Bundle cutter decentralized compact construction

A cutter for cutting, in stages, irradiated bundles of nuclear fuel rods, especially from pressurized-water or boiling-water reactors. The cutter includes a feed channel associated with transverse and longitudinal feed devices for the rod bundle. A cutter housing is arranged at the mouth of the channel. A cutter carriage can be moved at right angles to the feed channel and is provided with a cutter blade; a fixed counter-blade copperates with this cutter blade; a rod bundle clamping mechanism is located ahead of the cutting plane and is provided with two alternately actuatable clamping jaws. The cutter carriages, the cutting blade, the counterblade, and the two clamping jaws can be removed and replaced. The transporting, clamping, and cutting devices are respectively provided with their own drive unit. The feed device has a guide channel formed by a fixed table plate which is provided with a guide bar mounted thereon, by a removable supporting beam which is provided with a closure slide, and by a second removable supporting beam. An interchangeable guide rail is provided for the cutter carriage