Patent US3890233A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3890233A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for filtering radioactive fluids
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1974-04-25
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Granted: 1975-06-17
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Expires: 1994-04-25
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus is provided for filtering radioactive particles from the cooling and/or auxiliary process water of a nuclear reactor, or nuclear fuel processing plant, or other installations wherein radioactive fluid systems are known to exist. The apparatus affords disposal of the captured particles in a manner which minimizes the exposure of operating personnel to radioactivity. The apparatus comprises a housing adapted to contain a removable filter cartridge assembly, a valve normally closing the lower end of the housing, an upwardly-open shipping cask located below the valve, and an elongated operating rod assembly projecting upwardly from the filter cartridge assembly and through the upper end of the housing to enable a workman to dismount the filter cartridge assembly from its housing and to lower the filter cartridge assembly through the valve and into the cask from a remote location above the housing. The filter cartridge assembly is releasably connected to the operating rod assembly and is capable of being disconnected therefrom when the operating rod assembly is displaced downwardly and rotated after the cartridge is loaded in the cask. The apparatus is surrounded by a mass of concrete to absorb radiation emitted from within the filter housing, and additional structural elements are provided to ensure the safety of operating personnel.
Inventors
- 👤 Edwin H Gischel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 14:10
CPC Classifications
G; G21; G21C; G21C19/00; G21C19/28; G21C19/30; B; B01; B01D; B01D29/00; B01D29/96; B01D35/00; B01D35/30; B01D35/31; B01D35/32; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E30/00; Y02E30/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
227 words
Fluid filtration apparatus comprising: a filter housing having an end wall with an aperture therein and an open end opposite said aperture in said wall, filtering means adapted to be removably contained inside said housing, valve means associated with the open end of said housing, said valve means having one operating position closing said open end of said housing and another operating position affording displacement of said filtering means therethrough into and out of said housing, a valve operator connected to said valve means and operable from a location spaced therefrom to afford actuation of said valve means between said operating positions, rigid elongated operator means associated with said filtering means and displaceable through said aperture for moving said filtering means into and out of said housing through said valve means, said operator means having a post portion received within said aperture and projecting outwardly of said end wall when said filtering means is mounted in operating relation in said housing, means releasably engaging said post outside of said housing end wall for removably mounting said filtering means in said housing, and, means providing a coupling of said filtering means to said operator means releasable at a location remote from said filtering means by movement of said operator means, whereby the filtering means may be removed from the housing from a location remote from its open end.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
227 words
Fluid filtration apparatus comprising: a filter housing having an end wall with an aperture therein and an open end opposite said aperture in said wall, filtering means adapted to be removably contained inside said housing, valve means associated with the open end of said housing, said valve means having one operating position closing said open end of said housing and another operating position affording displacement of said filtering means therethrough into and out of said housing, a valve operator connected to said valve means and operable from a location spaced therefrom to afford actuation of said valve means between said operating positions, rigid elongated operator means associated with said filtering means and displaceable through said aperture for moving said filtering means into and out of said housing through said valve means, said operator means having a post portion received within said aperture and projecting outwardly of said end wall when said filtering means is mounted in operating relation in said housing, means releasably engaging said post outside of said housing end wall for removably mounting said filtering means in said housing, and, means providing a coupling of said filtering means to said operator means releasable at a location remote from said filtering means by movement of said operator means, whereby the filtering means may be removed from the housing from a location remote from its open end.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
104 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said post is threaded outside of said housing and has shoulder means extending across said aperture inside said housing end wall, and said releasable engaging means includes nut means engageable with said threaded post and rotatable relative to said post to displace said filtering means toward said closed end upon rotation in one direction, said nut means being disengageable from said post upon rotation in an opposite direction, whereby said operator means may be displaced axially through said aperture and housing and said filtering means removed from said housing upon disengagement of said nut means from said post.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
62 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said operator means has an extension connected to said post in said housing, and said releasable coupling means includes cooperating locking means carried by said extension and said filtering means and operable to couple and uncouple said filtering means to said extension upon combined axial and rotary motion of said extension relative to said filtering means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
105 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said locking means includes lug means on said operator extension and shoulder means on said filtering means, said lug means being engageable with said shoulder means when said operating means is in oNe rotary position and disengageable from said shoulder means when said operating means is in another rotary position relative to said filtering means, said shoulder means being shaped to prevent rotation of said lug means relative thereto until said operator means is displaced axially toward said filtering means, and resilient means carried by said operator extension for biasing said shoulder means into engagement with said lug means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
93 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 including a partition extending in said housing transversely to said ends for dividing said housing into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, said partition having a port providing fluid communication between said chambers with said port being in registry with said aperture in said closed end to afford movement of said operator means through said partition, said filtering means having a central inlet and being mounted in said housing intermediate said partition and said valve means with its inlet in registry with said port in said partition.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
63 words
Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said filtering means includes a tubular filter medium, an imperforate wall disposed transversely to said medium a spaced distance from said port, and means providing a perforate wall in registry with said port, so that particulate matter is captured in the interior of said medium when fluid is flowed through said port and into said filtering means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
72 words
Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said perforate wall depends into said tubular filter medium and defines an inlet opening, and said partition has an annular neck surrounding said port, said neck being received in the inlet opening provided by said perforate wall, and including gasket means interposed between said neck and said perforate wall and groove means in said perforate wall mounting said gasket means for disposal with said filtering means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
71 words
Apparatus according to claim 5 including guide means movable axially with said operator means for positioning said filtering means inlet in registry with said port when said operator means is displaced to position said filtering means in said housing, said guide means extending through said port and tapering outwardly of said extension and toward said filter means to engage the port and cam the filter means inlet into proper registry therewith.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said valve means includes a ball valve having a flow passage sized to permit passage of said filtering means therethrough when in said open position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said valve means includes a ball valve having a flow passage sized to permit passage of said filtering means therethrough when in said open postion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said operator means includes a tube axially engageable with said post outside of said housing, a rod slidable axially in said tube, and gripping means associated with said rod and tube and operable upon axial displacement of said rod in opposite directions relative to said tube to couple and uncouple said post and tube.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus according to claim 11 including means surrounding said tube for rotating said nut means, and means to prevent rotation of said tube relative to said post during rotation of said nut means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said rotation preventing means includes at least one flat on said tube and a mating flat on said post, and including means releasably locking said rod in an axial position in said tube with said gripping means engaged with said post.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
85 words
Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said nut rotating means includes a socket engageable with said nut and a torque tube surrounding said operator tube, and including means on the outside of said housing end wall and said socket rotatably engageable with one another when said socket is engaged with said nut to maintain said nut, said post and said operator tube in registry with the aperture in said end wall when said nut is disengageD from said post during changing of said filtering means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
135 words
Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said rotatable engaging means on said housing and socket includes a boss surrounding said aperture in said housing end wall and a recess in said socket engageable with said boss, said socket being dimensioned axially relative to said post and said nut to afford disengagement of said nut from said post without causing disengagement of said boss from said socket recess when said nut is rotated away from said housing and to apply positive downward force on said nut to cause threads on said nut to engage threads on said post during installation of said filtering means without causing disengagement of said boss from said socket recess when said shoulder on said post is raised into engagement with underside of said aperture in said end wall in said housing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 including means connected between said closest valve seat and said housing to provide a drain for said housing.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
225 words
Fluid filtration apparatus, comprising: a filter housing having an end wall with an aperture therein and an open end opposite said aperture in said wall, filtering means adapted to be removably contained inside said housing, valve means associated with the open end of said housing, said valve means having one operating position closing said open end of said housing and another operating position affording displacement of said filtering means therethrough into and out of said housing, means providing radiation shielding around said housing and valve means and a tunnel in said shielding extending laterally of said valve means in registry therewith, operator means having one end protruding out of said shielding and another end associated with said filtering means, said operator means being displaceable axially through said aperture for moving said filtering means into and out of said housing through said valve means, means providing a receptacle in said tunnel for receiving said filtering means, means coupling said filtering means to said operator means in a manner affording uncoupling when said filtering means is located in said receptacle, and means for moving the receptacle into and out of registry with said valve means, whereby the filtering means may be removed from the housing and placed into the receptacle from a location remote from the housing and the receptacle to minimize radiation exposure to operating personnel.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
225 words
Fluid filtration apparatus, comprising: a filter housing having an end wall with an aperture therein and an open end opposite said aperture in said wall, filtering means adapted to be removably contained inside said housing, valve means associated with the open end of said housing, said valve means having one operating position closing said open end of said housing and another operating position affording displacement of said filtering means therethrough into and out of said housing, means providing radiation shielding around said housing and valve means and a tunnel in said shielding extending laterally of said valve means in registry therewith, operator means having one end protruding out of said shielding and another end associated with said filtering means, said operator means being displaceable axially through said aperture for moving said filtering means into and out of said housing through said valve means, means providing a receptacle in said tunnel for receiving said filtering means, means coupling said filtering means to said operator means in a manner affording uncoupling when said filtering means is located in said receptacle, and means for moving the receptacle into and out of registry with said valve means, whereby the filtering means may be removed from the housing and placed into the receptacle from a location remote from the housing and the receptacle to minimize radiation exposure to operating personnel.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
115 words
Apparatus according to claim 17 including means providing a tubular extension with an open end depending from said valve means to afford passage of said filtering means therethrough, a bag mounted on said extension with the bottom of said bag extending across said open end of said extension for engaging the bottom of said filtering means when said operator means is displaced downwardly through said housing, and means for releasably mounting said bag to said valve extension and constricting the top of the bag around at least a portion of said filtering means during its ejection from said valve means extension, whereby undrained fluid remaining in the housing is discarded along with the filtering means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
94 words
Apparatus according to claim 17 including means providing a movable radiation shield in the top of said tunnel means below the lower end of said valve means and means mounting said radiation shield for movement transversely to the path of movement of said operator means, said moveable shield having a closed position extending across said path and an open position alongside said path, so that the movable radiation shield absorbs radiation directed downwardly into said tunnel when radioactive fluid flows through the housing, whereby exposure to radiation of workmen in the tunnel is minimized.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-06-16 | 1978-12-16 | 1979-06-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-06-16 | 1982-12-16 | 1983-06-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-06-16 | 1986-12-16 | 1987-06-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |