Sealed telescopic joint and method of assembly

A sealed joint for a gas turbine engine comprising:

• a housing having a longitudinal axis and a generally hollow end portion including an inner cylindrical surface;
• a stator nozzle carrier having a generally complementary end portion telescopically disposed in the end portion of the housing, said stator nozzle carrier defining an annular groove opening radially-outwardly towards the inner cylindrical surface of the housing;
• a radially-resilient annular seal installed in the groove and having a radial peripheral surface which sealedly contacts the inner cylindrical surface of the housing;
• and
• a separate annular member disposed concentrically around the stator nozzle carrier and axially spaced from the radial peripheral surface of the seal, said annular member having an internal annular surface which is diametrically tapered along the longitudinal axis in decreasing fashion towards the seal, said annular member being adapted during assembly of the joint to be moved from a first axial position around the stator nozzle carrier, at which the internal annular surface of the annular member initially surrounds both the stator nozzle carrier and the radial peripheral surface of the installed seal in radially-spaced relation, to a second axial position around the stator nozzle carrier so that the tapered internal surface directly contacts the radial peripheral surface of the seal and thereby radially-inwardly compresses the seal further in the groove, said annular member being further adapted during telescopic assembly of the stator nozzle carrier and the housing to be contacted and displaced by the housing and thereby moved from the second axial position to a third axial position at which the annular member is fixedly maintained around the stator nozzle carrier and is disposed out of direct contact with the radial peripheral surface of the seal thereby leaving the radial peripheral surface of the seal free to expand radially outwardly until sealed contact occurs against the inner cylindrical surface of the housing.