Fuel element bundle cutter having a withdrawal mechanism for cutting dust

A cutter for cutting bundles of fuel elements and including a cutting mechanism with a horizontally displaceable cutter carriage and with said cutter having a horizontal rod bundle feed operatively associated therewith so that cutting dust can pass through means for handling the dust including a gap between the cutter carriage and a housing wall means facing the horizontal rod bundle feed whereby the cutting dust could accumulate in a lower housing location;

• a portion of the radioactive dust that is produced when a rod bundle is cut is picked up by scavenging air and is withdrawn with the latter via a chute for cut-off rod pieces that fall through an opening into the chute;
• said cutter further comprises:
• cutter means including a cutter housing having the housing wall means with a lower part that includes:
• a first housing wall that faces said rod bundle feed, housing side walls, and a bottom that is embodied as a grating between said first housing wall and said housing side walls, with said grating having an underside remote from the remainder of said cutter housing;
• a base plate connected to said underside of said grating;
• and
• a withdrawal mechanism that includes at least one collecting funnel, each of which is connected to said base plate, and a corresponding number of withdrawal channels, each connected to a respective collecting funnel, for the remainder of said radio-active dust, which is conveyed by a portion of said scavenging air from said cutter housing;
• each of said withdrawal channels communicates with said chute for cut-off rod pieces.