Bolt retention assembly for gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10415624-B2
Application number	US-201715606580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2017
Priority date	May 26, 2017
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

A bolt retention clip for a gas turbine engine rotor assembly includes a main plate section defining a central aperture, the central aperture sized to receive a bolt therethrough. Also included is a pair of bolt retention tabs extending away from a first face of the main plate section to axially retain a head of the bolt. Further included is a first clip retaining tab extending away from the first face of the main plate section for insertion into a groove of a rotor structure. Yet further included is a second clip retaining tab extending away from a second face of the main plate section for engagement with an edge of the rotor structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bolt retention assembly for a gas turbine engine rotor assembly comprising:
a plurality of rotor stages and a rotor hub disposed in a stacked arrangement, each of the rotor stages and the rotor hub defining respective holes;
a bolt extending through the holes of the rotor stages and the rotor hub; and
a retention clip comprising:
a main plate section defining a central aperture, the central aperture sized to receive the bolt therethrough;
a pair of bolt retention tabs extending away from a first face of the main plate section to axially retain a head of the bolt;
a first clip retaining tab extending away from the first face of the main plate section for insertion into a groove defined by a rotor structure that is one of the rotor stages or the rotor hub, wherein the groove is defined by a main portion of the rotor structure and a rail of the rotor structure; and
a second clip retaining tab extending away from a second face of the main plate section for engagement with an edge of the rotor structure.

2. The bolt retention assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bolt retention tabs are flexibly hinged to the main plate section.

3. The bolt retention assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bolt retention tabs extend perpendicularly to the main plate section.

4. The bolt retention assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first clip retaining tab extends perpendicularly to the main plate section.

5. The bolt retention assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second clip retaining tab comprises a first segment and a second segment, the first segment extending perpendicularly from the main plate section and the second segment extending perpendicularly from the first segment to define a U-shaped slot with the main plate section.

6. The bolt retention assembly of claim 5 , wherein the edge of the rotor structure is disposed in the U-shaped groove in an assembled condition of the bolt retention clip and the rotor structure.

7. The bolt retention assembly of claim 6 , wherein the rotor structure includes a recess located adjacent the edge engaged with the second clip retaining tab.

8. The bolt retention assembly of claim 6 , wherein the edge of the rotor structure and the second clip retaining tab are sized to be in an interference fit.

9. The bolt retention assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bolt is a T-bolt.

10. The bolt retention assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a nut secured to the bolt.

11. The bolt retention assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rotor stages comprises a first rotor stage, a second rotor stage, and a third rotor stage.

12. The bolt retention assembly of claim 11 , wherein the rotor structure is part of the third rotor stage.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Giannakopoulos Konstantinos Panagiotis
• Jelks Christopher B

Classifications

• F16B43/025

  for surfaces not surrounding the bolt, e.g. hook adaptors for bolts · CPC title

• F16B41/002

  Measures against loss of bolts, nuts or pins (devices for fastening nuts to surfaces F16B37/04) · CPC title

• F16B37/043

  with snap action · CPC title

• F05D2230/70

  Disassembly methods · CPC title

• F05D2260/31

  Retaining bolts or nuts · CPC title