US1406844A - Torpedo for blasting purposes - Google Patents

Description

G. E. GELIVI.

TOHPEDO FOR BLASTING PURPOSES.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25| 1921. meeeee,

Patented Feb. 14., 1922..

GEORGE E. GELM, 0F JAMESTOWN, NEW 1w,

Specification of Letters Patent.

TORPEDO FOR BLASTING PURPOSM.

Patented Feb. Ml, 31922.

Application filed March 25, 1921. Serial No. 455,677.

T o all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, GEORGE E. GELM, a citizen of the United States, of Jamestown, county of Chautauqua, State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Torpedoes for Blasting Pun poses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to improvements in torpedoes more especially for use in blasting or shooting oil or gas bearing sands or other strata encountered in drilling or boring wells for petroleum or gas, or for artesian wells, or mining, or other purposes, in which an explosive charge is required of comparatively great length and narrow cross section. In boring wells of the character described the diameter of the bore is necessarily very limited, being ordinarily a few inches only, generally about live or six inches more or less, and in order to secure the desired e'ect of the explosion a considerable weight of high explosive must be used.

Since the diameter of the container for the charge must necessarilyl be somewhat less than the diameter of the bore of the well it becomes necessary, if the desired weight of high explosive is to be used, to makethe charge very long, varying under conditions from say twenty to thirty feet or more; the explosive charge being in the form either of a solid column or a series of segments forming a built-up column. If such a long column of high explosive is exploded from the top, as in the ordinary practice, the upper portion only of the charge would be detonated, and the lower portion is blown away and is consumed rather by quick combustion than by detonation; the result being that with the apparatus now generally in use there is a limit to the efiiciency of charges of this character dependent more or' less u on the length of the charge relative to the dlameter of the same, and the desired results are not satisfactorily secured by merely increasing the amount of the charge by lengthening the column of. high explosive.

According to my inventlon I prov1de a torpedo of great length' compared to 1ts diameter, and containlng a column of high explosive, which column is provided wlth a small central bore, which bore is filled with a booster or primer charge of such material as may be instantaneously detonated throughout its length, and thereby transmitting .the explosion to the surrounding charge of high explosive, detonatingthe same and causing the entire mass of high explosive contained in the torpedo, by the instantaneous detonation mum explosive effect 1n the conined area.

The booster charge may be exploded electrlcally or mechanically in any convenient way.

My invention will be more clearly understood after reference to the accompanying drawings, which are typical of the various constructions proposed, and in which like parts are indicated by similar reference symbols. throughout the several views.

Figure l shows a section through a pair of superposed torpedoes, each containing an integral main charge with a central booster charge for detonating the same, the lower torpedo being shown in dotted lines, and the booster charge for the upper torpedo being arranged to be ignited by electricity, parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure l, except that the explosive column in a single casing is made up of a series of cylindrical sections.

Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure l, except that a mechanical arrangement for igniting the booster charge is provided, and the container is shown with a bail for use in lowering same and with a pointed tip at the base; and

Figure 4 is the top of Figure 3, both the main charge and the booster charge being omitted to more clearly show the construction of the parts.

Referring first to Figure 1, A represents the container which is referably .in the form of a cylindrical casing` made of thin material of sufiicient strength and rigidity to hold a long column of high explosive B, which is placed therein in any convenient way as by being cast, molded or packed therein. ln order to conveniently form a bore in this mass, a central rod may be projected through the centre while the main charge B is being put in place, and this rod is removed leaving a central perforation C, the walls of which may be coated in any within desired limits an enlarged sectional view ofl convenient way, if desired, or left as they stand.

The bottom of the casing A is closed by the bottom plate E, which may be provi-ded with a central opening e, and this opening may be closed by a smaller plate e, which plate may be on either the inside or outside of plate E.

The object of said hole e is that by removing or puncturing plate e the two exposed ends of the booster charge'contained in superposed casings are brought into communication. VThis occurs when two or lmore torpedo casings are used end to end Vto form a longer charge, than where a single casing is used. Such an arrangement is shown in dotted lines in Figure l.

The upper ortion of the bore C is preferably expan ed, as at C', to form an enlarged head or chamber for the booster charge. This chamber may be surrounded with a receptacle F, circular in cross section, and provided with a iange f adapted to be attached to the upper head H of the container, which head is perforated, as at 71., to receive the leading-in wires I connected to the electric fuse or primer K.

The electricity is carrie-d down to the torpedo through the well by any suitable cable, not shown, in the usual way.

In the modification shown in Figure 2 instead of having the main charge in each torpedo in the form of a single homogeneous column, the colmn is divided up into a series of sections B', each of which is centrally perforated, as at C, and these perforations are filled with a booster charge D. These sections may be rplaced directly one upon the other or may be separated from each other by disk-shaped partitions such as b. These disks may be of such material as to be perforated in the centre by the force of the explosion when the booster charge D is exploded, or they may be punctured or weakened at the center 72 when the sectional charges are inserted. It may be more convenient to assemble the charge in this way, but the essential result is the same in both cases, that is, we have a substantially homogeneous column of high explosive provided with a centrally disposed detonating charge which extends through the axis of the cylindrical column.

In the form shown in Figures 3 and 4, the main charlge may be either homogeneous, as shown at or built u in sections as shown at Bf in AFigure 2. he central column of detonating material is shown as terminating near the bottom E of the casing A, but it may be carried all the way through as shown in the former figures. In this form of the device I have shown a bail L for convenience in lowering the tor edo down in the well, and the conical tip to facilitate guiding the lower end of the torpedo as it passes down in the well. This tip may be left empty as shown, or filled with suitable explosive.

Since it may be inconvenient, especially in shooting deep wells, to lead an electric cable down to the torpedo for the purpose of operating the detonator, I may provide a mechanical arrangement for detonating the booster charge, such as is shown in detail in Fig. 4, in which F represents achamber which includes the upper portion of the booster charge as shown in Fig. 3, and into this chamber the detonator K projects which is carried by the screw holder K2, carried by the lower end of the sleeve P which is secured into the socket h in the head H.

The holder K2 carries a detonator K', the head of lwhich is adaptedto be struck by the iiring pin fn. carried by the lower end of the plunger N, which plunger is normally held in the safety position in the sleeve I by means of the shear pin O. The detonator is held in the holder by means of a screw-threaded ring Ico. This plunger N carries a disk-shaped head N which is adapted to be struck by the point of some fixed object,'such as the well known go devil which, when dropped into the well, will strike said head and will drive the plunger N down, shearing the safety pin O and exploding the detonator K.

It will be noted that the sleeve P and the parts carried thereby may be kept separate from. the torpedo and only put in place just before the torpedo is lowered into the well. The bushing h may be 'covered by any suitable -cap or covering, not shown, which may be removed when it is desired to screw the sleeve P in place. Y

It will be obvious that the operation of the device will be the same whether the torpedo be exploded electrically or mechanically, or whether used singly or in grou s.

The charge of main explosive may loe molded, or packed or shaped in each torpedo in any convenient way, and the same is true of this charge when made up in the form of sections as shown in Fig. 2. The booster charge detonating the main. charge may also be molded, packed or placed in position in any convenient way. The booster charge is to be detonated by a primer or detonator which is normally kept separate fromthe torpedo and only inserted just prior to the use of the same.

In order to secure the factor of safety which is so important in devices of this character, I prefer to use those high explosives which are not of the sensitive nature, such, for instance, as trintrotoluene.

For the main explosivev charge I use trithose other nitro aromatic compounds, trinitronapthalene, trinitroaniline, and lhexanitrodiphenylamine, or other suitable high explosive compound.

For the booster charge I use trinitrotoluene (TNT-granular-of a density of about 1.0); hexanitrodiphenylamineg trinitrophenylmethylnitramine or tetryl tetranitroaniline, or other suitable booster compound.

The booster charge may be exploded by l a detonator containing fulminate of mercury, lead azide, or the like, and said detonator may be operated either electrically or mechanically, or in any other suitable Way. v

The above described arrangement of the main and'booster charges will permit the efficient employment of a type of explosives, formed in long cylindrical charges, that can be handled and transported With safety, and Which can be stored for long periods under extreme temperatures Without deterioration. U

vIt will be noted that with all forms of the device all portions of the main charge 4 of high explosive are within a short distance of the central booster charge, and this booster charge should be of such a composition that its detonation throughout its length will be instantaneous, causing the surrounding particles of the main charge to be also instantaneously detonated so that there is no question of part only of the long column of high explosive being detonated and the rest burned, but there lis a complete detonati'on simultaneously of all the parts of the main charge, with the vastly more effective result obtained in the confined space in the Well where the explosion occurs. l

It will be obvious that various modifications might be made in the herein described construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts which could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention; and I do not mean t0 limit the invention to such details. except as partie ularly pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcnt of the United States is 1. A torpedo for blasting purposes, com'- prising an elongated cylindrical casing closed at both ends, a'main charge of high explosive contained' in said casing, said main charge. being provided with an axial perforation therein, and a chamber at the upper end of said perforation, a booster charge filling said perforation and said chamber, a detonator for said booster charge projecting into said chamber, and means for actuating said detonator, substantially as described.

2., A torpedo for blasting purposes, comprising an elongated cylindrical casing closed at'both ends, a main charge of high explosive contained in said casing; said main charge being provided with an axial perforation therein, and a chamber at the upper end of said perforation, a booster charge filling said perforation and said chamber, a detonator mounted in said chamber, and means operable from a distance for actuating said detonator, substantially as described. j

3. A torpedo for blasting purposes, comprising an elongated cylindrical casing closed at both ends, a main charge of high explosive contained in said casing, and composed of a series of cylindrical sections, each section of said main charge being provided With an axial perforation therein, and. the upper section being provided With a chamber surrounding the upper end of said perforation, a booster charge filling the perforation in each section and also filling said chamber, a detonatorafor said booster charge projecting into said chamber, and means for actuating said detonator, substantially as described. Y

4. A torpedo for blasting purposes, comprising an elongated cylindrical casing closed at both ends, a main charge of high i GEORGE E. GELM.

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