Turnbuckle link-gage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11624388-B2
Application number	US-202017020264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2020
Priority date	Sep 14, 2020
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

Turnbuckle linkages are disclosed herein. A turnbuckle linkage includes an inside rod including a first opening on a first longitudinal end and a second opening on a second longitudinal end of the inside rod, the first opening and the second opening extending at least partially through the inside rod, the inside rod including tabs extending from the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end of the inside rod around the first opening and the second opening, an exterior surface of the tabs including conical threads, outside rods to be positioned within the openings of the inside rod, the tabs of the inside rod at least partially surrounding the outside rods, the outside rods including end bearings to couple to a first structure and a second structure, and conical nuts to constrict the tabs around the outside rods and couple the inside rod and the outside rods.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an inside rod including a first opening on a first longitudinal end of the inside rod and a second opening on a second longitudinal end of the inside rod, the first opening and the second opening extending at least partially through the inside rod, the inside rod including tabs extending from the first longitudinal end and the second longitudinal end of the inside rod at least partially around the first opening and the second opening, the tabs including a first portion having a uniform thickness and a second portion having a conical thickness, an exterior surface of the tabs including conical threads;
outside rods to be at least partially positioned within the openings of the inside rod, the tabs of the inside rod at least partially surrounding the outside rods, the outside rods including end bearings to couple to a first structure and a second structure; and
conical nuts including threads correlating with the conical threads of the tabs of the inside rod, the conical nuts to threadably couple to the tabs, the conical nuts to constrict the tabs around the outside rods and couple the inside rod and the outside rods.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein portions of the outside rods to be positioned within the inside rod are adjustable.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein an adjustment of a rotational orientation of the end bearings is independent from an adjustment of the portions of the outside rods to be positioned within the inside rod.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the adjustment of the rotational orientation of the end bearings and the adjustment of the portions of the outside rods to be positioned within the inside rod is determined by a position of the first structure relative to the second structure.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an exterior surface of the inside rod includes flats to form a grip and enhance torqueing of the conical nuts.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first structure is a torque shaft in an axial flow turbomachine and the second structure is a case of the axial flow turbomachine.

7. An apparatus comprising:
a hollow rod with an internal circumference, the hollow rod including tabs extending from at least one longitudinal end of the hollow rod, the tabs including a first portion having a uniform thickness and a second portion having a conical thickness, an exterior surface of the tabs including conical threads;
at least one threadless rod, at least a portion of the at least one threadless rod to be positioned within the hollow rod, a circumference of the at least one threadless rod to be approximately equivalent to the internal circumference of the hollow rod, a longitudinal end of at least one of the hollow rod or the at least one threadless rod including an end bearing; and
at least one nut including internal conical threads complementary to the conical threads of the exterior surface of the tabs of the hollow rod, an engagement between the internal conical threads of the at least one nut and the conical threads of the exterior surface of the tabs of the hollow rod to substantially constrict the tabs of the hollow rod around the at least one threadless rod to couple the hollow rod and the at least one threadless rod.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the portion of the at least one threadless rod to be positioned within the hollow rod is adjustable.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein a translational adjustment of the at least one threadless rod with respect to the hollow rod is independent from a rotational orientation of the end bearing.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the end bearing is a first end bearing and the structure in the axial flow turbomachine is a first structure, wherein the translational adjustment of the at least one threadless rod and the rotational orientation of the end bearing are determined by a position of the first structure to which the first end bearing couples relative to a second structure in the axial flow turbomachine to which a second end bearing couples.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the tabs extend from the at least one longitudinal end of the hollow rod around the internal circumference.

12. An axial flow turbomachine comprising:
variable stator vanes to direct airflow through rotor blades of the axial flow turbomachine; and
turnbuckle linkages to couple a case of the variable stator vanes to a structure of the axial flow turbomachine, the turnbuckle linkages including:
a hollow rod with an opening, the hollow rod including tabs extending from at least one longitudinal end around the opening, an exterior surface of the tabs including conical threads;
a threadless rod, the threadless rod to be positioned at least partially within the opening of the hollow rod; and
nuts including conical threads, the nuts to couple the hollow rod and the threadless rod by coupling to the tabs of the hollow rod and constricting the tabs of the hollow rod around the threadless rod.

13. The axial flow turbomachine of claim 12 , wherein a portion of the threadless rod positioned within the opening of the hollow rod is adjustable.

14. The axial flow turbomachine of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the threadless rod or the hollow rod includes an end bearing to couple to the case of the variable stator vanes.

15. The axial flow turbomachine of claim 14 , wherein the end bearing is coupled to the case of the variable stator vanes or the structure of the axial flow turbomachine during an adjustment of the portion of the threadless rod positioned within the opening of the hollow rod.

16. The axial flow turbomachine of claim 14 , wherein a rotational orientation of the end bearing is adjustable.

17. The axial flow turbomachine of claim 16 , wherein an adjustment of the rotational orientation of the end bearing is independent of an adjustment of the portion of the threadless rod positioned within the opening of the hollow rod.

18. The axial flow turbomachine of claim 16 , wherein an adjustment of the portion of the threadless rod positioned within the opening of the hollow rod or an adjustment of the rotational orientation of the end bearing is determined by a position of the case of the variable stator vanes and the structure of the axial flow turbomachine.

19. The axial flow turbomachine of claim 12 , further including flat surfaces positioned on an exterior surface of the hollow rod to enhance torqueing of the nuts.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Castaneda Jaime Roberto
• Jimenez Manuel

Classifications

• F16B7/182

  for coaxial connections of two rods or tubes · CPC title

• F16C7/06

  Adjustable connecting-rods · CPC title

• F16B39/36

  with conical locking parts, which may be split, including use of separate rings co-operating therewith · CPC title

• F01D17/162

  for axial flow, i.e. the vanes turning around axes which are essentially perpendicular to the rotor centre line (F01D17/167 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16C2360/23

  Gas turbine engines · CPC title