Automatic pellet stack length recording switch
First Claim
1. A manual measuring system for measuring a length of a nuclear fuel pellet stack segment along a longitudinal axis thereof, said system comprising:
- manually movable measuring head means having two legs;
positioning means for positioning said manually movable measuring head means to at least one position along the longitudinal axis of the pellet stack segment, said manually movable measuring head means providing a compression force for comprising the pellet stack segment;
measuring means for measuring the length of the pellet stack segment from the position of said manually movable measuring head means;
compression means for compression by the compression force of said manually movable measuring head means, said compression means having a predetermined compression force;
probe means cooperating with said compression means for contacting an end of the pellet stack segment and applying the compression force of said manually movable measuring head means to the end of the pellet stack segment, said probe means including slider block means for compressing said compression means and also including a probe member attached to the slider block means for contacting the end pellet stack segment, said compression means and the slider block means being located between the legs of said manually movable measuring head means, the slider block means sliding toward one of the legs of said manually movable measuring head means in response to the compression force of said manually movable measuring head means; and
sensing means cooperating with said manually movable measuring head means for sensing a position of the slider block means and outputting a signal, representative of the position of the slider block means, for triggering a measurement by said measuring means of the length of the pellet stack segment, whenever the compression force of said manually movable measuring head means is at least equal to the predetermined compression force of said compression means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pellet stack length recording switch, for use in a measurement system having a movable measuring head and a measuring device for measuring a length of a nuclear fuel pellet stack segment, includes a probe for contacting and applying a compression force to an end of the pellet stack segment, a compression spring having a predetermined compression force and cooperating with the measuring head and the probe, a pin mechanism attached to the probe, and a sensor for sensing a position of the pin mechanism and outputting a position signal for triggering a measurement by the measuring device of the length of the pellet stack segment when the compression force applied by the probe is at least equal to the predetermined compression force. The probe may include a slider block, for compressing the spring, and a probe member attached to the slider block. The pin mechanism may include a trip screw for tripping the sensor. The slider block may have a bore running therethrough for positioning the pin mechanism and the spring therein, and the measuring head may have a leg and a bore running therethrough for positioning a shaft of the pin mechanism therein. The sensor may be a Fiber optic sensor having a light beam which is broken by the pin mechanism. The switch may further include a foot switch cooperating with the sensor for triggering a measurement by the measuring device whenever the foot switch is closed and the light beam of the fiber optic sensor is broken.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A manual measuring system for measuring a length of a nuclear fuel pellet stack segment along a longitudinal axis thereof, said system comprising:
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manually movable measuring head means having two legs; positioning means for positioning said manually movable measuring head means to at least one position along the longitudinal axis of the pellet stack segment, said manually movable measuring head means providing a compression force for comprising the pellet stack segment; measuring means for measuring the length of the pellet stack segment from the position of said manually movable measuring head means; compression means for compression by the compression force of said manually movable measuring head means, said compression means having a predetermined compression force; probe means cooperating with said compression means for contacting an end of the pellet stack segment and applying the compression force of said manually movable measuring head means to the end of the pellet stack segment, said probe means including slider block means for compressing said compression means and also including a probe member attached to the slider block means for contacting the end pellet stack segment, said compression means and the slider block means being located between the legs of said manually movable measuring head means, the slider block means sliding toward one of the legs of said manually movable measuring head means in response to the compression force of said manually movable measuring head means; and sensing means cooperating with said manually movable measuring head means for sensing a position of the slider block means and outputting a signal, representative of the position of the slider block means, for triggering a measurement by said measuring means of the length of the pellet stack segment, whenever the compression force of said manually movable measuring head means is at least equal to the predetermined compression force of said compression means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification