Covers for turbine buckets and methods of assembly

Abstract

A bucket cover includes circumferentially disposed arcuate cover segments each having discrete arcuate inner, intermediate and outer cover elements for spanning the tips of a plurality of turbine buckets. Each segment includes circumferentially spaced radial openings through the elements for receiving the tenons at the bucket tips. The intermediate element has a cavity or recess formed between circumferentially spaced webs which define the openings through the intermediate element for weight reduction purposes. In final assembly, the tips of the tenons are automatically peened to retain the elements on the buckets and excess material is machined to provide a smooth, continuous arcuate, circumferentially extending outer surface. The cavities are bounded by the webs, forward and rear end walls and the inner and outer surfaces of the outer and inner elements, respectively.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.