US 5,350,279 AGranted

Gas turbine engine blade retainer sub-assembly

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsIan F. Prentice, Jerome A. Juenger

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A blade retaining sub-assembly for use in a gas turbine engine which includes at least one radially extending blade mounted in a dovetail slot of a rotatable annular disk. The sub-assembly prevents the blade from migrating from the dovetail slot in an axially forward direction and includes a pair of circumferentially spaced lugs extending from a pair of adjacent disk posts such that each of the lugs are disposed axially forward of, and circumferentially adjacent to, respective ones of the lateral surfaces of the blade dovetail. The sub-assembly further includes a retainer plate disposed in each of the lugs and the plate restrained. The plate includes a body section and a contoured platform which is disposed in confronting relationship with the blade dovetail, wherein the contoured platform includes a periphery which is predeterminedly shaped and positioned so as to enhance a load carrying capability of the plate and lugs. The plate is restrained by a bracket attached to a spacer having an aft portion disposed in the dovetail slot inward of the blade, wherein the bracket includes a slotted mount hole which enhances a capability of the plate to flex about an axis which is generally parallel to a radially extending centerline passing through the hole.

Claims10

Dependent claims

In a gas turbine engine having an annular disk which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the engine and at least one radially extending blade mounted on the disk, the disk including a plurality of circumferentially alternating posts and dovetail slots disposed about a rim of the disk, the posts and slots extending axially across the rim, wherein a dovetail portion of the at least one blade is received by one of the dovetail slots, the dovetail portion including first and second lateral surfaces and an axially forward facing surface extending between the lateral surfaces, a blade retaining sub-assembly comprising:

a) first and second circumferentially spaced lugs extending axially forward from circumferentially adjacent ones of the disk posts such that said first and second lugs are disposed axially forward of, and circumferentially adjacent to, respective ones of the lateral surfaces of the dovetail portion of the at least one blade;
and
b) means formed in each of said first and second lugs for receiving a retainer plate, said retainer plate preventing the at least one blade from migrating from the corresponding dovetail slot in an axially forward direction;
c) said retainer plate including a body section and a contoured platform;
d) said contoured platform being disposed about a circumferentially central portion of said body section and extending axially aftward from an aft surface of said body section such that said contoured platform is in confronting relationship with the axially forward facing surface of the dovetail portion of the at least one blade, said contoured platform including a periphery which is predeterminedly shaped and positioned so as to enhance a load carrying capability of said retainer plate and said first and second lugs.

2 more elements

a) first and second circumferentially spaced lugs extending axially forward from circumferentially adjacent ones of the disk posts such that said first and second lugs are disposed axially forward of, and circumferentially adjacent to, respective ones of the lateral surfaces of the dovetail portion of the at least one blade;
b) means formed in each of said first and second lugs for receiving a retainer plate, said retainer plate preventing the at least one blade from migrating from the corresponding dovetail slot in an axially forward direction;
c) means for radially restraining said retainer plate, said means for radially restraining comprising a bracket protruding from an axially forward surface of a body section of said retainer plate;
d) said bracket comprising a circumferentially extending flange and an interior hole formed in said circumferentially extending flange, said bracket further comprising a slot extending axially aftward from a forward surface of said bracket to said interior hole, wherein said slot enhances a capability of said retainer plate to flex about an axis which is generally parallel to a radially extending centerline passing through said interior hole.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.