Method and apparatus for making fuel elements from newspaper sheets or the like

A fixture for supporting a folded and/or rolled fuel element in connection with its production from sheet material comprising:

• a unitary structure having bottom and side sections defining a generally rectangular channel having a width conforming to the width of said fuel element,
• said structure including an elongated portion unitary with said bottom and side members and extending generally vertically of said channel spaced from the ends thereof and extending inwardly of a side of said channel, for reducing the width of said channel to form a constriction therein,
• whereby a folded or rolled sheet element received in said channel is maintained in a folded or rolled condition by a crimping action of said constriction.

A fixture for supporting a folded and/or rolled sheet fuel element in connection with production thereof, comprising:

• a unitary structure having a bottom member, side members and a median member between said side members, said members being interconnected, and said structure defining a pair of parallel generally rectangular channels bounded by said bottom member, side members, and median member, the channel between said median and each side member having a width conforming to the width of said fuel element, and
• one of said side members and median member having a portion extending generally vertically of said channels between the ends thereof and extending inwardly from a side thereof for reducing the width of said channel to form a constriction therein, whereby a folded or rolled sheet element received in each channel is maintained in its folded or rolled condition by a crimping action of said constriction.