Patent ID: 8662852

Claim:
A steam turbine comprising: at least one rotor wheel comprising a male tangential entry dovetail around a peripheral circumference further including a swing axial-entry closure slot interrupting the female tangential entry dovetail around the peripheral circumference; a plurality of tangential entry buckets populating the male tangential entry dovetail around the peripheral circumference of the rotor wheel; and a swing axial-entry dovetail closure bucket configured to seat in the swing axial-entry closure slot; wherein: the swing-axial entry bladed closure bucket comprising: a blade including a tip shroud; a platform; and a root fitted to the closure slot for the rotor wheel, the root comprising a swing axial-entry male dovetail including a plurality of hooks and grooves providing a radial curvature in a vertical plane and the swing-axial entry dovetail closure bucket includes a radius of curvature for the plurality of hooks and grooves in the vertical plane comprising a length corresponding approximately to the active length of the blade.