US1298500A - Charge-torpedo. - Google Patents

Description

J. A. HARDEL.

CHARGE TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED SEH. so, :918.

1,298,500. Patented Mar. 25,1919.

y. c? wom/11o@ Mmmm mnEL, on' luiers, ramon.

CHARGE-Touraine.

.speemoationof Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 25, 191,9.

Application led September 10, 1918. Serial No. 253,407.

To all whom z 't may concern:

Be it known that I. JEAN AMDE HAR- DEL, a citizen of the Republic of VFrance, re-V siding at Paris, France, have-.invented a eertainnew and useful Improvement .1n Charge f Torpedoes, of whlilt-he followmg is a' 'specilication My invention relates to charge torpedoes and; particularly to a chargetorpedo fomuse in the shooting Iof oil wells, or for mining or quarry work where an explosive charge is fired below the surface of the ground.

The-object of myinvention is to provide Y a charge torpedo which may be. conveniently chargedjust before itis inserted and inwhlch the explosive charge -comprisestwo or lmore elements, each initself safe to handle. mamtainedseparate in the tor ,edo until the latter has reached firing position and lthen mingled .to afford an explosive mixture which maybe ,tired inany. desired manner.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fi re 1 is a' vertical section of a torpedo in w ich my invention is embQded in one form;

Fig.l 2 is a sectionon the line 2 2, F1 l;

Fig. 3 is a partial broken'elevation o the percussor and trigger of the torpedo;

Figs. 4 and 5 are 'similar views showing the percussor respectively set andirelease'd; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation torpedoes assembled.

Deep oil well torpedoes yare usually charged with n-itroglycerin which is expensive and difficult to obtain atpresent. as well as dangerous. to handle andtransport at any time. In quarry and mining work, dynamite is used and this is also dangerous and difficult to obtain under resent conditions. Many fatalities occur in t Ae oil well regions each year as @result of the premature firing of nitroglycerin torpedoes 'or of accidents in the handlnaf Vthe explosives, .and .similar accidents are .frequent handling Sdymmite. i

Acordingto the present invention a torpedo is provided in whichthe lcharge comprises two .Orf more ASeparate elementsyeach in itself. harmless .andihandled ,Without dangertbut 'termina when..m1gledaan .s211310- sisemixture .olf high power 'and -ecincy of a battery of `Whishmy51er.,51nd at wilL triedo'is appropriatelydivided into a plura ty of compartments, in which these elements are separately contained, whileineans are yprovided for breaking down the partition or partitions between compartments to permit the elements of the explosive to mingle after the torpedo has been inserted to firing position. While Various explosives maybe used .in connection with an apparatus such as the present I may refer byway of example to thewell known panclast'ites invented by Turpin and the ingredients of which are peroxid of nitrogen on the one hand and an organic substance on the other hand.

' or the purpose of illustration, I have shown a two-compartment torpedo suitable for oil well shooting, but it will be understood that the invention is applicable to various utilities andthat the construction employed must be adapted to various conditions. f

The torpedo shell 10 is tubular and sealed at its opposite endsby heads 11 and'12f1ts exterior is divided by a frangiblepartition or diaphragm 13 into tworchambers Hand 15 each of which contains aj separate ele'- ment of the explosive. The particular Anal ture of these elements need notlie herein defined, inasmuch'as the particularexplol sive 'forms no portion of the present invention, but it may be statedthat both elements are preferably in liquid formand consequently leakage between the chambers must be prevented. To this end' the diaphragm 13 .is faced on each Aside by . packing rings 16 and 17 pressed against the diaphragmby crown rings 18 and 19, retained by transverse pins'20, which pierce the torpedo casing and are externally riveted down in position. It will be noted that the margins of the crown rings 18 and 19,' against'which the pins 20 bear, Vare beveled' to insure a we Aing action against `.the same bythe hol v ing pins on their insert1on. Afll aperture 2,1 opens to the chamberl 15. and is normally closed by a plug 22, while the'till aperture 23 opens to chamber 1 4 and is closed by its plug 24'. 'Vent holes'25 open into the chambers 14 and 15 adjacent the llapertures and are closed byplugs 26.'

:Inasmuchas the torpedov frequently passesthrough considerable depth of water'hefoe it reaches the position in whichi't iste be tired, it Vis subjected to more vor less 'exterior pressure which might have afdamaging eiect unless compensated. To'tliis end" sure. equalizing port 27 and 28 respective y,

and seal the contents of the chamber from escape by a collapsible andl'expansiblemember 29 of rubber or other suitable material.

It `is. obvious that the pressure exerted by Vtheliquid in the well is equalized within the torpedo .through these compensating ports 27 and 28 and their iexible diaphragms 29, while the liquids within the latter are "sealed against, escape or contamination.

order to brealg down the frangible par-A tition 12, afterl the 'torpedo has reached liring position, .I 4provide any suitable ruptur- -in means. This might be caused by suit-I ab e chemical action or by an suitable elec'- trical appliance. For the sa e of illustrating the invention, however, .I have4 here shownamechanical device of simple and ef- Aiicient constru'ation',.A To'` the lower crown ring 19 I havese'cur'ed a frame 30 b y which the tubular guide 31 is held in rigid position.

- Within. the guide works a percussion pin 32 adapted to vbe 2a.

driven by the spring 33 against the' diaphragm 13 to rupture the latter. -The percussor is held in inoperative position by a'ltrigger'34, the' nose 35 of which engages -overthe shoulder. 36 and holds the pin ,against the .action of the spring 33.

Thepercu'ssor is retracted against the ac- `tion of its' spring 33, by la plummet 37 'which' engages a recess 38in thelower end of the pin 32' and. is therein by lcontact vwith the wall o'f theguide tube The latteris apertured however, at 39 to1 .permit the es -capaci .the plummet'from 'it-'s' seat after the 11i hasf been drawn down to a point at which 1ts', shofl,1lder 36 engages beneath 4the. .noseof the trigger 34,. To one endof thefplummet attached.' .a L ll wire or lanyard .3,9'jwhich passesaewn' t rpugh the guident-abge; and dla@ lley 41. securedto ighefllead,4 .11j

i' torpedo-'and .thence up through ,the-

I gla1'id`i42'td' a, cable 43..;I After thefesc'ape of 4s,

" itsdownwardtravel by apairof spring de# tent.. arns` 44' struck inward from the vwalls I ofiftheguide tube 31. Inforde'rto pass this detentl `an .app'reiableI pull `must be exerted l uponff-thelalljyygrd -.4Q. Below"`the detent ag bevel boss'45, onithetrigger 34p'rojects into the'guide tubel 31`fand lieslin the p ath ofthe y p1lim1pet 37 as itc-travels downward. after ltses'cape from 'thedteht ,The plummet outward, thus disengaging the l,nose 35. of the' 66. ruse. e .batteri 0f terra-dees.. which are. 'Suaprefer' t6 ll the cessive'ly I illed 'and joined-togcther as they are lowered into the well. I have illustrated such a battery, in Fig. 5, the several '.'lanyards40'being secured to the common cable 43 which is paid out from the surface asthe -torpedo is lowered into the well and by'which the several lanyards are operated Lwhen' it is desiredto prepare the charge.

Where a battexy o plosive element is filled into the chamber 14 through the' hole 23 in the upper head. Bolts 47, carried by this head, pass through holes 48 in the base flange of the succeeding torpedo and are secured by nuts located inthe annular recess 49 afforded by the conical shape of the head4 1l of the torpedo. In.4 order to guide the lanyardA and cable 43 and hold them closely adjacent the torpedo, I may provide a flange-50 between which and the shell of the torpedo they are confined. A ca 51 with eye 52 may, be secured by the 47 on thetop torpedo of the series to afford an attachment for the cable 53 by which the charge is lowered to tiring position in the well.

It is to be understood of course that after theelements in the chambers of the torpedo have mingled and the charge is ready for firing, the explosion thereof is caused by a detonator, electrically or otherwise operated.

In deep oil wells it would be suiiicient to drop or lowerinto the well a fused detonator, or a contact` charge. This feature of the firing operation is outside the scope of myv present l1ole,'-whether it be in a deep oil well, or'

the drilled hole of a quarry or mine.

Various modified constructions by which the same ends may be obtained will readily occur to those dealing with the problem without departing from what I claim as my invention.

14I Aclaim Y l. A charge torpedo comprising a con'- ta'iner, a diaphragm dividing said container into separate compartments to receive separat'eelements of anexplosive mixture, and mechanical means, operative after the torpedo has beeninserted to tiring position, to rupture said diaphragm and thereby permit the said elements to mingle.

2.` A char-ge torpedo comprising a container, a diaphragm dividingsaid container l intoseparate compartments to receive'sep arateelements of an explosive mixture, and mechanical means, operative from the surolts face after the torpedo has been inserted to firing position, to rupture said diaphragm and thereby permit the said 'elements to mingle.

3. A battery of charge torpedoes comprising a series of independent containers, each having a diaphragm dividing the container into separate compartments to receive separate elements of an explosive mixture, means at the opposite ends of each container for uniting the same to the adjacent containers alined therewith end to end, and means operative from the surface after said battery has been inserted Yto firing position, to substantially simultaneously rupture said diaphragms and thereby permit the elements of the several explosive mixtures to mingle.

4. A charge torpedo comprising a container having an explosive charge and means for equalizing Within the container the exterior pressure to which the container is subjected When inserted to ring position.

5. A charge torpedo comprising a container, a frangible diaphragm dividing thev same into separate compartments, a springpressed percussor and means operative after the torpedo has been lowered to ,firing position, for releasing said percussor to rupture the diaphragm. t'

6. A charge torpedo comprising a container, a frangible diaphragm dividing the same into separate compartments, a spring- Y pressed percussor, a trigger for holding said percussor against the action of its spring, and a releasing device operative from the surface after the torpedo has been lowered to tiring position, for operating the trigger to free the percussor.

7. A charge torpedo comprising -a container, a frangiblediaphragm dividing the same into Vseparate compartments, aspringpressed percussor, a, trigger for holding said percussor against the action of its spring, and a releasing 'device operative from the surface after the torpedo has been inserted to ring position, for operating the trigger to free the percussor, together with a d etent engaging said releasing device while the torpedo is being inserted to firing position.

8. In a charge torpedo, a spring-pressed percussor recessed at one end, a guide tube in which said percussor Works, a plummet adapted to lie in said recess and be held therein by the guide t'ube, a trigger adapted to engage said percussor and hold the same against the action of its spring, a p/ull cord secured to said plummet Ifor shifting said percussor in the guide tube against the action of its spring, into position to be engaged by said trigger, said'guide tube being aper-V: tured to permit the escape of the plummet4 from the recess in the guide tube after the percussor has reached position for engage' ment by the trigger, a rictional detent within the tube to halt the plummet, and a releasing cam on the trigger engaged by the plummet to shift the trigger into position to free the percussor after the plummet has passed the detent, substantially as described.

9. A series of independent charge casings each comprising a casing containing separated elementsl of an explosive charge, means for securing said torpedoes together end to end as they are inserted into tiring position, and means for mingling the explosive charge elements in each of said torpedoes simultaneously.

10. A series of charge torpedoes each containing separated elements of an explosive charge, means for securing said torpedoes together end to end, a trlgger mechanism Within each torpedo to control the mingling of the explosive mixture elements therein, a series of lanyards attached to said several trigger mechanisms and a common pull cord to which said lanyards are attached for operating the same simultaneously.

' 11. 1n a construction such as specified in claim l0, an exterior guide on the torpedoes in which said pull cord is confined adjacent the shell of the torpedo.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification.

JEAN AMDE HARDEL.

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