Patent ID: 8328511

Claim:
A turbine nozzle comprising: radially inner and outer bands joined to opposite ends of an airfoil; said outer band including forward and aft hooks extending radially outwardly therefrom at axially opposite ends, with each hook having a corresponding axially extending rail; said forward rail including a circumferentially concave inner surface, and said aft rail including a circumferentially convex outer surface; and said forward and aft rails have different prechorded circumferential curvatures; said inner surface of said forward rail is defined by an arcuate portion of a first circle of curvature having a first local radius and said inner surface bows radially inwardly from the circumferential middle thereof to position circumferentially opposite ends closer to said outer band than said middle thereof; said outer surface of said aft rail is defined by an arcuate portion of a second circle of curvature having a second local radius different from the first local radius, and said inner surface bows radially inwardly from the circumferential middle thereof to position circumferentially opposite ends closer to said outer band than said middle thereof; and wherein said inner surface of said forward rail and said outer surface of said aft rail are nonconcentric with said outer band.