General Electric Company

Stephen Robert Prince

Thomas Robbins Tipton

Michael Ericson Friedman

Stephen Paul Wassynger

Dale Robert Lombardo

Paul Lawrence Kalmar

Mark Alan Newton

James Purdue Masso

Tushar S Desai

Christopher Robert Kelly

James M Sudolnik

A rotating assembly. The rotating assembly may include a wheel, a slot positioned about the wheel with the slot having a staking recess positioned therein, a wheel attachment positioned within the slot, and a staking insert positioned within the staking recess. The staking recess axially retains the staking insert and the wheel attachment radially retains the staking insert.

Replaceable staking insert

An axial retention system for restraining axial movement of a first machine component having a dovetail within a complimentary-shaped dovetail slot in a second machine component that includes a first curved groove formed in a bottom surface of the dovetail slot and a second curved groove formed in a bottom surface of the dovetail. The first and second grooves are in alignment when the dovetail is located within the dovetail slot to thereby form a closed periphery aperture. A curved locking clip is received within the closed periphery aperture. An optional cover plate may be placed over the ends of the locking clip, with ends of the locking clip deformed by, for example, swaging.

Machine component retention

A valve includes a device for reducing the force required beyond cracking, thereby reducing the size of actuating equipment. A balance chamber includes two effective diameters. A smaller diameter is operative during cracking, in order to maintain positive control of the valve. Later, a larger balance diameter is effective, in order to reduce the actuation forces required beyond the cracking position. A pilot valve is opened during initial actuation. Once the pilot valve is fully opened, a main valve is opened. A dual-diameter balance chamber is effective, during initial opening of the main valve, to require substantial opening forces. Then, when the main valve reaches a predetermined distance from its seat, the second effective diameter increases the balance area to reduce the valve actuating forces required.

Steam valve with variable actuation forces

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Stephen Robert Prince