US 6,981,836 B2
Apparatus and methods for removing and installing an upper diaphragm half relative to an upper shell of a turbine
Andrew John Tomko, Glenville, N.Y. (US); John Francis Nolan, Latham, N.Y. (US); and Karl Rudolph Anderson, III, Plainfield, Ill. (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, N.Y. (US)
Filed on Apr. 28, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/423,982.
Prior Publication US 2004/0213653 A1, Oct. 28, 2004
Int. Cl. B66F 11/00 (2006.01); B23P 19/04 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 414—589 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. In a system for removing and replacing diaphragm halves for a turbine wherein the diaphragm halves have varied midline joints along various turbine stages, a support structure for receiving the diaphragm halves of the turbine comprising:
a cart having a base and a plurality of wheels for movably supporting a diaphragm half carried by said cart;
an attachment assembly carried by said base for vertical movement relative to the base;
a lift mechanism connected between said base and said attachment assembly for moving the attachment assembly vertically relative to the base;
said attachment assembly including a pair of support assemblies for supporting the diaphragm half, each said support assembly including at least one support carried by said attachment assembly for movement in at least one horizontal direction to accommodate the varied configurations of midline joints of the diaphragm halves of the various turbine stages and to support the diaphragms from the platform;
said attachment assembly including a pair of fasteners for securing the attachment assembly and diaphragm half to one another with said support assemblies therebetween.