Turbomachinery blade retaining assembly

Claim 2

An improved blade retaining assembly for locking a generally radially extending blade in a turbomachinery rotor, the blade having a dovetail at its radially inward end and the rotor having a dovetail slot extending generally axially across its periphery from one side of the rotor to the other, the blade dovetail being received within the dovetail slot including: a first notch extending generally radially along a first lateral side of the blade dovetail; a second notch extending generally radially along the other lateral side of the blade dovetail; a third notch extending generally radially along a first dovetail slot side wall corresponding to the first blade dovetail lateral side, said third notch being axially aligned with said first notch; a fourth notch extending generally radially along the other dovetail slot side wall, said fourth notch being axially aligned with said second notch; axial retention means disposed within the aligned notches for axially retaining the blade dovetail in place within the dovetail slot wherein the improvement comprises: spring spacer means interposed between the radial interior of the blade dovetail and the dovetail slot for exerting a radially outwardly directed force upon the blade dovetail; a fifth notch extending radially along a first lateral side of the spring spacer means, said fifth notch being axially and radially aligned with said first notch; a sixth notch extending radially along the other lateral side of the spring spacer means, said sixth notch being axially and radially aligned with said second notch; and wherein said axial retention means is disposed within the fifth and sixth notches for retaining the spring spacer means in place within the dovetail slot.

Claim 3

The improved blade retaining assembly as recited in claim 1 and further including: one or more notches extending generally axially through the axial retention means; and radial retention means disposed between the radial interior of the blade dovetail and the dovetail slot and extending through said one or more axial retention means notches for radially retaining the axial retention means in place within the aligned notches.

Claim 4

The improved blade retaining assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the spring spacer means comprises a generally axially extending member having radially inwardly and radially outwardly protruding lands therefrom, said radially inwardly protruding lands generally conforming to the contour of the dovetail slot.

Claim 5

The improved blade retaining assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the spring spacer means includes a seventh notch extending radially along the forward axial end thereof; and the radial retention means includes a generally radially exending rail on a radial side thereof, said rail being disposed within said seventh notch.

Claim 6

The improved blade retainer assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the spring spacer means includes an eighth notch extending axially along a portion of a radial side thereof; and the radial retention means includes a generally axially extending rail portion on a radial side thereof, said rail portion being disposed within said eighth notch.

Claim 7

The improved blade retaining assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein: the first, second, third and fourth notches are generally semi-circularly shaped; and the axial retention means is comprised of a pair of generally cylindrical pins, each pin including a notch extending generally axially therethrough for receiving radial retention means.

Claim 8

The improved blade retaining assembly as recited in claim 6 and further including means for orienting the pins so that the pin notches face each other for receiving opposite sides of an axially oriented radial retention member.

Claim 9

The improved blade retaining assembly as recited in claim 2 and further including structural means attached to the rotor for axially retaining the radial retention means in place.

Claim 10

The improved blade retaining assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein: the blade is a fan blade; and the structural means is a fan spinner flange.

Claim 11

An improved blade retaining assembly for locking a generally radially extending blade in a turbomachinery rotor, the blade having a dovetail at its radially inward end and the rotor having a dovetail slot extending generally axially across its periphery from one side of the rotor to the other, the blade dovetail being received within the dovetail slot including: a first generally semi-circularly shaped notch extending generally radially along a first lateral side of the blade dovetail; a second generally semi-circularly shaped notch extending generally radially along the other lateral side of the blade dovetail; a third generally semi-circularly shaped notch extending generally radially along a first dovetail slot side wall corresponding to the first blade dovetail lateral side, said third notch being axially aligned with said first notch; a fourth generally semi-circularly shaped notch extending generally radially along the other dovetail slot side wall, said fourth notch being axially aligned with said second notch; wherein the improvement comprises: spring spacer means interposed between the radial interior of the blade dovetail and the dovetail slot for exerting a radially outwardly directed force upon the blade dovetail, said spring spacer means including: a fifth generally semi-circularly shaped notch extending generally radially along a first lateral side thereof, said fifth notch being axially and radially aligned with said first notch; and a sixth generally semi-circularly shaped notch extending generally radially along the other lateral side thereof, said sixth notch being axially and radially aligned with said second notch; a pair of generally cylindrical pins a first of said pins being disposed within the first, third, and fifth aligned notches and the other pin being disposed within the second, fourth and sixth aligned notches, said pins each including a notch extending generally axially therethrough, said pins being oriented so that said pin notches face each other; and radial retention means disposed between the radial interior of the blade dovetail and the spring spacer means and extending through said pin notches for axially retaining the pins in place within their respective aligned notches.

Claim 12

An improved blade retaining assembly for locking a generally radially extending blade in a turbomachinery rotor, the blade having a dovetail at its radially inward end and the rotor having a dovetail slot extending generally axially across its periphery from one side of the rotor to the other, the blade dovetail being received within the dovetail slot including: a first generally semi-circularly shaped notch extending generally radially along a first lateral side of the blade dovetail; a second generally semi-circularly shaped notch extending generally radially along the other lateral side of the blade dovetail; a third generally semi-circularly shaped notch extending generally radially along a first dovetail slot side wall corresponding to the first blade dovetail lateral side, said third notch being axially aligned with said first notch; a fourth generally semi-circularly shaped notch extending generally radially along the other dovetail slot side wall, said fourth notch being axially aligned with said second notch; wherein the improvement comprises: spring spacer means interposed between the radial interior of the blade dovetail and the dovetail slot for exerting a radially outwardly directed force upon the blade dovetail, said spring spacer means including: a fifth generally semi-circularly shaped notch extending generally radially along a first lateral side thereof, said fifth notch being axially and radially aligned with said first notch; and a sixth generally semi-circularly shaped notch extending generally radially along the other lateral side thereof, said sixth notch being axially and radially aligned with said second notch; a pair of generally cylindrical pins a first of said pins being disposed within the first, third, and fifth aligned notches and the other pin being disposed within the second, fourth and sixth aligned notches, said pins each including a notch extending generally axially therethrough, said pins being oriented so that said pin notches face each other; and radial retention means disposed between the radial interior of the blade dovetail and the spring spacer means and extending through said pin notches for axially retaining the pins in place within their respective aligned notches.