Boltless balance weight for turbine rotors

Claim 2

A balanced rotor of a gas turbine engine, comprising: a rotor disk formed with circumferentially spaced slots each having a radially innermost surface; a row of turbine rotor blades extending radially outwardly from the circumference of said rotor disk, each of said rotor blades being formed with a blade root having a bottom surface, said rotor blades being insertable within said dovetail slots of said rotor disk so that a cavity is formed between said bottom surface of said blade root and said radially innermost surface of said slots; balance means insertable within said cavity for balancing said rotor; and wherein said rotor disk has an aft surface and a forward surface, said balance means comprising a balance weight having a bottom surface engageable with said radially innermost surface of said slots in said turbine disk and a lip engageable with said aft surface of said rotor disk.

Claim 3

The balanced rotor of claim 1 in which said balance weight has a head portion connected to said lip, said portion having an arcuate bottom surface adapted to mate with said radially innermost surface of said dovetail slots.

Claim 4

A balanced rotor of a gas turbine engine, comprising: a rotor disk having a forward surface and an aft surface, said rotor disk being formed with circumferentially spaced slots each having a radially innermost surface extending between said forward and aft surfaces of said rotor disk; a row of turbine rotor blades extending radially outwardly from the circumference of said rotor disk, each of said rotor blades being formed with a blade root having a bottom surface, said rotor blades being insertable within said dovetail slots of said rotor disk so that a cooling air flow cavity is formed between said bottom surface of said blade root and said radially innermost surface of said slots; balance means insertable within said cavity for balancing said rotor; a forward blade retainer adapted to mount to said forward surface of said rotor disk and an aft blade retainer adapted to mount to said aft surface of said rotor disk, said forward and aft blade retainers being effective to prevent movement of said rotor blades in a fore-aft axial direction relative to said slots of said turbine disk; means carried by aft blade retainer for retaining said balance means within said cavity; and said balance means comprises a balance weight having a bottom surface engageable with said radially innermost surface of said slots in said turbine disk, and a lip engageable with said aft surface of said rotor disk.

Claim 5

A balanced rotor of a gas turbine engine, comprising: a rotor disk having a forward surface and an aft surface, said rotor disk being formed with circumferentially spaced slots each having a radially innermost surface extending between said forward and aft surfaces of said rotor disk; a row of turbine rotor blades extending radially outwardly from the circumference of said rotor disk, each of said rotor blades being formed with a blade root having a bottom surface, said rotor blades being insertable within said dovetail slots of said rotor disk so that a cooling air flow cavity is formed between said bottom surface of said blade root and said radially innermost surface of said slots; balance means insertable within said cavity for balancing said rotor; a forward blade retainer adapted to mount to said forward surface of said rotor disk and an aft blade retainer adapted to mount to said aft surface of said rotor disk, said forward and aft blade retainers being effective to prevent movement of said rotor blades in a fore-aft axial direction relative to said slots of said turbine disk; means carried by aft blade retainer for retaining said balance means within said cavity; and said balance means comprises a balance weight having a bottom surface engageable with said radially innermost surface of said slots in said turbine disk, and a lip engageable with said aft surface of said rotor disk.

Claim 6

The balanced rotor of claim 3 in which said balance weight has a head portion connected to said lip, said head portion having an arcuate bottom surface adapted to mate with said radially innermost surface of said dovetail slots.

Claim 7

The balanced rotor of claim 3 in which said means for retaining said balance means within said cavity comprises a shoulder formed on said aft blade retainer, said shoulder being engageable with said balance means to prevent axial movement of said balance means.

Claim 8

A balance weight for balancing a gas turbine engine rotor, the rotor including a rotor disk having fore and aft surfaces which is formed with circumferentially spaced slots each having a radially innermost surface, and a row of turbine rotor blades each having a blade root insertable within the slots of the rotor disk, said balance weight comprising: a head portion having a forward surface, an aft surface, a top surface and a bottom surface, said bottom surface of said head portion being matable with the radially innermost surface of the slots in the rotor disk; a lip connected to said head portion, said lip being engageable with one of the fore and aft surfaces of the rotor disk upon placement of said bottom surface of said head portion in contact with the radially innermost surface of said slots.

Claim 9

A balance weight for balancing a gas turbine engine rotor, the rotor including a rotor disk having fore and aft surfaces which is formed with circumferentially spaced slots each having a radially innermost surface, and a row of turbine rotor blades each having a blade root insertable within the slots of the rotor disk, said balance weight comprising: a head portion having a forward surface, an aft surface, a top surface and a bottom surface, said bottom surface of said head portion being matable with the radially innermost surface of the slots in the rotor disk; a lip connected to said head portion, said lip being engageable with one of the fore and aft surfaces of the rotor disk upon placement of said bottom surface of said head portion in contact with the radially innermost surface of said slots.

Claim 10

The balance weight of claim 6 wherein the radially innermost surface of the slots in the rotor disk is generally concavely arcuate in shape, said bottom surface of said head portion of said balance weight being generally convexly arcuate ion shape to mate with the radially innermost surface of said slots.

Claim 11

The balance weight of claim 6 in which said head portion is formed with a recess extending between said top surface and said bottom surface of said head portion to permit the passage of cooling air therethrough.

Claim 12

The balance weight of claim 6 in which said head portion is formed with at least one area where material is removed therefrom, said area extending at least partially between said forward surface and said aft surface of said head portion.

Claim 13

The balance weight of claim 6 in which said at least two areas are formed with materials removed therefrom, one of said areas extending at least partially through said lip and the other of said areas extending at least partially between said forward surface and said aft surface of said head portion.