Patent ID: 8496439

Claim:
A system for locking blades of a turbomachine to a rotor, the system comprising: an adjacent pair of generally axially extending grooves, spaced about a periphery of the rotor, each said groove for receiving a blade inserted in an axial direction; a circumferential slot disposed around the periphery of the rotor extending between said adjacent pair of grooves in an intermediate portion of the rotor; a locking device for locating in said circumferential slot between said adjacent pair of grooves; a spacer for locating in said circumferential slot adjacent to said locking device between said adjacent pair of grooves; a gap defined between opposing faces of said locking device and said spacer; and a thermally activated key member for locating in said gap, wherein an increase in temperature of said key member from a first temperature state to a second temperature state causes said key member to frictionally engage and press against said opposing faces to cause said locking device and said spacer to increase a force applied to a respective pair of blades in said adjacent pair of grooves.