United Technologies Corporation

Bruce A Stauffer

Gilbert B Wilcox

A turbine blade (,) for a gas turbine engine includes a machining datum and support tool interface (,). The datum and interface feature is a frustoconical depression residing in a blade outer shroud (,) and ideally aligned with an airfoil stacking line (,). The blade has a prefinished state in which the depression has a prefinished depth and a finished state in which the depression has a finished depth. The finished depth is smaller than the prefinished depth, but is nevertheless sufficient to act as a support feature during manufacturing operations. The utility of the depression, as both a datum and as a support feature, survives the original manufacturing operations so that the depression is useful for post-manufacturing inspection and repair.

Turbomachinery blade or vane with a survivable machining datum

A turbine blade (18) for a gas turbine engine includes a machining datum (60) that extends radially from a pocket (54) in the outer shroud (36) of the blade. The datum is spaced from a sidewall (64) of the pocket so that the datum is peripherally continuous irrespective of whether the blade is in a prefinished state or in a completely finished state. Because the datum's peripheral continuity survives the original manufacturing process, the datum is available for use in post-manufacturing inspection and repair operations.

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Scotland, CT, United States of America

Bruce A Stauffer