Fixture for clamping a gas turbine component and its use in shaping the gas turbine component
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsDaniel Edward Jones, Jacques Juneau JR.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas turbine component such as a turbine blade is clamped into a fixture having a base upon which a remainder of the fixture is supported, a stop which limits the movement of the gas turbine component, and two clamp arms affixed to the base and controllably clamping against the lower side of the platform of the gas turbine component to force the gas turbine component against the stop. When the gas turbine component is clamped in this position, its root may be readily shaped as by grinding.
Claims19
A fixture for clamping a gas turbine component having a root separated from an airfoil by a transversely extending platform having an upper side adjoining the airfoil and a lower side adjoining the root, and a tang at an end of the root remote from the platform, the fixture comprising
- a base upon which a remainder of the fixture is supported;
- a stop which prevents the gas turbine component from moving past a stop limit when the gas turbine component is forced in a clamping direction extending between the root and the airfoil;
- two clamp arms, a first clamp arm being on a leading-edge side of the gas turbine component with a first clamp surface facing the gas turbine component, and a second clamp arm being on a trailing-edge side of the gas turbine component with a second clamp surface facing the gas turbine component, each clamp arm being movable between a released position in which its clamp surface does not contact the platform and a clamped position in which its clamp surface contacts the platform and forces the gas turbine component in the clamping direction and against the stop;
- and
- a clamping force source that controllably moves each of the clamp arms between the released position and the clamped position.
A fixture for clamping a turbine blade having a root separated from an airfoil by a transversely extending platform having an upper side adjoining the airfoil and a lower side adjoining the root, and a tang at an end of the root remote from the platform, the fixture comprising
- a base upon which a remainder of the fixture is supported;
- two stop shoulders which engage respective pressure surfaces on each side of the root of the turbine blade and prevent the turbine blade from moving past a stop limit when the turbine blade is forced in a clamping direction extending from the root toward the airfoil;
- two clamp arms pivotably affixed to the base, a first clamp arm being on a leading-edge side of the turbine blade with a first clamp surface facing the turbine blade, and a second clamp arm being on a trailing-edge side of the turbine blade with a second clamp surface facing the turbine blade, each clamp arm being pivotable between a released position in which its clamp surface does not contact the platform and a clamped position in which its clamp surface contacts the lower side of the platform and forces the turbine blade in the clamping direction and against one of the stop shoulders;
- and
- a pair of hydraulic cylinders, one of the hydraulic cylinders controllably moving each of the clamp arms between the released position and the clamped position.
A method for shaping a gas turbine component, comprising the steps of
- furnishing a gas turbine component having a root separated from an airfoil by a transversely extending platform having an upper side adjoining the airfoil and a lower side adjoining the root, and a tang at an end of the root remote from the platform;
- furnishing a fixture comprising
- a base upon which a remainder of the fixture 60 is supported,
- a stop which prevents the gas turbine component from moving past a stop limit when the gas turbine component is forced in a clamping direction extending from the root toward the airfoil,
- two clamp arms, a first clamp arm being on a leading-edge side of the gas turbine component with a first clamp surface facing the gas turbine component, and a second clamp arm being on a trailing-edge side of the gas turbine component with a second clamp surface facing the gas turbine component, each clamp arm being movable between a released position in which its clamp surface does not contact the platform and a clamped position in which its clamp surface contacts the platform and forces the gas turbine component in the clamping direction and against the stop, and
- a clamping force source that controllably moves each of the clamp arms between the released position and the clamped position;
- clamping the gas turbine component in the fixture;
- and thereafter
- shaping the root of the gas turbine component while the gas turbine component is clamped into the fixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.