Gas turbine engine having adjustable guide vanes

Claim 1

A VANE ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR USE IN A GAS TURBINE ENGINE OF THE TYPE HAVING A PLURALITY O PIVOTALLY ADJUSTABLE, ANGULARLY SPACED, RADIALLY EXTENDING GUIDE VANES SUPPORTED IN AN ANNULAR GAS DUCT BETWEEN COAXIAL INNER AND OUTER CASINGS OF THE ENGINE COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF RODS EXTENDING WITHIN THE INNER CASING ON AXES PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE AXIS OF THE DUCT, SAID RODS BEING UNIFORMLY ANGULARLY SPACED ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE DUCT, EACH OF SAID RODS BEING MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS AXIS AND HAVING A RADIALLY EXTENDING CRANK ARM PORTION, MEANS OPERATIVELY INTERCONNECTING SAID RODS FOR CAUSING ROTATION OF THE SAME IN SYNCHRONISM, A VANE OPERATING RING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID INNER CASING AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE AXIS OF SAID DUCT, A PLURALITY OF BUSHINGS CORRESPONDING IN NUMBER TO THE NUMBER OF SAID RODS, EACH OF SAID BUSHINGS BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID VANE OPERATING RING ABOUT AXES PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE DUCT AND AT UNIFORMLY ANGULARLY SPACED INTERVALS, SAID RADIALLY EXTENDING CRANK ARM PORTION OF EACH OF SAID RODS HAVING SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID BUSHINGS ON A RADIAL AXIS OF THE RESPECTIVE BUSHING WHEREBY SAID VANE OPERATING RING IS SUPPORTED BY SAID BUSHINGS ON SAID RADIALLY EXTENDING CRANK ARM PORTIONS FOR ROTATION ABOUT A FIXED AXIS COINCIDENT WITH THE AXIS OF THE DUCT, SAID RADIAL CRANK ARM PORTIONS IMPARTING ROTARY MOTION TO SAID VANE OPERATING RING WHEN SAID RODS ARE ROTATED, AND SAID VANE OPERATING RING BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE GUIDE VANES AND EFFECTING PIVOTING MOVEMENT TO THE SAME WHEN ROTATED.