Ammunition and explosive-charge making – Bomb disposal
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-10
2001-03-06
Tudor, Harold J. (Department: 3641)
Ammunition and explosive-charge making
Bomb disposal
C206S003000, C220S088100, C220S845000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196107
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for explosion containment, more particularly with regard to structures which are intended to enclose an explosive device and to some degree contain the explosive effects resulting from detonation of the explosive device.
Explosives kill, maim and destroy. Ever threatening are the perils of violent acts and militant activities against society. Much to the dismay of civilized society, there exists the ongoing need to protect people and property from terroristic acts which implement explosive devices. Terrorist bombs represent a constant threat in public areas, especially on commercial aircraft. In addition, the need arises in military conflicts to protect against damage and injury caused by one's own armaments due to hostile fire.
Law enforcement officials and responsible governing bodies are forced to effect physical security measures which limit exposure of the general populace to terrorist actions. Various forms of security-screening are commonly effectuated at entrances to major public buildings. Many airlines are expanding the scope of luggage-screening; prior to loading into the aircraft cargo hold, stowed baggage is checked for the presence of explosive devices.
When detection methods identify a package containing an explosive device, some appropriate action must be taken to prevent damage or injury due to activation of the device. Generally, two options exist, viz., (i) safe isolation of the suspect device within a bomb containment vessel, or (ii) evacuation of the endangered building.
Commercially available bomb disposal vessels are typically designed as robust elastic pressure vessels which are capable of withstanding repetitive loading by bomb detonations. To permit repetitive loading, these conventional appliances are of robust and imposing construction. By their very nature, such commercially available devices are large and heavy, and construction thereof is costly and labor intensive.
Commercially available bomb containment vessels are normally too expensive for dedicted installation at a particular site. Many jurisdictions are especially loath to pay these prohibitive costs in view of the relative infrequency of “bomb scare” episodes.
Moreover, size and weight characteristics impede conveyence of commercially available containment vessels from a remote location to the vicinity of a package bomb. Many buildings entrances, decks and freight elevators cannot accommodate or support such large and heavy equipment.
Furthermore, the access port for a commercially available containment device is typically of such small dimension as to undesirably constrain the maximum size of the explosive device which can be admitted therethrough.
The aforementioned deficiencies of commercially available containment devices tend to significantly increase exposure and handling of a suspect explosive device before safe isolation thereof can be established. Evacuation of an entire facility, pending arrival of a transportable bomb containment vessel, is often the only viable option.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus which can enclose an explosive device and which can effectively contain an explosion originating within said apparatus.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such explosive containment apparatus which is structurally configured so as to permit entry therein and enclosure thereby of a large object which includes an explosive device.
Another object of this invention is to provide such explosive containment apparatus which is less bulky and more lightweight than conventional apparatus used for explosive containment.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such explosive containment apparatus which is more economical than conventional apparatus used for explosive containment.
In accordance with many embodiments of the present invention, apparatus for explosive containment includes an outer metallic (e.g., metal or metallic composite) shell or non-metallic composite shell (e.g. kevlar-resin composite) and an inner rigid foam portion. The inventive apparatus has an interior space which is at least partially surrounded by the inner rigid foam portion. The outer metallic shell is substantially box-shaped and includes six approximately rectangular faces. The inventive apparatus preferably includes closure means (e.g., including a door) which permits access to the interior space. Many inventive embodiments include a plastic portion which at least partially lines the inner rigid foam portion.
For many inventive embodiments, the outer metallic shell has contoured edges and vertices. The outer metallic shell includes six approximately rectangular faces, twelve curved junctional edges and eight curved junctional vertices. Each curved junctional edge adjoins two adjacent approximately rectangular faces. Each curved junctional vertex adjoins three curved junctional edges.
This invention represents an affordable physical security appliance for protection of personnel and equipment from the damaging effects of a package bomb explosion. The inventive device is essentially a lightweight, plastically responding pressure vessel designed to withstand a singular loading at its full-rated capacity. In other words, unlike conventional explosive containment devices which contemplate repeated usage, the inventive device is intended for blast loading once at or approaching its full-rated design capacity.
The inventive explosive containment device is substantially lighter and significantly less expensive (perhaps four to eight times less expensive) than are conventional explosive containment devices. By confining the effects of an unintended explosive activation, the inventive bomb containment vessel enables law enforcement officials to safely transport a suspected bomb without incurring the costs associated with repetitive use fixtures. Inventive inclusion of a fragmentation layer extends inventive application so as to encompass fragmenting munitions such as pipe bombs, mortars and grenades.
The inventive explosive containment device functions essentially as a singular-use, plastically responding pressure vessel. The controlled inelastic response of the main inventive structure is the inventive feature which especially promotes significant reductions in size, weight and cost.
The inventive explosion containment device decreases the total energy output of an explosive device by eliminating excess atmospheric oxygen from the device interior. Shock attenuation and heat transfer to the pulverized foam further diminish the degree of loading which reaches the invention's structural metallic shell.
The inventive pressure vessel shell dissipates much of the mechanical work of the confined gasses through inelastic deformation (stretching plastically). Inelastic deformation changes kinetic energy (structural shell movement) into thermal energy (increased temperature of the shell metal, e.g., steel). Conversely, elastic deformation only converts kinetic energy into stored mechanical potential energy. With a low modulus elastic structural shell, this stored energy (analogous to a stretched spring) remains available to do additional work during elastic rebound.
Since the invention's pressure vessel shell is not an elastic structure, there is no need to worry about safely relieving the significant potential energy stored in the elastically deformed shell. There is no need to ensure that elastic rebound occurs safely.
The confined gasses within the invention's pressure vessel are of a lower pressure and a lower temperature than occurs in relation with conventional explosive containment vessels. If a failure of the inventive pressure vessel were to happen, the remaining mechanical energy would be considerably smaller and thus potentially less destructive of the surroundings.
The reduced cost of the present invention allows purchase of a single inventive explosive containment unit at a fraction of the price of a s
Hoffman William A.
Wilson David T.
Kaiser Howard
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
Tudor Harold J.
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