Patent ID: 7427187

Claim:
A nozzle assembly for a turbine comprising: at least one nozzle blade having inner and outer sidewalls and, in part, defining a flowpath upon assembly into the turbine; an outer ring and an inner ring; said outer ring having one of a (i) male projection straddled by a pair of radially outwardly extending female recesses or (ii) a female recess straddled by a pair of radially inwardly extending male projections; said outer sidewall having another of a (i) female recess straddled by a pair of radially outwardly extending male projections or (ii) a male projection straddled by a pair of radially inwardly extending female recesses enabling interlocking engagement between said outer ring and said outer sidewall and against relative axial displacement; said outer ring and said outer sidewall being welded to one another and said inner ring and said inner sidewall being welded to one another, wherein the axial extent of said weld between said outer ring and said outer sidewall is less than ½ of the axial extent of the registration between the outer ring and the outer sidewall.