Apparatus and method for guiding cutting / drilling tools and capturing generated foreign matter

Abstract

A guide for cutting a dowel pin of a rotor assembly is provided. The guide includes a shim and a tray including a first and second tray portions. The first and second tray portions form a cutting tool receiver. The shim extends from a first edge having a cross-section complementary to the surface of the rotor assembly. The first and second tray portions form a receptacle that receives and retains a portion of the dowel pin during and after removal from the rotor assembly. The cutting tool receiver is defined by a receiving edge configured to guide a cutting surface of a cutting tool through the cross-section of the dowel pin.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to cutting tool guides, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for guiding a cutting tool in a confined space while also providing a catch for capturing foreign matter generated by use of the cutting tool.

[0002] Rotating machines such as gas turbines have rotor blades that must be removed for repairs or routine inspections. As explained below with reference to Figures 1 and 2, the assemblies that support these rotor blades require the cutting and removal of dowel pins that are held within the rotor assembly and are located in tight, hard-to-reach places. These dowel pins must be cut and removed to remove the circumferential locking wires that attach the rotor blades to the rotor assembly. The dowel pins are located in tight, out-of-view places that are only exposed within the assembly.

[0003] Dowel pins are often cut off by cutting tools with a rotating cutting surface, such as a blade or wheel. Operating cutting tools in this manner presents two potential drawbacks to the operation and maintenance of rotating machinery. First, the user must have complete manual control of the cutting tool and its rotating cutting surface. The dowel pin is located in a restricted, hard-to-reach location in a large assembly of expensive elements, and the portion of the dowel pin that must be cut is not easily visible during removal. Operating the rotating cutting surface in this location without a guide risks damaging the surrounding assembly. Additionally, there is no system to prevent the user from threading the lockwire completely through the cutting surface of the dowel pin, potentially requiring more expensive part replacement.

[0004] Second, maneuvering the rotary cutting surface through the cross section of the dowel pin generates foreign particles in the form of shavings. These particles are thrown in all directions onto the surrounding assembly and must be retrieved before the rotating machine can be used again. If the particles are not captured and remain within the rotating machine, they can damage many elements of the assembly, including rendering the rotor assembly inoperable.

[0005] As a result, a need exists for a device that can be easily installed in various locations within a rotating machine to guide the cutting surface of the cutting device and to provide a catch basin to capture debris generated by the cutting and removal of the dowel pin. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 1,122,9962 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosed subject matter in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the various embodiments described herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of various embodiments, nor is it intended to exclusively identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter as set forth in the claims, nor is it intended as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description presented later.

[0008] According to one embodiment, a guide for cutting a dowel pin of a rotor assembly is provided. The guide includes a shim and a receiving edge configured to guide a cutting surface of a cutting tool through the cross section of the dowel pin. The shim extends from a first edge having a cross section complementary to the surface of the rotor assembly. The first edge and the second edge form a receptacle that receives and retains a portion of the dowel pin during and after removal from the rotor assembly. The cutting tool receptacle is defined by a receiving edge configured to guide a cutting surface of a cutting tool through the cross section of the dowel pin.

[0009] According to another embodiment, a method for cutting a dowel pin held in a rotor assembly is provided. The method includes: placing a shim on a receiving surface of the rotor assembly; placing a first basin portion on the shim; securing the first basin portion to the rotor assembly using the feet of the first basin portion; inserting a cutting tool into a receiving edge of the first basin portion; placing a second basin portion on the shim to form a hollow receptacle with the first basin portion; and manipulating a rotating cutting surface of the cutting tool to pass through a cross section of the dowel pin. The rotating cutting surface is received in the receptacle during operation of the cutting tool.

[0010] According to an alternative embodiment, a guide for cutting dowel pins for a rotor assembly is provided that includes a receiving tray forming a cutting tool receiver and a receptacle. The receptacle receives and retains a portion of the dowel pin during and after removal of the dowel pin from the rotor assembly, and the cutting tool receiver has a receiving edge that guides the cutting surface of the cutting tool through a cross section of the dowel pin. The receiving edge is a continuous edge that retains the rotating cutting surface of the cutting tool within the receptacle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] The invention will be better understood from the following description of non-limiting embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary rotary machine; [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary enclosed space axially disposed between two adjacent rotor blade rows of the rotary machine of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a perspective view illustrating a first embodiment of a guide installed within the confined space of FIG. 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is a top view of the guide of FIG. 3 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 4 is a top view of the guide of FIG. 3 with the second basin portion and cutting tool removed, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 4 is a top view of the first and second tray portions of the guide of FIG. 3 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 4 is a side view of the second bowl portion of FIG. 3 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 4 is a side view of the first bowl portion of FIG. 3 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 4 is a perspective view of the guide of FIG. 3 with the second tray portion removed, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a guide installed within the confined space of FIG. 2 with the second basin portion removed, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the tray of FIG. 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 11 is a perspective view of the guide of FIG. 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 11 is a perspective view of the guide of FIG. 10 with an alternative embodiment of a shim, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a shim and first foot that fits into the guide of FIG. 10, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 4 is a perspective view of the guide of FIG. 3 with the second basin portion removed and including an alternative embodiment of a shim, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] 16 illustrates the shim of FIG. 15 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a shim that fits into the guide of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] 17 illustrates the shim and cutting tool of FIG. 16 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method for severing a dowel pin in a rotor assembly using a guide such as the exemplary guide shown in FIG. 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a flow diagram of an additional, optional step of the method of FIG. 19, according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Illustrative embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers may refer to like elements throughout.

[0013] The present disclosure relates generally to a guide for cutting dowel pins in rotary machines. While various embodiments are described with respect to rotor assemblies, the guides disclosed herein are suitable for any application involving restricted, hard-to-reach pins or similar fasteners that must be removed without introducing debris into the surrounding assembly.

[0014] Turning now to the figures, Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary rotary machine 10 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be used. In the exemplary embodiment, rotary machine 10 is a gas turbine including an intake section 12, a compressor section 14 coupled downstream from intake section 12, a combustor section 16 coupled downstream from compressor section 14, a turbine section 18 coupled downstream from combustor section 16, and an exhaust section 20 coupled downstream from turbine section 18. In the exemplary embodiment, turbine section 18 is coupled to compressor section 14 via a rotor assembly 22. It should be noted that, as used herein, the term "coupling" is not limited to direct mechanical, electrical, and / or communication connections between components, but may also include indirect mechanical, electrical, and / or communication connections between components, but may also include indirect mechanical, electrical, and / or communication connections between multiple components.

[0015] In the combustor section 16, the compressed air is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate combustion gases that are channeled toward the turbine section 18. More specifically, the combustor section 16 includes at least one combustor 24 in which fuel, such as natural gas and / or fuel oil, is injected into the airflow and the fuel-air mixture is ignited to generate hot combustion gases that are channeled toward the turbine section 18. The turbine section 18 converts thermal energy from the combustion gas stream into mechanical rotational energy. More specifically, the combustion gases impart rotational energy to at least one circumferential row of rotor blades 70 that are coupled to a rotor assembly 22 within the turbine section 18.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an exemplary restricted space 78 axially disposed between two adjacent rows of exemplary rotor blades 70 of the turbine section 18 (shown in FIG. 1 ). More specifically, in view of FIG. 2 , the turbine section 18 is at least partially disassembled such that the stator vanes are no longer disposed between the rows of rotor blades 70. Each rotor blade 70 includes a dovetail 76 that is coupled to the rotor assembly 22 by an axially extending (i.e., parallel to the rotor assembly 22) dowel pin 72 that holds a lock wire 74 that extends circumferentially within the rotor assembly 22 (as depicted and described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3-5 ). The dowel pin 72 is mounted flush with the surface of the rotor assembly 22. The lock wire 74 circumferentially surrounds the plurality of dowel pins 72 and engages the dowel pins 72 substantially at the center of their axial lengths.

[0017] 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary tool 100 configured to be deployed, such as within a restricted space 78, to remove a dowel pin 72 that enables removal of a lock wire 74 from a rotor assembly 22. A guide 50 receives the tool 100 for cutting the dowel pin 72, guides a rotating cutting surface 102 (depicted in FIG. 9 ) of the tool 100 to cut the dowel pin 72, and retains debris generated by cutting and / or removing the dowel pin 72.

[0018] 3-6, in the exemplary embodiment, guide 50 has a substantially hollow or open interior / receptacle 55 configured, among other things, to receive and store foreign matter generated through use of tool 100. Receptacle 55 is defined by a pan 51 including a first pan portion 52 and a second pan portion 54 configured to be removably attached to first pan portion 51, and a shim 60. When secured together, first pan portion 52 and second pan portion 54 form a cutting tool guide / receiver defined by a slot-like opening, referred to herein as a receiving lip 53. First pan portion 52 and second pan portion 54 form receptacle 55 that receives and retains a portion of dowel pin 72 during and after removal of dowel pin 72 from rotor assembly 22 (as depicted in FIGS. 6-8). The shim 60 extends from a first edge 62 having a cross section complementary to the circumferential surface 86 of the spacer 80 to a second edge 64 having a cross section complementary to the structural surface 84 of the rotor assembly 22 .

[0019] Referring to FIG. 6 , in one embodiment, the separable guide 50 includes a first basin portion 52 having a first inner surface 91 that defines a first portion of the receptacle 55, and a second basin portion 54 having a second inner surface 93 that defines a second portion of the receptacle 55. The basin 53 is configured to guide the cutting surface 102 of the cutting tool 100 through the cross section of the dowel pin 72. That is, the basin 53 forms a slot-like opening that limits the movement of the cutting tool 100 during use. Basins formed from fewer or more than two pieces do not significantly deviate from the invention disclosed herein. In some non-illustrated embodiments, the basin is formed from a single piece with a cover that allows for insertion of a cutting tool and / or removal of cut material.

[0020] 3-13, receiving edge 53 is a continuous edge that receives cutting tool 100 and guides rotary cutting surface 102 within receptacle 55. The continuous edge of receiving edge 53 secures cutting tool 100 to guide 50 while ensuring accurate operation of rotary cutting surface 102. In some embodiments, receiving edge 53 is configured to guide cutting surface 102 of cutting tool 100 through the cross section of dowel pin 72 without substantially penetrating lockwire 74 held within rotor assembly 22 by dowel pin 72. In other words, receiving edge 53 ensures that rotary cutting surface 102 only contacts dowel pin 72.

[0021] 5-7, portions of the inner surfaces 91, 93 of the first and second basin portions 52, 54 are complementary in shape to the rotating cutting surface 102 (depicted in detail in FIG. 7) of the cutting tool 100. The shim 60 has an inner edge 66 (depicted in detail in FIG. 5) that is complementary in shape to the rotating cutting surface 102 of the cutting tool 100. In some embodiments, these surfaces may be specifically angled to help guide the rotating cutting surface 102 and facilitate effective cutting of the dowel pin 72 without damaging the surrounding rotor assembly 22. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 3-9, each basin portion 52, 54 includes a cutting slot 98 (depicted in detail in FIGS. 6-8) that permits passage of the rotating cutting surface 102 without allowing a significant amount of cut debris to exit the receptacle 55. Each receiver portion 52, 54 extends to a receiving tab 57 that provides a point of contact between the rotor assembly 22 and the receiver portion 52, 54 to further stabilize the guide 50. In the embodiment depicted in Figures 3-9, each receiver tab 57 defines an assembly groove 59 that receives and / or secures the receiver portion 52, 54 to the surrounding assembly.

[0022] In the embodiment depicted in Figures 3-9, the first tray portion 52 has a first foot 56 and the second tray portion 54 has a second foot 58 configured to releasably attach the tray 51 and shim 60 to the rotor assembly 22. The receiving tab 57 presses against the lockwire 74 and serves as an engagement point when the feet 56, 58 engage. Using only a single foot and / or varying the mechanism for securing the tray 51 to the rotor assembly 22 does not depart from the invention disclosed herein.

[0023] 7 and 8 , in some embodiments, the tray 51 includes a tray lock configured to secure the first tray portion 52 to the second tray portion 54. In the depicted embodiment, the tray lock includes two pins 95 extending from the first tray portion 52 that engage complementary openings 97 in the second tray portion 54, and an optional tray magnet 96 held within the first tray portion 52 engages a complementary tray 99 in the second tray portion 54. The engagement of the pins 95 with the openings 97 prevents relative movement of the tray portions 52, 54, and the interlocking of the tray magnets 96 with the tray 99 prevents the tray 51 from separating into the tray portions 52, 54.

[0024] In other embodiments, portions 52 and 54 may be secured together via a variety of attachment mechanisms, including but not limited to hook-and-loop fasteners, quick release pins, clasps, clamps, and flexible / rotatable / flared latches.

[0025] In other embodiments, the pan 51 may have holes or passages through which a vacuum device (not shown) can be connected to remove any foreign matter that may have accumulated in the pan 51. The holes / passages may be located in any position that allows access to the interior of the pan from an accessible portion of the exterior of the pan.

[0026] The pan 51 accommodates various structural and circumferential surfaces of the rotor assembly 22 and / or spacer 80 and accommodates alternative embodiments of shims 60 having different sizes and / or shapes. In the embodiment depicted in Figures 3-9, the shim 60 contributes to the formation of a receptacle 55 with the pan 51. As described in detail below, the method 800 for removing the dowel pin 72 includes using various shims depending on the application. Figures 9, 10, and 12-18 show exemplary embodiments of shims 60, 160, 260, 360, 460, 560, and 660.

[0027] 10-14 illustrate an alternative embodiment of guide 150, which is similar in function and structure to guide 50 described above with respect to FIGS. 3-9. FIGS. 12 and 13 specifically depict how a user can replace shim 160 with shim 260 to precisely guide surface of revolution 102 to cut dowel pin 72 (cutting tool 100 omitted for clarity). Once the user has determined the appropriate shim for a particular dowel pin, guide 150 is assembled and tray 151 is secured to spacer 80 using first foot 156 and / or second foot 158.

[0028] 11, first surfaces 192, 194 of tray portions 152, 154 each include a surface texture to further stabilize the connection between tray 151 and shim 160. In some non-illustrated embodiments, a shim is incorporated into one or both of the tray portions.

[0029] An exemplary embodiment of a method 800 for cutting a dowel pin of a rotor assembly is shown in the flow diagrams of Figures 19 and 20. Referring to Figures 1-20, the method 800 includes placing 802 a shim 60 on the receiving surface 23 of the rotor assembly 22, placing 804 a first basin portion 52 on the shim 60, securing 806 the first basin portion 52 to the rotor assembly 22 using the first foot 56 of the first basin portion 52, inserting 808 a cutting tool 100 into the receiving rim 53 of the first basin portion 52, placing 810 a second basin portion 54 on the shim 60 to form 810 a hollow receptacle 55 with the first basin portion 52, and manipulating 812 a rotating cutting surface 102 of the cutting tool 100 to pass through a cross section of the dowel pin 72. The rotating cutting surface 102 is received within the receptacle 55 during operation of the cutting tool 100 .

[0030] In certain embodiments, the method 800 includes removing 814 the first and / or second basin portions 52, 54 and displacing 816 the severed dowel pin 72 by inserting a tool (not shown) into the opening that holds the severed dowel pin 72. In other words, the tool pushes the severed dowel pin 72 axially to expose additional portions of the dowel pin 72. In some embodiments, a single severed dowel pin 72 is displaced axially multiple times. In some such embodiments, the method 800 includes repeating steps 808 of inserting the cutting tool 100, 810 of positioning the first and / or second basin portions 52, 806 of securing the first basin portion 52, and 812 of operating the rotating cutting surface 102 of the cutting tool 100. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the method 800 includes securing 816 the second basin portion 54 to the rotor assembly 22 using the second foot 58 of the second basin portion 54 prior to operating 812 the rotating cutting surface 102 of the cutting tool. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the method 800 includes securing 818 the second basin portion 54 to the first basin portion 52 using a basin lock, retaining 820 any debris generated by shearing of the dowel pin 72 within the receptacle 55, and / or replacing 822 the shim 60 with a shim having a first edge complementary to the receiving surface of the rotor assembly 22 and / or the spacer 80.

[0031] The above description of illustrated embodiments of the subject disclosure, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments and examples have been described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications are possible that are considered within the scope of such embodiments and examples, as will be recognized by those skilled in the relevant art. For example, parts, components, steps, and aspects from different embodiments, even if not described or depicted in the figures, may be combined or adapted for use in other embodiments. Thus, because certain changes can be made in the above-described invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention(s) involved herein, it is intended that all subject matter of the above description, as shown in the accompanying drawings, be interpreted merely as examples illustrating the inventive concepts herein, and not as limiting the invention.

[0032] In this regard, while the disclosed subject matter has been described in connection with various embodiments and corresponding figures, where applicable, it should be understood that other similar embodiments can be used, or modifications and additions can be made to the described embodiments, to perform the same, similar, alternative, or alternative functions of the disclosed subject matter without departing therefrom. Accordingly, the disclosed subject matter should not be limited to the single embodiment described herein, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the following appended claims. For example, references to "one embodiment" of the present invention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

[0033] In the appended claims, the terms "comprise" and "in" are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms "comprising" and "therein." Furthermore, in the following claims, the terms "first," "second," "third," "top," "lower," "bottom," "upper," and the like are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical or positional requirements on their objects. The terms "substantially," "generally," and "about" indicate conditions within reasonably achievable manufacturing and assembly tolerances relative to ideal desired conditions suitable for achieving the functional purpose of a part or assembly. Furthermore, no limitation in the following claims is written in means-plus-function form, and is not intended to be so construed, unless such a claim limitation expressly uses the phrase "means for" followed by a description of a function without further structure.

[0034] The foregoing includes examples of systems and methods that illustrate the disclosed subject matter. Of course, it is not possible to describe herein every combination of components or methodologies. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many additional combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Furthermore, to the extent that terms such as "comprise," "have," and "possess" are used in the detailed description, claims, appendices, and drawings, such terms are intended to be inclusive in the same manner as the term "comprising" is interpreted when employed as a transitional term in a claim. That is, unless expressly stated to the contrary, an embodiment that "comprises," "includes," or "has" an element or elements having a particular characteristic can include additional such elements that do not possess that characteristic. Furthermore, the articles "a" and "an," as used in the subject specification and appended drawings, should generally be interpreted to mean "one or more," unless otherwise specified or unless the context clearly indicates a singular orientation.

[0035] This written description uses examples to disclose certain embodiments of the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the embodiments of the invention, including making and using any devices or systems, and performing any methods incorporated therein. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements that do not differ substantially from the literal language of the claims.

[0036] Further aspects of the invention are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses. [Embodiment 1] 1. A guide for cutting a dowel pin of a rotor assembly, the guide including: a tray including a first tray portion and a second tray portion; and a shim, wherein the first tray portion and the second tray portion form a cutting tool receiver; the shim extends from a first edge having a cross-section complementary to a surface of the rotor assembly; the first tray portion and the second tray portion form a receptacle that receives and retains a portion of the dowel pin during and after removal from the rotor assembly; and the cutting tool receiver is defined by a receiving edge that guides a cutting surface of a cutting tool through the cross-section of the dowel pin. [Embodiment 2] A guide including a receptacle and / or shim defined by a surface complementary to the rotating cutting surface of the cutting tool. [Embodiment 3] A guide including a saucer portion and / or a second saucer portion including feet configured to releasably attach the saucer and shim to the rotor assembly. [Embodiment 4] A guide including a tray including a tray lock configured to secure the first tray portion to the second tray portion. [Embodiment 5] A guide that involves replacing a shim with a shim having a cross section complementary to another surface of the rotor assembly. [Embodiment 6] A guide including a receiving edge that guides the cutting surface of the cutting tool through the cross section of the dowel pin without penetrating the lock wire held in the rotor assembly by the dowel pin. [Embodiment 7] A guide including a receiving lip having a continuous edge that holds the rotating cutting surface of the cutting tool within the receptacle. [Embodiment 8] A guide containing a shim that contributes to the formation of a receptacle. [Embodiment 9] A guide including at least one basin portion extending to the basin tab to provide a point of contact between the rotor assembly and the at least one basin portion. [Embodiment 10] A guide including a receiving tab that defines an assembly groove that receives the rotor assembly. [Embodiment 11] A guide including a receiving tab that presses against the lockwire and serves as an engagement point. [Embodiment 12] A guide including at least one receptacle portion including a cutting slot to allow passage of the rotating cutting surface. [Embodiment 13] 1. A method for cutting a dowel pin in a rotor assembly, the method comprising: placing a shim on a receiving surface of the rotor assembly; placing a first receptacle on the shim; securing the first receptacle to the rotor assembly using feet of the first receptacle; inserting a cutting tool into a receiving edge of the first receptacle; placing a second receptacle on the shim to form a hollow receptacle with the first receptacle; and manipulating a rotating cutting surface of a cutting tool to pass through a cross section of the dowel pin so that the rotating cutting surface fits within the receptacle during operation of the cutting tool. [Embodiment 14] The method includes removing the first and / or second basin portions and displacing the severed dowel pin by inserting a tool into the opening that holds the severed dowel pin. [Embodiment 15] A method comprising repeating the steps of inserting a cutting tool, positioning a first receptacle portion and / or a second receptacle portion, securing the first receptacle portion, and manipulating a rotating cutting surface of the cutting tool. [Embodiment 16] The method includes securing the second basin portion to the rotor assembly using the feet of the second basin portion prior to actuating the rotating cutting surface of the cutting tool. [Embodiment 17] The method includes securing the second basin portion to the first basin portion with a basin lock. [Embodiment 18] The method includes retaining the foreign matter generated by shearing of the dowel pin within the receptacle. [Embodiment 19] The method includes replacing the shim with a replacement shim having a first edge complementary to a receiving surface of at least one of the rotor assembly and the spacer. [Embodiment 20] 1. A guide for cutting dowel pins for a rotor assembly, the guide including: a receiving tray forming a cutting tool receptacle; and a receptacle configured to receive and retain a portion of the dowel pin during and after removal of the dowel pin from the rotor assembly, the cutting tool receptacle being defined by a receiving edge that guides the cutting surface of the cutting tool through a cross section of the dowel pin, the receiving edge being a continuous edge that retains the rotating cutting surface of the cutting tool within the receptacle. [Embodiment 21] A guide including a tray including a first tray portion and a second tray portion. [Embodiment 22] The guide includes a shim extending from a first edge having a cross section complementary to a surface of the rotor assembly. [Embodiment 23] A guide including a first and / or second basin portion including feet configured to releasably attach the basin and shim to the rotor assembly. [Embodiment 24] A guide containing a shim that contributes to the formation of a receptacle.

Claims

1. 1. A guide for cutting a dowel pin of a rotor assembly, comprising: a tray including a first tray portion and a second tray portion, the first tray portion and the second tray portion forming a cutting tool tray; a shim extending from a first edge having a cross section complementary to a surface of the rotor assembly; the first and second basin portions form a receptacle configured to receive and retain a portion of the dowel pin during and after removal of the dowel pin from the rotor assembly; the cutting tool receiver is defined by a receiving edge configured to guide a cutting surface of a cutting tool through a cross section of the dowel pin; The aforementioned guide.

2. The guide of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the tray and the shim is defined by a surface complementary to a rotating cutting surface of a cutting tool.

3. The guide of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second basin portions further comprises a foot configured to releasably attach the basin and the shim to the rotor assembly.

4. The guide of claim 1 , wherein the tray further comprises a tray lock configured to secure the first tray portion to the second tray portion.

5. The guide of claim 1 , wherein the shim is replaced with a shim having a cross section complementary to another surface of the rotor assembly.

6. 2. The guide of claim 1, wherein the receiving edge is configured to guide a cutting surface of a cutting tool through the cross section of the dowel pin without penetrating a lock wire retained within the rotor assembly by the dowel pin.

7. The guide of claim 1 , wherein the receiving edge is a continuous edge that retains a rotating cutting surface of the cutting tool within the receptacle.

8. The guide of claim 1 , wherein the shim is configured to contribute to the formation of a receptacle.

9. The guide of claim 1 , wherein at least one basin portion extends to a basin tab configured to provide a contact point between the rotor assembly and the at least one basin portion.

10. The guide of claim 9 , wherein the receiving tab defines an assembly groove that receives the rotor assembly.

11. The guide of claim 9 , wherein the receiving tab presses against a lock wire and serves as an engagement point.

12. The guide of claim 1 , wherein at least one basin portion includes a cutting slot configured to receive and allow passage of a rotating cutting surface.

13. 1. A method of severing a dowel pin in a rotor assembly, comprising: placing a shim on a receiving surface of the rotor assembly; placing a first tray portion on the shim; securing the first tray to the rotor assembly using feet of the first tray; inserting a cutting tool into a receiving edge of the first receiving portion; placing a second pan portion over the shim to form a hollow receptacle with the first pan portion; and manipulating a rotating cutting surface of the cutting tool to allow passage through a cross section of the dowel pin; the rotating cutting surface is received within the receptacle during operation of the cutting tool; The method.

14. removing at least one of the first tray portion and the second tray portion; and inserting a tool into the opening that holds the severed dowel pin to displace the severed dowel pin. The method of claim 13.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising repeating the steps of inserting the cutting tool, positioning the at least one of the first and second basin portions, securing the first basin portion, and manipulating a rotating cutting surface of the cutting tool.

16. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising securing the second basin portion to the rotor assembly using feet of the second basin portion before operating the rotating cutting surface of the cutting tool.

17. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising securing the second pan portion to the first pan portion with a pan lock.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising retaining foreign matter generated by shearing of the dowel pin within the receptacle.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising replacing the shim with a replacement shim having a first edge complementary to a receiving surface of at least one of the rotor assembly and a spacer.

20. 1. A guide for cutting a dowel pin of a rotor assembly, comprising: a tray forming a cutting tool receiver and a receptacle configured to receive and retain a portion of the dowel pin during and after removal of the dowel pin from the rotor assembly; the cutting tool receptacle is defined by a receiving edge configured to guide a cutting surface of a cutting tool through a cross section of the dowel pin, the receiving edge being a continuous edge that retains the rotating cutting surface of the cutting tool within the receptacle; The aforementioned guide.

21. 21. The guide of claim 20, wherein the tray further comprises a first tray portion and a second tray portion.

22. 21. The guide of claim 20, further comprising a shim extending from a first edge having a cross section complementary to a surface of the rotor assembly.

23. 23. The guide of claim 22, wherein at least one of the first and second basin portions further comprises a foot configured to releasably attach the basin and the shim to the rotor assembly.

24. The guide of claim 22 , wherein the shim is configured to contribute to forming the receptacle.

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