Device for locking blades or other slidingly mounted parts in position on a rotor or other rotating support means

Claim 2

In a rotary engine comprising a rotor hub and a blade having a blade root which is engaged slidingly within a hub groove adapted to retain the blade root against radial tearing off, oppositely acting detent means for restraining said blade root against sliding movement in said groove, said detent means comprising two balls, a generally radial ball-receiving socket for each ball and a cooperating recess registering with each socket, said recess being of lesser depth than the diameter of said ball and engageable by said ball when partially displaced from said socket, one of said sockets being provided in said rotor hub with the corresponding recess in said blade root and the other of said sockets being provided in said blade root with the corresponding recess in said hub, whereby one of said balls is biased into cavity-engaging position by gravitational forces and the other by centrifugal forces.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1 wherein each said cavity comprises a hemispherical cavity having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the corresponding balls.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 1 comprising an interfacial passage extending along the hub groove between the rotor hub and the blade root and leading to at least one of said recesses, the passage being adapted to accommodate an elongated tool for positively maintaining the corresponding ball in said recess.

Claim 5

In a system comprising a supporting part rotatable about an axis which is horizontal or inclined at a substantial angle to the vertical, and a supported part mounted in sliding engagement with said supporting part, a device for retaining the supported part against sliding movement relative to the supporting part, comprising a pair of retaining members each of which is movable under the influence of gravitational and centrifugal forces, between a recessed position in which the retaining member is retracted in a recess extending substantially radially into one of said parts and registering with a cavity in the other part, and a projected operative position in which the retaining member engages simultaneously said recess and said cavity, one of said recesses opening away from the axis, whereby that retaining member which is movable in this recess will be moved into said retaining position by centrifugal force, and the other recess opening inwardly toward said axis and extending downwardly in the rest position of said supporting part whereby that retaining member which is movable in the other recess will be moved into said operative position by gravitational forces in said resting position of the supporting part.

Claim 6

In a system comprising a supporting part rotatable about an axis which is horizontal or inclined at a substantial angle to the vertical, and a supported part mounted in sliding engagement with said supporting part, a device for retaining the supported part against sliding movement relative to the supporting part, comprising a pair of retaining members each of which is movable under the influence of gravitational and centrifugal forces, between a recessed position in which the retaining member is retracted in a recess extending substantially radially into one of said parts and registering with a cavity in the other part, and a projected operative position in which the retaining member engages simultaneously said recess and said cavity, one of said recesses opening away from the axis, whereby that retaining member which is movable in this recess will be moved into said retaining position by centrifugal force, and the other recess opening inwardly toward said axis and extending downwardly in the rest position of said supporting part whereby that retaining member which is movable in the other recess will be moved into said operative position by gravitational forces in said resting position of the supporting part.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 4 comprising an interfacial passage extending between the supporting and supported parts and lEading to at least one of the recesses, the passage being adapted to accommodate an elongated tool for positively maintaining the corresponding retaining member in said recess.