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US 6,457,937 B1Granted
Fabricated torque shaft
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorThomas Charles Mashey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fabricated torque shaft is provided that features a bolt-together design to allow vane schedule revisions with minimal hardware cost. The bolt-together design further facilitates on-site vane schedule revisions with parts that are comparatively small. The fabricated torque shaft also accommodates stage schedules that are different one from another in non-linear inter-relationships as well as non-linear schedules for a particular stage of vanes.
Claims20
A fabricated torque shaft comprising:
- a torque shaft main body having a forward end and a rearward end;
- a first bearing being defined adjacent said forward end and a second bearing being defined at said rearward end of said main body;
- a plurality of arm structures provided at spaced locations along said torque shaft main body for operatively coupling said torque shaft to a plurality of vane stages of a compressor;
- at least one of said arm structures being detachedly secured to said torque shaft main body so that said at least one arm structure can be removed and replaced with another arm structure, wherein said torque shaft main body has a generally rectangular cross-section along at least a substantial portion of a length thereof.
1 more element
A fabricated torque shaft comprising:
- a torque shaft main body having a forward end and a rearward end;
- a first bearing being defined adjacent said forward end and a second bearing being defined at said rearward end of said main body;
- a plurality of arm structures provided at spaced locations along said torque shaft main body for operatively coupling said torque shaft to a plurality of vane stages of a compressor;
- at least one of said arm structures being detachedly secured to said torque shaft main body so that said at least one arm structure can be removed and replaced with another arm structure, wherein one of said arm structures comprises an IGV arm, said IGV arm being detachedly secured to said forward end of said torque shaft main body.
1 more element
A fabricated torque shaft comprising:
- a torque shaft main body having a forward end and a rearward end;
- a first bearing being defined adjacent said forward end and a second bearing being defined at said rearward end of said main body;
- a plurality of arm structures provided at spaced locations along said torque shaft main body for operatively coupling said torque shaft to a plurality of vane stages of a compressor;
- at least one of said arm structures being detachedly secured to said torque shaft main body so that said at least one arm structure can be removed and replaced with another arm structure, wherein a plurality of said arm structures are detachably secured to said torque shaft main body, wherein said torque shaft main body includes a recessed receptacle for receiving each said detachable arm structure, wherein said recessed receptacles are machined in said torque shaft main body, and wherein said recessed receptacles are machined to respective different depths for each said detachable arm structure.
1 more element
A fabricated torque shaft comprising:
- a torque shaft main body having a forward end and a rearward end;
- a first bearing being defined adjacent said forward end and a second bearing being defined at said rearward end of said main body;
- a plurality of arm structures provided at spaced locations along said torque shaft main body for operatively coupling said torque shaft to a plurality of vane stages of a compressor, said plurality of arm structures being detachedly secured to said torque shaft main body so that at least one said arm structure can be removed and replaced with another arm structure, wherein said torque shaft main body includes a recessed receptacle for receiving each said detachable arm structure;
- and
- a pin element disposed in at least some of said recessed receptacles for positioning said respective detachable arm structure therein,
- wherein said torque shaft main body has a generally rectangular cross-section along at least a substantial portion of a length thereof.
3 more elements
A fabricated torque shaft comprising:
- a torque shaft main body having a forward end and a rearward end;
- a first bearing being defined adjacent said forward end and a second bearing being defined at said rearward end of said main body;
- a plurality of arm structures provided at spaced locations along said torque shaft main body for operatively coupling said torque shaft to a plurality of vane stages of a compressor, said plurality of arm structures being detachedly secured to said torque shaft main body so that at least one said arm structure can be removed and replaced with another arm structure, wherein said torque shaft main body includes a recessed receptacle for receiving each said detachable arm structure,
- a pin element disposed in at least some of said recessed receptacles for positioning said respective detachable arm structure therein, and
- an IGV arm, said IGV arm being detachably secured to said forward end of said torque shaft main body.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.