Other

Erico International Corporation

Research Energy of Ohio, Inc.

Richard E Walker

James D Heckelman

Robert A Ziemke

Dean T Moore

Exothermic reaction mixtures are electrically ignited with a low cost foil strip of two conductive strips separated by a layer of insulation. One or more holes are formed in the ignitor to create shaped spark plasma on one side and a venting plasma on the opposite side of the hole. The spark with low energy requirements is sufficient to ignite exothermic reactions for welding, casting and other uses. The ignitor may be part of reusable crucibles and molds, or expendable packages, containers, and molds, or smaller squibs for igniting larger charges. The ignitor may be immersed in or substantially adjacent the charge of exothermic material. The spark forming hole or holes is made and shaped by a punch in a simple and low cost manner. The ignitor eliminates the need for starting powders or materials and flint gun ignitors.

Exothermic reactions and methods

In an electric detonator or blasting cap of the type including a base charge of high explosive material, an initiator means or initiator for creating an abrupt eruption in response to application of a selected voltage across the igniter and means for detonating the base charge upon creation of the abrupt eruption of the initiator, there is provided an improvement comprising forming the initiator as a junction of energetic material, such as a PN junction of an LED chip, encapsulated in a plastic or glass confinement housing. The housing has a directional controlling partition means facing in a selected direction. This partition has an effective spacing from the junction substantially less than the remainder of the confinement housing whereby application of a voltage pulse of over about 500 volts causes the junction to form an electric arc to create a plasma by a confined, high temperature, high pressure exothermic reaction. The effective spacing of the aforementioned partition at the junction is thick enough to confine the exothermic reaction until creation of the plastic and thin enough to allow the plasma to rupture the controlled partition and penetrate through the partition a given distance in the selected direction. The base charge is located in the selected direction and spaced from the partition a distance less than the given distance of plasma penetration whereby the plasma impacts against the base charge, thus, detonating the base charge.

Electric initiator for blasting caps

A fuse or ignition conductor for conducting ignition from an igniter to a remotely located primer, as used in the detonation of explosives. The ignition conductor contains a light transmitting fiber optic cord bound to the ignition conducting material of the fuse in such manner that if the ignition conducting material is broken, the fiber optic cord is also broken. The claimed subject matter further includes assemblies containing means at the primer end for transmitting light back to the igniter end.

Detonating cord and continuity verification system

It has long been known that there is an interfacial tension between immiscible liquids such as water in oil. It has long been known that membranes when wetted by one of two immiscible liquids will preferentially allow the passage through the membrane of the liquid with which the membrane is wetted, and will reject the other liquid with an opposing force that is proportional to the interfacial tension of the liquids. The opposing force is inversely proportional to the diameter of the pores of the membrane, and can be several inches of water head for pores a couple thousands of an inch in diameter. According to principles of the present invention, a structure is provided which augments the small water opposing force of the above described phenomenon with opposing forces of other mechanisms to produce a combined force which will separate water, without utilizing dirt collecting and annoying water coalescing filters, such as layers of glass fibers, etc.

Water shedding device

A continuity checking system for detonating cord having four principle parts. The detonating cord has a fiber optic cord associated therewith to run from the blasting cap to a remote primer; a light return device is installed at the primer; a disposable testing head is installed at the end of the detonating cord adjacent the blasting cap; and a testing device is positioned a safe distance away from the disposable testing head. The testing head utilizes an LED with means for illuminating the end of the fiber optic cord, and a light sensitive device with means for sensing return light from the fiber optic cord. An electrical input signal, and an electrical output signal from the disposable testing head is communicated by electrical wires to the remote testing device. The remote testing device functions to test for a signal from the light sensitive device before supplying an input signal to the LED following which a time delay is initiated before the output signal from the light sensitive device is used to indicate continuity.

Growing community of inventors

Cadiz, OH, United States of America

Richard E Walker