FR2560179A1 - WINCH OF LOW DIMENSIONS - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION CONCERNS WINCHES. IT RELATES TO A WINCH THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A GREAT HEIGHT AND INCLUDES A CYLINDER 1 HAVING SPIRAL GROOVES 7 IN ITS EXTERNAL SURFACE FOR WINDING THE CABLE. CYLINDER 1 IS DRIVEN IN ROTATION BY A DRIVING SHAFT 2 OF SQUARE SECTION. THE CYLINDER MOVES ALONG THE SHAFT, WHILE IT IS ROTATING, UNDER THE CONTROL OF ROLLERS 9, 12 WHICH COOPERATE WITH THE SPIRAL THROAT. APPLICATION TO NUCLEAR FUEL TRANSPORT CASTLES.

Description

The present invention relates to a winch and

  a winch intended to operate in a very

  limited, having only a small height.

  In the nuclear industry, the transport of

  An irradiated nuclear reactor requires the fuel to be loaded into a vessel and then disposed of in a transport vessel. The castle may include a removable closure member at a first end and may

  be equipped with a winch at its other end so that, when

  that the castle is vertical, the container can be raised

  in the castle or lowered out of the castle using the winch.

  Since such operations often take place at

  of a limited height, it is desirable that the winch be as compact as possible and that the winch cable or cables do not intersect during operations.

winding and unwinding.

  A winch according to the invention comprises a hollow cylinder movable axially along a drive shaft

  which drives it in rotation, the cylinder having a throat

  on its outer surface for housing a cable, this groove cooperating with a complementary fixed member so

  that they constitute a screw connection with the cylinder, the bell

  the cylinder under the control of the defective shaft

  axial displacement of the cylinder along the shaft and

  the operations of winding and unwinding, the cable

  remaining in the same axial position with respect to the cylinder.

  As a result, the cable keeps the same position relative to the cylinder and the axial displacement of the cylinder causes the spiral groove to be followed by the cable during the winding.

and the unfolding.

  Other features and advantages of the invention

  will emerge more clearly from the following description, made

  with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a partial schematic section of a portion of a winch according to the invention; and FIG. 2 is a section along the line A-A of

Figure 1.

  A winch comprises a hollow cylinder I mounted on a shaft 2 which pivots so that it can rotate in bearings 3 mounted on a support member 4. The latter can be a closure member of the end of a transport cask for containing a nuclear fuel. The shaft 2 is connected by a suitable coupling to a drive motor mounted in a similar manner on the support member 4. In Figure 1, two cables or ropes 5 and 6 of steel are wound around the cylinder 1, the ends protruding from the cylinder and being guided by holes of

  the support member 4 to a load placed in the chain.

  teau. When rotating the cylinder 1, the load can be raised in the castle or lowered out of the castle via the removable closure member of the other

end of the castle.

  The cylinder 1 has two spiral grooves 7 and 8 for housing the respective cables 5 and 6. The spiral grooves

  cooperate with guide rollers 9 and 10 which

  on annular supports 11 and 12 mounted permanently on the support member 4. For example, each support may have rollers evenly spaced at its circumference

  around the cylinder and cooperating with the spiral groove.

  As shown in Figure 2, tree 2 has a section

  square and the cylinder 5 is mounted on the shaft via

  Bearings 13. These are arranged in pairs,

  each pair being carried in a casing 14 attached to the cylinder

  dre 1, each bearing cooperating with a face of the square shaft

  2. The cylinder is thus coupled so that it matches with the

  bre and it is axially movable along the shaft.

  Figure 1 shows the cylinder in an end position, the cables being wound on the cylinder and housed in the spiral grooves. Maneuvering the motor which rotates the shaft 2 causes rotation of the cylinder and, during this operation, the cylinder moves axially along the shaft 2 due to the presence of the bearings 13 and screw connections formed between the spiral grooves and rollers 9 and 12. Thus, in FIG. 1, as the roll moves to the right, the cables 5 and 6 unwind from the roll. The rotation of the shaft 2 in the other direction causes an axial displacement of the cylinder in the other

  direction and winding of the cables around the cylinder 1. Pen-

  In winding and unwinding, the cables 5 and 6 follow the grooves of the cylinder and wrap around it without overlapping. The position of each cable, when

  leaves the cylinder, remains constant both during the

rolling and unfolding.

  Although, in the embodiment shown,

  two sets of guide rollers are used for the

  axial effect, the same effect can be achieved with the aid of a

  only set of guide rollers such as rollers 9.

Claims (4)

  1. Winch, characterized in that it comprises a   hollow liner (1) movable axially along a shaft of   (2) with which it rotates, the cylinder (1) having a spiral groove (7) at its outer surface for the provision of a cable (5), the groove (7) cooperating with a complementary fixed member ( 9) forming a screw connection with the   cylinder, so that the rotation of the cylinder under   of the shaft causes an axial displacement of the cylinder along the shaft and ensures the winding and unwinding of the cable which keeps the same axial position relative to the cylinder. Winch according to claim 1, characterized in that the screw connection comprises at least one set of guide rollers (9) mounted on a fixed annular support (11) so that they can rotate and intended to cooperate with the cylinder groove.   3. Winch according to claim 2, characterized in that the guide rollers (9) of a game or of each set have positions equally angularly distributed around of the cylinder (1).   Winch according to one of the claims   preceding, characterized in that it is mounted on a closing member (4) end of a castle transport of nuclear fuel.