Joint assembly for an annular structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9222369-B2
Application number	US-201213528219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2012
Priority date	Jul 8, 2011
Publication date	Dec 29, 2015
Grant date	Dec 29, 2015

Abstract

A joint assembly for an annular structure comprises a first annular member having a first radially extending flange and a second annular member having a second radially extending flange. The first and second flanges having a plurality of first and second circumferentially aligned apertures. A plurality of fasteners are provided and each fastener is arranged to extend through a respective pair of the first and second apertures to join the first and second annular members together. The first and second radially extending flanges have a plurality of circumferentially aligned third and fourth apertures. A plurality of members are provided and each member is arranged to extend axially through a respective pair of the third and fourth apertures.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A joint assembly for an annular structure comprising:
a first annular member which is a casing having a first radially extending flange;
a second annular member which is a casing having a second radially extending flange, the first radially extending flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced first apertures extending axially there-through, the second radially extending flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced second apertures extending axially there-through, the first and second apertures being circumferentially aligned;
a plurality of fasteners, each fastener being arranged to extend through a respective pair of the first and second apertures to join the first and second annular members together, the first radially extending flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced third apertures extending axially there-through, the second radially extending flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced fourth apertures extending axially there-through, the third and fourth apertures being circumferentially aligned; and
a plurality of extending members, a first extending member of the plurality of extending members being arranged to extend axially through a respective pair of the third and fourth apertures, the first extending member having at least one circumferentially extending flange, each circumferentially extending flange having an extending member aperture extending axially there-through and a first fastener of the plurality of fasteners extending through the extending member aperture in the at least one circumferentially extending flange of the first extending member to clamp the first extending member against the first flange, the first fastener further extending through the respective pair of the first and second apertures.

2. A joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein
the at least one circumferentially extending flange of the first extending member has two circumferentially extending ends, the two circumferentially extending ends extending in opposite circumferential directions from each other,
the at least one circumferentially extending flange has two extending member apertures extending axially there-through, one of the two extending member apertures being arranged in one of the two circumferentially extending ends, and the other of the two extending member apertures being arranged in the other of the two circumferentially extending ends, and
the first fastener extends through the one of the two extending member apertures and through the respective pair of the first and second apertures, and a second fastener of the plurality of fasteners extends through the other of the two extending member apertures and through another respective pair of the first and second apertures.

3. A joint assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein
each extending member has an axially extending member to prevent rotation of the bolts.

4. A joint assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein
the axially extending member is positioned circumferentially between the two circumferentially extending ends and between the heads of two bolts.

5. A joint assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein
the axially extending member comprises a flange extending circumferentially and being positioned at the radially outer end of the extending member.

6. A joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein
the fasteners are selected from the group consisting of Tee headed bolts and nuts and Dee headed bolts and nuts.

7. A joint assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein
the first annular member having a raised annular land adjacent the first flange and the heads of the bolts being arranged to abut the raised annular land to prevent rotation of the bolts.

8. A joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 comprising
a plurality of plates, each plate having a plate aperture, at least one of the fasteners extending through the plate aperture in each plate and locating an associated nut to clamp each plate against the second flange, each plate being arranged to cover a respective one of the fourth apertures of the second annular member.

9. A joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein
the fasteners comprise shank nuts and bolts, the shank nuts being secured to the flange of the extending member.

10. A joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 comprising
a third annular member having a third radially extending flange, the third radially extending flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced fifth apertures extending axially there-through, the first, second and fifth apertures being circumferentially aligned, the third radially extending flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced sixth apertures extending axially there-through, the third, fourth and sixth apertures being circumferentially aligned.

11. A gas turbine engine comprising a joint assembly as claimed in claim 1 .

12. A gas turbine engine as claimed in claim 11 wherein
the first annular member is a combustion casing and the second annular member is a turbine casing.

13. A joint assembly for an annular structure comprising:
a first annular member having a first radially extending flange;
a second annular member having a second radially extending flange, the first radially extending flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced first apertures extending axially there-through, the second radially extending flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced second apertures extending axially there-through, the first and second apertures being circumferentially aligned;
a plurality of fasteners, each fastener being arranged to extend through a respective pair of the first and second apertures to join the first and second annular members together, the first radially extending flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced third apertures extending axially there-through, the second radially extending flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced fourth apertures extending axially there-through, the third and fourth apertures being circumferentially aligned; and
a plurality of extending members, each extending member being arranged to extend axially through a respective pair of the third and fourth apertures, each extending member having at least one circumferentially extending flange, each circumferentially extending flange having an extending member aperture extending axially there-through, each extending member being a cylindrical member and having an unthreaded cylindrical surface, and at least one of the fasteners extending through the extending member aperture in the at least one circumferentially extending flange of each extending member to clamp the extending member against the first flange,
each fastener comprising a bolt and each bolt having a respective nut, each bolt comprising a head and a shank, the shank of each bolt extending through the respective pair of the first and second apertures into the nut, the head of each bolt abutting the at least one circumferentially extending flange of each extending member and clamping the at least one circumferentially extending flange of each extending member directly against the first flange.

14. A joint assembly for an annular structure comprising:
a first annular member having a first radially extending flange;
a second annular member having a second radially extending flange, the first radially extending flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced first apertures extending axially there-through, the second radially extending flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced second apertures extending axially there-through, the first and second apertu

Assignees

• Mulcaire Thomas G
• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Mulcaire Thomas G

Classifications

• F01D25/265

  Vertically split casings; Clamping arrangements therefor · CPC title

• F05D2230/642

  using maintaining alignment while permitting differential dilatation · CPC title

• F01D25/243 Primary

  Flange connections; Bolting arrangements (F01D25/265 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2260/30

  Retaining components in desired mutual position · CPC title

• F16B35/06

  Specially-shaped heads (special shape in order to rotate the bolt F16B23/00 {; separate hook adaptors for bolts F16B43/025}) · CPC title