Line charge sympathetic detonation arrestor

Abstract

A detonation arrestor cuts the detonating cord of a dud line charge to prevent the pressure wave from a nearby explosion from sympathetically detonating the dud line charge. A housing of the detonation arrestor has a transverse passageway to receive the detonating cord of the dud line charge and an axial bore intersecting the passageway. A cutter piston having a cutter blade is disposed in the bore and is sized to permit axial displacement by a shallow dish-shaped diaphragm spring. The diaphragm spring has its center adjacent to one end of the cutter piston and laterally extends from the bore to be secured to the housing along its round periphery in a sealed relationship. The diaphragm spring is formed in the configuration of a Belleville spring from a spring material providing strength, rigidity, and spring modulus to snap to an extended position when displaced to a position past an over center position by an impinging pressure wave. When the diaphragm spring is displaced by the impinging pressure wave to snap to the extended position, it axially displaces the cutter piston in the bore to cut the detonating cord with the cutter blade and arrest detonation of interconnected ordnance.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.