Inlet and bearing support for axial flow compressors

Claim 1

THE COMBINATION IN AN AXIAL FLOW COMPRESSOR OF, RADIALLY SPACED INNER AND OUTER ANNULAR SHROUDS ARRANGED CONCENTRICALLY TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR AIR INLET FOR SAID COMPRESSOR, A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY EXTENDING GUIDE VANES ARRANGED IN A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED ANNULAR SERIES BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER SHROUDS AND HAVING THEIR INNER ENDS FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID INNER SHROUD AND THEIR OUTER ENDS FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID OUTER SHROUD, AN ANNULAR SUPPORTING FLANGE CONNECTED WITH ONE EDGE PORTION ONLY OF SAID INNER SHROUD AND EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY THEREFROM, A CYLINDRICAL SUPPORT BRACKET CONNECTED WITH THE RADIALLY INNER PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT FLANGE AND EXTENDING AXIALLY THEREFROM TOWARD THE OTHER EDGE PORTION OF SAID INNER SHROUD, A ROTOR HAVING A FORWARD JOURNAL PORTION POSITIONED WITHIN SAID BRACKET, AND AN ANTI-FRICTION BEARING BETWEEN SAID BRACKET AND SAID ROTOR JOURNAL PORTION POSITIONED WITHIN SAID BRACKET, AND AN ANTI-FRICTION BEARING BETWEEN SAID BRACKET AND SAID ROTOR JOURNAL PORTION FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID JOURNAL PORTION WITH RESPECT TO SAID BRACKET, THE SAID BEARING BEING SPACED AXIALLY FROM SAID SUPPORT FLANGE AND LOCATED IN A RADIAL PLANE PASSING THROUGH SAID GUIDE VANES SO THAT SAID BEARING IS FLEXIBLY SUPPORTED IN CANTILEVERED FASHION FROM SAID SUPPORT FLANGE BY SAID CYLINDRICAL BRACKET.