Abstract: The fuel assembly skeleton compaction system provides a means for remotely dismantling an irradiated nuclear fuel assembly skeleton once the nuclear fuel rods have been removed therefrom while the skeleton remains submerged in a coolant. The system comprises a feed chamber for holding the spent fuel assembly skeleton and for feeding a spent fuel assembly skeleton into a shear chamber which is arranged near the feed chamber. The shear chamber contains a shearing device for shearing the skeleton into small pieces and for moving the pieces of the skeleton into a compaction chamber which is located adjacent to the shear chamber. The compaction chamber contains a compaction cylinder for compacting the pieces of the skeleton introduced thereinto. A storage canister is located below the compaction chamber such that when the slide of the compaction chamber is opened, the compacted pieces of the skeleton may be pushed into the storage canister.

Abstract: A robotic manipulator wrist has one part 10 rotatable relative to the other part 12 of the wrist, and gear trains 16, 18, 20, operates to rotate the end effector shaft 14 when a brake 36 is applied to prevent relative movement between the two parts 10 and 12, and to rotate one part 10 relative to the other part 12 when a second brake 38 is applied to prevent relative movement between the end effector gear 18 and the intermediate gear 16.

Abstract: Apparatus for remote inspection of annular curved ridge welds securing plugs in heat transfer tubes in a nuclear steam generator. Included in such apparatus is a small sized television camera, an annular image transformation lens of greater size than the observed weld for presenting a flattened expanded image of such weld to the camera, a circular array of work-illumination lamps at the input end of the camera, and a hollow cylindrical light conductive member mounted at its one end on the input end of the camera in exposure to the lamps and mounting the image transformation lens on its opposite end for proximity to the annular weld being inspected.

Abstract: A cable tray has side rails and rungs formed from sheet metal. The side rails have outwardly opening upper and lower grooves which are keystone shaped in that the open side of the groove is narrower than the inner side of the grooves. The lower groove provides an inwardly offset flange along the side rail and the hollow rungs, which are formed with a substantially square cross-sectional shape fit around substantially square portions of the flange which are defined by pairs of spaced vertical slots across the flange. The rung-ends have horizontally aligned rectangular slots through their sides and rung joiners, which have a rectangular cross-sectional configuration are driven through the aligned slots, the joiners having a drive fit between the closed vertical side of the flange and the ends of the aligned slots which are adjacent the end of the rung, thus forcing the rung end against the side rail web.