US3920947A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Turbine-nozzle manufacturing apparatus and method
Assignee: Chromalloy American Corp
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Filing: 1974-01-24
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Granted: 1975-11-18
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Expires: 1994-01-24
Abstract
Abstract The invention pertains to component-part manufacture for a turbine-nozzle assembly, to take the place of certain singlepiece investment castings currently in use for such assemblies, intended primarily for gas-turbine application. The construction basically employs a blade element of desired airfoil-section development, and two base members, each locally recessed to define a locating socket or opening for the respective longitudinal ends of the blade. The invention is specifically concerned with apparatus and techniques whereby the recesses are carefully controlled in their location with respect to basemember geometry, to the end that the assembly may produce a given performance-class number for the resulting nozzle, once assembled and united into an integral whole, by welding, brazing, coating and the like finishing steps.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard L Wachtell
- 👤 Edward C Palmenberg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 23:04
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23P; B23P6/00; B23P6/002; B23P6/005; B23H; B23H1/00; B23H9/00; B23H9/10; F; F01; F01D; F01D9/00; F01D9/02; F01D9/04; F01D9/045; F05; F05D; F05D2220/00; F05D2220/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
158 words
The method of boring opposed registering recesses in opposed inner faces of two spaced base members for later assembly to the ends of a connecting member at the respective bored recesses, which method comprises selecting an elongated boring-tool element of bore-characterizing section which corresponds to that of the desired connecting member, mounting the two base members with their inner faces opposed at a spacing which to a relatively small extent exceeds the length of said tool element, supporting said tool element with its elongation axis extending between said faces, subjecting said base members and tool element to an EDM environment wherein the tool element determines the section of bored removal of base-member material, and progressively feeding said base members with respect to each other and with respect to said tool element in the direction of boring coaction with the respective ends of said tool element and to the extent of tool boring both base members to predetermined depth.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
158 words
The method of boring opposed registering recesses in opposed inner faces of two spaced base members for later assembly to the ends of a connecting member at the respective bored recesses, which method comprises selecting an elongated boring-tool element of bore-characterizing section which corresponds to that of the desired connecting member, mounting the two base members with their inner faces opposed at a spacing which to a relatively small extent exceeds the length of said tool element, supporting said tool element with its elongation axis extending between said faces, subjecting said base members and tool element to an EDM environment wherein the tool element determines the section of bored removal of base-member material, and progressively feeding said base members with respect to each other and with respect to said tool element in the direction of boring coaction with the respective ends of said tool element and to the extent of tool boring both base members to predetermined depth.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the tool element is of predetermined airfoil section, at least at each of the respective ends of said tool element.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
225 words
The method of boring opposed correlated recesses in opposed inner faces of two buttress members ultimately to be assembled in face-to-face relation at opposite ends of an airfoil element received in the recesses, which comprises mounting the buttress members in side-by-side relation with their inner faces in substantially a common plane and oriented in image-opposed relation with respect to an axis of symmetry between the buttresses and extending normal to said plane, selecting an elongate boring-tool element of desired airfoil-shaped section, supporting said tool element with its elongation axis parallel to and offset from said axis of symmetry, the extent of the offset being such as to assure correct alignment of one end of the tool element with the desired recess in one inner face for one direction of offset and to assure correct alignment of the other end of the tool element with the desired recess in the other inner face for the opposite direction of offset, subjecting said buttress members and tool element to an EDM environment wherein the tool element determines the section of bored removal of buttress-member material, and successively boring the desired recesses in the respective inner faces by progressively feeding said tool element with respect to said buttress members first for one and then for the other of the offset alignments of the respective ends of said tool element.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
225 words
The method of boring opposed correlated recesses in opposed inner faces of two buttress members ultimately to be assembled in face-to-face relation at opposite ends of an airfoil element received in the recesses, which comprises mounting the buttress members in side-by-side relation with their inner faces in substantially a common plane and oriented in image-opposed relation with respect to an axis of symmetry between the buttresses and extending normal to said plane, selecting an elongate boring-tool element of desired airfoil-shaped section, supporting said tool element with its elongation axis parallel to and offset from said axis of symmetry, the extent of the offset being such as to assure correct alignment of one end of the tool element with the desired recess in one inner face for one direction of offset and to assure correct alignment of the other end of the tool element with the desired recess in the other inner face for the opposite direction of offset, subjecting said buttress members and tool element to an EDM environment wherein the tool element determines the section of bored removal of buttress-member material, and successively boring the desired recesses in the respective inner faces by progressively feeding said tool element with respect to said buttress members first for one and then for the other of the offset alignments of the respective ends of said tool element.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 3 in which the boring-tool element is selected for desired different airfoil sections at its respective ends, whereby the resulting bored recesses may receive and correctly locate the different airfoil sections at the ends of a blade of tapering section.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 3 in which the boring-tool element is selected for desired angular offset of incidence orientation as between the airfoil sections at the respective ends of the tool element, whereby the resulting bored buttress elements may receive and correctly locate the angularly offset airfoil sections at the ends of a twisted blade.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
73 words
The method of claim 3, in which the tool element is selected for substantially constant airfoil section over at least a predetermined length near one end of the tool element and for substantially constant airfoil sectioN over at least a predetermined length near the other end of the tool element, whereby accuracy of boring of said recesses as matched sets is substantially unaffected by tool-element wear for an extended number of boring cycles.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
268 words
EDM machining apparatus for boring correlated recesses in opposed inner faces of buttress work pieces ultimately to be assembled with their inner faces in face-to-face relation at opposite ends of an airfoil element received in the recesses, said apparatus comprising work-holding means, tool-holding means, and guide means coacting between said work-holding and tool-holding means for axially guided reciprocation of tool and work elements carried by said respective holding means; said work-holding means comprising means for mounting a pair of corresponding buttress workpieces in side-by-side relation with their inner faces in substantially a common plane normal to the reciprocation axis and oriented in image-opposed relation with respect to an axis of symmetry between the workpieces; said tool-holding means including means for orienting an elongate boring-tool element of desired airfoil-shaped section with the elongation axis of the tool element parallel to and offset from said axis of symmetry, the extent of the offset being such as to correctly align one end of the tool element with the desired recess location in one inner face for one direction of offset and to correctly align the other end of the tool element with the desired recess location in the other inner face for the opposite direction of offset; whereby when subjected to an EDM environment wherein the tool element determines the section of bored removal of workpiece material, the desired recesses may be successively bored in the respective inner faces by progressively feeding the tool element with respect to the workpieces first for one and then for the other of the said offset alignments of the respective ends of the tool element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
268 words
EDM machining apparatus for boring correlated recesses in opposed inner faces of buttress work pieces ultimately to be assembled with their inner faces in face-to-face relation at opposite ends of an airfoil element received in the recesses, said apparatus comprising work-holding means, tool-holding means, and guide means coacting between said work-holding and tool-holding means for axially guided reciprocation of tool and work elements carried by said respective holding means; said work-holding means comprising means for mounting a pair of corresponding buttress workpieces in side-by-side relation with their inner faces in substantially a common plane normal to the reciprocation axis and oriented in image-opposed relation with respect to an axis of symmetry between the workpieces; said tool-holding means including means for orienting an elongate boring-tool element of desired airfoil-shaped section with the elongation axis of the tool element parallel to and offset from said axis of symmetry, the extent of the offset being such as to correctly align one end of the tool element with the desired recess location in one inner face for one direction of offset and to correctly align the other end of the tool element with the desired recess location in the other inner face for the opposite direction of offset; whereby when subjected to an EDM environment wherein the tool element determines the section of bored removal of workpiece material, the desired recesses may be successively bored in the respective inner faces by progressively feeding the tool element with respect to the workpieces first for one and then for the other of the said offset alignments of the respective ends of the tool element.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, in which said tool-holding means includes selectively operable means for adjustably incrementally displacing the angular orientation of the section of the boring-tool element held thereby, such angular displacement being about an axis parallel to the axis of symmetry and through a part of the tool-element section.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, in which said tool-holding means includes a guided body portion and an offset arm removably and reversably engageable to said body portion, the engagement being effectively on the guided axis, whereby equal offsets are obtained for both the offset directions of reversible engagement.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3156808A
Cited
US3301527A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-11-17 | 1979-05-19 | 1979-11-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-17 | 1983-05-19 | 1983-11-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-17 | 1987-05-19 | 1987-11-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |