Air-cooled support and guide vane assembly for a gas turbine engine

Claim 1

A GAS TURBINE, PARTICULARLY A SMALL TURBINE, COMPRISING CENTRIPETAL TURBINE MEANS INCLUDING A ROTOR HAVING A SHAFT, COMBUSTION CHAMBER MEANS DISPOSED INTERALLY OF SAID TURBINE ROTOR, SEAL MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER MEANS AND SAID TURBINE ROTOR, HOLLOW TURBINE GUIDE VANE MEANS FOR DIRECTIING HOT COMBUSTION GASES FROM SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER MEANS TO SAID ROTOR, PASSAGE MEANS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID HOLLOW TURBINE GUIDE VANE MEANS AND ADAPTED TO BE TRAVERSED BY A FLOW OF COOLING AIR, RELATIVELY COOL TURBINE HOUSING MEANS, SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SAID SEAL MEANS, CONNECTING MEANS RIGIDLY CONNECTING SAID SUPPORTING MEANS TO SAID HOUSING MEANS AND EXTENDING FREELY THROUGH SAID PASSAGE MEANS IN SAID HOLLOW TURBINE GUDE VANE MEANS, SPACING MEANS PROVIDED ON SAID CONNETING MEANS, SPACING MEANS HAVING A LENGTH GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID GUIDE VANE MEANS, SAID SPACING MEANS DETERMING THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND SAID HOUSING, AND FURTHER CONNECTING MEANS CAPABLE OF YIELDING UNDER THERMAL EXPANSION CONNECTING AND POSITIONING SAID TURBINE GUIDE VANE MEANS RELATIVE TO ONE OF THE TWO PARTS CONSISTING OF SAID FIRST-MENTIONED CONNECTING MEANS AND ANOTHER STRUCTURAL PART OF THE GAS TURBINE IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO BE CAPABLE OF EXPANDING UNDER HEAT.