present invention relates to a gas turbine engine, in particular in the aeronautical field, and is aimed at mounting a rotor shaft inside the engine.
The operations of mounting and demounting a turbine engine are complicated owing to the number of parts which constitute it and of the small clearances between them even though their dimensions may be large. The cost of carrying out work on the engine which comprises such operations is consequently always high It is therefore constantly sought to simplify them. In a twin-spool, front turbofan engine, such as the cfm56 engine, access to the support bearing of the high-pressure compressor shaft is particularly difficult since it is mounted, at the level of the intermediate casing, to the rear of the fan and of the two first bearings supporting the low-pressure compressor shaft and the fan shaft, respectively. The intermediate casing is that part of the machine casing which particularly supports the front bearings of the rotors. To avoid demounting the entire front part of the engine and of the fan in particular, the elements of this bearing are currently arranged is such a way as to allow mounting from the rear. Such a solution, although advantageous, still has a number of drawbacks which it would be desirable to eliminate.
With reference to figures 1 and 2, a solution corresponding to the teaching of the prior art is reviewed. The engine assembly is not represented, only the immediate surroundings of the bearing being visible. The front and rear are defined with respect to the forward travel direction of the engine. Part of the fixed structure of the intermediate casing 2 is shown, with the ball bearing 3 of the HP compressor shaft being supported by its outer race in this fixed structure. The bearing rotationally supports the front end of the HP compressor shaft 4, of which the journal

4' and a rotor disk 4'' can be seen. The bearing supports at its front a bevel gear 5 which drives the gear 5' connected to a radial shaft, forming the inlet gearbox (IGB) used to drive the auxiliary equipment: pumps, electrical current generators or the like. The bevel gear meshes, for this purpose, with the gear of the radial transmission shaft which is housed in one of the radial arms of the intermediate casing so as to drive the gears of the accessory gearbox (AGB) . The bevel gear is fixedly connected to the cylindrical sleeve supported by the bearing.
To maintain the shaft 4 in the bearing 3, a nut 6 is provided according to the prior art and is retained inside the gear 5, at the upstream end, by a segment or snap ring 6'. The nut comprises a thread on its external surface by means of which it is screwed inside the upstream end of the shaft 4, this end being provided with a suitable thread. A nut retainer 6'', which is secured against rotation by axial splines in the shaft 4 and has flexible tabs which lock into a circular groove in the shaft 4, prevents the nut from accidentally loosening. Furthermore, axial splines on the internal wall of the sleeve of the gear 5 cooperate with splines on the external surface of the shaft 4 to prevent any rotation of one with respect to the other. This mounting incorporates the auto-extraction function of the HP compressor. The function is provided by the segment which axially secures the bearing nut to the bevel wheel. Thus, by screwing the nut into the thread of the HP compressor shaft, the compressor is mated with the bearing; conversely, by unscrewing the nut, the compressor is pushed away rearwardly since the nut is blocked axially by the segment.
Figure 2 shows the bearing before the shaft 4 is mounted. The nut, arranged in front of the bearing, is mounted beforehand on the gear before any mounting of the elements from the rear of the intermediate casing.

To prepare for the mounting of the shaft 4, the bearing 3 is heated at C in order to expand it and minimize the shrinkage forces. To avoid heating the nut 6 and minimize the friction in the thread when tightening it on the shaft. 4, a thermal protection P is placed around the nut. However, this protection is complicated to implement. It cannot be installed effectively.
The objective set by the applicant is to prevent the problems associated with this mounting.
More specifically, the problem to be solved concerns a type of connection between the HP compressor and the engine IGB that allows mounting and demounting of the HP compressor with sole access for the tools from the rear of the engine.
According to the invention, the system for fastening the end of a gas turbine engine shaft engaged inside a sleeve supported by a bearing, by means of a nut, is characterized in that the nut is screwed at one end inside said sleeve, and is connected by a segment-type connection with the shaft at the other end.
The solution of the invention is thus suitable for mounting the HP compressor shaft of a twin-spool engine whose power take-off for driving the gearbox of the auxiliary machines is provided by a bevel gear fixed thereto, the sleeve belonging to this driving bevel gear.
The solution of the invention makes it possible, by virtue of the segment-type connection, to retract the nut inside the shaft while the shaft is being mated with the bearing and then, by simply displacing the nut axially with the aid of a tool situated remotely to the rear, to bring the nut into contact with the front thread of the sleeve and to screw the nut to ensure fastening. Demounting of the HP compressor is also

carried out in a simple manner by acting solely from the rear of the engine, and is not compromised by the mounting means and tools currently used.
Mounting/demounting from the rear of the engine is a major advantage for this type of engine and considerably reduces the cost of such an operation.
Furthermore, the solution is compact, it can be
incorporated within the available space and does not
interfere with the flow of air between the IGB and the
LP shaft.
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
figure 1 represents in axial section a partial view of a mounting solution corresponding to the teaching of the prior art;
figure 2 shows the elements of figure 1 preassembled and prior to the mounting of the HP compressor shaft;
figure 3 represents in axial half-section a partial view of a system for fastening the end of the HP compressor shaft according to the invention;
figure 4 shows the first step of the mounting seen from the IGB side upstream of the HP compressor shaft;
figure 5 shows the first step of the mounting seen from the HP compressor shaft side;
figure 6 shows the second step with the mating of the compressor shaft;
figure 7 shows the more advanced engagement of the compressor shaft;
figure 8 shows that the screwing of the retractable nut onto the sleeve of the bearing is completed and that the nut retainer as described in figure 3 can be fitted.
Figure 3 and the figures which follow show an embodiment of the solution of the invention. The

bearing 3 remains unchanged with respect to the prior art, as does the intermediate casing 2. The upstream end of the shaft 14, forming a journal and belonging to the HP compressor rotor of a twin-spool turbine engine, has an inner annular channel or groove 14X in which there is housed a split annular segment 18 having a rectangular cross section in this case. The segment 18 cooperates with an axial stop surface 16i formed on the external surface of a nut 16. This nut 16 is of cylindrical shape and connects the shaft 14 to a bevel wheel 15. The bevel wheel 15 comprises a bevel gear 15i for driving the IGB. It also comprises a cylindrical sleeve 154 shrink-fitted with the inner race 3i of the bearing 3. At its front, the wheel 15 is fixedly connected here to a labyrinth seal 152. Splines 153 are formed internally to cooperate with splines 143 on the journal 14 and keep them fixed against rotation. The wheel 15 also comprises an internal portion having a cylindrical surface with a thread 15f with which the cylindrical nut 16 cooperates by way of a thread 16f.
Figure 4 shows the bearing 3 with the bevel wheel 15 mounted on the inner race 3i of the bearing 3, and a heating means C' depicted by wavy lines.
The front mounting of the HP compressor shaft in the bearing 3 will now be described with reference to figure 4 and the figures which follow.
The bearing is already assembled with the bevel wheel 15 shrink-fitted inside the race 3i of the bearing. The first step consists in heating the bearing 3 by placing a heater below the race 3i. The advantage of the solution of the invention will already be appreciated since, in the absence of a nut, no unwanted heating will adversely affect the surrounding parts.
At the same time, the nut 16 is fitted on the shaft as shown in figure 5. The nut 16, of cylindrical general

shape, has an external diameter equal to the internal diameter of the shaft 14. It additionally comprises a transverse groove 162 of sufficient depth to ensure that the segment 18 will be housed entirely therein when it is deformed by radial compression and its diameter reduced. For this purpose, a sleeve 19 which keeps the segment 18 retracted has been engaged. The internal diameter of the sleeve 19 is the same as the internal diameter of the shaft. In this way, as can be seen from figure 5, in the retracted position the outside diameter of the segment allows it to slide inside and along the shaft 14. The nut is slid until the segment 18 meets the groove 14i. By virtue of its elasticity the segment now adopts its natural shape and is pressed into the groove 14i. The groove 162 in the nut forms an axial stop which allows the segment to be brought up to the groove 14i in the shaft 14 and which prevents the nut from being inserted further forward into the shaft 14. It can be observed that the shaft comprises a number of radial orifices 142 level with the groove in order, when it is desired to extract the nut from the shaft, to apply a tool by means of which the segment 18 can be retracted into the groove 162 in the nut.
Figure 6 shows that the shaft will be engaged in the bearing from which the heater has been removed and which is in the expanded state. The nut 16 is retracted and secured axially in the shaft 14 by the segment 18 which bears both in the channel 14i and against the stop formed by the groove 162.
Figure 7 shows that the shaft has been completely engaged in the bearing 3 . The splines 143 cooperate with the splines 153 of the sleeve of the bevel wheel 15 so as to secure them against rotation. The front end 145 of the shaft butts against the rear labyrinth-forming part that bears on the inner race of the rolling bearing 3. It can also be observed that the

outer cylindrical surface of the end portion on the shaft 14 is engaged in an internal shrink-fitting surface of the wheel 15. This arrangement provides effective support for the gear 15i to ensure that it will not deform and will turn round truly during operation.
As can be seen from figure 8, the nut has been screwed by engaging the respective threads 15f of the bevel wheel 15 and 16f of the nut 16. The screwing has been carried out by means of a suitable tool from the rear of the shaft 14. This screwing has been carried out until the stop surface 16X of the nut comes to bear against the segment 18 housed in the groove 14i.
Returning to figure 3, it can be seen that the shaft now butts against the various internal shoulders of the bevel wheel. A nut retainer 17 has been fitted. It cooperates with the nut 16 by way of notches to prevent it from rotating with respect to the shaft. It comprises elastically deformable branches 17x which are housed in a groove 146 made in the shaft 14. It is possible to observe the presence of the front part 152 of the bevel wheel which, together with a scoop 155, forms a surface for receiving lubricating oil for the gear 15] and for the bearing 3. The oil distribution nozzle is not represented. This oil collected by the scoop 156 is guided through longitudinal ducts 156, between the splines 153 and some specially levelled splines 14,, toward the bearing 3 which is provided with known orifices suitable for lubricating the balls.
The nut 16 may be termed retractable in so far as it is retracted into the shaft 14. The nut is turned by known tools through the shaft particularly from the rear. To prevent forces from passing through the bearing, the bevel wheel can be clamped axially by means of a suitable tool which is placed, for example, in an axial clamping region formed between tenons 157, produced at

the front of the wheel to prevent any rotation during the mounting, and a shoulder 158.

Claims
1. System for fastening the end of a gas turbine
engine shaft (14) engaged inside a sleeve (15)
supported by a bearing (3) , by means of a nut
(16) , characterized in that the nut (16) is
screwed at one end inside said sleeve (15), and is
connected by a segment-type connection (18) with
the shaft at the other end.
2. System according to Claim 1 in which the segment
(18) forms a circular split ring.
3. System according to Claim 2 in which the nut (16)
is of cylindrical shape and comprises an outer
groove (162) of sufficient depth to contain the
segment in the retracted position.
4. System according to Claim 3 in which the nut
comprises a surface (16i) forming an axial stop
for the segment, this surface being separate from
the groove (162) .
5. System according to Claim 4 in which the segment
is housed over part of its height in a groove
(14j) made in the internal surface of the sleeve
(15) when the segment (18) bears against said
stop-forming surface (16i).
6. System according to one of the preceding claims,
comprising a nut retainer (17) .
7. System according to one of the preceding claims in
which the shaft (14) and the sleeve (16) are
guided one within the other by means of axial
splines (153, 143) .

8. System according to one of the preceding claims in
which the shaft (14) is the HP compressor shaft of
a twin-spool gas turbine engine, the sleeve being
the bevel wheel (15) for driving the transmission
shaft of the accessory gearbox.
9. System according to the preceding claim in which
the bevel wheel (15) comprises a means for
clamping the bearing axially during the screwing
of the nut.
10. Method of mounting the HP compressor shaft of a
twin-spool turbine engine in its front bearing,
comprising the heating of the bearing, the
mounting of a nut of the system according to one
of the preceding claims on the shaft, and then the
screwing of the nut.
11. Gas turbine engine compressor comprising a system
for fastening its shaft according to one of Claims
1 to 9,
12 . Gas turbine engine comprising a system for fastening the compressor shaft according to one of Claims 1 to 9.