EA043434B1 - AUTOMATED SYSTEMS AND DEVICES FOR STORING, TRANSPORTING, DISTRIBUTION AND TRACKING INITING DEVICE COMPONENTS CONFIGURED FOR INITIATING COMPOSITIONS OF EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS - Google Patents

Description

Field of technology to which the invention relates

Aspects of the present invention relate to a system including a set of motorized, mechanized, automated or automated devices configured to hold, store, carry, transport and dispense, which allow automated or automatic tracking of initiation device components corresponding to initiation devices (wired and/or or wireless) that are configured or configured to initiate explosive compositions, for example, explosive compositions loaded into blast holes in connection with commercial blasting operations.

State of the art

Traditional magazine devices used to carry explosive initiation device components may be poorly suited for handling and dispensing explosive initiation device components or explosive initiation devices, for example, in semi-automatic, automated or autonomous explosive loading systems.

In addition, traditional magazine devices and associated systems may not be sufficient to facilitate the determination of whether specific components of an explosive initiation device or explosive initiation device can be properly and safely stored and dispensed in the field.

It is desirable to eliminate or correct one or more deficiencies or limitations associated with the prior art, or at least provide a useful alternative.

The essence of the invention

Disclosed here is a system that includes:

a magazine (e.g., 100, 101, 100X) configured to hold and dispense initiation devices (e.g., 81) or initiation device components (e.g., 10, 20, 50) having corresponding contactless readable identification (ID) codes, the magazine includes one or more initiating device tracking unit(s) configured to read contactless codes of initiating devices or initiating device components for tracking initiating devices or initiating device components.

The system may include a data transmission unit connected to the proximity scanning/reading devices, whereby IDs read by the proximity scanning/reading devices can be transmitted to an external or remote destination, network/network address, computer system, or electronic/computing device (system remote servers) separate or different from the store.

Each of the initiating device components may include an initiating device head unit that carries a head unit ID code (e.g., an optical head unit code or a head unit RFID tag), a initiation element that carries an initiating element ID code (e.g., an optical an initiation element code or an initiation element RFID tag), and a booster unit of the initiation device that carries a booster unit ID code (eg, an optical booster unit code or a booster unit RFID tag); and the initiation devices may comprise monoblock detonation units, each of which carries a detonation unit ID code (eg, an optical detonation unit code or an RFID detonation unit tag).

The initiating device tracking unit(s) may be configured to read contactless codes of one or more of the initiating device components to track, for example, the initiating device head unit, the initiating element, and/or the initiating device booster unit.

The system may be configured to generate an alert if the tracking unit(s) of the initiating device have read a contactless code that is not recoded as ready for distribution.

Non-contact read identification (ID) codes can uniquely identify components (corresponding head unit, initiation element, booster unit and one-piece detonation unit, for example, including a serial number allocated during component manufacturing).

The contactless readable identification (ID) codes may be in the form of RFID tags, and the initiating device tracking unit(s) may include RFID scanning/reading devices.

At least one of the initiation device components may be wireless initiation device components, or the initiation devices may be wireless initiation devices.

The system may include one or more antennas configured to wirelessly transmit commands to trigger devices or trigger device components stored in the magazine.

The one or more antennas may include an antenna remote from the store or an antenna located adjacent to or carried by the store.

Disclosed herein is a method including:

retaining initiation devices or initiation device components having associated contactless readable identification (ID) codes (eg, RFID tags) in a store;

distributing initiation devices or initiation device components from a store; and reading contactless identification (ID) codes (eg, RFID tags) while the initiation devices or initiation device components are stored in and/or dispensed from the store.

Disclosed herein is a device including:

a magazine configured to hold, carry, and dispense structurally complete, unitized initiation devices (e.g., 80, 81) for loading into a hole, the magazine including at least one carrier (e.g., 110) for carrying the unitized initiation devices and for direction of the unitary initiating devices during dispensing, wherein the carrier includes at least one slot, wherein the slot is configured to carry the unitary initiating devices through a first length portion of each unit initiating device, wherein the first magazine includes one or more helical guide structures ( for example, 300) to carry the unit initiation devices through the second length of each unit initiation device and to guide the unit initiation devices during dispensing.

The at least one slot may include an inner or bottom surface proximal to a centroid or center point of the media, and each slot may include an exit opening at the outer edges of the media.

The helical guide structures may be positioned relative to the carrier to establish or provide helical channels/travel paths for unitary initiation devices held by the slots, and the helical channels/travel paths may be configured to carry the initiating devices such that rotation of the carrier relative to the helical guide structures in the direction dispense moves the uniform initiation devices along the spiral channels/travel paths and along the slots to the magazine outlet.

The apparatus may include a hole cover structure to facilitate loading of the initiation devices into the magazine.

The device may include a housing structure for at least partially enclosing the carrier and spiral guide structures, optionally including an explosive container-type shell for enclosing the first housing structure.

The apparatus may include a drive shaft for driving a magazine to dispense the initiation devices.

The device may include a plurality of store initiation devices.

The device may include an antenna configured to wirelessly transmit commands to trigger devices carried by the magazine.

Disclosed herein is a vehicle including a device securely mounted or mounted on the vehicle for transport to a location near or directly in a hole (eg, 5a).

Disclosed herein is a method including:

holding multiple unified initiation devices in a store;

moving a plurality of unitized initiation devices along the helical channels/travel paths and along the magazine slots to the magazine outlet; and dispensing one of a plurality of unified initiation devices from the store, and optionally loading the unified initiation device into the hole.

The system, apparatus, and method are capable of holding, storing, carrying, transporting, dispensing, and automatically tracking initiation devices and initiation device components corresponding to initiation devices that are configured or configured to initiate explosive material compositions, such as explosive material compositions loaded into blast holes in connections with commercial blasting operations. The system includes a set of mechanized, mechanized, automated, or automated devices configured to hold, store, carry, transport, and dispense that allow automated or automated tracking of wireless initiation device components corresponding to wireless initiation devices that are configured or configured to initiate compositions of explosive materials, for example, compositions of explosive materials loaded into blast holes in connection with commercial blasting operations.

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Brief description of drawings

Certain embodiments of the present invention are described below, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1A-C show specific aspects of the initiation device components that facilitate tracking of the initiation device component;

fig. 2 and 3A-3S show specific aspects of a first magazine device or magazine in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention (dimensions in millimeters, mm);

fig. 4 illustrates specific aspects of a first magazine device/magazine coupled to an associated assembly device in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

fig. 5 illustrates specific aspects of a second magazine device in accordance with other embodiments of the present invention that is configured to carry one-piece initiation devices, for example, that are fully assembled or exist as unitary or unitary devices prior to being loaded into the second magazine device;

fig. 6A illustrates specific aspects of a system for storing, transporting, dispensing, and tracking initiation device components and/or initiation devices in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 6B shows additional aspects of the system;

fig. 7 is a diagram of a vehicle including a magazine device and an associated assembly device;

fig. 8A-C are cross-sectional end views of two initiation device components carried in a spiral guide structure to an outlet; and fig. 8D is an end cross-sectional view of one of the two initiation device components dispensed from the outlet of the spiral guide structure of FIG. 8A-C.

Detailed description

In this specification, unless the context otherwise requires or requires, any use of the word contain and its variations, such as contains or containing, are intended to include the specified element or operation or group of elements or operations, but not to exclude any other element or operation or group elements or operations.

Reference in this specification to any previous publication (or information derived therefrom), or to any known material, is not, and should not be construed as, an endorsement or acceptance or any form of suggestion that the previous publication (or information derived therefrom) or The known material forms part of the ordinary general knowledge in the field of technology to which this description of the invention relates.

As used herein, the term set corresponds to or is defined as a non-empty finite arrangement of elements that mathematically exhibits a cardinal number of at least 1 (i.e., the set defined herein may correspond to a block, a singlet, or a set of a single element, or a set of multiple elements), according to with known mathematical definitions (for example, as described in An Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning: Numbers, Sets, and Functions, Chapter 11: Properties of Finite Sets (for example, as listed on page 140), by Peter J. Eccles, Cambridge University Press (1998)). Thus, the set includes at least one element. In general, an element of a set may include or be one or more portions of a system, device, device, structure, object, process, physical parameter or value depending on the type of set being considered.

Here, according to one or more embodiments, for example, embodiments, various embodiments, many embodiments, some embodiments, multiple embodiments, some embodiments, some embodiments, specific embodiments, specific embodiments, or multiple embodiments, shall not or do not mean or imply all embodiments.

The drawings included herein demonstrate aspects of non-limiting illustrative embodiments in accordance with the present invention, and specific elements shown in the drawings may be illustrative in nature in that they are not shown to scale or strictly to scale with respect to each other, and/or may be implemented by different or in multiple ways. A description of a given element or a discussion or use of a particular element number in a particular drawing or reference to it in related descriptive material may cover it, an equivalent, analogous, substantially similar or analogous element or element number identified in another drawing or associated descriptive material . The presence of / in the drawing or in this text should be understood in the sense of and/or, unless otherwise indicated. The listing of a specific numerical value or range of values herein presumably includes or is a listing of an approximate numerical value or range of values,

- 3 043434 e.g. in +/-20, +/-15, +/-10, +/-5, +/-2.5, +/-2, +/-1, +/-0.5 or +/-0%. The term substantially or substantially all may indicate a percentage, or a percentage greater than or equal to 90%, for example, 92.5, 95,

97.5, 99 or 100%.

Review.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to a system including at least one device whereby trigger devices (including wireless trigger devices, partially/partially wireless or partially/partially wired trigger devices and wired trigger devices) that configured or configured to initiate explosive compositions (e.g., tertiary explosive compositions such as ammonium nitrate (AN) emulsion explosives and/or other types of bulk tertiary explosive compositions) used in commercial blasting operations, may be stored or transported ; to be taken out, released, distributed or thrown away; and automatically or semi-automatically monitored, for example, in conjunction with hole loading procedures or operations in which one or more types of explosive material compositions are loaded into holes drilled into a geological formation, as well as initiation devices configurable or configured to initiate such explosive material compositions.

A device configured to store or transport and retrieve, release, dispense or eject, and provide automatic or semi-automatic tracking of trigger devices so carried in accordance with specific embodiments of the present invention may be referred to herein as a (wireless or wired) trigger device magazine , (wireless or wired) initiation device store or just a store.

The wireless initiator can communicate via low frequency or ultra low frequency signals that can propagate through the earth (TTE) to distances from the blast control system (or blasting machine) to enable one or more types of commercial blasting operations (e.g., rock blasting). surface/open cut and/or underground mining and blasting). The partially/partially wireless or partially/partially wired initiation device may include a top container or ring component that is connected by one or more wires to a downhole component that includes a detonator/initiation element and a blasting cap, and the top container may be configured with radio communications capability, such as standard protocols using radio signals that travel through the air to a blasting machine for similar commercial blasting operations. For brevity and clarity, partly/partly wireless or partly/partly wired trigger devices are covered herein by the terms wireless trigger devices or wired trigger devices. A wired initiation device may communicate over one or more wires, such as a harness, over distances to a blasting machine, allowing one or more types of commercial blasting operations (e.g., surface/open pit blasting and/or underground mining). - blasting operations).

In some, although not all, embodiments, the initiator device includes at least two components, namely, a first or head unit, which includes a communication/control unit (which itself is configured to be wireless or wired, respectively) connection with a blasting system) that is connected or capable of being connected to an element or initiation device (for example, a detonator or ignition light source); and a second or booster unit which carries the explosive booster charge which the initiation device is designed to initiate. In some wired initiation devices, the head unit may be referred to as the assembly detonator. Depending on the details of the embodiment, in wireless trigger devices and wired trigger devices, the trigger element may be connected to or included in either a head unit or a booster unit, for example, attached to or included in a corresponding unit forming one fragment (e.g., a combined fragment, relative to this head or booster unit) for (on-site) storage, assembly and use. When the head unit and the booster unit are connected or securely assembled or coupled together, they form a structurally complete or unified initiation device, for example, which may be defined as a (wireless or wired) explosive detonation unit, a (wireless or wired) detonation unit, ( wireless or wired) blasting cap, or (wireless or wired) detonator. Due to the encoding process, the assembled initiation device becomes fully functional/operational and is loaded into the hole along with one or more explosives, after which the initiation device can initiate and/or detonate the explosive material(s) in the hole. An illustrative example of such a wireless initiation device designed for MI-based communications is the WebGen® initiation device manufactured by Orica International Pte Ltd, Singapore, as described in US Patent Publication No. 4043434 20180231361, entitled Wireless Initiation Device, published August 16, 2018 .

In other embodiments, prior to being loaded or inserted into a magazine device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the wired or wireless initiation device already exists in the form of a pre-assembled, unitary or single piece/single piece design, for example, which does not require additional assembly, for example, a wired or wireless initiation device in the form of a monobloc detonator and which includes a light source for igniting or igniting the explosive, i.e. optical, for example, laser or light-emitting diode (LED), device or element for initiating an explosive, for example, described in US patent, publication number 20130098257, entitled Method of Blasting, published April 25, 2013; and/or in US Patent No. 10,113,843, entitled Apparatus, System, and Method for Initiation of Buried Explosives, issued October 30, 2018.

In view of the above, a properly coded/fully functional (wireless or wired) initiating device can (whether wirelessly or wired) receive instructions/commands from remotely located blast control equipment, such as a blast control system, and process and selectively execute such instructions/commands in conjunction with facilitating or providing commercial blasting operations. The detonation control system may communicate with wireless and wired initiation devices to send a detonation command, such as command signals selected from the group consisting of: arming signals, dearming signals, firing signals, delay times, and ignition codes. . In response to a specific instruction/command or sequence of instructions/commands (e.g., a fire command or a fire command in conjunction with a previous command that set the delay time), a set of initiation devices may be activated to explosively initiate one or more types of explosive material compositions located around or near or adjacent to the initiating device(s).

Additional aspects of initiation device components.

Initiation device components, such as wired or wireless initiator head units and/or wired or wireless initiator booster units or wired or wireless detonation units, carry or include contactless readable identification (ID) codes, including: electronically scannable/ readable elements/circuitry in and/or on them, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags; and/or optically scannable/readable features (optical marks) thereon, such as one-dimensional (1D) codes (barcodes) or two-dimensional (2D) codes (QR codes). Non-contact read identification (ID) codes can be read or scanned without direct physical contact with initiation device components, allowing them to be read with less accuracy than would be required for placement of contact electrodes, etc. Non-contact readable identification (ID) codes uniquely identify the components (corresponding head unit 10, initiation element 20, booster unit 50 and one-piece detonation unit 81), such as a serial number assigned during component manufacturing.

In fig. 1A shows a diagram of an initiator head unit 10 and an initiator booster unit 50, which carry a head unit RFID tag 15 and a booster unit RFID tag 55, respectively. Each RFID head unit tag 15 stores an electronically readable code that uniquely identifies the initiating device head unit 10; and each booster unit RFID tag 55 stores an electronically readable code that uniquely identifies the initiating device booster unit 50, in a manner as would be understood by those skilled in the art. Depending on the details of the embodiment, the head unit RFID tag 15 may be located within the head unit 10, or in or on the surface of the head unit housing 10. Likewise, the booster unit RFID tag 55 may be located within the booster unit 50, or in or on the surface of the housing. booster unit 50. As shown in FIG. 1A, an initiation element 20, such as a detonator or ignition light source, is coupled to or is capable of being/connected to the head unit 10 in a manner as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The initiation element 20 may carry an RFID initiation element/detonator tag 25, which stores an electronically readable code that uniquely identifies the initiation element 20. Fig. 1B shows an assembly initiation device 80 (e.g., configured or configured to communicate wirelessly) in which the head unit 10 and the booster unit 50 are securely assembled, coupled, or connected to each other such that the initiation element 20 is also connected to or located in the booster unit 50, which allows it to carry out explosive initiation of one or more types of compositions of explosive materials in the booster unit 50 through the initiation element 20, under the control of the head unit 10.

In fig. 1C shows a diagram of a one-piece initiation device, such as a one-piece detonation block 81, which carries a detonation block RFID tag 85 that stores an electronically readable code that uniquely identifies the detonation block 85, and which may be located within the detonation block 85 or in or on the surface of the detonation block housing. block 85.

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Such RFID tags 15, 25, 55, 85 facilitate processes, procedures or operations for tracking a trigger device component by systems, devices and/or devices in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

Instead of or in addition to the RFID tags 15, 25, 55, 85, the corresponding head unit 10, initiation element 20, booster unit 50 and one-piece detonation unit 81 may include or carry optically scanned/readable elements (optical tags). The optical tags include and represent the same or similar types of readable codes that uniquely identify the components (the corresponding head unit 10, initiation element 20, booster unit 50, and monobloc detonation unit 81).

General aspects of the magazine device.

A wireless or wired magazine device for initiation devices, which for purposes of simplicity and clarity may be referred to herein as a magazine device or magazine, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention is movable, portable, or transportable/rollable, for example, typically securely mounted or mounted on a piece of equipment or a vehicle that supports or carries out blasthole loading procedures, and is transported/rolled by equipment or vehicle to a location near or at which blasthole loading with explosive compositions and initiation devices is to occur. As disclosed herein, it may be advantageous to (a) reduce or minimize (i) the number of moving parts in a magazine device to simplify design, reduce cost, and improve mechanical reliability of the magazine device and/or (ii) the weight of the magazine device to increase its transportability while maintaining also the designated, practical or adequate (b) level of structural integrity of the magazine device, and (c) the total transfer capacity of the initiation devices in the magazine device. The initiating device magazines of the present invention may provide or realize at least some of these advantages.

In some embodiments, a magazine device configured to carry and dispense components or initiation devices includes or is contained in an enclosure designed in accordance with regional or national requirements established by one or more countries for convenience containers and/or shipping containers for explosives. Thus, a magazine device for trigger devices in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may also be referred to as or located in a daily use container and/or a shipping container of wired or wireless trigger devices.

Aspects of the first magazine device.

The first magazine device in accordance with embodiments of the present invention is configured to carry, transport, and combine the initiator head units 10 and booster units 50, and facilitate tracking of such initiator device components.

A first initiating device assembly device in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may receive a head unit and a corresponding booster unit from a magazine device for initiating devices, and automatically assemble or securely combine the head unit and the booster unit to form a structurally complete or unified initiating device, e.g. which is shown and described in US Patent Publication No. 20180231361. For simplicity and clarity, the initiator assembly apparatus may be referred to herein as an assembly apparatus, an assembly unit, or an assembler.

In fig. 2 shows a diagram of a first (wireless or wired) magazine device for initiation devices (or dual magazine) 100X configured to carry/hold and dispense initiation devices 80 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. According to an embodiment, the first magazine device 100 includes a first device that can be defined as a magazine device or an initiating device head unit magazine 100H; and a second device, which may be defined as a magazine device or a magazine 100B of booster units of the initiating device. The head block magazine 100H is configured to hold/carry and dispense the head blocks 10 of the initiating device; and the booster unit magazine 100B is configured to hold/carry and dispense the initiation device booster units 50, such that the given initiation device head unit 10 is output or dispensed by the magazine device 100H, and the given initiation device booster unit 50 is output or dispensed by the magazine device 100B may be assembled together by an assembly device, such as those described in detail below, to form a given structurally complete or unified initiation device 80, which may be a wireless initiation device.

In various embodiments, the initiator head 10 has an overall or maximum length, and an overall or maximum cross-sectional area or diameter; The initiating device bead block 50 has an overall or maximum length and an overall or maximum cross-sectional area or diameter; and, when assembled, the initiation device 80 has an overall or maximum length and an overall or maximum cross-sectional area or diameter. A portion of the initiating device head block 10, such as its initiating element 20, may be inserted into the channel of the initiating device booster block 50 when assembling the initiating device 80, in a manner as will be understood by those skilled in the art. Alternatively, a portion of the initiating device booster block 50, such as its initiating element 20, may be inserted into the channel of the initiating device head block 10 when assembling the initiating device 80.

In various parts of the text and specific accompanying drawings, the suffix h or H appended to or appended to the reference numeral of a given element indicates a head unit magazine element 100H; and the suffix b or B appended or appended to the reference numeral of that element indicates a corresponding or equivalent element of the booster unit magazine 100B. However, in various embodiments, the head unit magazine 100H and the booster unit magazine 100B internally include or are internally composed of substantially the same or the same types and/or numbers of structural elements, but the shape(s), size(s) ) and/or size(s) of specific structural elements typically differ between the head unit magazine 100H and the booster unit magazine 100B due to differences in mass, shape, size and/or size between each head unit 10 and each booster unit 50. Therefore, portions of the following description relate to the major structural aspects of the magazine device “100” in accordance with multiple embodiments of the present invention, which relate to each of the head unit magazine 100H and the booster unit magazine 100B. Those skilled in the art will appreciate how the shape(s), size(s) and/or dimension(s) of the structural elements of the head unit magazine 100H and the booster unit magazine 100B can be provided, formed and/or implemented as described below.

In fig. 3A is an exploded perspective view of a first magazine device or magazine 100 in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. In fig. 3B is a front view of a first magazine assembly or magazine 100 in accordance with multiple embodiments of the present invention into which firing device head blocks 10 or firing device booster blocks 50 are loaded depending on whether the first magazine 100 is a head block magazine 100H or a magazine 100B booster blocks, respectively.

The magazine 100 has a central or longitudinal axis 102 about which multiple structural elements of the magazine 100 are jointly aligned or aligned. The central axis 102 of the magazine 100 may be defined to be parallel to or extending along a spatial z-axis corresponding to a coordinate system defined by the orthogonal x, y and z axes, in a manner as understood by those skilled in the art.

In numerous embodiments, the magazine 100 includes or is internally composed of substantially the following structural elements, for example, when assembled and/or operated:

1) a carrier 110 for carrying the initiation device components 10, 50 and for guiding the initiation device components 10, 50 during dispensing;

2) a drive shaft 200 for driving a magazine 100 for carrying and dispensing initiation device components 10, 50;

3) a set of helical guide(s) structure(s) 300 for carrying the initiation device components 10, 50 and for guiding the initiation device components 10, 50 during dispensing in conjunction with the carrier 110;

4) a housing structure 400 for at least partially enclosing the carrier 110 and the spiral guide(s) structure(s) 300;

5) a removable or detachable opening cover structure 500 to allow loading of the initiation device components 10, 50 into the carrier 110 and the spiral guide structure(s) 300;

6) a driving mechanism with a motor 600 for rotating the drive shaft 200;

7) an explosive container type shell 700 to enclose the housing structure 400 according to the requirements of a daily use container/transport container for explosives; And

8) a set of initiation device tracking units configured to read ID codes (for example, RFID tags 15, 25, 55, 85) of initiation devices 81 and/or components 10, 20, 50 in stores 100, 101 to provide automatic or semi-automatic tracking of wireless initiation devices 81 and/or components 10, 20, 50.

1. 110 movable/rotating media.

The movable/rotating carrier 110 exhibits a disk-shaped or cylindrical spatial profile, geometry or shape and includes a plurality of elongated recesses, channels or grooves 120 formed therein through its disk-shaped spatial profile.

- 7 043434 fil. Each slot 120 has a longitudinal length (or depth) across cross-sectional portions of the carrier 110, for example, from the outer or outer edge or opening 124 of the slot 120 corresponding to a portion of the outer edge 114 of the carrier 110 to the inner or bottom surface 125 of the slot 120 closer to the centroid or center point of the carrier 110. Throughout its depth, each slot 120 is configured to carry and hold or lock each of the initiation devices 10 through a specific portion of the length of the initiation device, where the specific portion is the middle portion between the longitudinal ends of the initiation device, or the specific portion includes itself at least one end portion of each wireless component of the originator device. As shown in FIG. 3D and F, the slots 120 include slots that differ from each other in depth: for example, having a first slot depth capable of holding 5 blocks in the slot 120, a second slot depth capable of holding 4 blocks in the slot 120, a third slot depth capable of holding 3 blocks in groove 120; and a fourth slot depth capable of holding 2 blocks in slot 120. The shallower slots are located between the two deeper slots, as shown in FIG. 3D and F.

The carrier 110 can be described as a support plate or a support wheel since its axial thickness is substantially less than its diameter, for example, like a cart wheel. This axial thickness essentially constitutes a certain portion of the length of the initiation device.

Specifically, in various embodiments, the carrier 110 has a generally flat, approximately flat or planar first, frontal or anterior exposure surface 116f that is parallel to a first spatial plane, eg, an x-y plane corresponding to orthogonal spatial axes x and y; and a generally flat, approximately flat or planar second, reverse, rear or rear exposure surface that is also parallel to the first spatial plane. The carrier 110 has a thickness corresponding to or specified by the distance(s) between its front exposure surface 116f and its rear exposure surface 116r, for example, along the z-axis. The carrier 110 has a predetermined diameter or cross-sectional area coverage of the front and/or rear exposure surfaces 116f, r. The carrier 110 also has a central opening 112 in which the center point of the carrier 110 is positioned such that the center point of the carrier is aligned with the central axis of the magazine 100 parallel to the z-axis. The carrier 110 is capable of rotating, for example, in a clockwise and/or counterclockwise direction, relative to the central axis 102 of the magazine.

Additionally, with respect to the aforementioned slots 120, each slot 120 has a length or depth that extends in a direction parallel to the first spatial plane and transverse or perpendicular to the central axis 102 of the magazine. Specifically, the depth of each slot 120 extends radially relative to the magazine center axis 102, from a slot outlet or opening 124 corresponding to a particular portion of the outer edge 114 of the carrier 110 to a slot bottom surface 125 located at a predetermined distance from the magazine center axis 102. . Each slot 120 has a thickness that extends through or through the thickness of the media, for example, the thickness of each slot 120 matches or equals the thickness of the media 110. The axial thickness of the slot 120H, B is sufficient to transfer a specific area, i.e. middle section of the end section. In addition, each slot 120 has a width parallel to the first spatial plane that is slightly larger than the outer area or cross-sectional diameter (e.g., the maximum outer area or cross-sectional diameter) of the portion, section, or segment of the device component initiation, for example, of the initiator head unit 10 or the initiator booster unit 50 that the slot 120 is designed to hold. Each slot 120 thus prevents the lateral movement(s) or movement(s) of the initiator components held by the slot 120 outside the groove width 120.

This slot 120 is typically configured to carry and hold or lock multiple initiation device components throughout the depth of the slot. In various embodiments, not all slots 120 are the same depth; that is, some slots 120 have a greater or lesser depth than other slots 120. In such embodiments, although the exit opening 124 of each of the slots 120 is located at substantially the same radial distance from the central axis 102 of the magazine, and extends to the outer edge 114 of the media 110, the bottom surfaces 125 of some slots 120 are radially closer to the magazine center axis 102 than the bottom surfaces 125 of other slots 120. Therefore, when all slots 120 are fully loaded with initiation device components, some slots 120 may carry and secure or hold more initiation device components. than the other slots 120. Additionally, the slots 120 need not all be evenly spaced relative to each other around the periphery of the media. In particular, in view of the foregoing, grooves 120 can be cut or formed into the carrier 110 in such a way as to maximize the number of initiation devices 80 that the magazine 100 can carry, while minimizing the overall mass of the carrier 110 while ensuring that the carrier 110 remains structurally stable or exhibits sufficient structural integrity, for example, when the magazine 100 carries the full load of the initiation devices 80, including when the carrier 110 undergoes rotational motion.

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The carrier 110 may have substantially hollow brackets 121 between adjacent slots 120, and the formation of the hollow brackets may make the carrier 110 lighter than in the case of solid brackets, for example, as shown in FIG. 3E.

2. Drive shaft.

An elongated drive shaft or shaft 200 extends through a central carrier opening 112. The long or longitudinal axis of the shaft 200 coincides with the longitudinal axis 102 of the magazine. The shaft 200 is capable of securely connecting, coupling or attaching to the carrier 110, for example, in and/or around the central hole 112 of the carrier, such that the longitudinal axis of the shaft and the longitudinal axis 102 of the magazine are aligned or coincident, and rotation of the shaft 200 about its longitudinal axis rotates the carrier 110 around the corresponding longitudinal axis 102 of the magazine. Therefore, rotation of the shaft 200 rotates the carrier 110.

3. Spiral guide(s) structure(s).

A set of helical guide structures 300, which typically includes or consists essentially of a first or front helical guide structure 300f located in front of or opposite and adjacent to the exposed front surface 116f of the media, and a second or rear helical guide structure 300r located behind or behind and adjacent the exposed back surface 116r of the carrier, is configured to establish or provide a helical channel/path 342 of movement for components of the initiation device held by the grooves 120 of the carrier as the carrier 110 rotates, for example, in response to rotation of the shaft 200. In various embodiments, implementation, The helical guide structure(s) 300 must not or does not rotate about the longitudinal axis 102 of the magazine, e.g., the helical guide structure(s) remain remains stationary during the rotation of the carrier.

Each set of helical guide structures 300 is positioned or fixed relative to a corresponding support 110 such that the helical guide structures 300 can be rotated about the axis of their helix relative to the corresponding support 110, but such that the helical guide structures 300 are fixed at a selected axial distance from the corresponding support 110 such that the helical guide structures 300 jointly carry the components of the initiating device with the corresponding carrier 110 despite their relative rotation, for example, under the influence of the motor 600 causing the carrier 110 to rotate.

Each helical guide structure 300 has a centroid or center point that is located at a central hole or hole 312 of the helical guide structure 300, where the central hole of the helical guide structure 312 is aligned with or aligned with the central media hole 112 such that the longitudinal axis 102 of the magazine and the longitudinal axis of the shaft 200 are jointly aligned with the central hole 312H.

In fig. 3C is a perspective view of the front helical guide structure 300f in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the perspective view is taken in a direction from the underside 302 of the front helical guide structure 300f to the front or outer surface 304 of the helical guide structure 300f.

According to FIG. 3A and C, as the carrier 110 rotates in the direction of dispensing the initiation components/devices, the initiation device components, such as the initiation device head blocks 10 or the initiation device booster blocks 50, carried by the magazine 100 follow or move (e.g., slide) along the helical channel/path 342 of movement in a gradual and/or index mode, where the components of the initiation devices carried by the magazine 100 are gradually moved (a) about the longitudinal axis 102 of the magazine, and (b) radially outward from the central axis 102 of the magazine. As a particular set of initiation device components held throughout the depth of a given slot 120 is rotated about the helical channel/movement path 342 in the dispensing direction, each initiation device component held by the slot 120 is gradually moved in a radially outward direction from the magazine longitudinal axis 102 toward the outlet has 124 grooves.

In particular, with respect to the foregoing, each helical guide structure 300f, r has a centroid or center point located at a central hole 312 through which the shaft 200 can pass, and which is co-aligned with the central hole 112 of the carrier 110. Therefore, each helical guide structure 300f , r is co-aligned with the carrier 110. Each helical guide structure 300f, r includes a helix-shaped support member 340 that projects perpendicular to the first spatial plane, for example, along the z-spatial axis, towards the support member 110. The support member 340 in the helical shape provided by the front helical guide structure 300f provides or establishes the front helical channel/travel path 342; and a helical-shaped support member 340 provided by the rear helical guide structure 300r provides or establishes the rear helical channel/movement path 342. The front and rear helical guide structures 300f, r and their helical-shaped support members 340 are jointly aligned with each other, with the carrier 110 positioned therebetween, such that the initiation device components are in the slots

- 9 043434

120 can smoothly move along a conventional or uniform helical channel/travel path 342 corresponding to or defined as a co-aligned front helical channel/travel path 342 and a rear helical channel/travel path 342 as the carrier 110 rotates.

The magazine 100 includes axial separations between adjacent relatively rotating elements (i.e., the carrier 110 and its adjacent helical guide structures 300f, r), including axial separations in the form of a forward axial separation between the carrier 110 and the front helical guide structure 300f , and a rear axial separation between the carrier 110 and the rear helical guide structure 300r. These axial separations are large enough to ensure that the relatively rotating elements remain separated to avoid or reduce interference between adjacent elements which could result in unwanted friction, heat and/or damage, and/or enable the rotating elements to be manufactured to increased tolerances. The axial separations are sufficiently small to avoid or mitigate the blocks 10, 50 from falling or moving into the axial separations. The axial separations may be from 1 to 20 mm, for example substantially from 2 to 5 mm. The axial separation may be conical, decreasing as it approaches the axis and increasing as it moves away from the axis, for example to provide greater axial movement or bending of the radially outer portions relative to the rotating elements.

With respect to a particular portion (i.e., middle portion or end portion) of a given initiation device component, such as the initiation device head unit 10 or the initiation device booster unit 50, that is retained in the media slot 120, the given helical-shaped support member 340 is contemplated. configured to support another different portion of the initiating device component along the helical channel/travel path 342 provided or mounted by the helical shaped support member 340. When a particular portion (carried in carrier 110) is a middle portion, the other different portion includes two end portions to opposite longitudinal ends of the initiation device: i.e. there may be one carrier 110 between two helical guide structures 300f, b. When a particular portion (carried in carrier 110) includes one or both end portions, the other different portion includes the middle portion: i.e. there may be one helical guide structure between the two carriers 110.

As indicated in FIG. 3C, the front helical guide structure 300f includes a plurality of openings or openings 350 in its front or outer surface 304. Specifically, the front helical guide structure 300f includes a plurality of holes 350 that are positioned or positioned along a cross-sectional region of the front helical guide structure. 300f so as to match or directly match the organization/pattern and depths of the slots 120 provided by the carrier 110. For the head block magazine 100H, the initiating device head blocks 10 can be loaded or inserted into the head block magazine 100H by inserting the head blocks 10 into and through the holes 350 of the front spiral guide structure 300f of the head unit magazine into specific grooves 120 of the head unit magazine carrier 110. Accordingly, for the booster block magazine 100B, the initiating device booster blocks 50 may be loaded or inserted into the booster block magazine 100B by inserting the booster blocks 50 into and through the holes 350 of the front helical guide of the booster block magazine structure 300f and into specific slots 120 of the booster block magazine carrier 110 . Because in some embodiments, the slots 120 may not all have the same depth and may not all be evenly or equidistantly spaced from each other about the magazine longitudinal axis 102, the carrier 110 of the head unit magazine 100H and the booster unit magazine 100B may be required to rotate to a loading position. to load a maximum number of head units 10 into the head unit magazine 100H and booster units into the booster unit magazine 100B, respectively.

As indicated in FIG. 3C, the helix-shaped support member 340 includes an exit guide segment or section 344 proximal to its tip that guides or guides components of the initiator device toward the outlet including the outlet(s). 345 of the front helical guide structure 300f as they exit or are ejected from the helical channel/path 342 of movement.

4. Housing design.

The housing structure 400 at least partially surrounds the carrier 110 and typically each helical guide structure 300, for example, the carrier 110 and each of the front and rear helical guide structures 300f, r are at least partially enclosed by the cover structure 400. The housing structure 400, which may be referred to as a circular housing or circular housing structure, typically has an elliptical or circular cross-section parallel to the above-mentioned first spatial plane. The housing structure 400 includes an outlet portion in the form of an ejection hole 402 at its lower portion corresponding to the outlet guide section 345 of each helix-shaped support member 340.

- 10 043434

After the initiating device head block 10 in the head block magazine 100H or the initiating device booster block 50 in the booster block magazine 100B is moved around the helical channel/moving path 342 in the head block magazine 100H or the booster block magazine 100B, respectively, and passes along the helical channel/ path 342 of movement and its achievement of a maximum radial distance from the longitudinal axis 102 of the magazine and alignment with the ejection hole 402 of the housing structure, it can exit the head unit magazine 100H or the booster unit magazine 100B, additionally, respectively, for example, simply by the force of gravity acting on him.

5. Removable/detachable cover design.

Some embodiments further include a removable or detachable cover structure 500 that may cover the front spiral guide structure 300f to facilitate or provide secure retention of initiation device components carried in the magazine 100. The cover structure 500 may be removably attached to portions of the structure 400 cover and/or front helical guide structure 300f, for example, fastening means (eg, screws and/or secure latches), in a manner as understood by those skilled in the art. When the cover structure 500 is removed, the initiation device components can be loaded into the magazine slots 120.

The lid structure 500 also has a centroid or center point that is located at a central hole or opening 512 of the lid structure 500, where the central hole 512 of the lid structure is aligned or aligned with the central hole 112 of the media.

6. Propulsion mechanism(s)/motor(s).

For a given magazine 100, its shaft 200 may be coupled to a driving mechanism including a motor 600, for example, and a chain or belt coupled to the motor 600, in a manner as will be understood by those skilled in the art. Activation of the motor 600 rotates the shaft 200, which accordingly rotates the carrier 110, which accordingly moves the initiation device components located along the slots 120 around the unitary helical channel/path 342 of movement. When a given initiation device component reaches the ejection port 402, it can exit the magazine 100 due to the force of gravity acting on the component. Depending on the embodiment and/or situational details, the motor 600 may be located at any of several different locations on, corresponding to, or associated with the magazine 100 or the equipment or vehicle 7000 configured to transport the magazine 100.

In view of the foregoing, it may be noted that the shaft 200 may pass through co-aligned openings in each of the rear helical guide structure 300r, the carrier 110, the front helical guide structure 300f, and possibly the removable cover structure 500. The shaft 200 may be supported in this central hole by a support assembly 205, in a manner as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

Additionally, in view of the foregoing, during operation of the magazine, for example, with which the initiation device components move in a gradual and/or index mode along the helical channel/movement path 342, and then the initiation device components are withdrawn or ejected from the magazine 100, in some embodiments, only The moving or rotationally movable elements or parts of the magazine 100 within the housing structure 400 are the shaft 200 and the associated carrier 110. In such embodiments, when the carrier 110 is rotated by the shaft 200, each helical guide structure 300 and housing structure 400 remain stationary with respect to the rotational motion the carrier 110 and the shaft 200. As the shaft 200 rotates the carrier 110, the cover structure 500 typically also remains stationary with respect to the rotational movement of the carrier 110 and the shaft 200.

The driving mechanism may apply between 1,000 oz-in (6.9 m-N) and 100,000 oz-in (690 m-N) of torque to the shaft 200. The motor 600 may have a maximum acceleration/starting torque of substantially 140 oz-in. in. (0.96 m-N) and after-acceleration torque is substantially 20 oz.-in. (1.38 m-N), and the engine 600 may include a 100:1 gear ratio and a 3:1 belt drive ratio. Therefore, the torque on shaft 200 may be substantially 140 x 100 x 3 = 42,000 oz-in (2898 m-N) for acceleration, and substantially 20 x 100 x 3 = 6,000 oz-in (414 m-N) after acceleration.

7. Construction of the shell or body of a daily use container/shipping container.

In various embodiments, the magazine device or magazine 100 includes or is located in the shell structure or shell 700 of a utility container/shipping container (which may be referred to as a container shell or explosive container-type shell), for example, the head assembly magazine 100H includes or is in

- 11 043434 of the corresponding shell structure 700h of the daily use container/shipping container of the head unit magazine, and the booster unit magazine 100B includes or is located in the corresponding shell structure 700b of the booster unit magazine of the container/shipping container. Each Convenience Container/Shipping Container shell structure 700 must meet the regional and/or national requirements of one or more States, multi-State regions, countries and/or multi-country regions for Convenience Containers and/or Shipping Containers for explosives. The container/shipping container shell structure 700 includes a plurality of wall structures or walls 710 that surround the above-described elements of the magazine 100, where each wall 710 is formed from one or more layers of material(s) and/or material compositions that satisfy such requirements. to containers for everyday use/transport containers for explosives.

A daybox/shipping container may include a 0.12 inch (0.003 m) thick outer wall of stainless steel, an inner layer of 1/2 inch (0.0125 m) thick A/C grade plywood, and a a 1/2 inch (0.0125 m) thick layer of drywall, such as IME SLP-22 (Institute of Explosives Manufacturers) daybox requirements.

The utility container/shipping container shell structure 700 may include an initiator component ejection opening 760, for example, along portions of its bottom wall 710u, for example, which may be configured to interface with an assembly device, such as those described below. The utility container/shipping container shell structure 700 may include a powered or automated door device 770 having a door structure or door 775 configured to be selectively opened when an initiation device component is ejected or released from the magazine 100, such as into an assembly device, and otherwise remain securely closed. Such door device 770 may include or be coupled to a linear movement mechanism 772, such as a linear actuator, configured to selectively open and close the door 775, in a manner as understood by those skilled in the art.

Each utility/shipping container shell structure 700 typically includes a removable/openable wall structure 710, such as a front or front wall structure 710f, that can be removable and/or hinged away from other wall structures 710 of the utility/shipping container shell structure 700 container to provide access to the removable magazine cover structure 500 such that the initiation device components can be loaded into the magazine slots 120. The front wall structure 710f may be securely and removably attached to a plurality of other wall structures 710 using fasteners (eg, screws) and/or secure latches, in a manner as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

8. Initiation device tracking unit(s).

In various embodiments, the magazine 100 further includes initiation device tracking unit(s) in the form of one or more radio frequency (RF) code readers, such as RFID code readers, and/or in the form of one or more optical code readers eg 1D or 2D code readers for reading barcodes or QR codes.

The magazine 100 may include RFID code readers and an RFID scanning/reading unit 1000, for example, which includes a power source, such as a set of batteries (eg, rechargeable batteries) and/or a connection to a line power source. The RFID code readers may take the form of an array of RFID scanning/reading devices 1100 configured to read RFID tags 15, 25, 55, 85, portable initiation device components that are located in the magazine 100. Specifically, each scanning/reading unit 1000 The RFID includes at least one RFID scanning/reading device 1100 having a processing unit (eg, a microprocessor or microcontroller); a memory in which program instructions executed by the processing unit (eg, a control program) and data including RFID read by each RFID scanning/reading device 1100 are stored; and a data transmission unit 1200 connected to the RFID scanning/reading devices 1100, such as, in several embodiments, a wireless communication unit 1200, whereby RFIDs read by the RFID scanning/reading device(s) 1100 can be transmitted to an external or remote destination , network/network address, computer system, or electronic/computing device separate or distinct from the store 100. The number of RFID scanning/reading devices 1100 provided by the RFID scanning/reading unit 1000 is selected or installed such that the RFID scanning/reading devices 1100 can accurately identify all initiation device components held in the media slots 120 in a consistent/reliable manner, regardless of

- 12 043434 whether the slots 120 of the magazine 100 are fully or partially loaded with components of the initiation device, or are completely empty when the carrier 110 is stationary, as well as when the carrier 110 rotates about the longitudinal axis 102 of the magazine. In some embodiments, the array of RFID scanning/reading devices 1100 includes four RFID scanning/reading devices 1100 carried by a removable cover structure 500, such as located on its inner surface that faces the front helical guide structure 300f, where the device 1100 RFID scanning/reading is configured to accurately and reliably detect and read RFID components of the initiating device corresponding to at least a specific quadrant of or present in the media 110.

For a given magazine 100, its RFID scanning/reading unit 1000 may be configured to (eg, programmably or programmatically) scan/read RFID initiation device components 10, 50 carried in slots 120 of the magazine carrier 110; and transmitting such RFID to one or more external or remote destinations. Such RFID scanning/reading may occur on a specific repeated, repeating or periodic basis, for example, on a programmable or programmatically selected or specified basis, for example every 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45 and/or 60 minutes, depending on the situation and/or the details of the embodiment. Likewise, such RFID transmission to one or more external or remote destinations may occur on a specific, repeatable, or periodic basis, such as a programmable or programmatically selected or specified basis, such as every 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 , 45 and/or 60 minutes and/or on an incremental or daily basis, depending on the situation and/or details of the embodiment.

In view of the foregoing, the general or complete magazine device 100 configured to handle the initiation device head blocks 10 and the initiation device booster blocks 50 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a head block magazine 100H and a booster block magazine 100B, and thus, includes a different media 110; a different set of helical guide structures 300 (eg, a different front helical guide structure 300f and a different rear helical guide structure 300r); a different housing design 400; a different removable cover structure 500; a different container/shipping container shell structure 700; and a different RFID scanning/reading unit 1000 corresponding to each of the head unit magazine 100H and the booster unit magazine 100B.

As shown in FIG. 3D, the magazine 100 may include RFID scanning/reading devices 1100 attached, fixed, mounted and positioned around the media 110, i.e. radially more distant from the longitudinal axis 102 than the exit openings 124 of the slots 120. The RFID scanning/reading devices 1100 may include two RFID scanning/reading devices 1100 or three RFID scanning/reading devices 1100, as shown in FIG. 3D. As shown in FIG. The 3D, 1st and 2nd RFID scanning/reading devices 1100 may be mounted on the lower right and left side walls of the magazine 100, and the 3rd RFID scanning/reading device 1100 may be mounted on the top wall. The RFID scanning/reading devices 1100 are mounted such that their reading surfaces face the interior of the magazine 100 where the initiation devices are stored and carried. The RFID scanning/reading devices 1100 may be thin rectangular structures, for example, based on or implemented by commercially available scanners/readers, for example, with an operating frequency of 100 kHz to 10 GHz, including 100 MHz to 1 GHz, for example, 860-960 MHz, for example, at a power level of 30 dB.

The magazine 100 may include optical code readers and an optical scanning/reading unit (instead of or in addition to the RFID unit 1000), for example, which includes a power source, such as a set of batteries (eg, rechargeable batteries) and/or a connection to a power source power on the line. The optical code readers may take the form of an array of barcode or QR code scanning/reading devices configured to read the optical code tags of portable initiation device components that are located in the magazine 100.

Additionally or alternatively, an RFID scanning/reading unit 1000 and/or an optical scanning/reading unit may be mounted and latched onto the magazine 100 in position to read/scan contactless readable ID codes at an input location (i.e., where devices 81/components 10, 50 are inserted into the magazine 100), and/or at the output location (i.e., where the devices 81/components 10, 50 are dispensed from the magazine 100). Placing the scanner/reader at the input or output locations may be preferable for optical units if the contactless identification (ID) codes are optically obscured when held in the magazine 100.

Assembly device aspects.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing portions of a head unit magazine 100H, a booster unit magazine 100B, and an associated assembly device 800, according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to an embodiment, the assembly device includes

- 13 043434 includes a compartment for the head unit of the initiating device or simply a compartment 810 for the head unit; an initiating device booster unit compartment, or simply a booster unit compartment 850, that is co-aligned with the head unit compartment 810; a mechanized or automated coupling device or device 900 configured to controllably, securely couple or couple the initiation device unit 10 located in the head unit compartment 810 with the initiator booster unit 50 located in the booster unit compartment 850; and an assembly initiation device compartment 880 into which the assembled or unitized initiation device 80 may be carried or where it may be positioned so that it can be further carried or transported to a hole loading location.

Specifically, according to an embodiment, after the initiating device head unit 10 and the corresponding, complementary, or counter initiating device booster unit 50 are withdrawn in a substantially downward (gravity-driven) direction 905, 910, respectively, from the ejection port head unit magazine 402H and booster unit magazine ejection port 402B, wherein respectively or appropriately means a one-to-one correspondence, for example, jointly, coordinatedly, with each other, in tandem, or approximately or substantially simultaneously as a pair of complementary initiation device components (i.e. e. one block 10 and one block 50), the head block 10 and the booster block 50 can be received or captured in the head block receiving compartment 810 and the booster block receiving compartment 850, respectively. The assembly device 800 and/or each ejection port 402 may include receiving and/or guide structures, such as funnel-shaped structures, configured to smoothly and accurately deliver the head unit 10 to the head unit receiving compartment 810 and the booster unit 50 to the receiving compartment 850 booster blocks.

In various embodiments, when a given head unit 10 and a given complementary or reciprocal booster unit 50 are located in the head unit receiving compartment 810 and the booster unit receiving compartment 850, respectively, the head unit 10 and the booster unit 50 are initially aligned or automatically aligned such that facilitates or permits their automated structural connection or connection, for example, based on the physical design of such compartments 810, 850 and their spatial alignment and orientation relative to each other. For example, the head unit 10 and booster unit 50 may be initially aligned or automatically aligned, such as longitudinally aligned, with respect to or along a common axis of the assembly, when they are located in the head unit compartment 810 and the receiver unit compartment 850, respectively.

The coupling device or device 900 may include at least one selectively movable pusher element, pusher structure, or pusher/piston 980 that is configured to cause or generate relative motion, for example, in a substantially horizontal direction 915, between the head block 10 and the booster block 50 such that the distance between the head block 10 and the booster block 50 is gradually reduced until the head block 10 and the booster block 50 are structurally connected and securely connected to each other. The coupling device 900 may include a linear movement mechanism 985, such as a linear drive device, such as a ball screw or other type of linear movement mechanism as would be apparent to those skilled in the art, configured to move the pusher/piston 980 to reduce the relative distance between the head block 10 and booster block 50, for example, by controlled pushing/moving of booster block 50 towards head block 10. Head block 10 and booster block 50 may each have co-aligned or aligned structural elements, such as locking elements, that facilitate secure connection or connection between them.

Once a given head assembly 10 and a complementary booster assembly 50 are securely coupled together to form an assembled, complete, or unitized initiation device 80, such as a detonator, the assembly initiation device 80 may be transferred to the assembly initiation device compartment 880 by another pushing device/member. /structure/pusher, for example, a channel, allowing gravity in the direction 920 essentially downward. The assembly initiation device 80 in the assembly initiation device compartment 880 can be released in a substantially horizontal direction 925 aligned with the longitudinal axis of the assembly initiation device 80.

Implementation of the first magazine device.

In an implementation, the first magazine device (or dual magazine) 100X includes a head unit magazine 100H with a booster unit magazine 100B. The total weight of the 100X dual magazine may range from about 50 to about 500 kg, such as substantially 300 kg. The capacity of the double magazine 100X can be substantially from 10 to 200 blocks, for example 90 blocks, i.e. 90 head blocks 10 and 90 corresponding booster blocks 50. The capacity of the 100X double magazine can be increased by increasing the diameter of the 100H, 100B magazines and while maintaining the same slot width. The head unit 10 (referred to as DRX) may have a length of substantially 300 mm, including the length of the element 20

- 14 043434 initiation essentially 100 mm with a maximum diameter of 34 mm. The booster unit 50 may have a length of substantially 150 mm, also with a maximum diameter of 34 mm. The head assembly magazine 100H includes: a carrier 110 in the form of a head assembly carrier 110H; a rear helix guide structure 300r in the form of a rear helix guide structure of the head unit 300rH; and a front helix guide structure 300f in the form of a front helix guide structure of the head unit 300fH. The booster block magazine 100B includes: a carrier 110 in the shape of a booster block carrier; and a rear helix guide structure 300r in the shape of a rear helix guide structure of the booster unit 300rB; and a front helical guide structure 300f in the form of a front helical guide structure of the booster unit 300fB.

In fig. 3E-G show, respectively, perspective, front and cross-sectional views (through the diameter designated AA in FIG. 3F) of the head assembly carrier 110H. The head assembly carrier 110H may be formed from a metal (e.g., aluminum/aluminium) or plastic (e.g., bicomponent resin), for example, including a 3D printed plastic shell defining a cavity filled with glass or epoxy resin with aluminum beads, and may weigh from 5 kg to 100 kg, for example essentially 40 kg. The grooves 120 on the head unit carrier 110H are substantially 36 mm wide, i.e. approximately 2 mm larger than the maximum diameter of the head unit 10. In FIG. 3H-J are respectively perspective, front and cross-sectional views (through the diameter designated AA in FIG. 3I) of the rear helical guide structure 300rH of the head unit. The rear spiral guide structure of the 300rH head unit can be formed from metal (such as aluminum) or plastic (such as two-component resin), such as including a 3D printed plastic shell forming a cavity filled with glass or epoxy resin with aluminum balls, and can weigh from 5 to 100 kg, for example essentially 40 kg. In fig. 3K-3M are respectively perspective, rear, and sectional views (through the diameter designated AA in FIG. 3L) of the front helical guide head assembly structure 300fH. The front spiral guide structure of the 300fH head unit can be formed from metal (such as aluminum) or plastic (such as two-component resin), such as including a 3D printed plastic shell forming a cavity filled with glass or epoxy resin with aluminum balls, and may weigh from 5 kg to 100 kg, for example substantially 14 kg. The booster block carrier has the same dimensions as the head block carrier 110H except that it is axially thinner, having an (axial) thickness of 79 mm instead of 95.5 mm. The booster block carrier may be formed from a metal (e.g., aluminum) or plastic (e.g., bicomponent resin), for example, including a 3D printed plastic shell defining a cavity filled with glass or epoxy resin with aluminum beads, and may weigh from 5 to 100 kg, for example essentially 30 kg. The slots 120 on the booster block carrier are substantially 36 mm wide, i.e. approximately 2 mm larger than the maximum diameter of booster block 50. FIG. 3N through 3P are respectively perspective, front and cross-sectional views (through the diameter designated AA in FIG. 3O) of the rear helical guide structure 300rB of the booster unit. The rear helical guide structure of the 300rB booster unit may be formed from a metal (such as aluminum) or plastic (such as a two-part resin), such as including a 3D printed plastic shell forming a cavity filled with glass or epoxy resin with aluminum balls, and can weigh from 5 to 100 kg, for example essentially 10 kg. In fig. 3Q-3S show, respectively, perspective, rear, and sectional views (through the diameter designated AA in FIG. 3R) of the front helical guide structure 300fB of the booster unit. The front helical guide structure 300fB of the booster unit may be formed from a metal (such as aluminum) or plastic (such as a two-part resin), such as including a 3D printed plastic shell defining a cavity filled with glass or epoxy resin with aluminum balls, and can weigh from 5 to 100 kg, for example essentially 8 kg.

Aspects of the second magazine device.

Fig. 5 illustrates specific aspects of a second magazine device 101 (or magazine) in accordance with other embodiments of the present invention, which is configured to carry one-piece initiation devices 81, such as those that are fully assembled or exist as unitary or unitary devices, such as detonation units, prior to being loaded into second magazine device 101.

The second magazine device 101 does not include or require either a head unit magazine 100H or a booster unit magazine 100B, and thus, for the second magazine device 101, there is no duplication of the carrier 110, the set of spiral guide structures 300, the body structures 400, the structures removable cover 500, utility container/shipping container shell structures 700, and initiation device tracking unit(s) corresponding to pairwise-matched or pairwise-coordinated head magazines 100H

- 15 043434 blocks and a store of 100H booster blocks. Therefore, the second magazine device 101 is formed from a single set of elements described above, instead of duplicating sets of such elements corresponding to each of the head block magazine 100H and the booster block magazine 100B. In addition, the second magazine device 101 does not include or require an assembly device 800 configured to couple the initiating device head unit 10 with the initiating device booster unit 50.

Vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle 7000 may include a first or second magazine 100, 101 and a movable platform 1102 for carrying and moving the magazine device 100. The magazine 100, 101, or a plurality of magazines 100 or 101, is securely mounted or mounted on the vehicle 7000 for transport to location near or directly in the hole 5a. The hole may be substantially horizontal, as shown in FIG. 4, or substantially vertical.

For open-pit mining, the vehicle 7000 may be large enough to carry multiple magazines 100, 101. For underground mining, the vehicle 7000 may be smaller and lighter, and may include a single magazine 100, 101, which may have smaller size and capacity than magazines 100, 101 on the 7000 surface mining vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 7, vehicle 7000 may include: one or more explosive composition tanks 1110; a pumping system 1120 connected to reservoirs 1110 for pumping compositions into hole 5a; a placement device 1130 coupled to the magazine 100, which is configured to receive the initiation device 80, 81 from the magazine 100, 101, and accommodate the initiation device 80, 81 in the loading bracket structure 1134; a bracket structure 1134 configured to load the initiation device 80, 81 from the placement device 1130 into the hole 5a; and a control system 1140 for automatically controlling the magazine 100, 101, the placement device 1130, and the encoder 1150 to enable dispensing, placement, and encoding (by the encoder 1150) of the initiation device 80, 81. The vehicle 7000 includes a passage, channel, and/or hollow pipe, tube or sleeve 1132 through which one or more explosive compositions can be pumped into the blast holes by the pumping system 1120. For the wireless initiation device 80, 81, the vehicle 7000 may include an encoder 1150 (mounted on the support bracket 1160) that the wireless trigger device 80, 81 passes through when automatically loaded into the hole 5a, wherein the encoder 1150 is configured to communicate wirelessly with the wireless trigger device 80, 81 to send commands and data to establishing or changing the operating status or state of the wireless initiation device 80, 81, for example including a delay time, such that the wireless initiation device 80, 81 is configured to receive instructions/commands from the remotely located blast control equipment described above, for example , fire commands.

Alternatively, vehicle 7000 may include magazine(s) 100, 101 mounted for manual human access, for loading components/devices into magazines 100, 101, and for collecting components/devices from magazines 100, 101 as they are scanned. and distribution (and collection if necessary), for example, for manual coding (using a hand coder) and placement in a hole.

System aspects of the tracking component of the initiating device.

In fig. 6A is a block diagram illustrating specific aspects of a initiation device/component tracking system 2000 (a tracking system, i.e., a system for tracking initiation devices, such as monobloc detonators and/or components) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. According to an embodiment, system 2000 includes at least one, and typically multiple, magazine devices 100a-n (each in the form of a dual magazine 100X or a second magazine 101 including corresponding initiation device tracking units) in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention; and at least one remote server system 2100. The store devices 100a-n and the remote server system(s) 2100 are configured or configured to communicate with each other, for example, through one or more data networks 2500 (e.g., one or more of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network ( WAN), cellular data network, satellite network, and/or Internet), one or more of which may be based on the computing cloud 2600. At any given time, store devices 100a-n may be located or distributed at or between multiple locations connected with one or more commercial blasting areas, such as one or more open pit mines and/or one or more underground mining sites (eg, owned/operated by a specific mining company).

Each remote server system 2100 is configured to receive data, including scannable device IDs, such as scannable RFIDs, from device tracking units

- 16 043434 triggering (eg, RFID scanning/reading units 1000) of the corresponding store devices 100a-n on a repeated, recurring or periodic basis, for example, as set forth above. Communication of data from or between the initiator tracking unit(s) and the remote server system 2100 may include or involve data transfer, such as wireless and/or wired data transfer, through one or more data networks 2500 corresponding to commercial blasting areas. operations in which the magazine devices 100a-n are located, and the positions of the magazine devices 100a-n in these commercial blasting areas. Therefore, communication of data from or between the initiator tracking unit(s) and the remote server system 2100 may include communication of data through or over one or more mine communication networks, in a manner as will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in some embodiments, the originator device tracking unit(s) may wirelessly carry or transmit current/recent ID data sets identifying the origination devices/components currently being/recently carried by the stores 100a-n to wireless routers of one or more more mine communication networks, thus, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

In numerous embodiments, the initiating device tracking unit(s) may also be configured or configured to communicate (e.g., wirelessly) with local or fixed data receiving and transmitting devices that are located at specific known locations in the commercial blasting area. works, for example, in mine workings (for example, which are installed in specific mining locations, for example, associated with and which may be associated with specific types of mining infrastructure); and/or portable/mobile data receiving and transmitting devices that may be located or transported to various location(s) in the commercial blasting area. Portable/mobile data receiving and transmitting devices may be hand-held devices 3000 carried by mine personnel, for example in the form of recording devices or blast recorders; and/or they may be carried by automated or autonomous vehicles 3100, such as autonomous or remotely operated vehicles, such as ground-based drones and/or aerial/flying drones.

The tracking system 2000 may include antennas 5000 and associated antenna drive/control units 5100 for sending commands to the initiation devices 80, 81, including commands from the blast control system 4000.

A system 2000 configured to non-contactly track a initiation component (e.g., head unit tracking, booster unit tracking, initiation/detonator element tracking, or monobloc initiation device tracking), such as that shown in FIG. 6A and B, including tracking whether any of the scanned ID codes (i.e., scanned by the tracking unit(s) of the initiating device) correspond to a particular identified and stored ID code in the system 2000 (e.g., stored in the control system 4000 detonation) where specific identified ID codes (eg, tagged in a database) are stored to indicate that the corresponding specific initiation device/initiation device components (eg, identified by a serial number): (a) should not currently be in stores; and/or (b) were previously dispensed from one or more magazines 100a-n (e.g., and were successfully collected and/or successfully coded and thus expectedly loaded into the blast holes), but then reloaded into any magazine(s) s) 100a-n. If the system 200 monitors (i.e., identifies) that the scan ID code is in a set of stored ID codes that are marked as not being in stores 100a-n (e.g., because the scan ID code is identified as coded), then the system 2000 may (i) generate appropriate warning signals; (ii) for wireless trigger devices, issue wireless shutdown/reset commands addressed to those specific wireless trigger devices via antennas 5000 and associated antenna drive/control units 5100 while those specific wireless trigger devices are located in the store(s); and/or (iii) again for wireless trigger devices, issue commands to the encoders 1150 to disable/reset those specific wireless trigger devices after they are dispensed from the store(s). The control unit of each initiation device 80, 81 has a unique ID of the programmable initiation device, for example, allocated by the detonation control system during operation, that is, programmed and stored in addition to the ID code - i.e. the control unit can receive and store device IDs and group IDs (GIDs that define a group of initiating devices) that the control unit then accesses and uses during detonation, and these soft device and group IDs are different from the hard ID codes read by the control unit initiating device tracking(s), and which are attached to devices/components in the form of tags/codes, and which are not typically selected or programmed by the system 2000 during operation. Each disable/reset command includes a unique initiator ID (soft ID or wireless ID) corresponding to the specific wireless initiator.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the antenna 5000 and its corresponding drive/control unit 5100 may be coupled to the remote blast control system 4000 and removed from the magazines 100a-n;

or may be carried by a ground or airborne automated or autonomous vehicle 3100; or may be located adjacent to or even moved by the 100k store.

The tracking system 2000 may automatically determine whether components are located at a site and have been assigned for shipment and use at a specific development site (identified by a set of stored ID codes with the appropriate data flags), and which should be recorded or registered in the development site registry by arrival at a development site (e.g., during standard arrival procedures for a new register, using data flags in the blast control system 4000) actually correspond to or result from the inventory of recorded or recorded development sites, or should be located at another location (e.g., at another location mining), or are transported or placed or should be transported or placed at the mining site in accordance with the expected placement/schedule of use (for example, based on the current mine plan/mining schedule).

In the system 2000, the blast control system 4000 is configured to record hard component/device IDs (eg, from tags 15, 25, 55, 85) in the system 2000 when the components/devices are recorded or registered in the development site registry. When programming the devices 80, 81 with their soft device IDs and GIDs, the blast control system 4000 is configured to record which hard IDs correspond to which soft IDs. The encoders 1150 are then configured to report back to the blast control system 4000 which of the soft IDs was encoded (ie, which of the devices (80, 81) were encoded, identified by their soft IDs). The blast control system 4000 is configured to identify in its data store which soft IDs have been encoded and then mark the corresponding hard IDs as encoded. The blast control system 4000 may then receive signals from the initiation device tracking unit(s) representing the stored hard IDs in the magazines 100a-n, and may generate an alert if the hard codes are not recoded as ready for distribution, for example, if they are marked as coded. Alternatively/additionally, the blast control system 4000 may send a data array (acceptable data array) representing a set of contactless codes that are recoded as ready for distribution to the initiating device tracking unit(s) (e.g., representing which of the registered hard codes ID has been registered but not yet encoded). The eligible data set may be repeatedly updated when the blast control system 4000 receives soft IDs as they are encoded, and the initiator tracking unit(s) may generate an alert if they have read/scanned any hard IDs that are not in the acceptable array data. The blast control system 4000 may be configured to automatically respond to this warning by: (i) issuing a set of alerts or messages to mine personnel; (ii) de-arming, disabling and/or restarting devices/components with an identified hard ID; and/or (iii) driving the encoders 1150 to identify a previously encoded soft ID if the corresponding device 80, 81 is presented to the encoder 1150 again.

In this way, the system 2000 can eliminate a potential security problem with wireless triggering devices in that wireless triggering devices could theoretically be put into a firing state after they are encoded, even if they have moved or been transported to a location where they should not be located because they can receive firing commands wirelessly, provided they are within range of one or more development site antennas (5000) used to issue commands to wireless initiation devices. If a previously coded wireless initiation device is lost/misplaced and then reinserted into the magazine, the tracking system 2000 may at a minimum generate an alert (e.g., such that wireless fire commands are not issued until the alert is resolved), and/or may automatically selectively disable a lost/misplaced wireless initiating device using an unarm, shutdown, and/or reset command transmitted from the blast control system 4000 via antennas 5000 if the initiating device tracking unit(s) detects that it is again appeared in one of the 100a-n stores.

Way.

The magazine 100, 101, 100X provides a method of transferring, dispensing and reading, including:

receiving a plurality of initiation device components 10, 50 or initiation devices 81 into the magazine;

holding a plurality of initiation device components 10, 50 or initiation devices 81, for example, as shown in FIG. 8A;

moving a plurality of initiator components 10, 50 or initiator devices 81

Claims (17)

roving - along the helical channel/travel path 342 and along corresponding slots 120, for example, as shown in FIG. 8A-C - to the magazine outlet; dispensing from the magazine 100, 101, 100X one of a plurality of initiation device components 10, 50 or initiation devices 81, for example, as shown in FIG. 8D; and reading a contactless ID (e.g., RFID tags 15, 25, 55, 85) of the initiation devices 81 or initiation device components 10, 50 while in the store 100, 101, 100X and/or when dispensed from the store 100, 101. The assembly device 800 provides an assembly method including: receiving one of the first initiating device components 10; receiving one of the second initiating device components 50 corresponding to receiving the first initiating device component 10; and combining the dispensed first initiation device component 10 and the corresponding dispensed second initiation device component 50 with each other to form a structurally complete, unified initiation device 80. The vehicle 7000 provides a placement method that includes loading a unitized initiation device 80 into the hole 5a. The system 2000 provides a tracking method including: generating an alert if the read contactless ID matches a previously encoded contactless ID. Interpretation. The foregoing description details aspects of specific systems, devices and devices in accordance with specific non-limiting illustrative embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art may suggest modifications to one or more aspects or portions of these and related embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. CLAIM 1. A system for storing, dispensing and tracking initiation device components configured to initiate explosive compositions associated with commercial blasting operations, comprising: a magazine configured to hold and dispense initiation devices or initiation device components having corresponding contactless-readable identification (ID) codes, the magazine including one or more initiation device tracking unit(s) configured to read contactless-readable identification (ID) codes initiating devices or initiating device components for tracking the initiating devices or initiating device components, wherein the system is configured to generate a warning and/or a shutdown/reset command if the initiating device tracking units read a contactless ID code that is located in a set of stored ID codes that are marked as not in the store, and/or not in the set of stored ID codes that are registered as ready for distribution. 2. The system according to claim 1, including a data transmission unit connected to contactless scanning/reading tracking units of the initiation device, due to which contactless ID codes read by contactless scanning/reading tracking units of the initiating device can be transmitted to an external or remote a destination, a network/network address, a computer system, or an electronic/computing device, optionally including a system of remote servers, that is separate or distinct from the store. 3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the initiating device components includes an initiating device head unit that carries a head unit ID code, a initiation element that carries an initiating element ID code, and an initiating device booster unit, which carries the booster block ID code; or wherein the initiation devices comprise monoblock detonation blocks, each of which carries a detonation block ID code. 4. The system (2000) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a set of stored ID codes that are marked as not in the store indicate that the respective specific initiation devices or components: (a) should not currently located in the store; and/or (b) were previously issued from one store but were subsequently reloaded into the store, including that the specific device or initiation component was encoded by the encoder, optionally, wherein the stored ID codes are tagged in the database, optionally, the specific the initiation device or component is identified by serial numbers. 5. The system according to any one of claims 1-4, in which contactless (ID) codes uniquely identify - 19 043434 initiating device or initiating device components, and/or wherein the shutdown/reset command includes a unique initiating device ID corresponding to a specific one of the initiating devices or initiating device components. 6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the contactless (ID) codes are in the form of RFID tags, and the initiating device tracking unit(s) include RFID scanning/reading devices. 7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the initiation device components are wireless initiation device components and the magazine includes wireless initiation device components, or wherein the initiation devices are wireless initiation devices and the magazine includes wireless initiation devices. 8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, including one or more antennas configured to wirelessly transmit commands to initiation devices or components of the initiation device stored in the magazine. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more antennas includes an antenna remote from the store, or an antenna located adjacent to the store or carried by the store. 10. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the magazine includes at least one carrier for carrying initiating devices or components of initiating devices and for guiding the initiating devices or components of initiating devices during dispensing. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the carrier includes at least one slot, wherein the slot is configured to carry the initiation devices through the first length portion of each initiation device or the length portion of components of the initiation devices. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the magazine includes one or more helical guide structures for carrying the initiating devices or components of the initiating devices through the second length portion of each initiating device or components of the initiating devices and for guiding the initiating devices or components of the initiating devices during distributions. 13. The system of claim 11 or 12, wherein the at least one slot includes an inner or bottom surface proximal to a centroid or center point of the media, and each slot includes an outlet at outer edges of the media. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the helical guide structures are positioned relative to the carrier to establish or provide helical channels/travel paths for initiation devices or components of the initiating devices held by the slots, wherein the helical channels/travel paths are configured to carry the initiator devices or components initiation devices such that rotation of the carrier relative to the spiral guide structures in the dispensing direction moves the initiation devices or components of the initiation devices along the spiral channels/travel paths and along the slots towards the outlet of the magazine. 15. The system according to any one of claims 1-14, in which the store includes: an outlet including an outlet/opening, and an outlet guide segment or section configured to guide an initiating device or a component of the initiating devices towards the outlet. 16. The system according to any one of claims 1-15, including one or more of: an opening cover structure for allowing the firing devices or components of the firing devices to be loaded into the magazine, a housing structure for at least partially enclosing the carrier and spiral guide structures, optionally including an explosive container type shell for enclosing the first housing structure, and a drive shaft for driving into the magazine operation for dispensing initiating devices or components of initiating devices in a gradual and/or index mode. 17. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, including a detonation control system configured to: receiving signals from the initiating device tracking units representing non-contact ID codes in the magazine and generating an alert if the ID codes were marked as encoded in the demolition control system data store; direction of a data set (acceptable array of data) representing a set of stored ID codes that are registered as ready for distribution to the initiating device trackers so that the initiating device trackers can generate a warning and/or trip/reset commands if they have read the proximity ID codes that are not in the eligible data set, optionally wherein the eligible data set is updated on a recurring basis when the system receives non-contact IDs, when the corresponding trigger devices or trigger device components are encoded by the encoder, and/or respond automatically to an alert by: issuing a set of notices or messages to one or more mine personnel, -