Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Duff-norton Company, Inc.

Ralph R Barber

Wilmott G Brown

Eckart F Schultze

Gary S Van Heusden

Albert F Le Breton

Lloyd W Smith

Robert M Lloyd

Phillip R Ratliff

David A Lutz

Thomas A Brown

A turbine blade assembly composed of a rotor which is rotatable about a turbine axis of rotation and a plurality of turbine blades supported by the rotor, each blade having a root and the rotor being provided with a groove shaped for holding each root in a manner such that the root and groove have mutually contacting surfaces which apply a radially inwardly directed restraining force to the root, the root further having a bottom facing the turbine axis and the groove having a base which is located radially inwardly of, and faces, the root bottom. The mutually contacting surfaces of the root and the groove are pressed together by means of at least one disc spring compressed between the root bottom and the groove base.

Turbine blade assembly

A method for welding a structure containing a gap which is exposed on either side of the gap is disclosed. The method is ideally suited for welding the gap which exists between the inner cylinder and nozzle chamber of a steam turbine during manufacture and repair. The method is accomplished by applying a refractory material into one side of the gap, preferably with the aid of gravity while the structure is inverted. When the refractory material is in place, the gap is welded. Upon completion of the welding procedure, the refractory material is preferably removed. In accordance with the present invention, a substantially uniform weld can be made upon a gap which is exposed on either side without the need for a controlled precision initial root weld.

Method for welding structural gaps

A balanced turbine rotor has a cylindrical member with a pair of opposed end shafts and an enlarged central portion, the enlarged central portion having first and second faces, with a circular groove formed in at least one of the faces and expandable weight assemblies engageable in the groove. The weight assemblies have an arcuate body member and an expander screw, the arcuate body member formed into upper and lower deformable secetions by a bore therethrough and slots from side walls thereof to the bore, such that the expander screw forces the deformable sections apart to secure the weights at any desired location about the groove in the face of the enlarged central portion of the rotor.

Balanced turbine rotor and method for making the same

An improvement in ball-type check valve arrangements including a valve body in which is formed a fluid passageway and a valve chamber communicating through a valve seat in the chamber, a ball in the chamber seated in the valve seat, and a reciprocal retaining member having a head engaging the ball in opposition to the valve seat and a stem extending from the head through the chamber wall opposite the valve seat, the ball and retaining member being reciprocably movable toward and away from the seat. The head includes a circular wall annularly engaging the ball, the stem being of a cross-sectional area smaller than both the area defined by the circular wall and the valve seat opening, providing a net surface area of the ball and retaining member equal to the difference of the valve seat opening area and the cross-sectional stem area against which chamber pressure applies valve closing force toward the seat, whereby reduced valve opening force, as compared to conventional ball valves, is required in opposition to the valve closing force and the ball and retaining member are maintained in contact. A longitudinal bore through the valve stem permits relief of pressurized fluid if any separation of the ball and retaining member occurs whereby chamber pressure cannot act in opposition to its valve closing force on the net surface area.

Hydraulic directional control valve

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Waxhaw, NC, United States of America

Ralph R Barber