US 4,759,674 AGranted

Remotely-operable positioning and carrying apparatus for remote-handling equipment

AssigneeDeutsche Gesellschaft fur Wiederaufarbeitung von Kernbrennstoffen mbH

InventorsGunter Schroder, Gunther Dudek, Rudolf Eichhorn, Jurgen Forster

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Abstract

The invention is directed to a remotely-operable positioning and carrier aratus for remote-handling equipment for use in large-area cells containing process components. The apparatus is mounted on a lifting device of an overhead bridge crane. The apparatus achieves good positioning of the particular remote-handling equipment even at locations which are poorly accessible. The apparatus includes a horizontal beam which is fixed at an eccentric position thereon to the bottom sheave unit of the lifting device so that the horizontal beam defines a long lever arm and a short lever arm. A receiving lever is pivotally connected to the end of the longer lever arm. The receiving lever has an equipment receiving device at its free end. A displaceable counterweight is arranged on the short lever arm for altering the position of the center of gravity of the apparatus. This apparatus makes it possible also to operate in spaces beneath components present in a rack. It is further possible for vertical forces to be applied to objects on one side in parallel relationship to the line of action of the lift cable of the lifting device. With the apparatus of the invention, it is possible to operate with a crane in areas inaccessible with the hook of the crane lifting device.

In a large-area cell of a facility for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuel, the large-area cell including process components and being equipped with an overhead bridge crane or the like which is provided with a lifting device having a lower sheave unit, and a remotely-operable positioning and carrying apparatus attachable to said sheave unit for holding remote-handling equipment and for positioning the latter for performing work on the process components, the apparatus comprising:

a beam having a center location along the length thereof and being connected to the lower sheave unit so as to be rotatable in a horizontal plane, said beam being connected to said lower sheave unit at a connecting location spaced away from said center location thereby defining a short lever arm and a long lever arm;
said long lever arm defining a longitudinal axis and including a plurality of coaxially and mutually overlapping elongated members movable relative to each other so as to extend the length of said long lever arm along said axis and to permit one of said elongated members to be movable to an outermost distance away from said short lever arm;
means for moving said elongated members along said longitudinal axis;
a receiving lever pivotally connected to the outer end of said one elongated member and having an outer free end, said long lever arm and said receiving lever conjointly defining a common plane;
a receiving device adapted for receiving said remote-handling equipment and mounted on said outer free end of said receiving lever;
counterweight means slidably mounted on said short lever arm for varying the location of the center of gravity of said apparatus so as to maintain said beam in a desired position thereby permitting the remote-handling equipment to perform work at a predetermined location;
and
actuating means mounted on said one elongated member for actuating said receiving lever for pivoting the latter with respect to said long lever arm in said common plane.

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Abstract

Claims15