Shell for explosive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9285199-B2
Application number	US-201314388730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2013
Priority date	Mar 28, 2012
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A booster shell, comprising: an elongate body defining a chamber for an explosive composition, the body comprising an upper end and a lower end; an inlet at the upper end of the elongate body adapted to allow an explosive composition to be delivered into the chamber; a detonator receiving passage adapted to receive a detonator, the detonator receiving passage: (a) extending within the chamber from the upper end of the elongate body to the lower end of the elongate body; (b) being integrally formed with the elongate body; and (c) including a detonator stop at or near to the lower end of the elongate body; and a detonator lead guide adapted to receive the lead of a detonator, the detonator lead guide: (a) extending from the upper end of the elongate body to the lower end of the elongate body and (b) being integrally formed with the elongate body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A booster shell, which comprises: an elongate body defining a chamber for an explosive composition, the elongate body having a bottom surface and defining a first upper opening, opposite the bottom surface, for receiving an explosive composition into the chamber;
a detonator receiving passage for receiving a detonator, the detonator receiving passage defining a second upper opening opposite the bottom surface and extending within the chamber from the second upper opening to a detonator stop opposite the second upper opening, the detonator stop being at least one of directly coupled to the bottom surface or integral with the bottom surface such that the second upper opening is the only opening to the detonator receiving passage; a detonator lead guide for receiving a lead of the detonator, the detonator lead guide defining a bottom opening in the bottom surface and a third upper opening opposite the bottom opening.

2. The booster shell of claim 1 , wherein:
the detonator receiving passage is integrally formed with the elongate body; and
the detonator lead guide is integrally formed with the elongate body.

3. The booster shell of claim 1 , wherein the detonator receiving passage is integral with an inner wall of the elongate wall along an entire length of the detonator receiving passage.

4. The booster shell of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a cap or a bung for sealing the first upper opening after the chamber is filled with the explosive composition.

5. The booster shell of claim 1 , wherein the detonator stop is integral with the detonator receiving passage.

6. The booster shell of claim 1 , further comprising a detonator retainer configured to couple the detonator to the detonator receiving passage to prevent the detonator from unintentionally falling out of the detonator receiving passage.

7. The booster shell of claim 6 , wherein the detonator retainer includes a series of resilient tabs that extend inwardly across the detonator receiving passage.

8. The booster shell of claim 1 , wherein the detonator lead guide is parallel to the detonator receiving passage.

9. The booster shell of claim 8 , further comprising a detonator lead recessed return disposed between the second upper opening and the third upper opening.

10. The booster shell of claim 1 , wherein the detonator receiving passage has a size such that the detonator receiving passage can fully enclose a detonator along its length.

11. The booster shell of claim 1 , wherein the detonator stop extends at least partially across a diameter of the detonator receiving passage.

12. The booster shell of claim 1 further comprising the explosive composition, the explosive composition having been cast into the chamber through the first upper opening.

13. The booster shell of claim 12 , further comprising a sensitizer explosive charge for increasing to increase initiation sensitivity provided in of the booster shell.

14. The booster shell of claim 13 , wherein the sensitizer explosive charge is provided in a sealed and thin-walled container.

15. A method comprising delivering molten explosive composition into a chamber of a booster shell via a first upper opening, the booster shell including: an elongate body defining the chamber, the elongate body having a bottom surface and defining the first upper opening opposite the bottom surface, a detonator receiving passage for receiving a detonator, the detonator receiving passage defining a second upper opening opposite the bottom surface and extending within the chamber from the second upper opening to a detonator stop opposite the second upper opening, the detonator stop being at least one of directly coupled to the bottom surface or integral with the bottom surface such that the second upper opening is the only opening to the detonator receiving passage; a detonator lead guide for receiving a lead of the detonator, the detonator lead guide defining a bottom opening in the bottom surface and a third upper opening opposite the bottom opening.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising of inserting the detonator into the detonator receiving passage via the second upper opening until an end of the detonator abuts against the detonator stop.

17. The booster shell of claim 1 , further comprising a bung coupled to the bottom surface, the bung including the detonator stop.

18. The booster shell of claim 1 , wherein the detonator stop is configured to abut a first end of a detonator, the first end of the detonator opposite a second end of the detonator having a detonator lead.

19. A booster shell, comprising:
a body portion having a perimeter wall and a bottom wall, the body portion defining a chamber configured to receive an explosive composition poured into the chamber via a first upper opening defined by the perimeter wall, the upper opening opposite the bottom wall;
a detonator passage wall disposed within the perimeter wall, a bottom end of the detonator passage wall being at least one of directly coupled to the bottom wall or integral with the bottom wall such that the detonator passage wall defines a detonator passage mutually exclusive from the chamber, an upper end of the detonator passage wall defining a second upper opening such that a detonator can be inserted into the detonator passage via the second upper opening; and
a detonator stop, the detonator stop being at least one of directly coupled to the bottom wall or integral with the bottom wall such that the second upper opening is the only opening to the detonator passage.

20. The booster shell of claim 19 , further comprising a top cap configured to be coupled to the perimeter wall, the top cap configured to collectively cover the first upper opening and the second upper opening,
the top cap defining a first cap opening such that an explosive composition can be poured into the chamber via the first upper opening and the first cap opening,
the top cap defining a second cap opening such that the detonator can be inserted into the detonator passage via the second upper opening and the second cap opening.

21. The booster shell of claim 20 , further comprising a filler port bung configured to be coupled to the top cap, the chamber being a closed volume when the top cap is coupled to the perimeter wall and the filler port bung is coupled to the top cap.

Assignees

• Orica Int Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Beikoff Bradley Kevin

Classifications

• F42B3/00

  Blasting cartridges, i.e. case and explosive (fuse cords, e.g. detonating fuse cords C06C5/00; chemical aspects of detonators, blasting caps or primers C06C7/00) · CPC title

• F42B3/26

  Arrangements for mounting initiators; Accessories therefor, e.g. tools · CPC title

• F42D1/043

  Connectors for detonating cords and ignition tubes, e.g. Nonel tubes (mounting of detonators in blasting cartridges F42B3/26) · CPC title

• F42C19/08 Primary

  Primers (initiators for blasting cartridges F42B3/10; ignition means for rocket engine plants F02K9/95); Detonators · CPC title

• F24D3/04

  with the water under high pressure · CPC title