PURPOSE: To transfer reactor fuel pellets by handing the pellets softly by arranging a tiltable pellet chute near the surface of a die table and first and second members having elastic flat surfaces near the lower end section of a tube.

CONSTITUTION: A pellet loading device 10 is composed of a tiltable tube 22 having a polished internal surface so that pellets 18 can easily slide on the surface without being damaged. The upper end section 24 of the tube 22 is positioned so that the section 24 can receive the pellets 18 discharged from the surface 20 of a die table. The lower end section 30 of the tube 22, on the other hand, is positioned near a port 14 for sintering through which the received pellets 18 are discharged. A first member 38 is provided with a nearly flat elastic first surface section 40 constituted of a first brush 46 and a rigid supporting material 48. A second member 50 is provided with a nearly flat elastic second member 50 constituted of a second brush 58 and a second rigid supporting material 60. When the pellets 18 fall onto a boat 14, the brushes 46 and 58 release the pellets in a state where the falling speeds of the pellets 18 are reduced to nearly zero.