Reactor vessel O-ring spring clip

This patent describes in a nuclear reactor pressure vessel including a vessel closure head having a bottom surface adapted to be sealingly engaged with the pressure vessel, the vessel head having an annular groove therein for receiving a tubular O-ring having slots therein, the vessel head also having threaded apertures in the bottom surface concentrically disposed with respect to the annular groove, a reactor vessel O-ring spring clip for securing the O-ring to the vessel head. The spring clip comprising a horizontal leg having one end thereof adapted to be received within one of the slots in the O-ring and an opposite end adapted to frictionally engage one of the threaded apertures, such that the weight of the O-ring increases the friction force between the spring clip and the threaded aperture, wherein the one end of the horizontal leg adapted to engage the O-ring includes; a generally vertical leg extending upward from the one end of the horizontal leg; and a generally circular member depending from the vertical leg such that it lies in a vertical plane parallel with that of the horizontal leg