US1958420A - Method of and apparatus for liquefying and recovering explosives from a container - Google Patents

Description

H. S. DECK ET AL May 15, i934.

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METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR LIQUEFYING AND RECOVERING EXPLOSIVES FROM A CONTAINER Filed Oct. 20, 1932 2 Sheets-Shea?. 2

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[u JMW/Moda Hnwardileck E l FaECELalEVUEnsn-m Patented May l5, 1934 METHOD F AND APPARATUS FOR LIQUE- FYING AND RECOVERING EXPLOSIVES FROM A CONTAINER Howard S. Deck and Pasquale V. Di Cosmo, Dover, N. J.

Application October 20, 1932, Serial N0. 638,832

1 Claim.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Goverment for governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for liqueiying and recovering explosives from a container.

In the salvaging of loaded projectiles the prevailing method of recovering the solidified explosive charge consists in directing a heating medium into a container which is supported in an inverted position so that the fused explosive will readily be discharged. in order to secure a more rapid fusion the container and heating element are advanced with respect to each other.

The improvements contemplated by the present invention pertain to a novel manner of automatically advancing the heating element to maintain its proximity to the explosive charge.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a recovery apparatus including the improvements of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view with the shell support removed; and

Fig. Ll is a longitudinal section of an injection unit.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference:

In carrying out the invention there is provided a jacketed tank 5 With inclined floors 6 and with means generally designated by the intake line 7 and outlet line 8 for circulating a heating medium between the inner and outer walls.

The side Walls oi the tank at its deepest end carry a number of frames 9, two being shown in the present instance, each frame mounting a group of injecting Luiits 10 disposed in line at opposite sides of the tank.

Referring to Fig. 4, each unit comprises a cylinder 1l in which is mounted an apertured piston 12 provided with a hollow piston rod 13 terminating in and having a nozzle 14. The units are connected with a system of pipe lines for introducing a heating medium under pressure and this system comprises a main supply line 15, branch lines 16 and a service line 17 leading to the lower portion of the cylinder 11 and connected to each branch line by a three-way valve 18 which also receives an auxiliary line 19 for admitting a cooling medium.

A frame or rack 20 mounted lengthwise of f the tank between the two rows of heating units l0 is equipped with sets of brackets 21 which are in alignment with the injector units so that a shell placed in the bracket in inverted position may axially receive the piston rod 13.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the length of a shell determines the stroke of the piston and the arrangement of the shell support. Where the shell is of insuiicient weight to resist the pressure of the fusing medium a lever 22 may be provided to engage the base of the shell and securely hold it in position.

When the fusing medium under pressure is admitted into the cylinder 1l of an injector unii the piston 12 is elevated and the medium passes through the nozzle. When a shell charged with a solid explosive is mounted in a set of brackets, the explosive will oppose the elevation of the piston as long as it remains in a solid state. The noz- Zle is, therefore, continuously in direct contact or proximity to the explosive and will be automatically advanced at a rate determined by the rate of fusion of the explosive which, with the spent liquid, falls by gravity into the tank. The fused explosive is recovered from the tank in any convenient manner.

When all of the explosive is recovered from a shell, cold water is admitted into the system through the line 19 for the purpose of rinsing the shell and cooling it sufficiently to facilitate handling.

The present apparatus and method greatly reduces the time required to remove the explosive from a shell. As an example, when Water at lbs., pressure and 220 F. temperature is emtank, a. cylinder mounted therein, a piston having a hollow rod disposed in the cylinder, a service line admitted into the lower portion of the cylinder, a three-Way valve on the service line, a pressure uid system connected to the valve, a. cooling fluid system connected to the valve and means for positioning an explosive container in alignment With the hollow rod. Y

HOWARD S. DECK. PASQUALE V. DI COSMO.

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