# US 10,119,424 B2 · Attachment assembly and gas turbine engine with attachment assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,119,424 B2 - Document ID: US10119424B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/707,704 - Filed: 2015-05-08 - Published: 2016-11-10 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-08 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Apostolos Pavlos Karafillis; Christopher Dale Mathias; Kyle Earl Roland Henry; Dylan James Fitzpatrick; Dennis Robert Jonassen; Paul W. Donahue - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119424B2 ## CPC - F01D 25/28: Supporting or mounting arrangements, e.g. for turbine casing - F01D 25/005: {Selecting particular materials} - F01D 25/12: Cooling - F02C 7/20: Mounting or supporting of plant; Accommodating heat expansion or creep - F02K 1/04: Mounting of an exhaust cone in the jet pipe - F16B 39/282: Locking by means of special shape of work-engaging surfaces, e.g. notched or toothed nuts - F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines - F05D 2240/90: Mounting on supporting structures or systems - F05D 2260/31: Retaining bolts or nuts - F05D 2300/6033: Ceramic matrix composites [CMC] - Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F02K: JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (features of jet-propulsion plants common to gas-turbine plants, air intakes or fuel supply control of air-breathing jet-propulsion plants F02C7/00, F02C9/00) - F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract An attachment assembly for attaching a center structure to an outer structure at least partially circumscribing the center structure, the attachment assembly having a bushing provided within the center structure or the outer structure, the bushing defining a first through passage, a bushing adapter slidably mounted within the first through passage and defining a second through passage, a threaded passage provided on the other of the center structure or the outer structure and a bolt passing through the first through passage and the second through passage and threaded into the threaded passage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An attachment assembly for attaching a center structure to an outer structure at least partially circumscribing the center structure, the attachment assembly comprising: a bushing provided within the center structure or the outer structure, the bushing defining a first through passage; a bushing adapter slidably mounted within the first through passage and defining a second through passage; a threaded passage provided on the other of the center structure or the outer structure; and a bolt having a head and a shank with a threaded portion wherein the bolt passes through the first through passage and the second through passage, with the head abutting the bushing adapter and the threaded portion threaded into the threaded passage, wherein the bushing adapter is able to move along the length of the first through passage after the attachment assembly is fully assembled. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The attachment assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a belleville washer that clamps the bushing to the center structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein the bolt further comprises a third through passage extending through its length and the third through passage defines a fluid path from the center structure to the outer structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein the bushing has a cylindrical body that terminates in a shoulder, which forms a stop. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein the bushing has a cylindrical internal portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The attachment assembly of claim 1, further comprising a nut having a threaded opening forming the threaded passage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The attachment assembly of claim 1 wherein an upper portion of the bushing adapter is concentric with other features of the bushing adapter. ### Claim 8 An attachment assembly for attaching a center structure to an outer structure at least partially circumscribing the center structure, the attachment assembly comprising: a bushing provided within the center structure or the outer structure, the bushing defining a first through passage; a bushing adapter slidably mounted within the first through passage and defining a second through passage; a threaded passage provided on the other of the center structure or the outer structure; and a bolt having a head and a shank with a threaded portion wherein the bolt passes through the first through passage and the second through passage, with the head abutting the bushing adapter and the threaded portion threaded into the threaded passage; wherein the bushing adapter has an annular shoulder with a rounded surface that enables a swivel joint between the bushing and the bushing adapter. ### Claim 9 An attachment assembly for attaching a center structure to an outer structure at least partially circumscribing the center structure, the attachment assembly comprising: a bushing provided within the center structure or the outer structure, the bushing defining a first through passage; a bushing adapter slidably mounted within the first through passage and defining a second through passage; a threaded passage provided on the other of the center structure or the outer structure; and a bolt having a head and a shank with a threaded portion wherein the bolt passes through the first through passage and the second through passage, with the head abutting the bushing adapter and the threaded portion threaded into the threaded passage; wherein an upper portion of the bushing adapter is eccentric and enables adjustment of an axial position of the center structure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The attachment assembly of claim 9 wherein other features of the bushing adapter are concentric to an axis of the bolt. ### Claim 11 A gas turbine engine, comprising: a centerbody; a support structure circumscribing the centerbody; and an attachment assembly for operably coupling the centerbody to the support structure and configured to allow a cooling air flow to the centerbody, comprising: a bushing provided on the centerbody or the support structure, the bushing defining a first through passage; a bushing adapter slidably mounted within the first through passage and defining a second through passage; a threaded passage provided on the other of the centerbody or the support structure; and a bolt having a head and a shank with a threaded portion wherein the bolt passes through the first through passage and the second through passage, with the head abutting the bushing adapter and the threaded portion threaded into the threaded passage; wherein the bushing adapter is able to move along the length of the first through passage after the attachment assembly is fully assembled. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The gas turbine engine of claim 11 wherein a plurality of attachment assemblies are circumferentially spaced about the centerbody and the support structure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The gas turbine engine of claim 11 wherein the bolt further comprises a third through passage extending through its length. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The gas turbine engine of claim 11 wherein a controlled gap is located between the centerbody and a portion of the support structure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The gas turbine engine of claim 11 wherein the support structure comprises an exhaust frame of the gas turbine engine. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The gas turbine engine of claim 11 wherein the centerbody is formed from a ceramic matrix composite.