Latch handle for a control road in a nuclear reactor

摘要

A window in the control rod for a nuclear reactor has flanges along its opposite sides. A latch handle has slots along its opposite sides. The latch handle is sized and configured such that in a first angular orientation, the latch handle may be received within the plane and peripheral confines of the window and, upon rotation of the latch handle through 90 DEG into a second orientation, engages the slotted sides of the latch handle with the flanges of the window to capture the latch handle within the window while simultaneously enabling linear vertical movement of the latch handle relative to the window. The latch handle is then attached to a shaft for operating a coupling mechanism between the control rod and the control rod drive.