Patent ID: 8327646

Claim:
A method of retaining impingement sleeve parts in a gas turbine combustor, comprising: providing an impingement sleeve comprised of abutted said impingement sleeve parts, a junction of said impingement sleeve parts extending longitudinally along said impingement sleeve; disposing a forward sleeve to substantially encircle a forward end of the impingement sleeve; disposing a retainer member to overlie at least a portion of a length of said junction, said retainer member having first and second axial end edges and first and second side edges, said first and second side edges being disposed generally in parallel with said junction and said first and second axial end edges being disposed substantially transverse to said junction; and welding said retainer member to at least one of said impingement sleeve and said forward sleeve, wherein at least one of said first and second axial end edges of said retainer member has a cutout defined therein, said retainer member being disposed and welded so that said cutout generally overlies said junction.