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US 10,208,618 B2Granted
Vane arm having a claw
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsEugene C. Gasmen, Bernard W. Pudvah, Stanley Wiecko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exemplary variable vane actuation system for a gas turbine engine includes a vane arm attachable to a vane stem and configured to rotate the vane stem about a radially extending axis. The vane arm includes a claw feature to be press-fit onto the vane stem.
Claims19
A variable vane actuation system for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- a vane arm attachable to a vane stem of a vane and configured to rotate the vane stem about a radially extending axis, wherein the vane arm includes a claw feature to be press-fit onto the vane stem, wherein the claw feature includes opposing fingers extending away from a top surface toward the vane, the top surface including a surface opening extending completely through the top surface from a radially inward facing side of the top surface to a radially outward facing side of the top surface, the top surface having a flat side that is configured to interface with a flat area of the vane stem when the claw feature is press fit onto the vane stem.
A method of assembling a variable vane actuation system, comprising:
- press-fitting a claw feature of a vane arm onto a vane stem extending radially from a vane of a vane assembly while a portion of the vane stem extends through a surface opening in the vane arm, the surface opening radially spaced from the claw feature such that the claw feature extends radially closer to the vane than the surface opening does, wherein the vane assembly is a continuous structure having both the vane stem and the vane, wherein the claw feature includes fingers terminating at faces spaced from each other to define a claw opening that receives the vane stem after the press-fitting.
A method of coupling a vane arm within a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- moving a vane arm radially from an uninstalled position to an installed position within a gas turbine engine;
- receiving a portion of a vane stem within an aperture of the vane arm during the moving, the aperture extending through the vane arm and opening to both a radially inward facing surface and a radially outward facing surface of the vane arm, the vane stem extending radially from a vane of a vane assembly prior to the receiving, the vane assembly a continuous structure having both the vane and the vane stem, the aperture of the vane arm radially spaced from an opening between opposing fingers of a claw portion of the vane arm such that the aperture is radially outside the opening between the opposing fingers;
- and
- press-fitting the claw portion of the vane arm over the vane stem during the moving.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.