Neutronic reactor

Claim 1

A NEUTRONIC REACTOR COMPRISING A PRESSURE VESSEL HAVING A HOLLOW PORTION AND FIRST AND SECOND HEADS SEALED TO EACH END AT THE HOLLOW PORTION, SAID HEADS SEALED PROVIDED WITH CONFRONTING OPENINGS, A SLEEVE SEALED WITHIN EACH OF THE OPENINGS IN THE HEADS AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE PRESSURE VESSEL COAXIALLY WITH THE AXIS OF CONFRONTING OPENINGS, A FUEL ELEMENT DISPOSED WITHIN EACH PAIR OF CONFRONTING OPENINGS IN THE PRESSURE VESSEL INCLUDING A TUBE DISPOSED IN EACH SLEEVE IN THE FIRST HEAD HAVING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE ABUTTING THE OUTER END OF THE SLEEVE, A PLURALITY OF STRANDS OF THERMAL NEUTRON FISSIONABLE MATERIAL RELEASABLY MOUNTED WITHIN EACH OF THE TUBES, MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN THE FLANGED END OF THE TUBE TO SEAL EACH OF THE TUBES, SAID STRANDS BEING ARRANGED IN A PLURALITY OF CONCENTRIC GROUPS ABOUT ONE STRAND DISPOSED ON THE AXIS OF THE TUBE, SAID AXIAL STRAND AND EACH ALTERNATE GROUP OF STRANDS BEING PROVIDED WITH PROTECTIVE JACKETS HAVING HELICAL RIBS ON THE EXTERIOR SURFACES THEREOF, AND THE INTERMEDIATE GROUPS OF STRANDS HAVING CYLINDRICAL PROTECTIVE JACKETS ABUTTING THE RIBS OF THE CONFROTING JACKETS IN THE ADJACENT GROUPS, AND REMOVABLE MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN THE SLEEVES OF THE SECOND HEAD TO SEAL THE SLEEVES TO THE PASSAGE OF LIQUID, WHEREBY THE SLEEVE SEALING MEANS IN THE SLEEVES OF THE SECOND HEAD MAY BE REMOVED AND THE STRANDS RELEASED TO PERMIT REMOVAL THROUGH THE SLEEVES OF THE SECOND HEAD.