Piloting device for split housings having different thermal coefficients of expansion

Claim 2

A piloting device for a pair of coaxial annular housings having different thermal coefficients of expansion, split in halves along a common plane and secured in end-to-end relationship, said piloting device comprising: means for maintaining the axes of said housings in said common plane; means forming interfitting tabs extending from one of said housings axially across the interface between said annular housings and forming recesses in the other of said end-to-end housings for receiving said tabs, said tab means having a first sEt of radially inwardly facing surfaces having predetermined dimensional relationships relative to said recess means so that they abut and align the axes of said housings within said common plane for a first temperature, said tab means having a second set of radially outwardly facing surfaces having predetermined dimensional relationships relative to said recess means so that they abut and align the axes of said housings within said common plane for a second temperature different from said first temperature.

Claim 3

A piloting device as in claim 1 wherein said means for maintaining said axes in said common plane comprises: pilot surfaces on said halves parallel to said common plane adjacent the end-to-end junction between said housings and positioned so that the pilot surfaces of the halves abut at said common plane; pilot surfaces on said tabs parallel to said common plane and positioned to abut the pilot surfaces parallel to said common plane on said housings.

Claim 4

A piloting device as in claim 1 wherein said tabs and recesses comprise: a first pair of tabs on opposite sides of the axis of said housing extending into corresponding recesses in the adjacent housings and forming said radially inwardly facing surfaces abutting the outer facing sides of the recesses into which they project for said first temperature; a second pair of tabs offset from said first tabs and extending into recesses in the adjacent housings and forming said radially outwardly facing surfaces abutting the inwardly facing surfaces of said recesses into which the second tabs project for said second temperature.

Claim 5

A piloting device as in claim 3 wherein said tabs extend from the housing having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion.

Claim 6

A piloting device as in claim 1 wherein said tabs and recesses comprise a pair of tabs on opposite sides of the axis of said housing into corresponding recesses in the adjacent housing, each tab having both said radially inwardly facing surface and said radially outwardly facing surfaces, said tabs abutting one side wall of said recess for said first temperature and the opposite side wall of said recess for said second temperature.

Claim 7

A piloting device as in claim 5 wherein a pair of tabs are formed on the casing having the higher thermal coefficient of expansion and the inwardly facing surfaces of said tab abut the side wall of said recesses for said first temperature and the outer facing surfaces of said tabs abut the opposite side wall of said recesses for said second temperature elevated from said first temperature.

Claim 8

A housing assembly comprising: a pair of coaxial annular housings split in first and second halves along a common plane, said housings having different coefficients of thermal expansion; means for securing said halves together and said housings together so that the first halves of said housings are in end-to-end alignment and the second halves are in end-to-end alignment; each of said housings having pilot surfaces on the first and second halves parallel to said common plane adjacent the end-to-end junction between said housings and positioned so that the pilot surfaces on the first half abut the pilot surfaces on the second half generally at said common plane; means on the first half of one of said housings extending through said end-to-end junction and having pilot surfaces abutting the pilot surfaces of the second half of the other housing thereby maintaining the axes of said housings within said common plane; means forming a set of pilot surfaces normal to said common plane on one of said halves and facing radially outward; means forming a set of pilot surfaces normal to said common plane on one of said halves and facing radially inward; tab means on the half in end-to-end relationship with the half having the radially outwardly facing pilot surfaces extending across the end-to-end junction and having radially inwardly facing pilot surfaces in a predetermined position relatiVe to said radially outwardly facing pilot surfaces abutting the radially outwardly facing pilot surfaces at a first temperature to align the axes of said housings within said common plane; and tab means on the half in end-to-end relationship with the half having the radially inwardly facing pilot surfaces extending across the end-to-end junction and having radially outwardly facing pilot surfaces in a predetermined position relative to said radially inwardly facing pilot surfaces abutting said radially inwardly facing pilot surfaces at a second temperature different from the first temperature to align the axes of said housings within said common plane.

Claim 9

A housing assembly comprising: a pair of coaxial annular housings split in first and second halves along a common plane, said housings having different coefficients of thermal expansion; means for securing said halves together and said housings together so that the first halves of said housings are in end-to-end alignment and the second halves are in end-to-end alignment; each of said housings having pilot surfaces on the first and second halves parallel to said common plane adjacent the end-to-end junction between said housings and positioned so that the pilot surfaces on the first half abut the pilot surfaces on the second half generally at said common plane; means on the first half of one of said housings extending through said end-to-end junction and having pilot surfaces abutting the pilot surfaces of the second half of the other housing thereby maintaining the axes of said housings within said common plane; means forming a set of pilot surfaces normal to said common plane on one of said halves and facing radially outward; means forming a set of pilot surfaces normal to said common plane on one of said halves and facing radially inward; tab means on the half in end-to-end relationship with the half having the radially outwardly facing pilot surfaces extending across the end-to-end junction and having radially inwardly facing pilot surfaces in a predetermined position relatiVe to said radially outwardly facing pilot surfaces abutting the radially outwardly facing pilot surfaces at a first temperature to align the axes of said housings within said common plane; and tab means on the half in end-to-end relationship with the half having the radially inwardly facing pilot surfaces extending across the end-to-end junction and having radially outwardly facing pilot surfaces in a predetermined position relative to said radially inwardly facing pilot surfaces abutting said radially inwardly facing pilot surfaces at a second temperature different from the first temperature to align the axes of said housings within said common plane.

Claim 10

A housing assembly as in claim 6 wherein: said tab means having said radially inwardly facing pilot surfaces comprise a pair of tabs extending from the first half of one of said housings, the first half of the adjacent housing forming said recesses into which said tabs extend; said tab means having said radially outwardly facing surfaces comprise a pair of tabs on the second half of the housing having the first-mentioned tabs and extending into recesses formed in the second half of the adjacent housing.

Claim 11

A housing assembly as in claim 8 wherein said pairs of tabs are offset from one another and have pilot surfaces parallel to said common plane for abutting said pilot surfaces on the first and second halves.

Claim 12

A housing assembly as in claim 7 wherein: said tab means comprise a pair of tabs on opposite sides of the axis of one of said housings extending into recesses in the adjacent housing, the radially inwardly and radially outwardly facing surfaces of said tabs forming said pilot surfaces; the radially inwardly and outwardly facing walls of said recesses form said pilot surfaces that are abutted by said tab means.

Claim 13

A housing assembly as in claim 10 wherein said pilot surfaces on said first and second halves parallel to said common plane are adjacent said pair of tabs; said pair of tabs form said pilot surfaces parallel to said common plane for abutting the pilot surfaces of said housing to maintain the axes of the housings within said common plane.

Claim 14

A housing assembly as in claim 11 wherein the tabs are on the housing having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion.

Claim 15

A housing assembly as in claim 12 wherein said means for securing said housings together comprise: radially extending flanges positioned at the end-to-end junction between said housing assemblies, said flanges having a series of generally aligned holes around the circumference thereof; bolt means extending through said holes for securing said flanges together, the opening of said holes having sufficient clearance relative to said bolt means to permit relative radial expansion of said flanges.