Cooling air seal

Claim 1

In a gas turbine engine including: a mainstream gas flow path; a rotor comprising a rotor disk for receiving the roots of a plurality of rotor blades, said rotor blades extending generally radially into the mainstream gas flow path; a stator assembly comprising a plurality of stator blades extending generally radially into the mainstream gas flow path; an improved sealing means preventing high temperature mainstream gas from directly impinging upon the interface of the rotor blade roots and the rotor disk only during periods of maximum engine output power operation or rapid increases in engine output power and comprising: (i) a flange axially extending from the root of each rotor blade and cooperating with flanges on adjacent blades to define an annular arrangement thereof; and (ii) a sealing member attached to the stator assembly and being movable axially aft and radially outwardly and into engagement with said flanges on said blades by thermal expansion of said stator assembly in response to temperature increases during said periods, for thereby engaging said flanges on said rotor blades and forming a seal therewith, and being movable out of such engagement upon thermal contraction of said stator assembly in response to temperature decreases, wherein said sealing means further includes an axially oriented leg on said sealing member and a thermal shield attached to the stator assembly, said shield being positioned between the sealing member and the mainstream gas flow and including a portion engaging said axially oriented leg on said sealing member for restraining movement of said axially oriented leg of the sealing member.