Abstract: A flexible coupling for connecting a pair of rotating elements, comprising a body part (10) adapted at each end to receive part of the rotating elements, and comprising four slits (20a) each slit being longitudinally and angularly spaced from the other slits, each slit terminating in a concave face (24). The invention provides advantages over known flexible couplings since the provision of arcuate and concave end faces on each slit produces an increased material overlap with adjacent slits which decreases variations in torsional stiffness but does not affect the flexibility of the coupling.

Abstract: A blade is locked into groove in the periphery of a turbo-machine rotor by forming mating notches in opposing faces of the blade root and groove so as to form a blind hole. At assembly, a slotted radial pin is installed into the blind hole so as to prevent axial motion of the blade root. The pin is rotated so as to align its slot with a slot formed along the length of the rotor groove. A retaining strip is slid into the rotor groove slot so that it extends through the slot in the radial pin, with a pre-bent end of the strip resting against one face of the rotor. A tab formed on the other end of the strip is bent against another face of the rotor so as to lock the retaining strip in place. At dis-assembly, one of the retaining strip tabs is unbent and the retaining strip slid out. The pin is then extracted, thereby allowing the blade to be removed.

Abstract: A pliant anchoring device (10) includes a pliant anchor (12) having a pliant pouch (14) and a pliant extension (16), a first rope (24) that is attached to a first attaching point (18), and a second rope (26) that is attached to a second attaching point (28). In use, disposable ballast (40) is placed in the anchor (12), and the anchor (12) is secured to a boat and lowered to the bottom (50) of a body of water. To retrieve the anchor (12), a tension force is put on the second rope (26) thereby repositioning the anchor (12) from a ballast-retaining position (54) to a ballast-dumping position (56), the ballast (40) is dumped from the anchor (12), and the anchor (12) is retrieved from the body of water.