Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Marshall J Rouse

Albert J Partington

Jurek Ferleger

William E Kiger

David A Hornberger

Spencer H Shepard

Anthony Hodgson

C Kelly Ange

Michael K Brown

Colin K Ange

Phillip H Bonardi

Colon K Ange

Apparatus for lifting and applying torque to an object is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a releasable spring counterbalance which resiliently connects a drive for engaging applying torque to the object to a means for lifting an object, such as a crane. Preferably, a body portion connects the drive and a means for supporting the object. A spring counterbalance reduces the force due to the weight of the object which bears upon the threads when the object is lifted into a position to be torqued. After the threads are initially engaged, the counterbalance is removed and torque applied to the drive means. Torque is transferred through the body portion to the object. Thus, problems associated with the handling of large parts and initially engaging threaded connections are substantially reduced, since the initial engagement takes place under conditions of reduced force. The apparatus of the present invention creates a 'soft' or 'floating' connection between the material handling apparatus and the part being assembled. In a preferred embodiment, apparatus for installing a throttle valve bushing in a throttle valve bonnet is disclosed. Methods of assembling machine parts are also disclosed.

Apparatus for accurately assembling large scale machine parts

A method is provided for forming a circular array of rotatable blades from blades having an integral shroud with a leading planar surface and a trailing planar surface, the leading planar surface being generally parallel to an axial radial plane passing through the center of the root of the blade and the trailing surface, if extended, intersecting the axial radial plane passing through the center of the root of the blade to form an angle generally equal in degrees to 360 divided by the number of blades forming the circular array. Strict radial alignment is provided by assembling the complete blade row such that all blade center lines coincide with the groove center lines, with the shroud mating surfaces in complete contact and in tangential compression.

Row assembly process for integral shroud blades

A gage for determining alignment of a turbine rotor blade in an assembly position on a turbine rotor. The gage includes a precision base for positioning on the rotor surface adjacent a blade to establish a tangent line perpendicular to a rotor radial line through the center of a slot in which a blade is disposed. A standard extends from the base and carries a first contact for positioning against a low portion of the blade and a second measuring contact for positioning against an upper portion of the blade. The measuring contact provides an indication of blade misalignment.

Turbine blade radial position gage

An apparatus for measuring the bore diameter of a hollow member whose bore diameter can change in the axial direction. The bore diameter measuring apparatus includes a probe portion, means for inserting the probe portion in the bore, and means for converting a signal supplied thereto by the probe to a bore diameter indication. The probe portion has a housing structure, a plurality of legs which are radially expandable relative to the housing structure, means for radially displacing the legs, and means for measuring the axial displacement of the radial displacing means. The legs are radially displaceable from a retracted position substantially within the radial outline of the housing structure to selected positions radially therebeyond so as to permit entry of the probe portion through a relatively small portion of the bore and expansion radially outwardly in a large portion of the bore. Probe portion legs may be displaced to suitable radial positions to accommodate changes in the rotor bore diameter size between selected axial positions of the bore.

Bore diameter measurement gage

Apparatus for ultrasonically inspecting material radially bounding a circular bore into which the apparatus is insertable. The apparatus includes a central housing adapted to lie along the bore's longitudinal axis, three support arms which are engageable with the bounding wall of the bore and are circumferentially equally spaced about the central housing, linkage arms joining the support arms and the central housing for maintaining a predetermined relative configuration between the support arms and the bore wall, a transducer carrier which protrudes radially inside the support arms' engageable surfaces and is supported by each support arm, an ultrasonic transducer carried in each ultrasonic transducer carrier, means for biasing the transducers radially outward relative to their associated transducer carrier, and a pneumatically actuated cylinder which rotates the linkage arms and displaces the support arms radially outward into engagement with the bore wall. The transducers are restrained in the transducer carriers within predetermined displacement limits by a pin extending from each transducer carrier into an opening formed in each transducer. The transducers' openings are radially larger than the pins extending thereinto so as to permit limited radial displacement of the transducers relative to the carriers. Suitable relative radial positioning of the transducer carriers and support arms and selection of appropriate strength biasing means enables application of high centering forces on the support arms to coaxially align the housing with the bore's center line while independently providing relatively small, optimum engagement forces between the transducers and bore wall.

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Charlotte, NC, United States of America

Marshall J Rouse