1.-11. (canceled)
12. A unison ring assembly for an axial compressor casing, comprising:
a unison ring;
at least three unison ring supports being radial inwardly and equally spaced arranged along a circumference of the unison ring, wherein each unison ring support comprises an unison ring bracket fixed to the unison ring;
a slide bearing to be sliding along a slide face of an outer surface of the compressor casing; and
a resilient member being arranged between and coupled to the slide bearing and the unison ring bracket such that the unison ring is rotatable around the compressor casing by sliding the slide bearing along the slide face and to be centered free of clearance about the compressor casing,
wherein the resilient member is adapted to force the compressor casing and to accommodate radial displacement of the compressor casing.
13. The unison ring assembly according to claim 12, wherein the slide bearing is profiled to match an outer diameter of the compressor casing.
14. The unison ring assembly according to claim 12, wherein the resilient member comprises at least one slide pin with a first end supported at the unison bracket and a second end extending radial towards a centre of the unison ring together with an elastic element, the elastic element being arranged between the second end of the slide pin and the slide bearing.
15. The unison ring assembly according to claim 14, wherein the first end of the slide pin has a smaller diameter than the second end of the slide pin thereby forming a stop, and wherein the first end is fitted into a hole provided in the unison ring bracket such that the stop abuts against the unison rig bracket.
16. The unison ring assembly according to claim 14, wherein the resilient member comprises a first and second slide pin, the first slide pin being arranged together with a first elastic member and the second slide pin being arranged together with a second elastic member, and wherein the slide pins are arranged side by side in axial direction of the unison ring.
17. The unison ring assembly according to claim 15, wherein the resilient member comprises a first and second slide pin, the first slide pin being arranged together with a first elastic member and the second slide pin being arranged together with a second elastic member, and wherein the slide pins are arranged side by side in axial direction of the unison ring.
18. The unison ring assembly according to claim 16, wherein the slide bearing comprises a first collar and a second collar, wherein a second end of the first slide pin and the first elastic element are embedded by the first collar, and a second end of the second slide pin and the second elastic element are embedded by the second collar.
19. The unison ring assembly according to claim 17, wherein the slide bearing comprises a first collar and a second collar, wherein a second end of the first slide pin and the first elastic element are embedded by the first collar, and a second end of the second slide pin and the second elastic element are embedded by the second collar.
20. The unison ring assembly according to claim 16, further comprising:
a raising device adapted to raise the slide bearing towards the unison ring bracket thereby compressing the resilient member.
21. The unison ring assembly according to claim 20, wherein the raising device comprises
a web of the slide bearing being arranged between the first slide pin and the second slide pin, and
a compression screw forming a bolted connection between the unison ring bracket and the slide bearing adapted to fix the slide bearing to the unison ring bracket as well as to lift off the slide bearing from the unison ring bracket.
22. An axial compressor, comprising:
a casing; and
a unison ring assembly, comprising:
a unison ring;
at least three unison ring supports being radial inwardly and equally spaced arranged along a circumference of the unison ring, wherein each unison ring support comprises an unison ring bracket fixed to the unison ring;
a slide bearing to be sliding along a slide face of an outer surface of the compressor casing; and
a resilient member being arranged between and coupled to the slide bearing and the unison ring bracket such that the unison ring is rotatable around the compressor casing by sliding the slide bearing along the slide face and to be centered free of clearance about the compressor casing,
wherein the resilient member is adapted to force the compressor casing and to accommodate radial displacement of the compressor casing.
23. The axial compressor according to claim 22, wherein the slide bearing is profiled to match an outer diameter of the compressor casing.
24. The axial compressor according to claim 22, wherein the resilient member comprises at least one slide pin with a first end supported at the unison bracket and a second end extending radial towards a centre of the unison ring together with an elastic element, the elastic element being arranged between the second end of the slide pin and the slide bearing.
25. The axial compressor according to claim 24, wherein the first end of the slide pin has a smaller diameter than the second end of the slide pin thereby forming a stop, and wherein the first end is fitted into a hole provided in the unison ring bracket such that the stop abuts against the unison rig bracket.
26. The axial compressor according to claim 24, wherein the resilient member comprises a first and second slide pin, the first slide pin being arranged together with a first elastic member and the second slide pin being arranged together with a second elastic member, and wherein the slide pins are arranged side by side in axial direction of the unison ring.
27. The axial compressor according to claim 26, wherein the slide bearing comprises a first collar and a second collar, wherein a second end of the first slide pin and the first elastic element are embedded by the first collar, and a second end of the second slide pin and the second elastic element are embedded by the second collar.
28. The axial compressor according to claim 26, further comprising:
a raising device adapted to raise the slide bearing towards the unison ring bracket thereby compressing the resilient member.
29. The axial compressor according to claim 28, wherein the raising device comprises
a web of the slide bearing being arranged between the first slide pin and the second slide pin, and
a compression screw forming a bolted connection between the unison ring bracket and the slide bearing adapted to fix the slide bearing to the unison ring bracket as well as to lift off the slide bearing from the unison ring bracket.
30. A method for mounting a unison ring assembly on an axial compressor casing, comprising:
providing a unison ring assembly separate from an axial compressor casing with a slide face of an outer surface of the compressor casing, the unison ring assembly including
a unison ring,
at least three unison ring supports being radial inwardly and equally spaced arranged along a circumference of the unison ring, wherein each unison ring support comprises an unison ring bracket fixed to the unison ring,
a slide bearing to be sliding along a slide face of an outer surface of the compressor casing, and
a resilient member being arranged between and coupled to the slide bearing and the unison ring bracket such that the unison ring is rotatable around the compressor casing by sliding the slide bearing along the slide face and to be centered free of clearance about the compressor casing,
wherein the resilient member is adapted to force the compressor casing and to accommodate radial displacement of the compressor casing;
simultaneously compressing the resilient members of each unison ring support such that the slide bearings of every unison ring support define an inner diameter being at least equal or grater than the outer diameter of the slide face;
shifting the unison ring assembly in an axial direction of the compressor casing over the slide face; and
releasing the resilient members of each unison ring support such that the slide bearings abut on the slide face.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A method for generating a genetically engineered retinal pigment epithelial cell, the method comprising contacting a retinal pigment epithelial cell with a polynucleotide that encodes a glutathione-S-transferase under conditions effective for the uptake of the polynucleotide into the retinal pigment epithelial cell.
2. The method of claim 1 which is carried out in vivo.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the polynucleotide is incorporated into an expression vector.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the expression vector is selected from the group of a retrovirus, an adenovirus, a plasmid, and an adenoassociated virus.
5. A method for inhibiting the degeneration of a retinal pigment epithelial cell, the method comprising incorporating an exogenous polynucleotide into a retinal pigment epithelial cell, wherein the exogenous polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide useful in the inhibition of the degeneration of retinal pigment epithelial cells.
6. The method of claim 5 which is carried out in vivo.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the polynucleotide is incorporated into an expression vector.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the expression vector is selected from the group of a retrovirus, an adenovirus, a plasmid, and an adenoassociated virus.
9. The method of claim 5 wherein the polypeptide is a glutathione-S-transferase enzyme.
10. The method of claim 5 wherein the polynucleotide is selected from the group of a glutathione-S-transferase polynucleotide, a glutathione peroxidase polynucleotide, and a Bcl-2 polynucleotide.
11. A method for treating age-related macular degeneration in a subject, the method comprising incorporating an exogenous polynucleotide into a retinal pigment epithelial cell, wherein the exogenous polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide useful in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the polynucleotide is incorporated into an expression vector.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the expression vector is selected from the group of a retrovirus, an adenovirus, a plasmid, and an adenoassociated virus.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein the polypeptide is a glutathione-S-transferase enzyme.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein the subject is a mammal.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the subject is a human.
17. The method of claim 11 wherein the polynucleotide is selected from the group of a glutathione-S-transferase polynucleotide, a glutathione peroxidase polynucleotide, and a Bcl-2 polynucleotide.
18. The method of claim 11 which is carried out in vivo.
19. A retinal pigment epithelial cell comprising an exogenous polynucleotide that encodes a glutathione-S-transferase.
20. A method of delivering a polynucleotide to a subject’s eye, the method comprising delivering the polynucleotide to the subretinal space of the subject’s eye.
21. The method of claim 19 wherein the polynucleotide is delivered by injection of a liquid comprising the polynucleotide.
22. A method of inhibiting damage to a retinal pigment epithelial cell upon exposure to reactive oxygen intermediates, the method comprising incorporating a Bcl-2 gene into a retinal pigment epithelial cell.
23. A method of inhibiting damage to mitochondrial DNA in a retinal pigment epithelial cell upon exposure to reactive oxygen intermediates, the method comprising incorporating a Bcl-2 gene into a retinal pigment epithelial cell.