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US 2015/0308796 A1Published application
Method and device for micro blasting with reusable blasting rods and electrically ignited cartridges
OwnerDana Raymond Alleninventor
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OwnerDana Raymond Alleninventor
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A apparatus, method and system to electrically ignite small explosive cartridges in boulders, bedrock, concrete and other materials so as to split the material into smaller pieces or to shape it. To ignite the propellant or other explosive charge electrically by melting at high temperature a bridge wire(s) or bridge ribbon(s) with electrical current which can be AC or DC. The bridge melts normally at over 2,000 degrees F. which will ignite the propellant or explosive. With sufficient voltage and amperage such as standard 110 volt AC wall current ionization takes place along the pathway of the melted bridge and a large electrical arc forms that ignites the propellant or explosive with even higher certainty as electrical arc temperatures are often over 5,000 degrees F. When the propellant or explosive is ignited at higher temperature there are known beneficial effects for increased blast power. The blast with this apparatus and method is tamped with a reusable blasting rod with an external groove for a blasting wire to fit into so electrical current can be supplied to the cartridge in the borehole. The blasting rod is normally attached to a counterweight or blasting head for better tamping and has a cradle on top for rocks or other heavy objects to be placed on top for even better tamping through the Newton Kinetic effect.
An apparatus and method for igniting propellants and low explosives comprised of a very thin inert metallic or non-metallic bridge wire(s) or bridge ribbon(s), with one example being but not limited to three 0.001″×0.003″ stainless steel ribbons, that melt at well over 2,000 degrees F. that allows for standard 110 volt AC electrical current from a standard wall source, a generator source or a inverter source, or any source and also DC current of similar voltage and amperage from any source to arc the gap as the air is ionized and more conductive after the heating caused by the melting inert bridge wire, thus being able to jump a much larger gap and producing a higher heat, often over 5,000 degrees F., than would be possible without the bridge wire(s) ribbon(s) first melting and thus igniting with greater certainty the propellant or low explosive charge that said bridge wire(s) or ribbon(s) is buried in and the higher initiation temperature of the arc can increase the explosive power of propellants and low explosives and the said bridge wire(s) or ribbon(s) can work with less than and more than the standard 110 voltage in AC or DC and has the precise timing benefits of exploding bridge wires (EBWs) in terms of igniting a plurality of charges simultaneously, although it does not generate detonation as EBWs do with high explosives and said bridge wire(s) or ribbon(s) are immune from normal static electricity being able to cause accidental ignition.
An apparatus and method as described in (1) that allows for a very wide range of electrical sources to ignite propellants and low explosives by another method, whereby the bridge wire(s) or ribbon(s) melts and thus ignites the propellant or low explosive by the heat of the melting which is normally over 2,000 degrees F., which can be achieved with as small of an electrical current as two 1.5 volt AA batteries in series producing 3 volts and depending on amperage this melting without an large arc being produced after the said bridge melts can take place up to and over 24 volts and will still reliably ignite propellants and low explosives.
A method of igniting propellants and explosives faster by having the igniter/detonator placed in the center of the explosive charge as this is twice as fast for total combustion of the explosive charge than igniting/detonating the charge from one end which produces more energy and pressure faster especially in blasting systems where the tamping allows some of the expanding gases to escape through gaps or by pushing the tamping material out.
An apparatus and method consisting of an explosive cartridge which can be water resistant that has a tube with an explosive/propellant charge in it that has end caps and is electrically fired by a two conductor wire connected to an internal inert electrical igniter on one end of the wire as described in claim (1) and to an electrical source on the other end and that other end can be outside the borehole in a rock or other materiel to be split or blasted with a reusable tamping rod or non-reusable tamping material to provide containment of the blast.
An apparatus and method that provides a reusable tamping of an explosive cartridge or charge consisting of a blasting rod attached to a blasting head or counterweight and having an external groove in the blasting rod for a small electrical wire to fit into that is used to fire the explosive cartridge contained by this reusable tamping apparatus in the borehole with minimal gas blow-by past the blasting rod.
An apparatus and method as described in (5) that also has a nipple on the blasting rod end that the blasting cartridge fits snugly over to create an assembly for easy placement of the cartridge and blasting rod into the borehole and extraction of said cartridge and blasting rod if the user so desires.
An apparatus and method as described in (5) that also has a cradle such as a rubber ring on top of the blasting head so that a rock, brick or other object can be placed on top and remain on the top of the blasting head even if the blasting head is at a moderate angle so that not only is the weight on the rod higher for better tamping, the Newton Kinetic effect can also be utilized when the blast takes place which transfers the energy to the rock or other object on top which flies upward thus allowing the blasting head to remain in place longer which reduces the below the blasting rod space in the borehole which increases the pressure generated from the same size cartridge and this cradle can be made of a soft or rubbery material to aid user safety.
An apparatus and method as described in (5) that also permits an electrical source (blast cord) to be attached to said blasting head and for the electricity from that blast cord to be transferred to the blasting wire that goes into the blasting cartridge by a quick connect method and apparatus such as the push terminals described in the specification and said blasting head can have a blasting head plug protector rod to protect the electrical connection from being damaged by dropping or rock strikes.
A multiple blasting head electrical igniter apparatus and method that utilizes a electrical distributor and or electrical connectors on the blast cords that can be piggybacked so that a plurality of blasting heads can be fired simultaneously with great timing precision as the igniter method in claim (1) allows, so that intersecting shock wave planes can be generated in the rock or other materials being blasted or split and the power of all the blasts is exerted together for improved splitting ability.
A blasting system and method consisting of an electrical trigger of any type including a switch, connected to a electrical power source, or any other method that when triggered sends electrical current which can be AC or DC down an extension cord so as to provide for the user to be a safe distance from the blast and that extension cord connects to a distributor for a plurality of blasting heads/boreholes or to a single blasting head through blast cords that connect to blasting wires attached to blasting cartridges tamped with reusable blasting rods and heads and those said blasting wires fit into an external groove in the blasting rod to protect the blasting wires and increase containment and those blasting wires connect to an inert igniter in the blasting cartridge which is filled with an explosive material or propellant that ignites when the electrical current arrives which generates significant pressure, as it is contained by the blasting rod in the borehole, which normally leads to the boulder or other material being split into two or more pieces.
A method of increasing the power of the blast created by the apparatus described in claim (4) by pouring water or other liquid into the borehole as this decreases the air space in the space below the blasting rod and increases the tamping effect as liquids are non-compressible and are harder to push past the blasting rod borehole gap than air is, and this is possible as the blasting cartridge apparatus in claim (4) is easily made in a water resistant manner.
A method and apparatus to allow upside down blasting by having a elastic cord or clinched rope or similar attached on one end to the blasting head/blasting rod as described in claim (5) and anchored on the other end to an anchor bolt, tree or other object to anchor to so as to prevent the blasting head/blasting rod from falling out of the borehole due to gravity.
A method and apparatus to tether the blasting head/blasting rod so as to prevent it from flying dangerously out of the borehole or being lost when next to a river or a cliff or other hazard consisting of an elastic bungee cord, rope or cable that is attached on one end to anchor bolt or similar stationary object and on the other end to the blasting head/blasting rod.
A method and apparatus to increase the blasting power of this invention by the addition of booster cartridges that are similar in diameter, container type and propellant or explosive material to the cartridge described in claim (4) that can be placed in the borehole before the primary cartridge as described in claim (4) is inserted into the borehole, with said booster cartridge not requiring an igniter or blasting wire as said booster cartridge is reliably ignited by the ignition of the primary, cartridge described in claim (4) or similar blasting device, even if it is submerged underwater and the said booster cartridge is not limited numerically to one, as two, three or more booster cartridges may be added and all will ignite when the primary cartridges as described in claim (4) especially if the blast wire is cut off first.
A method and apparatus consisting of the blasting rod in claim (5) also having threads in the rod so if the rod get stuck in the rock/concrete it can be screwed out by hand or by wrench and those same threads provide additional turbulence so as to slow down escaping gases from the borehole for better containment during the blast.
A method and apparatus consisting of the blasting rod in claim (5) also having a blast hole shield to protect the electrical components from dust and damage and this blast hole shield can be so made so as to pivot on the blast rod to get it out of the way then pivot it to protect the electrical components before the blast.
A method of increasing the blasting power of this invention by drilling the borehole deeper than required to fit the cartridge(s) and blasting rod and filling the void underneath the cartridge(s) with water or other liquid so a column of liquid is created beneath the primary and or booster cartridges, which do float, or can be taped together and by doing so potentially the same pressure of the blast can be exerted over a longer column than the cartridges, as liquids are incompressible, and potentially the blast tension on the material being split or blasted could be doubled with the same amount of explosive charge if the total below blasting rod borehole length is doubled and this increase is variable depending on the amount a additional water column and this method of drilling past the cartridge placement has an additional advantage of weakening the rock/material being blasted as it removes more of the material next to the explosive force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.