Adjustable nozzle ring support

Claim 1

IN A GAS TURBINE ENGINE, A ROTOR, AN ANNULAR CONDUIT COMPRISING INNER AND OUTER SHROUDS COAXIAL WITH SAID ROTOR FOR CONVEYING MOTIVE GASES THERETO TO DRIVE THE SAME, ADJUSTABLE NOZZLE MEANS FOR VARYING THE ANGLE OF CONTACT BETWEEN SAID ROTOR AND THE FLOW PATH OF SAID GASES, SAID NOZZLE MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED NOZZLE ELEMENTS WITHIN SAID CONDUIT, A PIVOTAL SHAFT CONNECTED WITH EACH NOZZLE ELEMENT TO SWING THE SAME UPON PIVOTING OF THE SHAFT, EACH SHAFT EXTENDING GENERALLY RADIALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF SAID ROTOR AND BEING JOURNALLED IN SAID OUTER SHROUDS FOR PIVOTING ON THE AXIS OF THE SHAFT, SAID OUTER SHROUD HAVING A CYLINDRICAL SUPPORT COAXIAL WITH SAID ROTOR AND FACING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY, A CONTINUOUS FLEXIBLE RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE RING OF LARGER DIAMETER THAN SAID SUPPORT AND COAXIAL THEREWITH, BEARING MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT AND RING TO ROTATABLY CARRY THE LATTER, SAID BEARING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ROLLERS WIDELY SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID SUPPORT, MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID ROLLERS IN CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP, AND MEANS INTERENGAGING SAID RING AND EACH OF SAID SHAFTS TO PIVOT SAID NOZZLES IN UNISON UPON ROTATION OF SAID RING AROUND SAID SUPPORT, THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL CURVATURE OF SAID RING BEING RESILIENTLY FLATTENED BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS TO AN OUTOF-ROUND SHAPE AND BEING SUSCEPTIBLE OF RESILIENTLY INCREASING OR DECREASING ITS OUT-OF-ROUND DEFORMATION TO MAINTAIN A SNUG BEARING SUPPORT FOR SAID RING AND TO ELIMINATE LOST MOTION BETWEEN SAID RING AND SUPPORT DURING THE THERMALLY INDUCED DIMENSIONAL CHANGES OF SAID SUPPORT AND RING DURING OPERATION OF SAID ENGINE, AND SAID RING BEING SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE TO PREVENT BINDING OF SAID BEARING MEANS WHEN SAID RING IS SUBJECTED TO ITS MAXIMUM OUTOF-ROUND DEFORMATION.