Apparatus and method for loading drums into a drum container

摘要

Disclosed are an apparatus and method for loading drums (20) into a drum container (30), in which a function of gripping a lid of the drum container is added to a gripper (40) used when the drum filled with radioactive waste is loaded into the drum container, thereby considerably reducing a loading time of the drums as well as a drop accident risk of the drum, and preventing a radiation exposure risk associated with radioactive waste treatment. The apparatus includes a drum feeder (25) transferring a drum filled with radioactive waste, a drum container into which the drums transferred through the drum feeder are sequentially loaded, a support frame (50) on which a lid (32) of the drum container is placed when the drums are loaded, and a crane (10) having a gripper that selectively grips and transfers the drum or the drum container lid and a lifter (15) on which the gripper is mounted so as to move up and down and which is transferred along guide rails (12) in forward and backward, or left and right directions. The gripper includes a plurality of gripper arms (42) radially installed at regular angular intervals, an arm hydraulic unit (46) reciprocating the gripper arms in a radial direction, jaws (44) installed on inner sides of the gripper arms and gripping an outer surface of the drum, and latches (45) protruding from the inner sides of the gripper arms and latched on the drum container lid.