US2675487A - Exposure capsule handling device - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1954 P. o\ SCHALLERT ETAL EXPOSURE *CAPSULE HANDLING DEVICE I Filed J}ily 10. 1947 a wue/wtow Edward R. 76mpkins,

Myron B. Hawkins & Paul 0. Scha/ler-Z Patented Apr. 13, 1954 EXPOSURE-CAPSULE HANDLING DEVICE Paul 0. Schallert, Edward R. Tompkins, and Myron B. Hawkins, Oak Ridge, Tcnn., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the United States Atomic Energy Commission Application July 10, 1947, Serial No. 760,070

4 Claims. (Cl. 250-108) This invention is concerned with the handling of radioactive materials, having primarily to do with devices and techniques so contrived as to protect personnel from the destructive radiations from the radioactive material.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a readily transportable shielded container for capsules or cartridges of radioactive material, the container embodying shielding material such as lead which surrounds the capsule or cartridge of radioactive material on all sides.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device in association with the container for grasping and removing the cartridge from the container, the said device itself embodying shielding to protect the operator during the time that the cartridge is being removed Or adjusted in position. A further object of the invention is to provide in association with the container as described a cutter whereby the envelope of the capsule or cartridge may be mechanically cut or opened while the cartridge is within the container for emptying the contents of the cartridge and allowing the contents to be discharged from the container into a reactor unit.

Further objects and numerous of the advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the annexed drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of the shielded container including its removable base portion.

Fig, 2 is a cross section of the container with the base portion removed, the container resting upon the reactor unit, and having the cartridge removal device in position.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the cartridge container or carrier is indicated by numeral 30, the container embodying a lead body having a central bore I therein and a counterbore 2. The entire container is sheathed in a steel casing 3. The bore I0 and counterbore 2 are lined with a lining of suitable material as indicated at 3|. The cartridge, or capsule, containing the radioactive material, which may pref erably be in the form of powder, is indicated by numeral l and is positioned in the central bore of the carrier. The cartridge is in cylindrical form comprising an envelope of sheet material such as foil having the powdered radioactive charge material therein. At the upper end of the cartridge I, it is slightly enlarged as shown, that is, the diameter at the upper end is slightly larger than that of the central bore 10.

The container has a lead base 4 of the same transverse dimension, the base being similarly sheathed in a steel casing 32. The base is fastened to the carrier by means of support arms 5 extending upwardly therefrom, these arms being attached to the casing of the carrier itself by means of cap screws 6. Centrally of the upper part of the base 4 is a raised conical portion 1 which fits into a corresponding conical recess in the carrier 30 to eliminate any straight line of egress for emitted radiations. The lead base has a central bore 33 in the conical portion '1 which registers with the central bore I0 in the carrier 30, as shown.

Numeral 8 designates a lead plug with a removal handle 9 which fits into the counterbore 2, as shown. The lower end of plug 8 is recessed, as shown, so that the recess forms a space between the end of the plug and the enlarged upper end of the cartridge l. The plug 8 may be secured in place by means of a locking bar ll hinged on a pin 12 extending through hinge bracket 34. The locking bar II has a slotted opening 35 therein which fits over the removal handle 9, and the locking bar may be clamped in place by means of a wing nut [33 engaging with an eye bolt 36 pivoted to another bracket 3'! on the side of the carrier 30.

With the apparatus assembled in the manner described above, adequate lead shielding is provided completely surrounding the capsule or cartridge, and the device with the cartridge contained therein may be transferred or transported as desired in safety.

The container with the cartridge therein may, for example, be transported to a reactor unit for chemical processing of the charge material contained in the cartridge.

Fig. 2 shows the container with its lead base removed and placed on a receiver i4 mounted on the shielding I5 of a reactor unit in which the charge material is to be processed, the reactor unit having a delivery tube I 6 extending upwardly through the shielding thereof through which the contents of the cartridge are discharged into the unit, as will be described. The receiver I4 comprises a steel base 38 having a central lead cone I 1 of a size and shape to fit into the conical recess in the lower part of the shielding of the carrier 39, the central lead cone I! having a central bore 39 which registers with the bore [0 in the carrier 30. The receiver has upstanding arms or brackets 40 which are attached to the casing of the carrier 30 by cap screws 4|, as shown. Numeral l8 designates a nozzle on the end of a water supply tube 42, the nozzle being disposed in the bore 39 of the conical portion ll of the receiver M for purposes which will be described presently. Tube l6 communicates with bore 39 as shown.

In Fig. 2 the locking bar II is shown released and in a lifted position and the lead plug 8 has been removed from the container and replaced by an assembly of parts for gripping and removing the capsule or cartridge The cartridge removal assembly comprises an outer sleeve l9 which fits into the counterbore 2 and'which has arms 24 for rotating it or holding it against rotation. At its lower end the sleeve I 9 has its inner edges beveled, as shown, for purposes which will be described. Near the upper part of sleeve l9 it has an annular groove 25 forming a locking groove in which a latch 26 may engage as shown to hold the sleeve IS in position. The latch 25 has a slot therein through which extends a cap screw 43 by means of which the latch can be secured in position. Within the sleeve I9 is a cylindrical member 28 which engages in screw threaded relationship with another sleeve member 2| fitting within the sleeve I9, as shown, the sleeve 2| being filled with lead shielding material for a considerable extent at its upper part, as shown, and being rotatable by means of arms 23. The cylinder 20 is flared at its lower end, the flared portion matching or mating with the internal bevel at the lower end of the sleeve l9, the material at the lower end of cylinder 26 being slightly compressible, as will be described. Adjacent the upper end of the sleeve 2| there is attached thereto a ring 22 against which the upper end of sleeve l9 bears, forming a thrust hearing, which will presently be described. The internal diameter of the cylinder 20 is such as to snugly fit over the enlarged top portion of the cartridge I, when the cartridge removal assembly is lowered into the counterbore 2, the latch 2'6 being moved to the right at this time. When the removal assembly is in its lowermost position, the cartridge is in a position partly in the central bore ID of the carrier 30 and partly in the bore 39 in the conical raised portion ll of receiver I4, its position relative to the carrier 39 then being identical with that shown in Fig. 1.

In order to cause the cartridge removal assembly to grasp the top of the cartridge, the sleeve 2| is rotated by arms 23 when the assembly is in its lowermost position and, as a result, the cylinder 20 tends to be drawn upwardly by virtue of its screw threaded relationship with the sleeve 2|. Relative longitudinal motion between the sleeves 2| and I9 is prevented by the thrust bearing 22. The lower beveled end of the sleeve |9 thus exerts a thrust on the lower flared end portion of the cylinder 29 tending to compress the lower end of the cylinder inwardly sufliciently to grasp the enlarged top of the cartridge and to firmly hold it. The cartridge removal assembly may then be lifted to the position shown in Fig. 2 and latched in that position by means of latch 26 engaging in the annular groove 25 in sleeve I9.

The carrier embodies a cutter mechanism for opening the envelope of the cartridge of charge material so that the contents thereof may be discharged therefrom and caused to be delivered into the interior of the reactor unit. Numeral 28 designates a cutter positioning rod which is disposed in a horizontal bore in the lower part of the carrier 30, and this bore communicates with the central bore l0. At the end of the rod 28 is a cutter 21 which may be in the form of a small wheel having a continuous knife edge around its periphery pivoted in a slot at the end of the rod 28. The rod 28 is attached by cap screw 29 to a plate 44 on the outside of the carrier 30 and by adjusting the cap screw 29 the rod 28 can be advanced or retracted so as to position the cutter 21 to make a cut of the desired depth in the end of the cartridge l. The cutter 2! engages the cartridge at the lower end of the cartridge when it is in the position shown in Fig. 2 so that with the parts in this position if the cartridge removal assembly is rotated by means of arms 24 the blade 21 will cut ofi the end of the cartridge allowing the contents to drop down into the bore in the conical portion I! of receiver [4, the material continuing through the tube l6 into the reactor unit. In order to remove any particles of radioactive material that may remain in the cartridge or capsule, latch 26 is disengaged and the cartridge removal assembly is lowered to the base of counterbore 2 so that the lower end of the cartridge is over the nozzle l8. A jet of water is then injected into the cartridge to remove any remaining particles of the material.

When the radioactive material has been removed from the carrier 30, it can, of course, be detached from the reactor unit and transported away for bringing another capsule of material. That is, the base 4 may be re-attached to the carrier and the cartridge removal assembly removed and plug 8 re-inserted in position.

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will observe that we have provided effective means for safely transporting unit charges of radioactive material in a manner to fully protect personnel from the emanations therefrom. The arrangement provides apparatus for efiectively handling the capsules and for discharging the radioactive material into the reactor unit without the necessity of exposing the operator or operators in any way to the emanations therefrom.

Our invention comprehends variations in form and structure which it is intended shall fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto. Various alternative forms of devices, that is, equivalents, may be substituted for the one shown for grasping or gripping the cartridge for lifting it and removing it. Similarly the cutter mechanism may take alternative forms such as have to do with the particular shape of the blade, the particular manner of regulating the advancing and retracting of the blade and the manner of producing the motion necessary so as to cut off the end of the cartridge. All of these alternatives and various other equivalents such as may be practiced by those skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the spirit and scope of applicants invention and to come within the meaning of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a carrier for transporting radioactive materials, in combination, a body of shielding material having a bore therein adapted to receive a capsule of radioactive material, and a device arranged to fit into said bore and having a resilient end portion shaped to fit over the end of the capsule and manually operable means for compressing said end portion, whereby the capsule may be withdrawn from the bore by said device, and a mechanical latch for latching said device to said body in a predetermined lifted position of the device.

2. In a carrier for transporting radioactive materials, in combination, a body of shielding material having a. bore therein adapted to receive a capsule of radioactiv material, and a device arranged to fit into said bore and having a resilient end portion shaped to fit over the end of the capsule and manually operable means for compressing said end portion, whereby the capsule may be withdrawn from the bore by said device, and an adjustable cutter member disposed in an opening in said body communicating with said bore, th cutter member being engageable with said capsule whereby upon relative rotation as between the cutter member and the capsule its end may be cut off by the cutter member.

3. In a carriei for transporting radioactive materials, in combination, a body of shielding material having a bore therein adapted to receive a capsule of radioactive material, and a devic arranged to fit into said bore and having a resilient end portion shaped to fit over the end of the capsule and manually operable means for compressing said end portions, whereby the capsule may be withdrawn from the bore by said device, said device comprising concentric sleeves, one within the other, the inner sleev having a rib formed thereon adapting the inner sleeve to be contracted by pressure of the outer sleeve on said rib, and a mechanical latch for latching said device to said body in a predetermined lifted position of the device.

4. In a carrier for transporting radioactive materials, in combination, a body of shielding material having a bore therein adapted to receive a capsule of radioactive material, an adjustable cutter member disposed in an opening in said body communicating with said bore, a device insertable in said bore and having manually actuatable gripping elements for gripping and adjusting said capsule, the cutter member being engageable with said capsule whereby upon relative rotation as between the cutter member and the capsule its end may be cut off by the cutter member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 714,989 Worthington Dec. 2, 1902 909,238 Seely Jan. 12, 1909 965,054 Weekes July 19, 1910 2,322,808 Hothersall June 29, 1943

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