Remotely-operable carrier arrangement for receiving and positioning remote-handling apparatus

• US 4,702,663 A
• Filed: 02/14/1986
• Issued: 10/27/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dueutsche Gesellschaft Fur Wiederaufarbeitung Von Kernbrennstoffen mbH
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Gesellschaft FüR Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (Bundesrepublik Deutschland)
• Inventors: Schroder, Gunter, Mischke, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Underwood, Donald W.
• Application Number:
  US06/829,525
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 414/749, 414/279, 414/280, 414/659, 414/10, 414/618, 414/619, 414/620, 187/2, 187/6, 187/10, 187/12, 187/9 R, 212/179, 212/265, 901/15, 901/16
• US Class Current: 414/618
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 21/00 Chambers provided with manipulation devices constructional features of the mounting of the manipulator in the wall B25J1/08 ; glove-boxes for nuclear applications G21F7/04
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/04 wherein the guideway is also moved, e.g. travelling crane bridge type
• CPC Class Codes: G21F 7/06 Structural combination with remotely-controlled apparatus, e.g. with manipulators

Abstract

A remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement for mounting and itioning remote handling apparatus is described for use in large-area cells containing process equipment particularly in radioactively-charged large-area cells of facilities for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuels. In such large-area cells, the process components are disposed in racks. Maintenance and servicing work is carried out on the process components and the racks using the remote handling apparatus. The positioning and carrier arrangement which is used for this purpose has a vertically movable support. For a more precise positioning, the positioning and carrier arrangement is transportable and can be suspended on the particular rack at which work is to be done. The positioning and carrier arrangement has a table-like main frame which, in turn, has legs which are disposed horizontally when the frame is suspended on the rack. The ends of the legs are supported against the rack. The vertically movable support is a main sled which is displaceable parallel to the outside of the main frame. The main sled carries a transversely movable equipment sled facing toward the rack which is adapted to carry remote-handling apparatus.

Claims

1. A remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement for receiving and positioning remote-handling apparatus for use in large-area cells such as radioactively-charged large-area cells of a facility for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuel, the large-area cells containing stationary racks for accommodating process components on which maintenance and service work is to be performed, the racks having an open front end face through which the components are accessible from outside of the rack, the remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement comprising:

a table-like base frame adapted so as to make the carrier arrangement transportable;

attachment means formed on said frame for removably suspending said carrier arangement on the particular rack in which work is to be performed so as to place said base frame in a vertical plane and ahead of said front end face;

said base frame defining an enclosed working field directly forward of said front end face of said stationary rack;

said base frame including legs formed thereon for bracing said carrier arrangement against the rack when said carrier arrangement is mounted thereon;

a first carriage movably mounted on said base frame for movement in the vertical direction across said working field and parallel to said frame, said first carriage having a side facing toward the rack;

a second carriage mounted in said first carriage for movement thereon in a direction transverse to said vertical direction; and

,

operating means mounted on said second carriage and extendable through said front end face for operating on said process components.

2. The remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement of claim 1, said first carriage being a first sled slideably mounted on said base frame, and said second carriage being a second sled slideably mounted on said first sled;

said frame having a quadrilateral shaped and said legs being four in number, two of the legs being upper legs and the other two legs being lower legs, said attachment means comprising two hooks mounted on corresponding ones of said upper legs for engaging said rack so as to permit said base frame to be suspended on said rack.

5. The remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement of claim 1, comprising coupling means for connecting electrical and information supply lines into said carrier arrangement.

3. A remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement for receiving and positioning remote-handling apparatus for use in large-area cells such as radioactively-charged large-area cells of a facility for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuel, the large-area cells containing racks for accommodating process components on which maintenance and service work is to be performed, the remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement comprising:

a table-like base frame adapted so as to make the carrier arrangement transportable;

attachment means formed on said frame for removably attaching said carrier arrangement to the particular rack in which work is to be performed;

said base frame including legs formed thereon for bracing said carrier arrangement against the rack when said carrier arrangement is mounted thereon;

a first carriage movably mounted on said base frame for movement in the vertical direction parallel to said frame, said first carriage having a side facing toward the rack; and

,

a second carriage mounted in said first carriage for movement thereon in a direction transverse to said vertical direction;

said first carriage being a first sled slideably mounted on said base frame, and said second carriage being a second sled slideably mounted on said first sled;

said frame having a quadrilateral shape and said legs being four in number, two of the legs being upper legs and the other two legs being lower legs; and

,

said attachment means including two hooks mounted on corresponding ones of said upper legs for engaging said rack so as to permit said base frame to be suspended on said rack; and

, mechanically-actuated clamps mounted on corresponding ones of said lower legs.

4. The remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement of claim 3, wherein the rack has a transverse beam for engagement by said hooks, said hooks being configured to engage said transverse beam on the rearward side thereof facing away from said base frame.

6. A remotely-operably positioning and carrier arrangement for receiving and positioning remote-handling apparatus for use in large-area cells such as radioactively-charged large-area cells of a facility for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuel, the large-area cells containing racks for accommodating process components on which maintenance and service work is to be performed, the remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement comprising:

a table-like base frame adapted so as to make the carrrier arrangement transportable;

attachment means formed on said frame for removably attaching said carrier arrangement to the particular rack in which work is to be performed;

said base frame including legs formed thereon for bracing said carrier arrangement against the rack when said carrier arrangement is mounted thereon;

a first carriage movably mounted on said base frame for movement in the vertical direction parallel to said frame, said first carriage having a side facing toward the rack; and

,

a second carriage mounted in said first carriage for movement thereon in a direction transverse to said vertical direction;

said first carriage being a first sled slideably mounted on said base frame, and said second carriage being a second sled slideably mounted on said first sled;

said frame having a quadrilateral shape and said legs being four in number, two of the legs being upper legs and the other two legs being lower legs;

said attachment means including two hooks mounted on corresponding ones of said upper legs for engaging said rack so as to permit said base frame to be suspended on said rack; and

,

said base frame including vertically extending supporting struts for slideably accommodating said first sled thereon for movement in a vertical direction; and

, roller guide means for holding said first sled in its position on said supporting struts during its movement therealong; and

, chain drive means for driving said first sled up and down said supporting struts.

7. The remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement of claim 6, said first sled having beam-like members extending transversely to said supporting struts, said second sled being slideably mounted on said beam-like members for movement therealong;

and, ancillary roller guide means for holding said second sled in its position on said beam-like members during its movement therealong.

8. The remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement of claim 7, said second sled having a rectangular configuration.

9. The remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement of claim 7, comprising drive means for driving said second sled along said beam-like members, said drive means comprising a threaded spindle rotatably mounted on said first sled so as to extend in a direction parallel to said beam-like members;

threaded bore means formed on said second sled for threadably engaging said threaded spindle; and

, drive means for rotatably driving said threaded spindle thereby causing said second sled to move along said beam-like members.

12. The remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement of claim 6, said second sled having a tubularly-shaped receptacle for receiving said remote-handling apparatus therein.

10. A remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement for receiving and positioning remote-handling apparatus for use in large-area cells such as radioactively-charged large-area cells of a facility for reprocessing irradiated nuclear fuel, the large-area cells containing racks for accommodating process components on which maintenance and service work is to be performed, the remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement comprising:

a table-like base frame adapted so as to make the carrier arrangement transportable;

attachment means formed on said frame for removably attaching said carrier arrangement to the particular rack in which work is to be performed;

said base frame including legs formed thereon for bracing said carrier arrangement against the rack when said carrier arrangement is mounted thereon;

a first carriage movably mounted on said base frame for movement in the vertical direction parallel to said frame, said first carriage having a side facing toward the rack; and

,

a second carriage mounted in said first carriage for movement thereon in a direction transverse to said vertical direction;

said first carriage being a first sled slideably mounted on said base frame, and said second carriage being a second sled slideably mounted on said first sled;

said frame having a quadrilateral shape and said legs being four in number, two of the legs being upper legs and the other two legs being lower legs;

said attachment means including two hooks mounted on corresponding ones of said upper legs for engaging said rack so as to permit said base frame to be suspended on said rack, and,

supporting feet pairs disposed on corresponding ones of said lower legs for permitting said carrier arrangement to stand on a level surface while said carrier arrangement is not in use.

11. The remotely-operable positioning and carrier arrangement of claim 10, said feet pairs extending at right angles from said lower legs, respectively.