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US3628884A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method and apparatus for supporting an inner casing structure

Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1970-06-26
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Granted: 1971-12-21
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Expires: 1990-06-26
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Abstract

Abstract A rotary machine such as a turbine, having outer and inner tubular casings encompassing a rotor and divided along a horizontal plane into upper and lower semicylindrical halves. The improvement comprises an arrangement including an annular series of eccentric bushing structures inserted radially through apertures in the outer casing to adjustably fit axially key slots on the periphery of the inner casing to support the inner casing concentrically relative to the axis of rotation of the rotor. Furthermore, external screw means are connected to internal levers to move the inner casing into sealing relation with the outer casing. The invention also involves the method of supporting the inner casing within the outer casing and moving the inner casing relative to the outer casing.

Inventors

  • 👤 George M Mierley Sr

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 15:32
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01D; F01D25/00; F01D25/28; F01D25/24; F01D25/26; F04; F04D; F04D17/00; F04D17/08; F04D17/10; F04D17/12; F04D17/122; F04D29/00; F04D29/60; F04D29/62; F04D29/624; F05; F05D; F05D2230/00; F05D2230/60; F05D2230/64; F05D2230/642; F05D2230/644; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/20; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49826; Y10T29/49895

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 71 words
A rotary machine comprising a tubular outer casing structure, a tubular inner casing structure disposed within said outer casing structure, a plurality of radial apertures annularly disposed in said outer casing structure, a plurality of slots on said inner casing structure, and a corresponding number of eccentric bushing structures inserted in said apertures and adjustably inserted in said slots to support said inner casing structure relative to said outer casing structure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 71 words
A rotary machine comprising a tubular outer casing structure, a tubular inner casing structure disposed within said outer casing structure, a plurality of radial apertures annularly disposed in said outer casing structure, a plurality of slots on said inner casing structure, and a corresponding number of eccentric bushing structures inserted in said apertures and adjustably inserted in said slots to support said inner casing structure relative to said outer casing structure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 41 words
The structure according to claim 1 and further including an annular shoulder extending radially outward from the inner casing and an annular flange extending radially inward from the outer casing which cooperate to abut each other and form a sealing relation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 30 words
The structure according to claim 2 and further including means to move the shoulder on the inner casing structure into sealing relation with the flange on the outer casing structure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 95 words
The structure according to claim 3 wherein the moving means comprise at least one screw secured to the outer casing structure and projecting radially therethrough, at least one lever secured to the inside surface of the outer casing structure and being in abutment with said screw, and said lever being positioned axially adjacent by the inner casing structure so that when said lever is actuated by said screw, said lever will abut the shoulder on the inner casing structure and move the structure axially into sealing relation with the flange on the outer casing structure.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 62 words
The structure according to claim 1 wherein each of the eccentric bushing structures comprise a tubular outer member haVing an eccentric opening therein, a rod member disposed within said opening, said outer and rod members being rotatable relative to one another enabling said rod member to move into a position to be inserted into the corresponding slot on the inner casing structure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 33 words
The structure according to claim 5 wherein the rod member has on one end a keyway and the slot on the inner casing has a shape corresponding to the shape of said keyway.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 29 words
The structure according to claim 5 wherein the rod member is disposed in the slot and the outer member and the rod member are secured together by fastening means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 102 words
The structure according to claim 1 and further including an annular shoulder extending radially outward from the inner casing, an annular flange extending radially inward from the outer casing, screw means secured to the outer casing structure and projecting radially therethrough, lever means secured to the inside surface of the outer casing structure and in abutment with said screw means, said lever means being axially adjacent the shoulder of the inner casing and said lever means being adjusted by said screw means so that said shoulder of the inner casing is in sealing relation with said annular flange of the outer casing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 86 words
The structure according to claim 8 wherein each of the eccentric bushing structures comprises a tubular outer member having an eccentric opening therein, a rod member rotatably inserted within said openings, a keyway on the radially inner end of the rod member, a corresponding axial key slot on the periphery of the inner casing, said keyway being insertable in said key slot to support the inner casing relative to the outer casing, fastening means to secure each of said outer members and said rod members together.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 99 words
A method of supporting an inner casing of a rotary body within an outer casing of a rotary body comprising steps of: a. aligning the inner casing concentrically relative to the outer casing and the axis of rotation of the rotary body; b. inserting a plurality of eccentric bushing structures each having an outer member and inner rod member, in apertures in the outer casing; c. adjustably rotating each outer and inner member to align the inner member with slots on the inner casing; and d. securing the bushing structure to the outer casing to support the inner casing.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 99 words
A method of supporting an inner casing of a rotary body within an outer casing of a rotary body comprising steps of: a. aligning the inner casing concentrically relative to the outer casing and the axis of rotation of the rotary body; b. inserting a plurality of eccentric bushing structures each having an outer member and inner rod member, in apertures in the outer casing; c. adjustably rotating each outer and inner member to align the inner member with slots on the inner casing; and d. securing the bushing structure to the outer casing to support the inner casing.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 45 words
The method recited in claim 10 and further including the step of activating external moving means to rotate internal moving means, and thereby urging the inner casing into sealing relation with the outer casing after the step of securing the bushings to the outer casing.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2888240A Cited
US3498727A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1974-12-20 1975-06-21 1975-12-21 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1978-12-20 1979-06-21 1979-12-21 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1982-12-20 1983-06-21 1983-12-21 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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