Safety latch for a nuclear waste container

摘要

A permanent locking device for a nuclear waste container which, in combination with a lid and a box, utilizes a dee-shaped ring held by a wide, flat hinge and a protruding narrow malleable metal retaining strap. The ring can rotate or slide up and down within the hinge, as well as slide side to side. The hinge has a slot in its top for temporarily holding the ring in an up position while the lid is open and the box is being loaded with nuclear waste. When the lid is closed and the ring is disengaged from the slot, the ring can be quickly dropped to a down position permitting the retaining strap to extend through the ring. The retaining strap can then be readily bent down and over the circular (bottom) portion of the ring, to form a permanent seal. A deformable rubber gasket is positioned between the lid and the top edges of the box to form an air tight seal. The open cavity within the hinge permits the gasket to deform still further and protects the locking device from breakage when the containers are stacked more than a single container high.