BREACHING APPARATUS FOR USE WITH EXPLOSIVE CHARGES

• US 20110197779A1
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 8,267,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 use with an explosive charge in breaching structures, comprising:

a panel of flexible material;

at least one water chamber integral with or disposed on said panel for the insertion of a fill material, said at least one water chamber including a pocket for the placement of an explosive charge;

a selectively closeable fluid inlet providing fluid access to said water chamber for filling said water chamber with fill material; and

closure elements disposed on opposing sides of said panel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes first and second water chambers.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said panel is generally rectangular and includes first and second halves, and wherein said first and second water chambers are spaced apart, said first water chamber disposed generally in the center of said first half of said panel and said second water chamber disposed generally in the center of said second half of said panel.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each of said water chambers has a length dimension substantially 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 generally vertically oriented stacked relationship with one another.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a carrying handle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said first and second water chambers each includes 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 aligned and approximated to close said breach bag, said caps are in a substantially vertical orientation.

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

8. A breach bag, comprising:

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

at least one water chamber disposed on said planar body structure and having an interior and an exterior, a front and a back;

at least one re-sealable capped fluid inlet incorporated into said fillable water chamber exterior, providing a means for filling said water chamber;

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

a fastener for securing said right side to said left side when said flexible planar body structure is folded to enclose said at least one water chamber.

9. The breach bag of claim 8, wherein said planar body structure comprises two material layers and said water chamber is incorporated into said planar body structure by seams defining a water chamber perimeter within said planar body perimeter, said seams isolating said fillable water chamber interior from said planar body structure.

10. The breach bag of claim 8 wherein said planar body structure is substantially rectangular in shape.

11. The breach bag of claim 10, wherein at least one water chamber includes a pocket for the placement of a plastic explosive.

12. The breach bag of claim 11, including first and second spaced apart water chambers and said pocket is in said second water chamber.

13. The breach bag of claim 12, wherein when said planar body structure is folded approximately in half between said first and second water chambers, said pocket in said second water chamber is covered by said first water chamber.

14. The breach bag of claim 13, wherein said first water chamber has a depth approximately one-half the depth of said second water chamber, and wherein said pocket is generally centered in the second water pocket and sized such that when said first and second water chambers are filled with water and said breach bag is folded and closed, the thickness of the water barrier surrounding each side of said pocket is substantially the same.

15. The breach bag of claim 10, wherein when said water chambers are filled and said apparatus is put into a closed configuration, said apparatus is generally cuboid in shape.