Bearing seat usable in a gas turbine engine

Claim 2

In combination with a gas turbine engine having a rotating blade and mounting ring assembly adapted for rotation about a first axis, the assembly including a plurality of blades, each of said blades being rotatably mounted on said ring for rotation about a second axis, said assembly further including a plurality of bearing assemblies each associated with one of said blades and disposed around the periphery of said rotating ring, the improvement comprising: a substantially continuous seating surface on said ring, said seating surface adapted to engage and seat said plurality of bearing assemblies.

Claim 3

The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said seating surface comprises a radially inwardly facing surface extending axially in the direction of said first axis and circumferentially about said first axis.

Claim 4

The invention as set forth in claim 2 further comprising: a plurality of bearing races each associated with one of said bearing assemblies, each of said races being generally circular and disposed coaxially with said second axis, each of said races engaging said seating surface.

Claim 5

In a gas turbine engine including a blade and mounting ring assembly adapted to be rotatable about a first axis, said assembly including a plurality of blades rotatably secured to said ring, the improvement comprising: an annular ring extending circumferentially about, axially along and radially from said first axis, said ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures extending radially through said ring and a radially inwardly facing substantially continuous axially and circumferentially extending seating surface; a plurality of radially extending blades, each blade having at its radially innermost end a shank portion partially disposed within one of said apertures; means for cooperating with said shanks for retaining said shank portions disposed within said apertures; and a plurality of circumferentially spaced bearing assemblies each disposed adjacent one of said shanks and each including an outer race having a radially outwardly facing surface, said radially outwardly facing surface of at least two of said bearing assemblies engaging said seating surface.

Claim 6

In a gas turbine engine including a blade and mounting ring assembly adapted to be rotatable about a first axis, said assembly including a plurality of blades rotatably secured to said ring, the improvement comprising: an annular ring extending circumferentially about, axially along and radially from said first axis, said ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures extending radially through said ring and a radially inwardly facing substantially continuous axially and circumferentially extending seating surface; a plurality of radially extending blades, each blade having at its radially innermost end a shank portion partially disposed within one of said apertures; means for cooperating with said shanks for retaining said shank portions disposed within said apertures; and a plurality of circumferentially spaced bearing assemblies each disposed adjacent one of said shanks and each including an outer race having a radially outwardly facing surface, said radially outwardly facing surface of at least two of said bearing assemblies engaging said seating surface.