Breaching apparatus for use with explosive charges

• US 8,267,013 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New World Manufacturing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: New World Manufacturing, Inc.
• Inventors: Moore, Gerald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): KLEIN, GABRIEL J
• Application Number:
  US13/088,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20110197779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 102/331, 625/30, 607/108, 607/112, 607/114, 206/3, 206/317, 206/522, 383/3, 383/38, 220/4.22, 220/4.23, 220/4.27, 220/23.2, 220/23.4, 220/23.6, 220/23.8, 220/503, 220/505, 220/506
• US Class Current: 102/331
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/087 Flexible or deformable blasting cartridges, e.g. bags or hoses for slurriesloaded cartridge bags F42B5/38
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 1/12 Feeding tamping material by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 1/20 Tamping cartridges, i.e. cartridges containing tamping material flexible or deformable blasting cartridges F42B3/087
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 1/22 Methods for holding or positioning for blasting cartridges or tamping cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 1/24 characterised by the tamping material
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 3/00 Particular applications of blasting techniques explosive welding B23K20/08; explosive bolts or actuators F42B3/006; explosive valves F16K13/06; cutting devices actuated by explosion B23D15/145; pyrotechnical actuators F15B15/19; switching devices actuated by explosion H01H39/00
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 5/045 Detonation-wave absorbing or damping means

Abstract

The present invention is a flexible, fillable and/or inflatable breach bag (aqua ram) with a planar body and at least one fillable water chamber for use in breaching locked or barricaded doors or penetrating surfaces with explosive charges. The breach bag may conform to a variety of shapes, depending on the application. The bag generally includes a generally planar panel of flexible material and at least one water chamber disposed on the material layer with a fluid inlet for the selective introduction of fill material, generally in the field. Additionally, the bags include means to suspend the breach bag against structures to be breached.

Claims

1. A breach bag for breaching structures, comprising:

a panel of flexible material;

first and second discrete water chambers integral with or disposed on said panel for the insertion of a fill material, at least one of said water chambers including a pocket with an explosive charge disposed therein;

each said water chamber including a selectively closeable fluid inlet;

closure elements disposed on opposing sides of said panel such that the panel is securable in a folded closed configuration by fastening said closure elements to one another, said folded closed configuration enclosing the explosive between the first and second water chambers such that the explosive is surrounded on all sides by a layer of fill material when the water chambers are filled with said fill material.

2. The breach bag of claim 1, wherein said panel is rectangular and includes first and second halves, said first water chamber disposed in the center of said second half.

3. The breach bag of claim 2, wherein each of said water chambers has a length dimension commensurate with the width of the panel, a width dimension shorter than half the length of the panel, and a depth such that said first and second water chambers are sufficient spaced apart so as to provide room for the panel to be folded and the closure elements engaged when said first and second water chambers are filled with fluid fill material, in which configuration said first and second water chambers can be placed in a vertically oriented stacked relationship with one another.

4. The breach bag of claim 1, further including a carrying handle.

5. The breach bag of claim 1, wherein each of said first and second water chambers include a fill cap disposed on one side of said panel, such that when said water chambers are filled and said panel is folded and said closure elements are fastened to secure said breach bag in the folded closed configuration, said fill caps are in an aligned vertical orientation.

6. The breach bag of claim 1, wherein said bag includes hanging elements for securing said bag to a structure.

7. A breach bag, comprising:

a flexible planar body structure having a front, a back, a top, a bottom, a left side, a right side, and a planar body perimeter;

first and second discrete water chambers integral with or disposed on said planar body structure for the insertion of a fill material, at least one of said water chambers including a pocket with an explosive charge disposed therein;

each said water chamber including a re-sealable capped fluid inlet;

a plurality of hanging elements incorporated into said planar body perimeter providing means to attach said breach bag to a structure surface;

closure elements disposed on opposing sides of said planar body such that the planar body is securable in a folded closed configuration by fastening said closure elements to one another, said folded closed configuration enclosing the explosive between the first and second water chambers such that the explosive is surrounded on all sides by a layer of fill material when the water chambers are filled with said fill material.

8. The breach bag of claim 7, wherein said planar body structure comprises two material layers and each of said water chambers is incorporated into said planar body structure by seams defining respective water chamber perimeters within said planar body perimeter, said seams isolating the interior of each said water chamber from said planar body structure.

9. The breach bag of claim 7, wherein said planar body structure is rectangular in shape.

10. The breach bag of claim 7, wherein said first water chamber has a depth one-half the depth of said second water chamber, and wherein said pocket is centered in the second water chamber and sized such that when said first and second water chambers are filled with water and said breach bag is in the folded closed configuration, the thickness of the water barrier surrounding each side of said pocket is the same, such that the force of a blast from said explosive charge is evenly distributed on all sides of the charge.

11. The breach bag of claim 9, wherein when said water chambers are filled and the breach bag is put into the folded closed configuration, said breach bag is cuboid in shape.