IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,040,666
Granted Patent B2
US 7,040,666 · App. 10/456,867 · Granted May 9, 2006

Full port externally gimballed joint

Assignee: General Electric Company
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,040,666
App. No.
10/456,867
Granted
May 9, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

A gimballed joint includes an annular bellows seal circumscribed about a joint centerline mounted within forward and aft shrouds having clevises with lugs and a threaded hole disposed through each of lugs. A ring circumscribed about the lugs has counterbored holes. Each of the counterbored holes is aligned with one of the threaded holes. Pins having heads and shanks extending inwardly therefrom are disposed through and the heads engage the counterbored holes. Externally threaded portions of the shanks are threaded into internally threaded holes in the each of the lugs. A key is disposed through a key hole extending inwardly through each of the heads and through threaded together portions of external threads of each of the externally threaded portions and internal threads of each of the internally threaded holes. In one embodiment wear bushings are disposed in the counterbored holes between the heads and the ring.

Claims (102)

1. A gimballed joint comprising:

an annular bellows seal circumscribed about a joint centerline and mounted within forward and aft shrouds,

the forward and aft shrouds having clevises with lugs,

a ring circumscribed about the lugs,

pins securing the ring to the lugs of the clevises,

the pins having heads and shanks extending inwardly therefrom, and

externally threaded portions of the shanks threaded into internally threaded holes in each of the lugs of the forward shroud and the lugs of the aft shroud.

2. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

counterbored holes in the ring,

each of the counterbored holes having a wide radially outer section and a narrow radially inner section,

each of the counterbored holes being aligned with one of the threaded holes,

each of the heads including a relatively wide outer section disposed in corresponding wide radially outer section of one of the counterbored holes and a relatively narrow inner section disposed in a corresponding narrow radially inner sections of one of the counterbored holes, and

a key disposed through a key hole extending inwardly through each of the heads and through threaded together portions of external threads of each of the externally threaded portions and internal threads of each the internally threaded holes.

3. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a pin centerline of the pins normal to the joint centerline and each one of the keys disposed at an angle to a corresponding one of the pins centerlines.

4. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a wear bushing disposed in each of the four counterbored holes between each of the heads and the ring.

5. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a driving slot in each of the heads.

6. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 5 wherein each one of the keys and each one of the key holes extend inwardly through each of the heads and through the threaded together portions of the external threads and the internal threads parallel to a corresponding one of the pins centerlines of the pins.

7. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 6 wherein the key holes and the keys extend inwardly through the heads from bottoms of the driving slots.

8. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 7 wherein the keys are welded to the heads.

9. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 4 wherein the wear bushings are made from a material including Cobalt.

10. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 9 wherein the ring is made from a nickel alloy.

11. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 9 wherein the ring is made Inconel 718.

12. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 2 further comprising:

annular forward and aft liners disposed within the annular bellows seal,

the annular bellows seal radially disposed between the forward and aft shrouds and the annular forward and aft liners, and

annular forward and aft seam welds sealing together the annular bellows seal, the forward and aft shrouds, and the annular forward and aft liners.

13. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a key disposed through a key hole extending inwardly through each of the heads and through threaded together portions of external threads of each of the externally threaded portions and internal threads of each the internally threaded holes.

14. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a pin centerline normal to the joint centerline and each one of the keys disposed at an angle to a corresponding one of the pin centerlinse through each of the heads and the threaded together portions.

15. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a wear bushing disposed in each of the counterbored holes between each of the heads and the ring.

16. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 15 further comprising a key disposed through a key hole extending inwardly through each of the heads and through threaded together portions of external threads of each of the externally threaded portions and internal threads of each the internally threaded holes.

17. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 16 further comprising a driving slot in each of the heads.

18. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 17 wherein the keys and the key holes extend inwardly through each of the heads and through the threaded together portions of the external threads and the internal threads parallel to a pin centerline of each of the pins.

19. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 18 wherein the key holes and the keys extend inwardly through the heads from bottoms of the driving slots.

20. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 19 wherein the keys are welded to the heads.

21. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 15 wherein the wear bushings are made from a material including Cobalt.

22. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 21 wherein the ring is made from a nickel alloy.

23. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 21 wherein the ring is made Inconel 718.

24. A gimballed joint comprising:

an annular bellows seal having a bellows between forward and aft cylindrical seal sections and circumscribed about a joint centerline,

the forward and aft cylindrical seal sections mounted within and to forward and aft shroud annular sections, respectively, of forward and aft shrouds,

the forward and aft shrouds having forward and aft clevises, respectively,

the forward clevis having first and second forward lugs spaced 180 degrees apart around a forward periphery of the forward shroud annular section,

the aft clevis having first and second aft lugs spaced 180 degrees apart around an aft periphery of the aft shroud annular section,

an internally threaded hole disposed through each of the first and second forward lugs and each of the first and second aft lugs,

a ring circumscribed about the first and second forward lugs and the first and second aft lugs,

four counterbored holes in the ring,

each of the counterbored holes having a wide radially outer section and a narrow radially inner section and each of the counterbored holes aligned with one of the threaded holes,

four pins having heads and shanks extending inwardly therefrom,

each of the heads including a relatively wide outer section disposed in a corresponding wide radially outer section of one of the four counterbored holes and a relatively narrow inner section disposed in a corresponding narrow radially inner section of one of the four counterbored holes, and

externally threaded portions of the shanks threaded into internally threaded holes in the each of the first and second forward lugs and the first and second aft lugs.

25. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 24 further comprising a key disposed through a key hole extending inwardly through each of the heads and through threaded together portions of external threads of each of the externally threaded portions and internal threads of each the internally threaded holes.

26. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 25 further comprising a pin centerline normal to the joint centerline and each one of the keys disposed at an angle to a corresponding one of the pin centerlines.

27. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 24 further comprising a wear bushing disposed in each of the four counterbored holes between each of the heads and the ring.

28. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 27 further comprising a key disposed through a key hole extending inwardly through each of the heads and through threaded together portions of external threads of each of the externally threaded portions and internal threads of each the internally threaded holes.

29. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 28 further comprising a driving slot in each of the heads.

30. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 29 wherein each one of the keys and each one of the key holes extend inwardly through each of the heads and through the threaded together portions of the external threads and the internal threads parallel to a pin centerline of each of the four corresponding pins.

31. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 30 wherein the key holes and the keys extend inwardly through the heads from bottoms of the driving slots.

32. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 31 wherein the keys are welded to the heads.

33. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 27 wherein the wear bushings are made from a material including Cobalt.

34. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 33 wherein the ring is made from a nickel alloy.

35. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 33 wherein the ring is made Inconel 718.

36. A gimballed joint comprising:

annular forward and aft shrouds having forward and aft shroud annular sections respectively and circumscribed about a joint centerline,

annular forward and aft liners having forward and aft cylindrical liner sections disposed within the forward and aft shroud annular sections respectively,

an annular bellows seal having a bellows between forward and aft cylindrical seal sections disposed between the annular forward and aft liners and the forward and aft shrouds respectively,

annular forward and aft extensions depending radially inwardly from the forward and aft liners respectively,

annular forward and aft seals sealing together the forward and aft cylindrical liner sections, the forward and aft shroud annular sections, and the forward and aft cylindrical seal sections therebetween,

the forward and aft shrouds, having forward and aft clevises respectively,

first and second forward lugs spaced 180 degrees apart around a forward periphery of the forward shroud annular section,

first and second aft lugs spaced 180 degrees apart around an aft periphery of the aft shroud annular section,

the first and second forward lugs and the first and second aft lugs extending axially away from and radially outwardly of the forward and aft shroud annular sections respectively,

the bellows disposed radially between the first and second forward lugs and the first and second aft lugs and the forward and aft extensions,

an internally threaded hole disposed through each of the first and second forward lugs and through each of the first and second aft lugs,

a ring circumscribed about the first and second forward lugs and the first and second aft lugs,

four counterbored holes in the ring,

each of the counterbored holes having a wide radially outer section and a narrow radially inner section and each of the counterbored holes aligned with one of the threaded holes,

four pins having heads and shanks extending inwardly therefrom,

each of the heads including a relatively wide outer section disposed in a corresponding wide radially outer section of one of the four counterbored holes and a relatively narrow inner section disposed in a corresponding narrow radially inner sections of one of the four counterbored holes, and

externally threaded portions of the shanks threaded into internally threaded holes in the each of the first and second forward lugs and the first and second aft lugs.

37. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 36 further comprising a key disposed through a key hole extending inwardly through each of the heads and through threaded together portions of external threads of each of the externally threaded portions and internal threads of each the internally threaded holes.

38. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 37 further comprising a pin centerline normal to the joint centerline and each of the keys disposed at an angle to a corresponding one of the pin centerlines.

39. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 36 further comprising a wear bushing disposed in each of the four counterbored holes between each of the heads and the ring.

40. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 39 further comprising a key disposed through a key hole extending inwardly through each of the heads and through threaded together portions of external threads of each of the externally threaded portions and internal threads of each the internally threaded holes.

41. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 40 further comprising a driving slot in each of the heads.

42. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 41 wherein each one of the keys and each one of the key holes extend inwardly through each of the heads and through the threaded together portions of the external threads and the internal threads parallel to a corresponding centerline of each of the four pins.

43. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 42 wherein the key holes and the keys extend inwardly through the heads from bottoms of the driving slots.

44. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 43 wherein the keys are welded to the heads.

45. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 39 wherein the wear bushings are made from a material including Cobalt.

46. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 45 wherein the ring is made from a nickel alloy.

47. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 45 wherein the ring is made Inconel 718.

48. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 36 wherein the annular forward and aft seals are annular forward and aft seam welds.

49. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 48 further comprising a key disposed through a key hole extending inwardly through each of the heads and through threaded together portions of external threads of each of the externally threaded portions and internal threads of each the internally threaded holes.

50. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 49 further comprising a pin centerline normal to the joint centerline and the key disposed at an angle to a corresponding one of the pin centerlines.

51. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 48 further comprising a wear bushing disposed in each of the four counterbored holes between each of the heads and the ring.

52. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 51 further comprising a key disposed through a key hole extending inwardly through each of the heads and through threaded together portions of external threads of each of the externally threaded portions and internal threads of each the internally threaded holes.

53. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 52 further comprising a driving slot in each of the heads.

54. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 53 wherein each one of the keys and each one of the key holes extend inwardly through each of the heads and through the threaded together portions of the external threads and the internal threads parallel to a corresponding centerline of each of the four pins.

55. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 54 wherein the key holes and the keys extend inwardly through the heads from bottoms of the driving slots.

56. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 55 wherein the keys are welded to the heads.

57. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 51 wherein the wear bushings are made from a material including Cobalt.

58. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 51 wherein the ring is made from a nickel alloy.

59. A gimballed joint as claimed in claim 51 wherein the ring is made Inconel 718.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 27, 2006
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: UNISON INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 017678/0938 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2003
From: CHRISTIANNSON, ERIC JON; HILL, JOHN SAMUEL; DAMELE, ANTHONY FREDRIC
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 014165/0438 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20040245770A1 · Dec 9, 2004