Patent ID: 7713007

Claim:
A method for securing curved wind turbine rotor blades for at least one of storage and transport, the wind turbine rotor blades each having a root, a tip, and a convex face, said method comprising: aligning a plurality of blades such that the root of a first blade is adjacent the tip of a second blade and the convex face of the second blade is adjacent the first blade; connecting an end frame of a retaining apparatus to the root of the first blade, the retaining apparatus including a connecting frame rotatably coupled to the end frame, a tip protection cover rotatably coupled to the connecting frame, and a turnbuckle coupled between the end frame and the connecting frame; positioning the tip protection cover of the retaining apparatus at least partially around the tip of the second blade; and operating the turnbuckle of the retaining apparatus to draw the tip of the second blade toward the root of the first blade.