Variable vane stator ring

Claim 1

IN A VARIABLE VANE STATOR RING, AN INNER SHROUD BAND COMPRISING AN OUTER ANNULAR CHANNEL HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED CIRCULAR APERTURES, CIRCULAR METALLIC SHIMS HAVING A PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED SLOTS DISPOSED IN SAID CIRCULAR APERTURES, CIRCULAR, LOW-FRICTION SHIMS HAVING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED SLOTS DISPOSED IN SAID CIRCULAR APERTURES INWARDLY OF SAID METALLIC SHIMS, AN INNER CHANNEL HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL SURFACE ABUTTING THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID OUTER CHANNEL, SAID INNER CHANNEL HAVING A PLURALITY OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED PAIRS OF ARCUATE SLOTS, LOW-FRICTION WASHERS CONCENTRIC WITH SAID PAIRS OF ARCUATE SLOTS ABUTTING THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID INNER CHANNEL AND HAVING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED SLOTS, CUP-LIKE RETAINERS ABUTTING THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID WASHERS AND HAVING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED SLOTS; A PLURALITY OF VANES HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED TANGS DEPENDING FROM THE INNER EDGE THEREOF AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOTS IN SAID SHIMS, SAID INNER CHANNEL, SAID WASHERS AND SAID RETAINERS, SAID INNER EDGES HAVING A CONVEX SURFACE BETWEEN SAID TANGS CONTACTING SAID METALLIC SHIMS, A SHOULDER ON THE INNER END OF EACH TANG FACING THE OTHER TANG OF EACH OF SAID PAIRS OF TANGS, A PLURALITY OF INWARDLY BOWED LEAF SPRINGS HAVING THEIR ENDS ABUTTING THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID RETAINERS AND THEIR MIDDLE PORTIONS CONTACTING SAID SHOULDERS OF SAID TANGS WHEREBY SAID VANES ARE JOUNALED IN SAID INNER SHROUD BANDS, AND BIASED INWARDLY, AN OUTER ANNULAR SUPPORT MEMBER, DISCS AT THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID VANES, SAID DISCS BEING JOURNALED IN SAID OUTER SUPPORT MEMBER, WASHERS ADJACENT THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID WASHERS HAVING AN APERTURE WALL IN THE SHAPE OF A TRUNCATED CONICAL SECTION, STUB SHAFTS EXTENDING FROM SAID DISCS THROUGH SAID WASHERS, SAID STUB SHAFTS HAVING A FLAT PORTION, SLEEVES HAVING A FLAT ON THEIR INNER SURFACE MOUNTED ON SAID SUB SHAFTS WITH SAID FLATS ABUTTING THE FLATS ON SAID SHAFT, AN INNER END ON SAID SLEEVES IN THE SHAPE OF A TRUNCATED CONICAL SECTION, SAID INNER ENDS MATING WITH SAID APERTURE WALLS, AN INNER PORTION ON SAID SLEEVES HAVING AN AXIAL SLIT, FASTENING MEANS TO WEDGE THE INNER ENDS OF SAID SLEEVES WITHIN SAID WASHERS, CRANK ARMS EXTENDING FROM SLEEVES AND ACTUATING MEANS TO ROTATE SAID CRANK ARMS WHEREBY SAID VANES ARE ROTATED TO CHANGE THEIR ANGLES OF ATTACK.