Rolls-royce Corporation

Nabil Gindy

Yan Wang

Ian Murray Garry

Jamie C McGourlay

John Moore

Michael James Berry

Kevin Walker

Jianfan Xie

A clamping system for clamping aerofoils. The clamping system has pivotally mounted engagement members that engage the aerofoil mounted on a pivotally mounted arm either side of the pivotal mounting. The arm can pivot as required relative to the item, to accommodate differences in shape in the item, while providing a substantially equal clamping force by both engagement members.

Clamping system

It is necessary to support components while machining is performed. In such circumstances work supports are now provided, whilst previously there was a dedicated arrangement for each component to be supported. By achieving a modularity in terms of adjustment through creating mountings comprising rings, arcs or bars secured upon posts a rigidity of presentation of support ends is achieved. By providing spacers for location about the posts on the mountings variability with regard to the positioning of the support ends is achieved such that similar geometry but different sized components and articles can be supported by the support arrangements. Furthermore, the spacers may be readily removed if C shaped, and the rings, arcs or bars can be shifted.

Work support

A work piece holding arrangement () includes an array of engagement elements () for engaging a work piece. The arrangement () also includes an actuator () for moving a plurality of the engagement elements () into engagement with the work piece, and a deformable clamping member () to clamp the engagement elements (). The clamping member () is deformable between a clamping condition in which at least some of the engagement elements () are engaged by the clamping member () and clamped in respective positions, and a non-clamping condition in which the engagement elements () can move.

Work piece holding arrangement

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Leicester, United Kingdom

Nabil Gindy