Raymond W Richardson

US Patent:

48250880, Apr 25, 1989

Filed:

Oct 30, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/114599

Inventors:

Balakrishnan R. Nair - North Huntingdon PA
Raymond V. Richardson - Greensburg PA
Raymond M. Mello - Greensburg PA

Assignee:

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

G21F 500

US Classification:

2505061

Abstract:

An improved, lightweight cask assembly is disclosed herein. The cask assembly generally comprises at least two, cylindrically shaped and concentrically disposed structural walls formed from a titanium alloy and a shielding wall disposed within and supported by the titanium structural walls. Both the inner and outer walls are formed from a high-strength titanium alloy. The use of such an alloy advantageously allows the thickness of the inner wall to be minimized, thereby optimizing the shielding geometry of the shielding wall and minimizing the weight of the amount of shielding material used in the cask. The use of such an alloy in the outer structural wall also minimizes the weight of the outer wall thereby contributing to the weight reduction of the cask assembly as a whole. The upper and lower edges of the inner and outer structural walls are bound together by a reinforcing ring and an end plate assembly likewise formed from a titanium alloy. In the preferred embodiment, two separate shielding walls made of depleted uranium and particles of boron suspended in a silicone matrix are disposed in the spaces between inner, intermediate and outer titanium walls, respectively.

US Patent:

50448463, Sep 3, 1991

Filed:

Feb 28, 1990

Appl. No.:

7/485839

Inventors:

Raymond V. Richardson - Greensburg PA

Assignee:

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

B60P 712

US Classification:

410 47

Abstract:

A tiedown system for releasably securing a cask of the type used to transport radioactive waste to a cradle assembly that is mounted onto the deck of a trailer is disclosed herein. The tiedown system includes a trunnion securing assembly for each of the opposing trunnions of the cask, as well as a compliant linkage connected between the trunnion securing assemblies and the cradle assembly for biasing the cask trunnions toward the cradle assembly with a tiedown force that remains substantially constant despite angular displacements of the trunnions which may occur when the trailer traverses rough or uneven roads. The compliant linkage includes a pair of inverted L-shaped levers for each of the opposing trunnion securing assemblies, as well as a tie-bar which is both axially and rotatably movable within a lower portion of the cradle assembly. The end portions of the tie-bar are threaded, one end of each of the levers is pivotally connected to one of the trunnion securing assemblies, while the other end is pivotally connected to an end portion of the tie-bar by way of a threaded coupling. Each of the levers is in turn pivotally connected to the walls of the cradle and configured so as to convert vertical displacements of the cask trunnions caused by rough or uneven roads into horizontal displacements which in turn move the horizontally-oriented tie-bar to and fro, thereby avoiding the generation of localized stresses between the cask trunnions, the cradle assembly and the trailer deck and frame while maintaining a substantially constant tiedown force between the cask and the cradle.