Explosively-separated tongue and groove joint
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorHarvey R. Jewett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pair of structural members are coupled by a tongue and groove joint hav a groove half and a tongue half. To secure the joint, bolts extend transversely through aligned bolt holes and, on each side of the tongue half holes, are so-called `collapsing` slots. A linear explosive is placed in the base of the groove near the inner end of the tongue. The metal thickness of the tongue lying between the explosive and its holes and slots forms a `web` which, upon detonation, collapses into the slots. The collapse stretches the web portion adjacent the bolt holes sufficiently to produce a rupture or opening through which the bolts pass to permit separation of the structural members. The separation also is responsive to the explosive force so that the members are accelerated apart in opposite directions.
Claims10
Explosively separated tongue and groove coupling apparatus comprising:
- a groove member having laterally spaced leg portions forming a longitudinally-extending tongue-receiving groove,
- a tongue member fitted into said groove,
- at least one laterally-extending bolt means securing said members,
- explosive means disposed between said members, and
- means for detonating said explosive means,
- both of said members being provided with aligned bolt-receiving holes and at least one of said members being formed with a plurality of slots disposed longitudinally of said member in close proximity to a bolt-receiving hole,
- said explosive means operatively spanning the length of said plurality of slots and being spaced from said slots and bolt holes by a beam-like web portion of the tongue member,
- detonation of said explosive means collapsing said web portion adjacent each of said slots for opening each bolt hole and said detonation further providing a force for driveably separating said members with each bolt freely passing through its opened bolt hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.