Vibration damping means

Claim 2

Means for damping vibration of a thin-walled annular shell, said means comprising a metallic ring severed to enable diametral opening and closing motion thereof, said ring sized to frictionally engage said shell substantially continuously along its length and yieldingly exert a generally radially directed pressure against said shell, whereby the flexure produced in said shell by both axially propagating, nodal flexural waves and circumferentially propagating nodal flexural waves results in heat producing relative slip between said ring and said shell.

Claim 3

The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said ring is circular in cross section.

Claim 4

The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said thin-walled shell is adapted for Rotation, said severed ring being located internally of said shell whereby said radial pressure is derived, in part, by centrifugal force.

Claim 5

The structure of claim 1 further characterized by and including means for retaining said ring at a predetermined axial position along said shell without restricting said relative slip.

Claim 6

The structure of claim 4 further characterized in that said retaining means comprises an inwardly opening circumferential groove sized to receive said ring, the ends of said ring being peripherally spaced sufficiently to enable insertion of said ring in said groove, and a pin positionable intermediate the ends of said ring.

Claim 7

The structure of claim 4 further characterized in that said retaining means comprises a circumferential groove sized to receive said ring and prohibit radial extraction of the ring therefrom, an enlarged opening to enable insertion of said ring into said groove, and means for effectively closing said enlarged opening after inserting said ring.

Claim 8

In a fluid apparatus having a labyrinth seal for reducing fluid leakage between a stationary member and a thin-walled rotating member, said seal including means carried by one of said members for defining at least one annular sealing surface and a plurality of axially spaced teeth carried by the other of said members, each said tooth extending into fluid sealing relationship with one of said sealing surfaces, the improvement comprising: a ring severed to enable diametral opening and closing thereof, said ring positioned and sized to circumferentially grip and exert a radial pressure against said rotating member under the action of centrifugal force whereby destructive, self-excited, aeroelastic, nodal flexural vibration of said rotating member, which may be characterized by both axially and circumferentially propagating nodal flexural waves, is prevented by heat producing relative slip between said ring and said rotating member.

Claim 9

In a fluid apparatus having a labyrinth seal for reducing fluid leakage between a stationary member and a thin-walled rotating member, said seal including means carried by one of said members for defining at least one annular sealing surface and a plurality of axially spaced teeth carried by the other of said members, each said tooth extending into fluid sealing relationship with one of said sealing surfaces, the improvement comprising: a ring severed to enable diametral opening and closing thereof, said ring positioned and sized to circumferentially grip and exert a radial pressure against said rotating member under the action of centrifugal force whereby destructive, self-excited, aeroelastic, nodal flexural vibration of said rotating member, which may be characterized by both axially and circumferentially propagating nodal flexural waves, is prevented by heat producing relative slip between said ring and said rotating member.

Claim 10

The structure of claim 7 further characterized in that said ring is circular in cross section.

Claim 11

The structure of claim 7 further characterized by and including means for retaining said ring in a predetermined location along the axis of said rotating member.

Claim 12

The structure of claim 9 further characterized in that said predetermined location of said ring is close to the position of maximum flexure of said rotating member.

Claim 13

Means for damping vibration of a rotating thin-walled annular shell, said means comprising a ring severed to enable diametral opening and closing motion thereof, said ring disposed internally of said shell and sized to frictionally engage said shell substantially continuously along its length and yieldingly exert a generally radially directed pressure against said shell, whereby the flexure produced in said shell by both axially propagating nodal flexural waves and circumferentially propagating nodal flexural waves results in heat producing relative slip between said ring and said shell.

Claim 14

Means for damping vibration of a rotating thin-walled annular shell, said means comprising a ring severed to enable diametral opening and closing motion thereof, said ring disposed internally of said shell and sized to frictionally engage said shell substantially continuously along its length and yieldingly exert a generally radially directed pressure against said shell, whereby the flexure produced in said shell by both axially propagating nodal flexural waves and circumferentially propagating nodal flexural waves results in heat producing relative slip between said ring and said shell.