The principal elements of an axial flow rotary machine, such as gas turbine engines, are a rotating assembly or rotor and a stationery assembly or stator. Flow directing vanes of the rotor extend outwardly across a flowpath for working medium gases into proximity with the stator. Flow directing vanes of the stator extend inwardly across the flowpath from medium gases into proximity with the rotor. In a typical structure, blades of the rotor are attached to a blade supporting disk by an interlocking structure formed of the blades and of the disk.
In the compressor sections of modern gas turbine engines the interlocking structure most typically includes slots extending axially across the rotor disk and single lugs of corresponding geometry extending inwardly from the base of each blade into engagement with the disk slots. Such interlocking structures are highly successful and have been used for many years by designers and builders of jet engines throughout the world.
Notwithstanding the availability and proven success of such designs, scientists and engineers within the gas turbine industry continue to search for yet improved attachment structures.