Patent ID: 8684697

Claim:
A nozzle assembly for a turbine, the nozzle assembly comprising: at least one airfoil having an integral inner sidewall and an integral outer sidewall; an inner ring mechanically coupled to the inner sidewall at an interface including an upstream side interface and a downstream side interface wherein the upstream side interface includes one of a hook interface and a weld interface and wherein the downstream side interface includes one of the other of a hook interface and a weld interface; an outer ring mechanically coupled to the outer sidewall at an interface including an upstream side interface and a downstream side interface wherein the upstream side interface includes one of a hook interface and a weld interface and wherein the downstream side interface includes one of the other of a hook interface and a weld interface; the hook interface between the outer ring and outer sidewall being formed with either a projection or a complimentary recess on the upstream face of the outer sidewall wherein a downstream face of the outer ring includes the other of the projection and the complimentary recess; the hook interface between the inner ring and inner sidewall being formed with either a projection or a complimentary recess on the upstream face of the inner sidewall wherein the downstream face of the inner ring includes the other of a projection and the complimentary recess; a mechanical radial stop at the interface of the outer sidewall and the outer ring, where the mechanical radial stop is configured to maintain the airfoil in a correct radial position; and near line-to-line contact on at least one radial surface of the interface between the outer sidewall and the outer ring and on at least one radial surface of the interface between the inner sidewall and the inner ring, and wherein the hook recess interface between the outer ring and outer sidewall and the hook interface between the inner ring and inner sidewall each comprise a center recess and a partially enclosed hook engagement recess, with the center recess is defined between a ring projection, hook retainer, and ring projection, so the center recess is sized to accept a length of the forward projection.