Checkerboard shear volume reduction system
AssigneeAtomic Energy of Canada Limited
InventorsJames Mitchell King, Clair Arthur Cox
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for reducing the volume of a cylindrical tube for disposal by crushing flat and then shearing into small coupons. Shearing is accomplished by opposed dies having a checkerboard grid of cutting edges. The resulting coupons are preferably substantially square in shape. The invention is particularly useful for reducing the storage volume of irradiated radioactive pressure tubes from a nuclear reactor.
Claims33
An apparatus for reducing the disposal volume of an elongated cylindrical tube comprising a pair of inwardly opposed die blocks, means for moving said die blocks between an open position and a closed position, and feeder means for positioning an end portion of said cylindrical tube between said die blocks in said open position, each of said die blocks comprising an array of raised cutters and recessed pockets, each of said cutters of one of said die blocks adapted to be closely received into an opposed pocket of the other of said die blocks when said die blocks are moved from said open position to said closed position to sequentially crush said end portion to a substantially flat configuration and sever it into a plurality of coupons.
An apparatus for reducing the disposal volume of irradiated radioactive nuclear reactor cylindrical tubes comprising:
- a movable mounting base adapted to be operatively positioned adjacent a reactor face at selected tube positions;
- a feeder unit mounted on said base for engaging and advancing said selected tube out of said reactor;
- a press assembly mounted on said base comprising a pair of inwardly opposed die blocks and means for moving said die blocks between an open position and a closed position, said die blocks being positioned to receive therebetween in said open position the end portion of said selected tube, each of said die blocks comprising an array of raised cutters and recessed pockets, each of said cutters of one of said die blocks adapted to be closely received into an opposed pocket of the other of said die blocks, whereby when said die blocks are moved from said open position to said closed position, said end portion is sequentially crushed to a substantially flat configuration and severed into a plurality of coupons.
A method for reducing the disposal volume of an elongated cylindrical tube comprising:
- (a) positioning the end portion of said cylindrical tube between a pair of inwardly opposed die blocks movable between an open position and a closed position, each of said die blocks comprising an array of raised cutters and recessed pockets, each of said cutters of one of said die blocks adapted to be closely received into an opposed pocket of the other of said die blocks when said die blocks are moved from said open position to said closed position,;
- (b) moving said die blocks from said open position to said closed position to sequentially crush said end portion to a substantially flat configuration and sever it into a plurality of coupons;
- (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) until said cylindrical tube is severed into coupons.
A method for reducing the disposal volume of irradiated radioactive nuclear reactor cylindrical tubes comprising:
- (a) engaging the end of a selected tube at the reactor face and advancing a portion of said selected tube out of said reactor;
- (b) positioning the end portion of said cylindrical tube between a pair of inwardly opposed die blocks movable between an open position and a closed position, each of said die blocks comprising an array of raised cutters and recessed pockets, each of said cutters of one of said die blocks adapted to be closely received into an opposed pocket of the other of said die blocks when said die blocks are moved from said open position to said closed position;
- (c) moving said die blocks from said open position to said closed position to sequentially crush said end portion to a substantially flat configuration and sever it into a plurality of coupons;
- (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until said cylindrical tube is severed into coupons.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.