Abstract: An improved electrostatic precipitator system is provided for use in high-grease atmospheres in which the grease is electrically conductive. The precipitator includes high-voltage insulators that are both located in areas unlikely to accumulate electrically-conductive grease and that, in themselves, can operate in a high-voltage system without tracking, even when a certain amount of conductive grease has accumulated on the insulators' surfaces. In a multi-cell precipitator system, a high-voltage insulator is provided as part of a cell-to-cell assembly that receives high-voltage electricity on one side of its insulator, and conducts that electricity to its opposite side, and is placed in a specially-shaped cut-out in the bulkhead between the cell chambers, in which the cut-out is shaped so as to minimize the amount of grease that may accumulate upon the cell-to-cell assembly's insulators.

Abstract: Apparatus for thermal sizing elongated, tubular channels of a square cross section includes a die having plural elongated die elements and an elongated mandrel having a frame mounting plural pairs of rollers distributed along its length on all four sides. The die is inserted in the channel with its die elements disposed adjacent the channel corners. The mandrel is then inserted with its roller pairs peripherally engaging the die elements, pressing them against the channel corners. The channel, die and mandrel are then heated to a hot-forming temperature, thermally expanding the mandrel frame into pressing engagement with the die elements in lieu of the rollers to plastically reform the channel to a stable shape free of geometric irregularities.

Abstract: The method of assembling lead-mounted electric components such as DIP 18 in automated fashion to a printed circuit board 14 is accomplished by building up a crimping tool (FIG. 7) comprising a base 28 with crimping anvils 12, 20, 22, 24, by selectively positioning and orienting the anvils on the base while the base is energized to provide a moderately low strength field, and the base is then energized to provide an adequately high strength magnetic field to retain the anvils properly during the subsequent steps of mounting the components to the board and crimping the leads to produce a particular type of board. After the requisite number of boards of a particular type are built, the anvils are removed to storage and the base is rebuilt to provide a different array of anvils for a different board.

Abstract: Control for the operation of a mechanical handling and gauging system for nuclear fuel pellets. The pellets are inspected for diameters, lengths, surface flaws and weights in successive stations. The control includes, a computer for commanding the operation of the system and its electronics and for storing and processing the complex data derived at the required high rate. In measuring the diameter, the computer enables the measurement of a calibration pellet, stores that calibration data and computes and stores diameter-correction factors and their addresses along a pellet. To each diameter measurement a correction factor is applied at the appropriate address.The computer commands verification that all critical parts of the system and control are set for inspection and that each pellet is positioned for inspection. During each cycle of inspection, the measurement operation proceeds normally irrespective of whether or not a pellet is present in each station.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of and apparatus for optically inspecting nuclear fuel pellets for surface flaws. The inspection system includes a prism and lens arrangement for scanning the surface of each pellet as the same is rotated. The resulting scan produces data indicative of the extent and shape of each flaw which is employed to generate a flaw quality index for each detected flaw. The flaw quality indexes from all flaws are summed and compared with an acceptable surface quality index. The result of the comparison is utilized to control the acceptance or rejection of the pellet.

Abstract: Apparatus for inspecting nuclear fuel pellets in a sealed container for diameter, flaws, length and weight. The apparatus includes, in an array, a pellet pick-up station, four pellet inspection stations and a pellet sorting station. The pellets are delivered one at a time to the pick-up station by a vibrating bowl through a vibrating linear conveyor. Grippers each associated with a successive pair of the stations are reciprocable together to pick up a pellet at the upstream station of each pair and to deposit the pellet at the corresponding downstream station. The gripper jaws are opened selectively depending on the state of the pellets at the stations and the particular cycle in which the apparatus is operating. Inspection for diameter, flaws and length is effected in each case by a laser beam projected on the pellets by a precise optical system while each pellet is rotated by rollers.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining pellet length and end squareness which includes a base supporting a pair of linear variable differential transformers (LVDT) between which a pellet is placed for measuring end squareness. The LVDT's are perpendicularity detectors and each includes appropriate windings contained in a housing and an armature axially slidable therein. The armature is mounted on a shaft having extensions on opposite ends thereof. A swivel plate is attached to one end, while the other end is supported in a framework for the inspection apparatus, the arrangement being such that the housing containing the windings moves axially relative to the stationary armature. When a pellet is placed in position, each detector is advanced toward the pellet until its swivel plate contacts the pellet ends. If the pellet ends are not square, the swivel plates cock at an angle, thereby displacing the windings with respect to the armature.