Detonation safety mechanism
AssigneeThe Marconi Company Limited
InventorRobert C. M. Watson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A safety device for use in the detonation of explosives, mines etc. Explosives are commonly detonated by a two stage operation, an explosive pellet is moved from a safe to an active position and then a hammer or electrical charge is fired to detonate the pellet. Failure of the second stage operation leaves the explosive in an unsafe condition, since the hammer or charge might fall as the fault is being investigated. The invention provides movement of the pellet from one safe position to another continuously and through an active position. If the hammer fails to fall as the pellet passes through the active position the device will assume a safe condition.
Claims11
A safety mechanism for use in the detonation of an explosive charge and comprising a carrier, there being a first and a second safe position and an intermediate active position for said carrier, triggering means for detonating said charge and motive power means for urging the carrier continuously from said first safe position through said active position to said second safe position, the mechanism permitting detonation of said charge only while said carrier is occupying said active position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.