Surface contouring tool

• US 5,197,361 A
• Filed: 10/11/1991
• Issued: 03/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Gorsler, Frank W., Carrier, Charles W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bilinsky, Z. R.
• Application Number:
  US07/774,907
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 82/1.2, 82/1.4, 82/1.5, 82/134, 408/147-151, 408/153, 408/158, 408/159, 408/180, 408/181, 408/187, 408/13, 408/54, 408/708, 408/56, 408/59, 409/199, 409/201, 409/218, 409/143
• US Class Current: 82/1.2
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 29/02 Boring bars
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 29/03435 by means of screws and nuts
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 9/02 Trimming or deburring B23H9/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/455 Conducting channel extending to end of Tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/8598 Screw extending perpendicular to tool-axis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/304424 Means for internal milling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 82/12 Radially moving rotating tool inside bore
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 82/125 Tool simultaneously moving axially
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 82/2535 Electrical type

Abstract

There is provided by the present invention a surface contouring tool useful for reaching otherwise inaccessible working surfaces such as large diameter gas turbine engine rotor inner surfaces, the invention including a machining head means extendable from a nonworking position to a working position relative to the working surface and when the machining head means is useful for EDM or ECM machining further includes a fluid flow path for providing a machining fluid to the working surface head and means for rotating the machining head means.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing a desired contour to the inner surface of a gas turbine engine rotor having an inner, working surface, said apparatus comprising:

a tool body having first and second tool body sections, said first and second tool body sections being angularly disposed with respect to each other, said tool body being insertable into the interior of the rotor;

a machining head means for contouring the inner surface of the rotor, said machining head means being disposed at the free end of said second body section and extendable from a first position to a second position;

means for extending said machining head means from said first position to said second position whereat said head means is capable of contouring the inner surface of the rotor;

wherein said tool body can be inserted into the rotor and said head means can be extended from said first position to said second position for contouring the inner surface of the rotor and retracted to said first position for movement within said rotor; and

means for rotating said machining head means about an axis lying substantially parallel to a direction of extension and retraction of said head means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for extending includes:

first and second drive means drivingly connected to each other, said first drive means being disposed in said first tool body section, said second drive means being disposed in said second tool body section and attached to said machining head means; and

a crankshaft for extending said machining head means into working engagement with the rotor surface, said crankshaft drivingly engaging said first drive means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second section includes:

first and second spaced apart plates defining a channel therebetween;

and wherein said means for extending includes;

a tool slide, said machining head means being attached to said tool slide, said tool slide being slidably received within said channel such that said attached machining head means is movable between said first and second position as said tool slide slides within said channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said tool slide further includes a threaded receiver and said means for extending further comprises:

an elongate threaded rod, an end of said threaded rod received by said threaded receiver;

first and second gear assembly means, said first gear assembly means rotationally, drivingly engaging the other end of said threaded rod;

an elongate connecting rod, said first gear assembly rotationally, drivingly engaging an end of said connecting rod and said second gear assembly rotationally, drivingly engaging the other end of said connecting rod; and

a crankshaft rotationally, drivingly engaging said connecting rod through said second gear assembly,

whereby said tool slide is extended from said first position to said second position by said crankshaft through driving engagement of said second gear assembly, said connecting rod, said first gear assembly, and said threaded rod.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 and further including coolant means for cooling the inner surface of the rotor and the machining head means during contouring of the rotor inner surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 and further including stop means for preventing overextension of said tool slide.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said stop means comprises interfering shoulders disposed on said tool slide and said channel.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said machining head means is useful for EDM or ECM surface contouring.

9. The apparatus of claim 3 and further including stop means for preventing overextension of said tool slide.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said stop means comprises interfering shoulders disposed on said tool slide and said channel.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 and further including a rotatable machining head assembly, said machining head means being attached to said machining head assembly, wherein said second tool body section includes:

first and second spaced apart plates defining a channel therebetween;

said means for extending includes;

a tool slide, said machining head assembly being attached to said tool slide, said tool slide being slidably received within said channel such that said attached machining head assembly is movable between said first and second position as said tool slide slides within said channel, said tool slide including a bore means oriented substantially parallel to the direction of extension and retraction of said tool slide;

and wherein said means for rotating rotates said rotatable machining head assembly and said attached machining head means to a working position relative to the rotor inner surface and includes;

an elongate rotation rod slidingly received by said bore means, an end of said rod being attached to said machining head assembly;

means for preventing rotation of said elongate rotation rod relative to said bore means;

first and second rotation gear assembly means, said first rotation gear assembly means rotationally, drivingly engaging the other end of said rotation rod;

an elongate rotation connecting rod, said first rotation gear assembly rotationally, drivingly engaging an end of said rotation connecting rod and said second rotation gear assembly rotationally, drivingly engaging the other end of said rotation connecting rod; and

a crankshaft rotationally, drivingly engaging said rotation connecting rod through said second rotation gear assembly,

whereby said machining head assembly is rotated from a non-working position to a working position by said crankshaft drivingly engaging said second rotation gear assembly, said rotation connecting rod, said rotation first gear assembly, and said rotation rod.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 and further including a machining fluid flow path, said flow path providing a machining fluid to said working surface during surface contouring from a machining fluid supply and comprising:

a first tool body section conduit extending through said first tool body section;

a second tool body section conduit in fluid flow communication with said first conduit, said second conduit extending through said first plate substantially parallel to the direction of extension and retraction of said tool slide;

a third conduit comprising a telescoping tube slidably received by and in fluid flow communication with said second conduit, said third conduit in fluid flow communication with said machining head assembly;

whereby machining fluid flows from the machining fluid supply through said conduits to said machining head assembly for distribution during surface contouring operation.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said first rotation gear assembly comprises a worm gear drivingly engaged with a worm, said worm disposed on said rotation rod and a worm gear attached to said elongate rotation connecting rod.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 and further including means for limiting rotation of said machining head assembly, said means for limiting rotation being adjustable to properly position said machining head means relative to the working surface.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 and further including a proximity sensor means for determining when said tool slide is extended.

16. An apparatus for machining an interior portion of a component wherein the interior portion has a larger dimension than a bore through which at least a portion of the apparatus must be inserted for machining, said apparatus comprising:

a first tool body section;

a single second tool body section extending angularly from said first tool body section;

a single tool slide having a tool holder at the end and slidably mounted in said second tool body section for movement between a retracted position substantially within said second tool body, for insertion through the bore of the component and for movement between different machining positions within the component, and an extended position for extending a tool mounted to said tool holder for machining;

means for sliding said single tool slide between said retracted and extended positions; and

said second tool body section has a channel for receiving said tool slide for movement between said retracted and extended positions, said channel tapering at an opening through which said tool slide extends to define a pair of sloped channel shoulders and said tool slide sloping outwardly at an end opposite said tool holder end to define a pair of sloped slide shoulders, said slide shoulders matingly engaging said channel shoulders when said tool slide is in said extended position to prevent said tool slide from becoming everextended.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising sensor means for indicating when said tool slide is extended.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for rotating a tool mounted in said tool holder about an axis substantially parallel to a direction of extension and retraction of said tool slide.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for supplying cooling fluid to the tool and to the interior portion of the component being machined.