US102250A - Improvement in tamping-flugs for blasting - Google Patents

Description

E. GOMEZ.

Tampng Plug.

No. 102,250. Patented Apr1120, 1070.

and

vuted tateaf @anni @titille EDWIN GOMEZ, or NEW YORK, N. Y..

.Letters Patent No. 102,250, dated April 26, 181 0.

To all whom it may conce/rn Be it known that I, Enwm GOMEZ, of the city and State of New York,have invented and made a new and useful Improvement in 'ramping-Plugs for Blasting; Sac.; and the following is hereby declared to be a l correct description of thesame.

' Extended experiments have heretofore been made for ascertaining the ultimate force of gunpowder,but with varying and unsatisfactory results, because the chamber in which the explosive material has been couned has generally been enlarged by the portion ofthe powder first exploding, and the remainder of the powder eitherdoes not all burnor else does not augment the first instantaneous pressure, but the gases expand into the enlarging chamber.

The object of my present invention is to efectually retain the force of exploding gunpowder so that none of it is'lost, but it is simply etlectivein rupturing the walls of the chamber in which thel explosive material is confined. f

. In the drawing- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved tamping-plug;

Figure 2 is a view of the upper end of said plug;

. Figure 3 shows the lower end of the plug and secondary chamber.

I makeiuse of a two-part tamping-piug, the outer portion, a, being of a size to fit inside the oil-well, saltwell, artesian-well, cannon, or other chamber within which the explosion is to take place.

This plug a has within it a tapering opening, into which is placed a tapering expander, b, having its larger end toward the chamber c, in whichA the explosion is to take place.

At the larger end of the expander b is a secondary chamber, d, containing a charge of explosive material that is to be red before the main charge, e, and drive the expander b into the plug a, so as to spread the said plug a and hold it firmly within the walls of the chamber, and, when the main charge is exploded, it acts to tighten the plug by driving the expander still further into the plug.

In order to facilitate the expansion of the plug a, there may be longitudinal incisions, asat 2 2, so that the said plug maysplit'open in sections when the expanderV is fbrced endwise by the explosion of the charge in d, and sand may be run in upon the plug a to give' additional friotional adhesion when the plug is expanded. y

I have shown a nipple, f, containing onenend of a fuse, n. which I call the lighting-fuse or train, and which is described in Letters 'Patent No. 18,199. This fuse 'n passes through the. expander b to the `charge in the secondary chamber d. Said fuse may go through a small hole direct to d or pass out of the side, as shown; and from the charge ind the fuse leads to the charge e.

The nipple f mayreceive a percussion cap, 3, and a protecting-cap, 4, the cap 3 being exploded by a weight dropped upon it, or'the chargcin d may he fired in any other desired manner.

The charges in the chamber c are shown as a coil cartridge, such as set forth in Letters Patent No. 21,-

253, and I remark that the same, and also the charge in the chamber d, may be of any desired ,size or kind;

and, by ignit'ing the charge in the chamber d at the inner end, the effect on the expander will be more lpowerful than it would bev if ignited at the outer end.

I have'shown the coil cartridge e as connected with the fuse a and occupying the chamber c, and two or more may be connected together, so as to have the explosion of the second charge to augment and follow up the eect of the first charge.

By this improvement the danger of blasting is almost entirely removed, because the frequent accidents resulting from ramming the tamping are avoided, and by vmy plan the force of powder is directed upon the rock instead of rexpending itself, as now frequent, in blowing out the tamping.

In warfare, this tamping-plug and fuse can be applied to batteries or separate guns, and the guns destroyed in mass at the last moment, when it isimpossible to hold them longer, this taking thefplaceof spiking Where several guns are to be thus burst, the said fuse will have to be led from one' tanipiugplug to the next cannon and plug throughout the entire number.

In wells or holes in rocks where an explosion is desired at any one'point, the tamping-plug can be applied below the charge as well as above the same, and the plug itself may be made of separate parts, held together by tongues and grooves or dowels.

IVhere the tamping-plugs are of wood, the chamber' d may be a metallic tube inserted, and the fuse n, passing 'fromone plug to the other, (where two are used,)

may go through a metal tube from one to the other, I

and then pass to the charge e. O

A rubber jacket may surround the plug a to aid iu rendering the parts gas-tight.

I prefer to use the tamping-plug separately, but it` might be attached to the cartridge or torpedo itself.

The fuse 'n and coil cartridge e are shown in the drawing as withina case containing powder. The object of this is to obtain the ultimate force 'of gun- -powder by an instantaneous explosion of the Whole mass. By using the coil `cartridge e and fuse n I find that a great .volume of flame in perfectv combustion is instantly forced to all parts of the powder-chamber,

causing the ignition of the guupowder in a much more perfect manner than heretofore, and effecting greater results with given weights of gunpowder because none escapes unconsumed. The length of fuse between the charge e and that in d is to be such as to allow the plugs to be driven before the main explosion, or the quick-firing fuse may be divided and a slow match or other fuse used to unite the ends. This means for confining the charge is of great advantage, especially as it prevents upward discharges through the hole, and lessens the risk of injury to. contiguous buildings in cities, and, by confining the gases, the'explosion of gunpowder .is rendered as eective as the dangerous nitro-glycerine and other compounds, and, the gases being conned and the combustion ren dered perfect, there is vbut littlev smoke in confined. places to interfere with the workmen, and there is Vlittle or no noise from the iring of a charge in'rocks, as 'the force appears to be expended in splitting the rock belowthe tamping-plug. This plug might be used at the rear end of a breech-loading or other gun in which the bore runs'all through, said plug acting to close the same ei'ectually against the explosion.

Iclairn as my invention- 1. A conical expander, passing into the conical hole of 'the cylindrical plug and expanding the sameV when the charge is exploded, as and for the purposes specified.

2. The tamping-plug a, in combination with the expander b and chamber substantially as set forth.

. 3. The plug a, expander b, and chamber d,in cem- Ibnaticn with the fuse n and nipple .3, substantially as specified. l v

Signed this 26th day of October, A. D. 1869.

EDWIN GOMEZ.

Witnesses:

Gno. D. WALKER, GEO. T. PINCKNEY.

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