GRIPPING DEVICE Russian patent published in 2014 - IPC B66C1/66 

FIELD: physics, atomic power.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to nuclear power engineering and can be used primarily for rehandling spent fuel assemblies in heavy liquid metal coolant nuclear reactors. The gripping device has a housing made with a control mechanism in form of a control cam with cam slots, and a core with rods for opening the device, gripping elements made in form of rotating bars at the respective ends of which there are blocks for clamping the head of a spent fuel assembly, a flange for supporting a housing flange and rollers on axles capable of moving on the cam slots. In the lower part of the grooves there is a trapping unit which limits the bending of the rotating bars upon "destruction". The gripping device has a centre channel for passage of the device through the cover of the control and protection system.

EFFECT: overcoming the considerable buoyant force when immersing the gripping device into a coolant, reduced volume of immersed elements, removing control mechanisms of the device from the coolant area, monitoring the state (closed or open) of the device, preventing gripping elements from turning about their own axis and high reliability of operation.

9 cl, 9 dwg