JP4287933B2 - Blank member holding fixture and method of attaching blank member - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a precisely shaped part, and more particularly to a fixture for manufacturing a precisely shaped part. And the subject matter described here is related US patent application Ser. No. 08 / 641,251 “Blank Member for Manufacturing Precisely Shaped Parts” and US Patent Application No. 08 / 640,045 “ Disclosed in or claimed in “Methods for Manufacturing Parts of Unique Shape”.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Precisely shaped parts are used in many industries. For example, conventional blades used in gas turbine engines must be formed in precise shapes. In a typical example, a metal starting blank member, that is, a starting blank member is formed into a blank member having the shape of a blade by casting precision casting or die forging. In general, the blank member refers to an unprocessed or in-process member, and the starting blank member here extends between a tip portion, a root portion spaced longitudinally from the tip portion, and a top portion and a root portion. Includes intermediate span area.
[0003]
The top may include a mounted or integral shroud. Many machining details must be machined into these parts of the blank. For example, a plurality of dove-tail shaped parts or ants must be machined into the root. These ants allow the blade to be secured to the rotor disk in the engine. These ants must be formed within small tolerances for proper engine operation. In order to accomplish this, there must be a reference for measuring the shape of the ants and a fixture for holding the blank member during machining. Referenced references include US Pat. No. 2,577,747 granted to Gibian and US Pat. No. 3,818,646 granted to Peterson. However, the method taught by Gibian is not accurate enough, and the method taught by Peterson requires complex installations and is expensive to design, manufacture and maintain. Furthermore, if the size and shape of the blade are different, a separate fixture is required.
[0004]
As a reference method, there is a method of providing a standard necessary for encapsulating a blank member in a block of a material such as a low-melting alloy. A block of material is formed around the blank member such that the root region extends from the block. The side of the block forms a reference plane from which the ant shape or other machining details can be determined with the required accuracy. However, blank member encapsulation requires a complex encapsulation tool. Furthermore, after machining the ants, the material must be eluted from the blank member, so it must be handled without causing environmental problems.
[0005]
In order to solve the above problem, it is known to use a blank member having a sacrificial region and three locators. The sacrificial region extends in the longitudinal direction from the root region.
[0006]
The three locators are shaped and positioned to match the corresponding shape of the fixture. One of the locators is a conical protrusion provided on the top. The other two locators are notches machined into the sacrificial region, one of which is a rectangular notch and the other is a wedge-shaped notch. Both the conical protrusion and the rectangular notch are in the plane containing the overlap axis. The wedge-shaped notch has a corner that is aligned with a root centerline perpendicular to the overlap axis.
[0007]
The fixture has a U-shaped base with end walls spaced from each other for receiving a blank member. One of the end walls supports a tightening mechanism having a conical hole. The other end wall supports a contact portion having a rectangular protrusion and a wedge-shaped protrusion. When the tightening mechanism is activated, the conical hole is moved into contact with the conical protrusion of the blank member. This applies a force to the notch locator to contact the corresponding protrusion of the abutment and position the blank member within the fixture. The surface of the wedge-shaped projection substantially contacts the corresponding surface of the wedge-shaped. Such contact helps prevent the blank member from rotating during machining and allows the blank member to be secured in the fixture with only a minimal amount of clamping force in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the machining details such as ants in the root portion can be accurately machined into the blank member to form a precisely shaped part.
[0008]
The above-described blank members and fixtures are described in related US patent application Ser. No. 08 / 641,251 “Blank Member for Manufacturing Precisely Shaped Parts” and US Patent Application No. 08 / 640,045. It is disclosed in “Fittings for manufacturing parts of exact shape”. This approach allows the part to be machined with improved accuracy. This also eliminates the need for a fixture having a complex tightening mechanism and eliminates the need for encapsulation using a low melting alloy. The fixture is relatively simple to manufacture and can be easily modified to fit different sized or shaped blades.
[0009]
However, there is an ongoing need for better fittings. For example, when using the blanks and fixtures described above, a much larger amount of longitudinal clamping force may have to be applied to prevent the blank member from rotating during machining. However, when a greater force is applied, the blank member may be deformed while being secured within the fixture. This can result in misalignment of the machined part. With a large tightening force, the blank member may cause permanent distortion. Accordingly, there is a need for a fixture that does not require a considerably greater tightening force than desired to secure the blank member.
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved fixture.
[0011]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fixture for fixing a blank member having a plurality of locators using a smaller tightening force.
[0012]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fixture that can machine a blank member more accurately.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a fixture for fixing a blank member having at least two spaced apart locators comprises a fixture having a U-shaped base having two spaced apart end walls. One of these end walls supports the tightening mechanism, the other end wall supports the abutting portion, and at least one of the tightening mechanism and the abutting portion pivots freely with respect to the end wall that supports the abutting portion. When the blank member is fixed in the fixture, the tightening mechanism matches one of the locators, and a force is applied to the other one of the locators so as to contact the contact portion.
[0014]
According to a second aspect of the invention, the method to be solved comprises a blank member having at least two locators spaced apart from each other, one supporting the clamping mechanism and the other supporting the abutment. And a U-shaped base having an end wall configured to freely pivot relative to the end wall on which the clamping mechanism and the abutment are supported. A fixture is provided, the clamping mechanism is fitted to one of the locators, the blank is fixed to the fixture so that the other one of the locators is brought into contact with the abutment, and the blank is then machined It is configured to process.
[0015]
Due to limitations in manufacturing technology, there is an inevitable inaccuracy in the machining process for forming notched locators in the blank member. Therefore, the wedge-shaped notch may not be set at the complete position of the blank member. For example, the wedge-shaped notch may not perfectly align with the center line of the root, i.e. it may not be completely perpendicular to the overlap axis. In such cases, conventional fixtures require a large amount of longitudinal clamping force in order to obtain substantial contact between the surface of the wedge-shaped notch protrusion and the surface of the wedge-shaped notch. . If such contact does not occur, the surface may contact only in a limited area and the blank member may not be fixed.
[0016]
By using a pivoting device, the present invention can better match the locator of the blank member with the corresponding portion of the fixture. As a result, the fixture can fix the blank member while applying a smaller tightening force than that applied by the conventional fixture. Using a small clamping force reduces the possibility of the blank member being distorted when secured in the fixture, thereby reducing misalignment of the subsequently machined part. This also reduces the risk of permanent deformation of the blank member. In the best embodiment, this is accomplished without disturbing the positioning and mating of other locators, thereby ensuring that the blank member is positioned as desired within the fixture.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, an axial-flow turbo gas turbine engine 10 is installed in an aircraft nacelle 12. The nacelle 12 surrounds the gas turbine engine 10. The engine includes a fan unit 14, a compression unit 16, a combustion unit 18, and a turbine unit 20. Axis A _e Is in the center of the engine and extends circumferentially. The main flow path 22 for working medium gas is the axis A _e Along the longitudinal direction. The sub flow path 24 for working medium gas extends parallel to the main flow path 22 and radially outward.
[0018]
The turbine unit 20 includes an upstream high-pressure turbine 26 and a downstream low-pressure turbine 28. For example, the low pressure turbine 28 is formed by a stator assembly 30 and a rotor assembly 32. The rotor assembly 32 has a plurality of airfoils or blades 34 that extend radially outward from the rotor disk 36 across the main working medium flow path 22. Each blade 34 has an engine shaft A _e Is characterized by an overlap axis S extending perpendicular to the axis.
[0019]
Referring to FIG. 2, blank member 80 forming turbine blade 34 (FIG. 1) has a top portion 37, a root portion 38 spaced longitudinally therefrom, and an intermediate span portion 40 extending therebetween. Platform 42 separates intermediate span region 40 from root region 38. Platform 42 has an inner surface 44 adjacent to root region 38 and an outer surface 46 facing away from it. The top portion 37 further includes an integral shroud 47. The shroud 47 has an inner surface 48 adjacent to the intermediate span region 40 and an outer surface 50 facing away from it. The root region 38 includes a plurality of dovetail portions 41 or ants 41 by which the blades engage the rotor disk 36 (as shown in FIG. 1). The root region 38 further includes a root center C at the center of the width of the root region 38. The intermediate span region includes a leading edge 52, a trailing edge 54 spaced therefrom, a pressure or pressure surface 56, and a suction or suction surface 58. The pressure and suction surfaces 56 and 58 extend between the leading and trailing edges 52 and 54.
[0020]
The blank member 80 further includes a sacrificial region 62. The sacrificial region 62 extends substantially longitudinally from the root region 38 (shown in phantom). The sacrificial region 62 includes a first surface 63, a second surface 64 spaced from the first surface 63, and a third surface (not shown) extending between the first and second surfaces 63 and 64.
[0021]
The blank member 80 is further characterized by first, second and third locators 82, 84 and 86. In this embodiment, the first locator 82 is a protrusion that extends from the radially outer surface 50 of the shroud 47. This protrusion preferably has a conical shape with a top 87 and is on the overlap axis S. Second and third locators 84 and 86 are machined into blank member 80 using wire cut electrical discharge machining. In this embodiment, the second and third locators 84 and 86 are notches, respectively. Second locator 84 is cut out from a third surface (not shown) of sacrificial region 62. The second locator 84 is preferably a triangular prism-shaped notch having a corner portion intersecting the overlap axis S and parallel to the root center line C. Third locator 86 extends from first surface 63 to second surface 64 of sacrificial region 62. The third locator 86 is preferably a rectangular notch that includes a vertical surface 90. The vertical planes 90 are spaced equidistant from the overlap axis S, respectively.
[0022]
A fixture 91 for holding the blank member 80 during subsequent machining includes a U-shaped base 92 having first and second end walls 94, 96 spaced apart from each other for receiving the blank member 80 therebetween. The second end wall 96 is preferably integral with the base 92.
[0023]
The first end wall 94 is attached to a slidable base 92 to allow adjustment of its position. To accomplish this, the base 94 includes an upper surface 97, two chamfered surfaces 99 and a T-shaped slot 98. The first end wall has a lower surface 100 and a hollow interior. The lower surface 100 has a shape that gives a gap to the upper surface 97 of the base, and the chamfered surface 99 of the base matches and contacts. T-shaped slot 98 receives one end 101 of T-shaped retaining bolt 102 (FIG. 3). The bolt 102 (FIG. 3) has a threaded end 103 that projects into the hollow interior through an opening (not shown) in the lower surface 100 of the first end wall 94. The holding nut 104, for example, a spanner nut with a hole spaced in the circumferential direction, is fastened to the screw end 103 of the bolt 102. The minimal clearance between the T-bolt 102 and the T-shaped slot 98 ensures that the T-bolt 102 does not rotate while the retaining nut 104 is tightened.
[0024]
The first end wall further includes an upper portion 105 that supports the tightening mechanism 106. The upper portion 105 includes first and second passages 107A and 107B (FIG. 3) having a common shaft 108 (FIG. 3). The diameter of the first passage 107A is larger than the diameter of the second passage 107B. The walls 107 surrounding these passages are as thin as practical so as to minimize the shape of the first end 94. Thus, this effectively allows access to the shroud region 47 of the blank member 80, thereby allowing the shroud 47 to be further machined.
[0025]
The tightening mechanism 106 may include an actuator 109, a sleeve 110 (FIG. 3), and a tightening nut 111. The sleeve 110 (FIG. 3) is press-fitted into the second passage 107B. The actuator has a slide pin 112 (FIG. 3) that extends into the sleeve 110. The tightening nut 111 is screwed to the actuator 109. The tightening mechanism 106 further includes a movable shaft 113 that extends into the sleeve 110 and is attached to the sliding pin 112 of the actuator 109. The actuator 109 is preferably a hydraulic type, but other suitable types may be used including, but not limited to, a pneumatic type, an electromechanical type, and a manual type. . The movable shaft 113 includes a hole 114 that matches the conical protrusion 82 of the blank member 80. The hole 114 is preferably conical.
[0026]
Base 92 includes a lower surface 115 having transverse slots 116, 117 that may be used to accurately position fixture 91 on a machine tool. The tooling hole 119 is used as a reference when the base 92 is manufactured.
[0027]
The fixture further includes an abutment portion 120 that is attached to the second end wall 96. Referring to FIG. 4, the abutment 120 preferably includes a substantially wedge-shaped protrusion 121 having upper and lower surfaces 122, 124 that converge toward the edge 126. The angle between the upper and lower surfaces 122 and 124 of the wedge 121 makes the wedge coincide with the second locator 84 of the blank member 80. The top surface 122 includes a rectangular protrusion 127 shaped to match the rectangular notch 86 of the blank member 80. The rectangular protrusion includes a surface 128 and an upper surface 129 that face away from each other.
[0028]
Referring again to FIG. 2, the conical hole 114 and the edge 126 of the wedge 121 form an intersecting axis I that is parallel to the upper surface 97 of the base 92. The rectangular protrusion 127 (FIG. 4) is on the cross axis I, and preferably both side surfaces 128 (FIG. 4) of the rectangular protrusion 127 (FIG. 4) are at an equal distance from the cross axis I.
[0029]
In this embodiment, the apparatus for attaching the contact portion 120 to the second end wall 96 includes a stage 130. With reference to FIG. 3, the stage 130 is fixed to the second end wall 96 in the recess 132 (FIG. 3) between the vertical walls 134 and 136. The stage 130 includes an upper surface 138 and a cavity 140. The cavity 140 is defined by side walls 142, 144 and a bottom surface 146. The side walls 142, 144 are preferably mated at the corners 148 and are angled so that the diameter at the top of the cavity 140 is less than the diameter at the base of the cavity.
[0030]
The abutting part 120 includes a lower part 150 and a pivot part (pivot projection part) 152. When assembling the fixture, the abutment 120 is positioned on the stage 130 such that its lower portion 150 is positioned on the upper surface 138 of the stage 130 and the pivot 152 is positioned in the cavity 140. The pivot 152 is substantially ant-shaped with a circular base 155, and the main outer surface 154 is inclined with respect to the pivot 153 (FIG. 4) to match the sidewalls 142, 144 of the cavity 140. It is desirable. This shape not only allows the abutment 120 to pivot about the pivot axis 153, but also helps keep the abutment 120 and the stage 130 in contact with each other when a longitudinal force is applied to the wedge. Referring to FIG. 4, pivot 153 is positioned on top surface 97 of base 92 such that a point on wedge 121 moves parallel to top surface 97 of base 92 as wedge-shaped protrusion 121 pivots about pivot 123. It is desirable that it is substantially perpendicular. The pivot 153 is preferably equidistant from the oppositely facing surfaces 128 of the rectangular protrusion 127 and more preferably passes through a center point 156 on the upper surface 129 on the rectangular protrusion 127. Accordingly, the contact portion 120 can pivot without changing the lateral position of the rectangular protrusion 127. The center point (relative to the top surface) of the rectangular protrusion preferably remains on the insertion axis.
[0031]
Referring again to FIG. 3, the stage further includes two sets of holes 158 and 160 and a tab 162. A pair of bolts 163 with threaded ends extend into the second end wall 96 through one of a pair of holes 158 to secure the stage 130 to the second end wall 96. A tab 162 extends from the stage 130 and helps prevent the stage 130 from sliding when subjected to a longitudinal force. A pair of clamping screws 164 protrude from an opening 166 in one of the upstanding walls to force the stage 130 to be positioned relative to the other upstanding wall 136.
[0032]
The contact portion 120 further includes a top face 170 and a pair of counterbore holes 172. Each of the counterbore holes 172 is defined by an inner wall 174 and a counterbore surface parallel to the upper surface 170. The pair of bolts 176 extends through a counterbore 172 in the contact portion and a hole 160 in the stage 130, and holds the wedge 121 on the stage 130. Each bolt 176 has its head pressed against the counterbore surface by pushing the associated compressible O-ring 178. This effectively pushes the abutment 120 into contact with the stage 130 but does not prevent the abutment from pivoting relative to the stage. Since there is a gap between the bolt 176 and the inner wall 174, interference that prevents the abutment portion 120 from pivoting does not occur between them.
[0033]
The abutment 120 may further include a guide mechanism 180 that assists in guiding the rectangular notch 86 of the blank member to match the rectangular protrusion 127 on the fixture. Despite being tapered, there is no or little layout to create misalignment between the rectangular protrusion and the rectangular notch. The guide mechanism 180 preferably comprises a movable pin 182 located in the longitudinal passage 184. The passage 184 has two ends, one end is open, and the other end is closed by a cover plate 186. One end 188 of the guide pin 182 protrudes from the open end of the passage 184. The open end of the passage is vertically aligned with the rectangular protrusion 127, thereby positioning the guide pin 182 to match the lower end of the rectangular notch 86 of the blank member. The protruding end 188 has a tapered top with a diameter smaller than the width of the rectangular protrusion 127.
[0034]
The guide mechanism 180 may be suitable for separating the blank member 80 and the fixture 91 when the tightening mechanism 106 is relaxed. To do this, the guide mechanism 180 may include a spring 192 between the guide pin 182 and the cover plate 186. The part of the elastic part may be in the recess of the end 190 of the guide pin. In securing the blank member 80 within the fixture 91, the back of the rectangular notch 86 contacts the guide pin 182 and pushes it further into the longitudinal passage 184, thereby compressing the elastic component 192. When the tightening mechanism 106 is released, the compressed elastic part 192 exerts a force that effectively assists in pushing the blank member 80 away from the fixture 91.
[0035]
Base 92 may further include platform 198 and ejector 200. The platform 198 is on the top surface 97 of the base 92 of the fixture and desirably has a ridge 202 that extends into a T-shaped slot 98. The platform 198 is shaped such that when the blank member is placed on the platform, the overlapping axis S of the blank member and the insertion axis I of the fixture are substantially aligned.
[0036]
The ejector 200 includes a rotator mechanism 204, a support portion 206, and a shaft 208 extending between the rotator mechanism 204 and the support portion 206. The shaft 208 is engaged with the rotator mechanism 204 and the support portion 206 so that the rotator mechanism 204 rotates the shaft 208. The ejector 200 may further include two space arms 210 attached to the shaft. The support 206 may include a hole 214 that coincides with the hole 212 in the base 92 to assist in mounting the ejector mechanism.
[0037]
Next, the operation of the fixture will be described. Using conventional methods, fixture 91 is attached to a support surface in a grinder (not shown). With reference to FIG. 5, the fixture 91 is installed in the open position, and the blank member 80 is installed between the end walls 94 and 96 of the fixture 91 above the platform 198. After being installed in this manner, the actuator 109 of the tightening mechanism 106 is actuated so that the hole 114 of the shaft 113 moves toward the second end wall 96 along the insertion axis.
[0038]
Referring to FIG. 6, the tightening mechanism is fully engaged with the blank member when the hole 114 is fully engaged with the conical protrusion 82, the wedge-shaped notch 84 matches the wedge-shaped protrusion 121, and the rectangular notch 86. Coincides with the rectangular protrusion 127. The longitudinal clamping force causes the abutment 120 of the fixture to pivot about the pivot axis 153 so that the wedge-shaped projection 121 matches the wedge-shaped notch 84 on the blank member. Bring it to the position facing you. The wedge-shaped notch 84 combined with the wedge-shaped protrusion 121 prevents the blank member from rotating during machining. The conical protrusion 82 with the hole 114 and the rectangular notch 86 with the rectangular protrusion 127 prevent the blank member from moving in the width direction.
[0039]
The ant 41 can be ground and formed on the first surface 63 of the sacrificial region 62 using a conventional grinder operating technique with the blade fixedly held in the fixture. Since the fixture is referenced to the overlap axis and root centerline, a programmable grinder can be used and is desirable. Referring to FIG. 7, when these ants are completed, the conical hole 114 is removed from the blank member and the ejector 200 is automatically activated. The rotator mechanism 204 rotates the shaft 208 so that the arm 210 lifts the blade from the platform 198. Next, the blank member is rotated so that the second surface 64 faces upward, and is installed in a similar fixture. By being installed in this way, additional ants can be ground into the second surface 64 of the sacrificial region 62. Additional shapes such as shrouds or notches in the platform can be ground into the blank member. The sacrificial region 62 is then removed, and thus the second and third locators 84 and 86 are removed. The protrusion 82 may be processed separately from the shroud 47.
[0040]
Since the abutting portion 120 is pivotally attached to the second end wall 96, even when the notch 84 is not completely installed on the blank member, for example, it is not perfectly aligned with the root center line C. In other words, the wedge-shaped projection 121 can be better matched to the notch locator 84 even if it is not completely perpendicular to the overlap axis S. As a result, the fixture can fix the blank member even when a longitudinal force less than the longitudinal force applied by the conventional fixture is applied. In one example, the desired force is reduced by 75% from 220 pounds to 58 pounds. Using a low longitudinal clamping force reduces the strain that is distorted when the blank member is secured to the fixture, thereby reducing the degree to which subsequently machined portions become misaligned. In the best embodiment, this is accomplished without disturbing the position of other locators or mating conditions, thereby ensuring that the blank member is placed in the desired position within the fixture.
[0041]
While the particular invention has been described with reference to the above-described embodiments, various modifications of the above-described embodiments as well as additional embodiments of the invention are also contemplated by the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to this description without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the base does not need to have a sliding wall and may be integrated instead. Furthermore, the platform and ejector can make the process automatic tightening with little operator involvement, but these are optional. Although the present invention is disclosed as fixing a blank member having a locator to a sacrificial region, it is not necessary to provide a locator for the blank member in the sacrificial region. Further, the present invention is not limited to being used for machining in the next step. For example, the fixture may then be used to secure a blank member for measurement. The locator may be a protrusion or a depression as long as it fits the fixture. The position of the locator may be changed so that the reference axis or reference surface of the same or other design is used instead of the overlap axis or root center line, and the fixture can be modified to fit the blank member. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all modifications and embodiments within the true scope of the present invention.
[0042]
In summary, the fixture of the present invention holds a blank member having at least two spaced apart locators. The fixture has a base with end walls spaced from each other, one of the end walls supporting the tightening mechanism, the other end wall supporting the abutment, and the tightening mechanism and the abutment of the abutment At least one of them is free to pivot with respect to the end wall that supports it. When the blank member is secured in the fixture, the tightening mechanism matches one of the blank member locators and pushes the other one of the locators into contact with the abutment. The method of the present invention comprises a blank member having at least two spaced apart locators, the bottom having at least two spaced apart locators, one supporting the clamping mechanism and the other supporting the abutment. And at least one of the tightening mechanism and the abutting portion is provided with a mounting structure that freely pivots with respect to the end wall that supports the tightening mechanism, and the tightening mechanism matches one of the locators. And fixing the blank member in the fixture so as to push the other one of the locators into contact with the contact portion.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of an axial-flow turbofan gas turbine engine.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the fixture of the present invention used for a blank member.
FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of the fixture of FIG.
4 is a perspective view of a contact portion of the fixture of FIG. 2. FIG.
5 is a perspective view of the fixture and blank member of FIG. 2, showing a state where the blank member is placed on the fixture and the fixture is in an open position. FIG.
6 is a perspective view of the fixture and the blank member of FIG. 2, showing a state in which the blank member is fixed in the fixture and one side surface of the root region of the blank member has been processed. FIG.
7 is a perspective view of the fixture and the blank member of the fixture of FIG. 6, showing a state where the blank member is removed from the fixture by the ejector.
[Explanation of symbols]
10. Gas turbine engine
12 ... Nasser
14 ... Fan part
16 ... compression part
18 ... Combustion section
20 ... turbine section
22 ... Main flow path
24 ... Sub-channel
26 ... Upstream high pressure turbine
28 ... Downstream low-pressure turbine
30 ... Stator assembly
32 ... Rotor assembly
34 ... Airfoil or blade
36 ... Rotor disc
37 ... top
38 ... Root
40 ... Intermediate span
41 ... Ali
42 ... Platform
44 ... Inside
46 ... Exterior
47 ... Shroud
48 ... Inside
50 ... Outer surface
52 ... Leading edge
54 ... trailing edge
56 ... Positive pressure surface
58 ... negative pressure surface
62 ... Sacrificial area
63 ... first side
64 ... the second side
80 ... Blank material
82 ... 1st locator
84 ... Second locator
86 ... Third locator
90 ... vertical plane
91 ... Fitting
92 ... U-shaped base
94. First end wall
96 ... second end wall
97 ... Top surface
98 ... T-shaped slot
99 ... Chamfered surface
100: bottom surface
101 ... one end
102 ... T-shaped holding bolt
103 ... Screw end
104 ... Retaining nut
105 ... Upper part
106: Tightening mechanism
107 ... wall
107A ... 1st passage
107B ... second passage
108 ... axis
109 ... Actuator
110 ... Sleeve
111 ... tightening nut
112 ... Slip pin
113 ... Moveable shaft
114 ... hole
115 ... lower surface
116 ... Horizontal slot
117 ... Horizontal slot
119 ... Touring hole
120 ... contact part
121 ... Wedge
122 ... upper surface
124 ... lower surface
126 ... Ring
128: Sides facing away from each other
129 ... Upper surface
130 ... Stage
132 ... recess
134 ... vertical wall
136 ... vertical wall
138 ... Upper surface
140 ... cavity
142 ... side wall
144 ... sidewall
146 ... Bottom
150 ... Bottom
152 ... Pivot
153 ... Axis
154 ... Main outer surface
155 ... Base
156 ... Center point
158 ... hole
160 ... hole
162 ... tab
163 ... Bolt

Claims (20)

A fixture for holding a blank member of an airfoil, wherein the blank member includes a longitudinal axis, a first locator provided at one end, and a second locator provided at the other end. When provided with respective said first locator, it said has a substantially conical shape along the longitudinal axis, the second locator extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis has an elongated shape, the fixture has a base with an end wall that are spaced apart from one another, in the even that the blank member is received between these end walls,
A tightening mechanism for holding a blank member supported by the first end wall of the end walls;
A contact portion supported by a second end wall of the end walls,
When the blank member is fixed in the fixture, the tightening mechanism engages the first locator to force the second locator into contact with the contact portion,
Before SL abutment, has a pivotable with respect to said second end wall about a vertical pivot axis relative to both the longitudinal axis and the second locator longitudinal of the blank member,
The contact portion has a portion that matches the second locator provided on the blank member in order to prevent the blank member from rotating with respect to the corresponding contact portion, and the tightening mechanism includes: In order to prevent the blank member from moving in the width direction, the fixture has a portion that matches the first locator . The fixture of claim 1 , wherein the abutment includes a substantially wedge-shaped portion that pivots about a pivot axis and that mates with the second locator on the blank member. The fixture according to claim 1 , wherein the pivot portion has a main outer surface forming a substantial inclination angle with respect to the pivot axis. The fixture according to claim 3 , wherein the pivot portion has a substantially dovetail shape. The fixture according to claim 1 , wherein the blank member further includes a third locator, and the tightening mechanism presses the third locator to contact the abutting portion. The contact portion further comprises a portion that matches said third locator of the blank member, the moiety claim 5 having a substantially side surface facing opposite to each other equidistant from said pivot axis Fittings. 7. A fixture as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the portion has a central point on the pivot. Before SL abutment, fitting of claim 5 in which substantially comprises a wedge-shaped portion that matches said second locator before SL blank member. The abutment further comprises a portion of the blank member that mates with the third locator, the portion having oppositely facing sides that are substantially equidistant from the pivot and on the pivot. 9. A fixture according to claim 8 , having a central point. The fixture according to claim 9 , wherein the pivot portion has a main outer surface forming a substantial inclination angle with respect to the pivot axis. A method of fixing a blank member using the fixture according to claim 1,
Prepare the blank member,
Prepare the fitting,
Wherein said clamping mechanism, characterized in that securing the blank member into contact forced the abutment of the second locator to engage the first locator to the fixture. The method of claim 11 , wherein the abutment includes a substantially wedge-shaped portion that pivots about the pivot and conforms to the second locator of the blank member. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pivot has a main outer surface that is substantially inclined with respect to the pivot . The method of claim 13 , wherein the pivot has a substantially dovetail shape. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the blank member further includes a third locator, and the tightening mechanism pushes the third locator to contact the abutting portion. The contact portion further comprises a portion that matches said third locator of the blank member, the moiety, to claim 15 having a substantially side surface facing opposite to each other equidistant from said pivot axis The method described. The method of claim 16 , wherein the portion has a central point at the pivot axis. The method of claim 15 abutment, comprising a substantially wedge-shaped portion that matches said second locator before SL blank member. The abutment further comprises a portion of the blank member that mates with the third locator, the portion having oppositely facing sides that are substantially equidistant from the pivot and on the pivot. The method of claim 18 having a center point. 20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the pivot has a main outer surface that forms a substantial tilt angle with respect to the pivot .

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