United Technologies Corporation

Donald E Johnson

Edward B Thayer

Richard J Peckham

Richard J Bergmann

Rafael A Bustamante

A diverging rocket engine nozzle has a system to allow ambient gases to flow from the outside to the inside of the nozzle's chamber. The system includes a plurality of coolant conduits adjacent the inside surface of the nozzle. The conduits are spaced apart to provide a plurality of vent openings which extends from the inside to the outside of the nozzle's chamber. A plurality of valves controls gas flow through the vent passages when the pressure outside of the nozzle is greater than the pressure directly adjacent the inside surface of the nozzle. The coolant conduits cool and shield the valves at their points of attachment to the outside of the nozzle.

Rocket nozzle for a rocket engine

A retainer (76) is disclosed for retaining a first element to a second element. Various construction details are developed which provide means to secure a second element to a first element wherein the elements are highly stressed, such as the rotating components of a turbomachine. In one particular embodiment, the retainer has a deformable portion (86) on one end, an internally threaded portion (88), and a shoulder (84) disposed on the end opposite the deformable portion and having a flat surface (92) to prevent rotation of the retainer during assembly. The deformable portion extends through cooperating retainer apertures (52, 68) in the two elements. The deformable portion is flared in place to produce a clinching force between the deformable portion and the shoulder and thereby secure the two elements together.

Flarable retainer

A U-shaped clip secures the posts of floating segments to a surrounding shell. The inboard leg has a slot engaging the post and is compressed against the shell. The outboard leg has a hole engaging the post to resist backward movement of the clip. A resilient finger on the clip abuts the post in the installed position, causing the clip to stay with the post as it moves with respect to the shell.

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Hartford;, CT, United States of America

Donald E Johnson