PURPOSE: To dissolve spent nuclear fuel, i.e., cut can part in heated nitric acid by mounting a power removing unit capable of being connected to an auxiliary motor with various unit elements on the same shaft for driving wheels.

CONSTITUTION: The apparatus for driving the wheels of melting machine comprises a gear 1 connected to a bucket wheel for rotating the bucket wheel, a shaft 2 for driving the gear 1, a hydraulic protecting unit 3 for enclosing the assembly in a melting machine, and a shaft 4 for transmitting the motion of the assembly of a motor reduction gear to the shaft 2 via a bevel gear 5 operating at the gear 6 interlocked to the shaft 2. The shaft 4 transmits the motion across the thickness of the wall of the protective cell. The shaft 2 is extended by a shaft end 7 having a power removing unit 8 at the end (at the opposite side of the part of the shaft for carrying the gear 1). The removing unit is, for example, a hexahedral unit easily connected to the auxiliary motor disposed out of the cell by a remote operation.