Inspection hole plug with a ball swivel
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsDavid B. Walker, Christopher J. Meyer, Tsuhon Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plug for an inspection hole of a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The plug may have a stem including a first shaft, wherein a first seal is located circumferentially about the first shaft. The plug may have a swivel seal including a second seal spaced from a ball by a second shaft, and the swivel seal may be rotatably connected to the stem by the ball. The ball and the second seal may be fixed to the second shaft.
Claims20
A plug for an inspection hole of a gas turbine engine, comprising;
- a stem including a first shaft, wherein a first seal is located circumferentially about the first shaft;
- a swivel seal including a second seal spaced from a ball by a second shaft, wherein the swivel seal is rotatably connected to the stem by the ball, and the ball and the second seal are fixed to the second shaft.
A method of restricting a flow of gas through an inspection hole of a gas turbine engine with a plug, comprising:
- restricting the flow of gas through a first inner wall of the gas turbine engine with a first seal of the plug;
- restricting the flow of gas through a second inner wall of the gas turbine engine with a second seal of the plug;
- covering the inspection hole at an outer wall of the gas turbine with a cap;
- permitting rotation of the first seal relative to the second seal about only a single pivot point;
- and
- limiting an amount of rotation of the first seal relative to the second seal by a predetermined angle.
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- an outer wall spaced from a first inner wall and a second inner wall;
- an inspection hole passing through the outer wall, the first inner wall, and the second inner wall, wherein the first inner wall includes a first bore and the second inner wall includes a second bore;
- a plug inserted within the inspection hole, the plug comprising:
- a stem including a first end and a second end, a first wall seal located on the stem adjacent the first end and configured to seal the first bore;
- a swivel seal including a second wall seal connected to a ball by a shaft, wherein the swivel seal is pivotally connected to the first end of the stem by the ball, and the second wall seal is non-rotatably attached to the shaft;
- a cover housing the ball and configured to limit rotation of the swivel seal relative to the stem;
- and
- a cap removably attached to the outer wall to cover the inspection hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.