Bladed rotors

Claim 2

A bladed rotor including a hub, flow-varying blading mounted in the hub, a fluid-pressure-operated actuator of balanced type for adjusting the blading, said actuator comprising cooperating assemblies which move in opposite directions and a balanced drive mechanism through which the assemblies adjust the blading, a valve controlling the actuator comprising an adjustable valve element and a further valve element which cooperates with the adjustable valve element and has porting which controls flow between porting in the adjustable valve element and the actuator, the adjustable valve element and the further valve element being coaxially arranged within the hub, and feedback means connected between the actuator and the further valve element to produce relative movement of the actuator and further valve element during which the further valve element follows up movement of the adjustable valve element, said feedback means comprising differential gearing which includes a first member on one of said assemblies, a second member associated with and driving the further valve element and at least one intermediate member cooperable with said first and second members and mounted on the other of said assemblies.

Claim 3

A bladed rotor as claimed in claim 1, wherein an adjusting member is provided for adjusting the adjustable valve element, said adjusting member being nonrotatable with the hub and being mounted for angular adjusting movement produced by control means disposed externally of the hub.

Claim 4

A bladed rotor as claimed in claim 2, wherein the angular movements of the valve elements and of the adjusting member are about the rotation axis of the rotor.

Claim 5

A bladed rotor as claimed in claim 2, wherein an epicyclic gear train is provided by which angular displacement of the adjusting member produces corresponding angular adjustment of the adjustable valve element while the latter rotates with and at the same speed as the hub while the adjusting member remains stationary.

Claim 6

A bladed rotor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the balanced drive mechanism is of bevel gear type.

Claim 7

A bladed rotor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotor has a large multiplicity of blades.

Claim 8

A bladed rotor as claimed in claim 6, wherein said large multiplicity of blades are all operated in angular synchronism by one central vane-type actuator through bevel gears.

Claim 9

A bladed rotor including a hub, variable-pitch blading mounted in the hub, a fluid-pressure-operated actuator of balanced vane type for adjusting the blading, said actuator comprising cooperating vane assemblies which turn in opposite directions about the rotation axis of the rotor and a balanced drive mechanism through which the assemblies adjust the pitch of the blading, a valve controlling the actuator comprising an adjustable valve element and a further valve element which cooperates with the adjustable valve element and has porting which controls flow between porting in the adjustable valve element and the actuator, the adjustable valve element and the further valve element being coaxially arranged within the hub, and feedback means connected between the actuator and the further valve element to produce relative movement of the actuator and further valve element during which the further valve element follows up movement of the adjustable valve element, said feedback means comprising an epicyclic gear train including an outer ring gear on one of said vane assemblies, a sun gear associated with and driving the further valve element and at least one planet pinion in mesh with the ring And sun gears and mounted on the other of said vane assemblies.

Claim 10

A bladed rotor including a hub, variable-pitch blading mounted in the hub, a fluid-pressure-operated actuator of balanced vane type for adjusting the blading, said actuator comprising cooperating vane assemblies which turn in opposite directions about the rotation axis of the rotor and a balanced drive mechanism through which the assemblies adjust the pitch of the blading, a valve controlling the actuator comprising an adjustable valve element and a further valve element which cooperates with the adjustable valve element and has porting which controls flow between porting in the adjustable valve element and the actuator, the adjustable valve element and the further valve element being coaxially arranged within the hub, and feedback means connected between the actuator and the further valve element to produce relative movement of the actuator and further valve element during which the further valve element follows up movement of the adjustable valve element, said feedback means comprising an epicyclic gear train including an outer ring gear on one of said vane assemblies, a sun gear associated with and driving the further valve element and at least one planet pinion in mesh with the ring And sun gears and mounted on the other of said vane assemblies.

Claim 11

A bladed rotor according to claim 8, wherein said sun gear of the epicyclic gear train is rotatably fixed with respect to the further valve element and movement of both valve elements is entirely rotational about said rotation axis.

Claim 12

A bladed rotor according to claim 8, wherein said further valve element is a sleeve valve element which surrounds the adjustable valve element.