Nuclear fuel pellet sintering boat loading system

A system for loading nuclear fuel pellets into a first sintering boat from a pellet press which ejects newly-made said pellets, said system comprising:

• (a) a generally horizonally disposed rotatable drum having two ends and having therebetween at least one generally circumferentially disposed and longitudinally aligned channel for holding a row of said ejected pellets, with said channel having an open end at one end of said drum;
• (b) means for rotating said drum to rotate said channel from a generally upward vertical position to a first generally below-horizontal position and around to said upward vertical position;
• (c) means for receiving said pellets ejected from said press, and for inserting said row of said ejected pellets into said channel from its said open end when said channel is disposed at its said upward vertical position;
• (d) means for pushing said row of said held pellets radially outward from said channel to discharge them therefrom when said channel is disposed at its said first below-horizontal position;
• (e) a first incline disposed with its upper end generally adjacent said channel, when said channel is disposed at its said first below-horizontal position, to slidingly receive said first position discharged pellets;
• (f) means for relatively positioning said first sintering boat and the lower end of said first incline such that said first incline sliding pellets leave said first incline generally adjacent the position in said first sintering boat of the predetermined next-to-be-stacked said row of said pellets to be loaded into said first sintering boat;
• and
• (g) means for controlling said pellet receiving and inserting means, said drum rotating means, said relative positioning means, and said pellet pushing means.