Detachable air-tight lock for handling cells for dangerous operations

1,083,510. Handling radio-active material. EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY (EURATOM). Dec. 9, 1964 [Dec. 10, 1963], No. 50155/64. Heading B4Q. Access into a cell is provided by a tent temporarily sealed to the cell entrance and to the floor in front of the entrance to provide an air lock, the cell door being afterwards opened whereby an operator in the tent can enter the cell. As shown the cell 5 is normally closed by a door 1 shielded by a wall 6 mounted on wheels 8. When the tent is to be placed in position the wall 6 is withdrawn to the position shown by a motor 11 driving the wheels 8 on rails 10. The tent comprises a tubular metal frame 12 including a vertical inverted U- shaped part 12a surrounding the door entrance and a horizontal U-shaped part 12b adjacent the floor, Fig. 4, the frame being moved on retractible castors 22, 23. The parts 12a, 12b have longitudinal slots along their several limbs receiving an inflatable gasket 13 for effecting the air-tight seal against the floor and the entrance, Fig. 3. The tent is enclosed by P.V.C. sheeting 14 sealed at the edges between the frame parts 12a, 12b and the gasket 13, the sheeting being supported by further frame parts 15 thereby forming four of the six sides of the rectangular enclosure, the remaining two sides, viz. the floor and the side opposite the door 1 being free of the sheeting. Entrance into the tent is obtained by an air-tight door (not shown) in the sheeting 14.