Packaging systems with sizing mandrels and related devices that can operate at reduced pressures suitable for low temperature explosives emulsions
AssigneeTipper Tie, Inc.
InventorKuo-Raid Grant Chen
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Abstract
Apparatus, systems, devices, methods with thin walled sizing mandrels that are capable of packaging low temperature explosives emulsions at high volumes and lower pressures. The packaging systems can include a rotating table having a vertical column comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart clippers; a pump; and a tubular sizing mandrel in fluid communication with the pump. The tubular sizing mandrel has a downstream end segment that merges into a segment with a plurality of radially spaced apart, longitudinally extending flat outer surfaces, the flat surfaces can be bounded laterally (circumferentially) by chamfered edges.
Claims35
A packaging system comprising:
- a rotating table having a vertical column comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart clippers;
- a pump;
- and
- a tubular sizing mandrel in fluid communication with the pump, the tubular sizing mandrel having a first most downstream end segment that merges into a second segment with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, longitudinally extending flat outer surfaces, the flat surfaces bounded laterally by vertices.
A horn assembly suitable for a packaging system for low temperature explosives emulsion, comprising:
- a tubular sizing mandrel having a downstream end segment that merges into a segment with 5-8 circumferentially spaced apart, longitudinally extending flat outer surfaces, with at least some of the flat surfaces bounded laterally by a shared vertex or chamfered edges;
- and
- a horn assembly end member attachable or attached to an end portion of the tubular sizing mandrel.
A method of packaging explosives emulsion, comprising:
- providing a packaging system with a rotating table holding a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart clippers in communication with a horn assembly comprising a sizing mandrel;
- pumping explosives emulsion at a low temperature into the sizing mandrel while having a maximum operating pressure of 11 bars;
- encasing the pumped emulsion in tubular film;
- then
- directing the encased pumped emulsion under the rotating table to be aligned with respective clippers;
- then
- applying clips from the clippers to the encased pumped emulsion to form packages of the encased pumped emulsion;
- and
- producing greater than 200 (typically between 250 and 350) clipped tubular packages of the encased pumped emulsion per minute over a shift to thereby have rapid packaging operations without requiring shutdown for overpressure conditions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.