Gas turbine engine construction

Claim 1

IN A GAS TURBINE ENGINE, A COMBUSTION CHAMBER HOUSING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A COMBUSTOR STRUCTURE SUBJECT TO COMBUSTION GAS TEMPERATURE AND HAVING AN ANNULAR CENTRAL OPENING, AN ANNULAR SWIRL VANE STRUCTURE, AND MEANS OPENING AND SUBJECT TO INLET AIR TEMPERATURE, AND MEANS REMOVABLY ATTACHING SAID SWIRL VANE STRUTURE TO SAID COMBUSTOR STRUCTURE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED CLIP ELEMENTS, EACH OF SAID CLIP ELEMENT FACING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY AND HAVING ONE LEG SECURED NEAR THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID SWIRL VANE STRUCTURE, THE EDGE OF SAID COMBUSTOR OPENING ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BETWEEN THE LEGS OF SAID CLIP ELEMENT AND RADIALLY SPACED FROM THE BASE THEREOF TO PERMIT RADIAL THERMAL EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF SAID COMBUSTOR STRUCTURE RELATIVE TO SAID SWIRL VANE STRUCTURE, THE EDGE OF SAID COMBUSTOR CENTRAL OPENING HAVING RADIALLY EXTENDING NOTCHES CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED EQUALLY WITH THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL SPACING OF SAID CLIP ELEMENTS TO PERMIT ASSEMBLY OF SAID STRUCTURES UPON PASSING ONE LEG OF EACH CLIP THROUGH A NOTCH AND RELATIVELY ROTATING SAID STRUCTURES TO ENGAGE THE CLIPS WITH THE COMBUSTOR OPENING EDGE PORTIONS INTERMEDIATE SAID NOTCHES, AND A RETAINER MEANS INSERTED BETWEEN THE COMBUSTOR OPENING EDGE AND THE LASTMENTIONED LEG OF EACH CLIP, SAID RETAINER MEANS COVERING SAID NOTCHES TO PREVENT REMOVAL OF THE CLIP ELEMENTS THERETHROUGH, SAID RETAINER MEANS COMPRISING A RING ELEMENT HAVING AN INNER PERIPHERAL EDGE SUBSTANTIALLY OF THE DIAMETER OF SAID COMBUSTOR CENTRAL OPENING, AND MEANS SECURING SAID RING ELEMENT AGAINST ROTATION RELATIVE TO SAID COMBUSTOR STRUCTURE.