# US 2014/0154070 A1 · Turbomachine diaphragm ring with packing retainment apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154070 A1 - Document ID: US20140154070A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/693,644 - Filed: 2012-12-04 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Thomas Robert Reid; James Peter Anderson; Steven Sebastian Burdgick; Mark Richard DeLorenzo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154070A1 ## CPC - F01D 25/246: {Fastening of diaphragms or stator-rings} - F01D 9/04: forming ring or sector - F01D 11/003: {by packing rings; Mechanical seals} - F01D 25/24: Casings (modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14); Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings (casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M {; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045}) - F05D 2220/31: in steam turbines - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract Various embodiments include a turbomachine diaphragm ring. In various particular embodiments, a turbomachine diaphragm ring includes: a packing slot sized to house a dovetail section of a turbomachine packing, the packing slot extending circumferentially about a rotational axis of the turbomachine; a key slot connected with the packing slot sized to house a portion of a key member, the key slot extending at least one of radially or axially from the packing slot; and a retaining slot connected with the key slot and extending substantially circumferentially from the key slot, the retaining slot sized to house a retaining member for retaining the key member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A diaphragm ring for a turbomachine, the diaphragm ring comprising: a packing slot sized to house a dovetail section of a turbomachine packing, the packing slot extending circumferentially about a rotational axis of the turbomachine; a key slot connected with the packing slot sized to house a portion of a key member, the key slot extending at least one of radially or axially from the packing slot; and a retaining slot connected with the key slot and extending substantially circumferentially from the key slot, the retaining slot sized to house a retaining member for retaining the key member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The diaphragm ring of claim 1, wherein the key slot extends radially outward from the packing slot. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The diaphragm ring of claim 1, wherein the key slot extends axially from the packing slot. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The diaphragm ring of claim 1, wherein the retaining slot includes a threaded aperture for receiving the retaining member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The diaphragm ring of claim 1, wherein the key slot extends circumferentially from a horizontal joint surface of the diaphragm ring to the retaining slot. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The diaphragm ring of claim 5, wherein the retaining slot extends substantially circumferentially away from the horizontal joint surface of the diaphragm ring, as well as from the key slot. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The diaphragm ring of claim 1, wherein the retaining slot further extends at least partially radially from the key slot. ### Claim 8 A turbomachine diaphragm comprising: a packing having a dovetail section including a first key slot; and a diaphragm ring coupled with the packing, the diaphragm ring including: a packing slot sized to house the dovetail section of the packing; a second key slot connected with the packing slot and sized to house a portion of a key member, the second key slot extending at least one of radially or axially from the packing slot; and a retaining slot connected with the second key slot and extending substantially circumferentially from the second key slot, the retaining slot sized to house a retaining member for retaining the key member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The turbomachine diaphragm of claim 8, further comprising the key member positioned within the first key slot of the packing dovetail and the second key slot of the diaphragm ring. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The turbomachine diaphragm of claim 8, wherein the key member includes a friction-reducing coating including titanium nitride (TiN). ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The turbomachine diaphragm of claim 9, further comprising the retaining member coupled to the key member and engaged with the retaining slot. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The turbomachine diaphragm of claim 11, wherein the retaining member restricts movement of the key member in the first key slot of the packing dovetail and the second key slot of the diaphragm ring, and wherein the key member restricts movement of the packing relative to the diaphragm ring when the retaining member is engaged with the retaining slot. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The turbomachine diaphragm of claim 8, wherein the second key slot extends axially from the packing slot. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The turbomachine diaphragm of claim 8, wherein the retaining slot includes a threaded aperture for receiving the retaining member. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The turbomachine diaphragm of claim 8, wherein the diaphragm ring includes a horizontal joint surface, and wherein the second key slot extends circumferentially from the horizontal joint surface to the retaining slot. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The turbomachine diaphragm of claim 15, wherein the retaining slot extends substantially circumferentially away from the horizontal joint surface of the diaphragm ring, as well as from the second key slot. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) The turbomachine diaphragm of claim 8, wherein the retaining slot further extends at least partially radially from the second key slot. ### Claim 18 A turbomachine packing comprising: a main body; a seal section extending axially inward from the main body and including a plurality of seal teeth; and a dovetail section extending axially outward from the main body, the dovetail section including: a pair of axially extending flanges; and a key slot within at least one of the pair of axially extending flanges, the key slot sized to receive a key member, wherein the main body, the seal section and the dovetail section have a common horizontal joint surface, and wherein the key slot is offset from the horizontal joint surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 19) The turbomachine packing of claim 19, wherein the key slot extends entirely radially through the at least one of the pair of axially extending flanges.