Method of reducing saddle clamp assembly stress
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsGage Czarniecki, Jose L. Lopez Padilla, Aaron Jayson Swope, Gianna Eva Marie Sabino
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of assembling a tube assembly includes the steps of providing a saddle clamp having a first clamp half extending for less than 50 percent of a circumference of a tube, and a second clamp half extending for more than 50 percent of the circumference of the tube, placing a tube on the first clamp half, resting on a static structure, and applying a lubricant to a laterally inner surface of the second clamp half and then bringing the second clamp half onto the tube, and then driving a fastener to secure the first and second clamp halves. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
Claims16
A method of assembling a tube assembly comprising the steps of:
- providing a saddle clamp having a first clamp half extending for less than 50 percent of a circumference of a tube, and a second clamp half extending for more than 50 percent of the circumference of the tube;
- placing the tube on the first clamp half, resting on a static structure, and applying a lubricant to a laterally inner surface of the second clamp half;
- then bringing the second clamp half onto the tube, and then driving a fastener to secure the first and second clamp halves;
- where there are a pair of the bolt flanges on opposed sides of the tube for each of the first and second clamp halves;
- wherein the fastener being initially driven into the bolt flanges on one side of the tube, and then a second fastener being driven through the bolt flanges on the other side of the tube;
- and
- wherein each of the first and second halves having a metal underlying structure with outwardly extending bolt flanges and a supporting grommet and the fastener extending through the bolt flanges.
2-4. (canceled)
9-10. (canceled)
12-15. (canceled)
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a compressor section, a turbine section and combustor;
- and
- a tube assembly for routing a fluid for use in the gas turbine engine;
- the tube assembly having a saddle clamp with a first clamp half extending for less than 50 percent of a circumference of a tube, and a second clamp half extending for more than 50 percent of the circumference of the tube, each of the first and second half having a metal underlying structure with a plurality of outwardly extending bolt flanges and a supporting grommet;
- the tube supported on the grommets of the first and second clamp halves, with the bolt flange of the first clamp half resting on a static structure, and a lubricant on a laterally inner surface of the second clamp half;
- and
- bolts extending through each of the plurality of outwardly extending bolt flanges to secure the first and second clamp halves to the static structure clamp halves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.