Stator assembly for turbomachines

Claim 1

IN AN AXIAL-FLOW TURBOMACHINE HAVING A THIN-WALLED, SHEET-METAL OUTER CASING AND AT LEAST ONE ROTOR STAGE, A STATOR ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: AN OUTER STATOR RING CHANNEL-SHAPED IN CROSS-SECTION AND INCLUDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY-EXTENDING SIDE PORTIONS AND A CONNECTING BOTTOM PORTION; A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY-EXTENDING STATOR VANES HAVING LEADING AND TAILING EDGES WITH INTERAL PROLONGATIONS THEREOF, THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID VANES PIERCING THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID OUTER STATOR RING, SAID LEADING AND TRAILING EDGES BEING RIGIDLY AFFIXED TO THE SIDE PORTIONS OF THE RING CO-EXTENSIVELY OF THE RADIAL LENGTHS THEREOF; A PLURALITY OF DISCRETE LOCATING SURFACES ON OUTER PORTIONS OF THE PROLONGATIONS OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID EDGES; DISCRETE LOCATING AND SUPPORTING MEANS ON SAID CASING; AND FASTENING MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH THE CASING LOCATING AND SUPPORTING MEANS, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID STATOR RING SIDE PORTIONS, AND SAID PROLONGATION LOCATING SURFACES FOR RIGID INTERCONNECTION THEREOF; AND AN INNER CHANNEL-SHAPED STATOR RING HAVING RADIALLY INWARDLY-DIRECTED SIDE PORTIONS AND A CONNECTING TOP PORTION, THE INNER ENDS OF SAID STATOR VANES PIERCING SAID TOP PORTION, SAID LEADING AND TRAILING EDGES BEING RIGIDLY AFFIXED TO THE INNER STATOR RING SIDE PORTIONS CO-EXTENSIVELY OF THE RADIAL LENGTHS THEREOF, THE STATOR RING AND VANE ASSEMBLY PROVIDING RIGIDITY AND ROUNDNESS FOR THE THIN-WALLED, SHEET-METAL OUTER CASING.