Sealing and securing means for turbomachine blading

Claim 1

A TURBOMACHINE HAVING AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE ROTARY DISK MEMBERS FORMING A PLURALITY OF STAGES, EACH DISK MEMBER HAVING A RIM PORTION, A ROW OF STATOR VANES HAVING NORMALLY UNSECURED END PORTIONS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID RIM PORTIONS, SECURING MEANS FOR THE UNSECURED VANE END PORTIONS, SAID SECURING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ARCUATE MEMBERS, SAID MEMBERS BEING IN ABUTMENT END-TO-END TO FORM A SHROUD RING FOR SAID VANES, EACH OF THE ARCUATE MEMBERS BEING BOX-LIKE IN CROSS SECTION AND HAVING AN INNER PARTITION, BEARING MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID PARTITION, SAID BEARING MEANS RECEIVING SAID NORMALLY UNSECURED VANE END PORTIONS TO PERMIT VARIATION OF SAID STATOR VANES, VANE RETENTION MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE END PORTIONS OF SAID VANES IN SAID BEARING MEANS, AND INTERSTAGE SEALING MEANS REMOVABLY ATTACHED TO SAID ARCUATE SHROUD RING MEMBERS, SAID SEALING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF BAND MEMBERS, AND A SEAL ELEMENT AFFIXED TO AN INNER SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID BAND MEMBERS, SAID SEAL ELEMENTS BEING ADAPTED TO CONTACT PORTIONS OF THE ROTARY DISK MEMBERS DURING OPERATION OF THE TURBOMACHINE, THE BAND MEMBERS BEING IN END-TO-END ABUTMENT WITH THE JOINTS FORMED BY THE ABUTTING ENDS OF SAID BAND MEMBERS BEING OFFSET FROM THE JOINTS OF SAID ABUTTING SHROUD MEMBERS IN ORDER TO STIFFEN SAID SECURING MEANS.