for the examination of radioactive bodies

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- Number: US 4,394,895 A
- Document ID: US4394895A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/224,116
- Filed: 1981-01-12
- Granted: 1983-07-26
- Earliest claimed: 1980-01-23
- Assignees: United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
- Inventors: Maurice E. Ginniff; Eric K. Richardson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4394895A

## CPC

- F16L 55/32: being self-contained
- G21C 17/06: Devices or arrangements for monitoring or testing fuel or fuel elements outside the reactor core, e.g. for burn-up, for contamination (G21C17/08, G21C17/10 take precedence; detecting leaking fuel elements during reactor operation G21C17/04)
- G21F 7/005: Shielded passages through walls; Locks; Transferring devices between rooms (between glove-boxes G21F7/047)
- Y02E 30/30: Nuclear fission reactors
- F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- G21C: NUCLEAR REACTORS (fusion reactors, hybrid fission-fusion reactors G21B; nuclear explosives G21J)
- G21F: PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR (radiation protection by pharmaceutical means A61K8/00, A61Q17/04; in cosmonautic vehicles B64G1/54; combined with a reactor G21C11/00; combined with X-ray tubes H01J35/16; combined with X-ray apparatus H05G1/02)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A facility for the examination of radioactive bodies in which carriages, each transporting one or more radioactive bodies, travel along a shielded passage to bring the bodies to examination stations spaced along the passage. The transverse sectional dimensions of the passage are not much larger than the corresponding dimensions of the carriages in order to maintain the radioactive region as small as possible. Equipment for the examination of the radioactive bodies is located outside the shielded passage.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Facility for the examination of radioactive bodies comprising a movable carriage having means for supporting and transporting at least one radioactive body, a relatively thick radioactive shield having the property of shielding substantially all radioactive emissions, said shield surrounding and defining a shielded passage forming a path of travel for the carriage and having a transverse dimension to substantially fit about a corresponding dimension of the carriage, a plurality of examination stations spaced along the path of travel with said stations being confined within the dimensions of the shielded passage, examination equipment for said stations located outside the said shield at each examination station and in communication with its respective examination station within the shielded passage and means for moving the carriage along the shielded passage.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Facility according to claim 1 in which the passage comprises a plurality of abutting shielded tubular units disposed end-to-end with intervening sealing means.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

Facility according to claim 2 in which the tubular units comprise alternate examination and service stations and means for the selective removal and replacement of individual units.