Patents by Inventor Fred S. Breeland, Jr.

Fred S. Breeland, Jr. has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Pellet-press-to-sintering-boat nuclear fuel pellet loading apparatus
    Patent number: 4807734
    Abstract: Apparatus for loading friable nuclear fuel pellets into a sintering boat from a pellet press which ejects newly made pellets. An inclined pellet chute (preferably a tube) receives the ejected pellets and discharges them against a first resilient brush which reflects the pellets downwardly to a second resilient brush. The brush tips are spaced apart such that a pellet moving downward along the second brush contacts the flexible brush tip of the first brush before dropping off the second brush (preferably with near-zero velocity) into the sintering boat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Fred S. Breeland, Jr., Thomas B. Huggins