Diverter assembly for radioactive material

• US 4,886,401 A
• Filed: 04/11/1988
• Issued: 12/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Department Of Energy
• Original Assignee: United States Department of Energy
• Inventors: Andrews, Katherine M., Starenchak, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Salmon, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US07/179,922
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 406/155, 406/156, 406/164-167, 406/181, 406/182, 193/23, 193/29, 193/31 A, 376/264, 376/265, 376/270
• US Class Current: 406/182
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 51/24 Switches

Abstract

A diverter assembly for diverting a pneumatically conveyed holder for a radioactive material between a central conveying tube and one of a plurality of radially offset conveying tubes includes an airtight container. A diverter tube having an offset end is suitably mounted in the container for rotation. A rotary seal seals one end of the diverter tube during and after rotation of the diverter tube while a spring biased seal seals the other end of the diverter tube which mvoes between various offset conveying tubes. An indexing device rotatably indexes the diverter tube and this indexing device is driven by a suitable drive. The indexing mechanism is preferably a geneva-type mechanism to provide a locking of the diverter tube in place.

Claims

1. A diverter assembly for diverting a pneumatically conveyed holder for radioactive material between a central conveying tube and one of a plurality of conveying tubes radially offset from the central conveying tube comprising:

an airtight container having a hollow interior, a first aperture about which the central tube is connected, and a respective plurality of second apertures about which respective offset tubes are connected;

a diverter tube in said container having a first end located immediately adjacent said first aperture and a second end offset from said first end a distance equal to the radial offset of the conveying tubes from the central tube, said diverter tube having a sinuous central portion connecting said first and second ends such that the holder is easily conveyed through said diverter tube;

a first mounting means in said container for mounting said diverter tube for rotation about a longitudinal axis of said first end such that said second end is selectively brought into alignment with respective said second apertures;

a rotary seal means for sealing said first end of said diverter tube from the interior of said container during and after rotation of said diverter tube;

a spring biased seal means for sealing said second end of said diverter tube from the interior of said container during and after rotation of said diverter tube to a selected second aperture;

an indexing means for rotatably indexing said second end of said diverter tube to a selected one of said second apertures of said container, said indexing means being located in said container; and

a drive means for selectively driving said indexing means, said drive means including a motor mounted to an outside of said container adjacent a passage in said container, a drive shaft for said motor passing through said passage, and a passage seal means in said passage for sealing the inside of said container.

2. A diverter assembly for diverting a pneumatically conveyed holder for radioactive material between a central conveying tube and one of a plurality of conveying tubes radially offset from the central conveying tube comprising:

an airtight container having a hollow interior, a first aperture about which the central tube is connected, and a respective plurality of second apertures about which respective offset tubes are connected;

a diverter tube in said container having a first end located immediately adjacent said first aperture and a second end offset from said first end a distance equal to the radial offset of the conveying tubes from the central tube, said diverter tube having a sinuous central portion connecting said first and second ends such that the holder is easily conveyed through said diverter tube;

a first mounting means in said container for mounting said diverter tube for rotation about a longitudinal axis of said first end such that said second end is selectively brought into alignment with respective said second apertures;

a rotary seal means for sealing said first end of said diverter tube from the interior of said container during and after rotation of said diverter tube;

a spring biased seal means for sealing said second end of said diverter tube from the interior of said container during and after rotation of said diverter tube to a selected second aperture;

an indexing means for rotatably indexing said second end of said diverter tube to a selected one of said second apertures of said container, said indexing means being located in said container, and said indexing means including (a) a geneva wheel attached to said diverter tube having a plurality of radial slots and a concave cam surface between said slots and (b) a geneva disk attached to said drive means having a depending pin for engaging a selected slot and a depending convex cam surface extending around both sides of said pin such that when said pin is not located in one of said radial slots a portion of said convex cam surface is immediately adjacent a respective said concave surface to lock said geneva wheel in place; and

a drive means for selectively driving said indexing means.

3. A diverter assembly for diverting a pneumatically conveyed holder for material between a central conveying tube and one of a plurality of conveying tubes radially offset from the central conveying tube comprising:

a container having a first aperture about which the central tube is connected, and a plurality of second apertures about which respective offset tubes are connected;

a diverter tube mounted in said container and having a first end located adjacent said first aperture and a second end offset from said first end;

a mounting means in said container for mounting said diverter tube for rotation about said first end such that said second end is selectively brought into alignment with respective said second apertures;

seal means for sealing said first and second ends of said diverter tube from the interior of said container during and after rotation of said diverter tube;

an indexing means for rotatably indexing said second end of said diverter tube to a selected one of said second apertures of said container; and

a drive means for selectively driving said indexing means, said drive means including a motor mounted to an outside of said container adjacent a passage in said container, a drive shaft for said motor passing through said passage, and a passage seal means in said passage for sealing the inside of said container.

4. A diverter assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein said spring biased seal means includes a sealing collar located about said second end of said diverter tube and a spring for urging said sealing collar against a portion of said container surrounding said selected second aperture.

5. The diverter assembly of claim 3, wherein said indexing means includes (a) a geneva wheel attached to said diverter tube having a plurality of radial slots and a concave cam surface between said slots and (b) a geneva disk attached to said drive means having a depending pin for engaging a selected slot and a depending convex cam surface extending around both sides of said pin such that when said pin is not located in one of said radial slots a portion of said convex cam surface is immediately adjacent a respective said concave surface to lock said geneva wheel in place.

6. A diverter assembly for diverting a pneumatically conveyed holder for material between a central conveying tube and one of a plurality of conveying tubes radially offset from the central conveying tube comprising:

a container having a first aperture about which the central tube is connected, and a plurality of second apertures about which respective offset tubes are connected;

a diverter tube mounted in said container and having a first end located adjacent said first aperture and a second end offset from said first end;

a mounting means in said container for mounting said diverter tube for rotation about said first end such that said second end is selectively brought into alignment with respective said second apertures;

seal means for sealing said first and second ends of said diverter tube from the interior of said container during and after rotation of said diverter tube;

an indexing means for rotatably indexing said second end of said diverter tube to a selected one of said second apertures of said container, said indexing means being located in said container, said indexing means including (a) a geneva wheel attached to said diverter tube having a plurality of radial slots and a concave cam surface between said slots and (b) a geneva disk attached to said drive means having a depending pin for engaging a selected slot and a depending convex cam surface extending around both sides of said pin such that when said pin is not located in one of said radial slots a portion of said convex cam surface is immediately adjacent a respective said concave surface to lock said geneva wheel in place; and

a drive means for selectively driving said indexing means.