Patent ID: 8636474

Claim:
A rotor assembly comprising: i) a plurality of rotor discs interconnected by an axially extending rim, the outside of the rim having a circumferential array of dovetail slots and the underside of the rim having a circumferential channel which extends radially part way into the slots the respective discs thus being interconnected axially across the channel by an array of circumferentially spaced connecting portions; ii) an array of blades, each blade having a blade root secured in a respective one of the dovetail slots; and iii) an annulus filler assembly, having: an annulus filler supported on the outside of rim, between adjacent blades, so as to form part of the inner wall of a respective flow annulus, the annulus filler additionally being anchored on the underside of the rim by an anchor element which is connected to the annulus filler through a clearance hole in a respective one of the connecting portions, wherein the annulus filler is supported on the outside of the rim by a radially-extending spacer element forming part of the annulus filler assembly, the relative circumferential width of the spacer element and the annulus filler being such that the spacer element allows for rolling movement of the annulus filler under a circumferential load, wherein the spacer element is a separate component from the annulus filler, the spacer element being fixed to the anchor element through the clearance hole in the connecting portion, and the annulus filler being fastened to the spacer element through one or more bores in the annulus filler, wherein the spacer element is a pillar seated end-on over the clearance hole, the base of the pillar being screwed to the anchor element through the clearance hole thereby to clamp the pillar onto the outside of the connecting portion, and the opposite end of the pillar being provided with either a threaded hole or bolt which engages respectively with a corresponding bolt or nut through a bore in the annulus filler thereby to secure the annulus filler to the pillar.