MXPA00003765A - Method and apparatus for removing obstructions in mines - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system for fragmenting rock obstacles and obstructions in mines. The system uses a projectile having a flat or concave nose and a detonating device that has a safety pin to prevent a striker from prematurely igniting the primer during handling of the projectile. The primer is designed to initiate a detonator which detonates an explosive charge upon impact of the projectile with the target rock. The system can include transmitters and receivers and counters to provide remote operation of projectile launch, prearming, arming and/or detonation.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS TO REMOVE OBSTRUCTIONS IN MINES FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is generally directed to a method and apparatus for removing obstructions in mines and specifically to a system for removing blockages of rocks and / or oversized and / or unstable rock masses in mines and other types of excavations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In mining applications, it is common to find rock blockages from mine openings, such as chimneys, drainage galleries, bumpers, punches and tunnels, and oversized and / or unstable rock masses such as in large surface mining and quarrying operations. or exploitation of quarries. These rock masses can interrupt production and have an unsafe condition for employees. The removal of such rock masses is not only extremely dangerous but also difficult. Typically, personnel must approach and inspect the rock mass, sometimes drill one or more holes in the rock mass, and implant explosives that cause the removal of the rock mass. By performing these steps, workers have died or been seriously injured. When designing a system to design such rock masses, there are a number of considerations. First, the system must be capable of remote operation to reduce the dangers to personnel. In other words, the system must be able to be controlled far away (for example, to position itself, to have its objective, and / or to operate far away from the system's site). Secondly, the system must be relatively inexpensive in case the rock mass, when released, bury the system. Third, the system must have a low rate of fire failure. Fourth, the projectile ignited from the system must disintegrate after the impact in the event of a fire failure and in this way dissipate the explosive charge and make it harmless to the non-detonated explosive charge. Fifth, the system must be relatively accurate when striking the rock mass with the projectile at a substantial distance. Finally, the system must provide ease of use, be robust in construction and be simple in design and cost effective.

COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a system for launching a projectile to explode on impact and break the rock in mining and other excavations. In one embodiment, the system includes: (a) a projectile having: (i) a nose that is substantially planar or concave to inhibit the deflection of the projectile from a face of the rock; (ii) a body that contains an explosive charge; (iii) an end or tail having a plurality of fins transversely oriented to control the trajectory of the projectile; (b) a tube to launch the projectile. The system is simple and safe to use, cost effective, robust construction and highly effective and efficient to remove obstructions and allow the exact and remote triggering of rock masses, even high rock blocks. The projectile body contains a detonation device having a detonator inserted at its front end, a device fired at its rear end, and a primer located between the detonator and the trigger device. The trigger device and the primer are separated from one another by a spring member, which forces the trigger device of the primer and a safety separator that restricts the movement of the trigger device to the primer during shipping. The safety pin is removed prior to launching the projectile to allow the triggering device to impact the primer after the projectile is faced with the face of the rock. After impact with the rock, the trigger device is forced forward with enough force to overcome the resistive force of the spring and to hit and activate the primer, which in turn triggers the detonator. The safety pin can be highly effective to prevent fire failures of the detonation device during projectile assembly. The relationship between the mass of the trigger device and the spring constant is an important consideration. Preferably, the mass of the trigger device varies from about 0.5 to about 7 grams and the spring constant from about 267.8 to about 535.73 kg / meter. The projectile body also contains an explosive, preferably castable, charge which is in contact with the detonation device. The explosive charge can be any suitable explosive and is preferably selected from the group consisting of TNT, PETN, RDX, HMX, ammonium nitrate based explosives, and mixtures thereof. The explosive charge and the detonation device (which includes the detonator) are located in the anterior section of the body to allow the charge and the detonation device to be disintegrated after contact with the rock mass. The body walls are preferably formed of plastic or other brittle material and have a thickness ranging from about 1 to about 6 mm to facilitate disintegration of the projectile in the event of a fire failure. Typically, the detonator is inserted into the body of the detonation device immediately before the detonation device is inserted into the projectile. The detonation device (minus the detonator), the detonator, the projectile body and the drive plate, and the explosive charge are shipped separately and assembled in place. This is done by placing the detonator on the detonation device; placing the detonation device in a passage in the body of the projectile to support the detonation device, and placing the explosive charge on the front of the projectile to form the projectile fully assembled. The detonation device is received in a cavity or pocket in the body which allows the detonation device to move longitudinally and latitudinally in response to the movement of the projectile. In this way, the possibility of a fire failure is significantly reduced, even at low flight speeds. The movement of the detonation device within the cavity will allow the triggering device to more easily impact the primer. The body may also include a plurality of ribs to withstand the explosive charge after impact with the rock mass. Preferably, 6 or more ribs are used to inhibit the explosive charge of the deformation and flow into the gaps between the ribs. The center of gravity of the projectile is preferably located in the body section and the center of pressure preferably in the end or tail section to provide more desirable flight characteristics. In this way, the center of gravity and the center of pressure are longitudinally offset from one another along the longitudinal axis of the projectile. To achieve this, the external diameter of the projectile body is not less than about 25% and not more than about 100% of the outer diameter of the tail section and the length of the projectile body is not greater than about 50% of the length of the projectile body. end or tail. The launch tube includes a cavity in a bottom of the tube to contain a propellant charge to launch the projectile from the tube. The propellant charge is a suitable energy substance such as a propellant or an explosive. A driving plate is located between the propellant charge and the bottom of the projectile The driving plate makes contact separately with the bottom of the projectile. The drive plate is a solid disk that substantially fills and substantially seals the portion of the tube below the drive plate. As a result, there is a pressure differential across the driving plate after the ignition of the driving load, with the pressure in the cavity below the driving plate exceeding the pressure in the tube above the driving plate. The pressure differential pushes the impeller plate and the projectile from the tube at a speed in excess of about 25 m / sec. The ignition and / or projectile tube may include remote control components to allow ignition, arming and distant detonation of the projectile. By way of example, the tube may include a receiver / transmitter for receiving a control signal from a transmitter maintained by an operator and transmitting a second control signal to a receiver in the projectile and / or for initiating the propellant charge and in this way light the projectile. The projectile may include at least one receiving unit for receiving the transmitter control signal in the tube or transmitter held by the operator. The receiving unit in turn may general a control signal to pre-arm, arm or initiate the detonation device. The projectile may also include one or more counters to determine a range after firing the projectile from the tube and provide a control signal to fully arm the firing device or detonate the firing device after a predetermined interval has elapsed. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for removing a rock body in an excavation. The method includes the steps of: (a) aiming an ignition tube containing a projectile so that the projectile impacts a preselected target area on the rock body after launch; (b) transmitting a control signal to a receiver from a remote location so that at least one of the following occurs: the projectile ignition and the projectile assembly; (c) igniting the projectile from the tube; and (d) contacting the nose of the projectile with the target area. Typically, the velocity of the projectile after leaving the tube is no greater than about 250 m / sec. and very typically it varies from about 25 to about 150 m / sec. Aiming the device underground or at night is relatively straightforward. A radiation emission device, such as a flash light or laser beam, can be removably mounted on the tube and a light beam from the device is aligned with the desired target area to align the launch tube with the objective . This methodology is highly accurate and reduces the probability that the projectile will fail in the target area. The method also includes the steps of arming and detonating the projectile far away. By way of example, the method may include the steps of transmitting a second control signal when the projectile is turned on to a counter and when the counter determines that a predetermined interval has elapsed, generating a third control signal to perform at least one of the following steps: closing a final arming switch for a detonation device on the projectile and initiating the detonation device to ignite an explosive charge on the projectile. The method can include the steps of converting the control signal into electrical energy and, when a predetermined amount of electrical energy is generated in the conversion step, transmitting the electric power to an ignition device to initiate the ignition step or to a ignition device in the projectile.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a system according to the present invention; Figures 2-4 are several views of a driving plate according to the present invention, Figure 2 being a bottom view, Figure 3 being a cross-sectional view along line 3-3 of Figure 2, and Figure 4 being a top view; Figures 5A-C are several views of a projectile according to the present invention, Figure 5A being a side view of a projectile, Figure 5B being a side view of a first configuration of the detonation device and Figure 5C being a cross sectional view of the projectile taken along line 5C-5C of Figure 12; Figure 6 is a bottom view of the projectile; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a second configuration of the detonation device; Figure 8 is a view of the projectile impacting the face of a rock; Figure 9 is a side view of the separate launch tube; Figure 10 is a side view of the base; Figure 11 is a top view of the base; Figure 12 is a top view of the body without the explosive charge present; Figure 13 is a side view of an apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention; Figures 14A and 14B are side views of the apparatus of Figure 13 being placed below a hook; Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of a projectile according to a second projectile configuration; Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of a projectile according to a third projectile configuration; Figure 17 is a schematic electrical flow diagram of the elements within a receiver / collector unit that ignites the propellant charge; Figures 18A and 18B are schematic electrical flow diagrams within the elements within the receiver / collector units controlling the assembly and operation of the fuse or primer in the explosive charge; Figures 19A and 19B are schematic electrical flow diagrams of an alternating fuse configuration for initiating the explosive charge when the projectile impacts the target rock; Figures 20A-E are schematic sequences of setting and firing the launcher through a remote control; and Figures 21A-F are schematic sequences of the main projectile / launch tube events following the issuance of the ignition command by the operator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to Figures 1 and 9-11, a system 10 according to the present invention includes a launch tube 14, a base 18, an anchor tip 22, a pointing device 24, a driving plate 26, and a projectile 30. The base 18 further includes a cavity 24 located below the projectile 30 and the driving plate 26 containing a propulsion load 40 for launching the projectile 30 from the launch tube 14. The cavity 34 is formed by an internal tube 38 placed inside the launch tube 14 so that the walls of the inner tube 38 support the driving plate 26. Accordingly, the outer diameter of the inner tube 38 is equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the driving plate 26. The propulsion load 40 is formed through an energetic material, such as a pyrotechnic material (eg, black powder) or a propellant, contained within a cutting, paper and / or plastic bag that is antistatic and / or resistent e to water / moisture. The bag has a slot or cavity 42 into which an initiator is inserted. The initiator 46 for initiating the propellant charge passes through a hole 50 in the base 18.

The anchor tip 22 provides lateral and axial stability for the system through the absorption of the launch pulse to allow it to be remotely released without loss of the desired (eg, target) orientation of the tube. The tip, for example, can be forced towards the ground or between supporting rocks. Rocks, sandbags, beams or other suitable objects can be placed below and / or around the launch tube 14 to keep the launch tube 14 in the desired position. To allow the propellant charge to be placed in the cavity 34, the launch tube 14 is detachably connected to the base 18 and inner tube 38. A locking pin 54 (which passes through the joint walls of both the launch tube as the inner tube) allows the launch tube 14 to be attached to or removed from the inner tube 38. As will be appreciated, the propulsion charge is placed in the cavity when the launch tube 14 is separated from the inner tube 38. The launch tube, base and tip are preferably manufactured from suitable materials, such as a metal alloy or composite material (eg, steel or aluminum) or plastic to provide a robust construction and allow system reuse after of each release. As will be appreciated, after the broken rocks can bury the system or the mining machinery can run on the system. In the first case, a chain or other suitable device (not shown) can be attached to the launch tube 14 or base 18 to recover the system from under the rocks to be used again. The aiming device 24 is typically a light emitting device, such as a flash light or laser beam, which is removably mounted on the launch tube 14 to align the tube with the desired objective. The device 24 has a circular seat 58 that has the same shape as the outer surface of the launch tube 14 to allow the device 24 to be seated on the launch tube 14. Referring to Figures 2-4, the driving plate 26 It has a disc shape and has an outer diameter that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the launch tube 14 above the cavity 34. The gap between the outer circumference of the driving plate and the inner wall of the launch tube is preferably not greater than about 0.3048 cm and most preferably not greater than about 0.1443 cm to facilitate effective formation of a seal between the driving plate and the walls of the launch tube. The driving plate has a rearward facing lip seal formed by a serrated area 62 on the underside of the driving plate 26 to improve the gas pressure sealing in the launch tube 14, thus improving the launch efficiency. Toothed area 62 provides a pressure cavity below the projectile to accelerate the projectile in launch tube 14. Impulse plate 26 has a plurality of transversely oriented rib-shaped grooves, 66 ad, which are aligned with fins 70. projectile 30. The slots hold the caudal fins detachably and, therefore, the projectile in place during launch and structurally support the caudal fins during launch, thus allowing for higher launch pressures and speeds . The air resistance causes the impeller plate to separate from the rear part of the projectile after leaving the launch tube 14, thus allowing a stable flight of the projectile towards the target. The drive plate 26 typically can not be reused and is formed of a lightweight, inexpensive material, such as plastic. The driving plate allows the projectile to be launched from the launch tube 14 using not only pyrotechnic material, but also compressed air or other gases. Figures 1, 5A, 5C, 6, and 12 are several views of the projectile . The projectile 30 has a nose section 74, a body section 78, and an end section or tail 82. The nose section 74 is either substantially planar or concave to reduce the likelihood that the projectile will deviate from the faces of rock jagged or angled after impact and thus fail to detonate the explosive charge. The body section 78 contains the explosive charge 86 and the detonation explosive 90, which, as noted, each is placed in the projectile body immediately before launch. The tail section 82 has a number of caudal fins 70 a-d to stabilize the trajectory of the projectile. The projectile body can be made from a wide variety of lightweight and low cost materials, with injection molded plastics being very preferred. The body section 78 has a round or shaped rear portion 94 transitioning to the caudal fins 70 a-d to provide the transition of air flow over the projectile body during flight. As will be appreciated, the rear part 94 can also be angled downward toward the caudal fins to achieve the same purpose. To provide desired flight characteristics, it is preferred that the center of gravity of the projectile be located in the body section and the center of pressure in the tail section. To perform this configuration, the tail diameter is preferably not greater than about 25% and most preferably not more than about 50% and not more than about 100%, and preferably not more than about 75% of the body diameter, and the length "L" of the tail is preferably about 60%, most preferably it varies from about 70 to 80% of the total length "Lt" of the projectile 30. The body section 78 has a plurality of internal ribs 70 ad to support the explosive charge 86. The projectile has at least 6, and most preferably at least 8, internal ribs 98 located on the interior surface of the rear portion 94 to support the explosive charge 86 during launch, without requiring an extension plate. of pressure separated to avoid that the explosive load is fragmented during the acceleration of the launching. The explosive charge 86 is preferably a cast explosive, such as "PENTOLITE", "COMP-B", or any other suitable castable explosive having a high detonation velocity. The load 86 is exposed in the nose section 74, and as shown in Figure 8, it deforms after contact with the face 110 of the rock before the detonation device 90 is started. This provides an excellent transfer of the shock wave from the detonation of the explosive charge to the rock. In the case of a fire failure (for example, through the failure of the detonation device to start), the structural strength of the projectile 30 is designed so that the nose section will be shattered after impact with the face of the The rock and the explosive charge of the projectile 86 will disintegrate into a granulated powder, in this way making the untapped cargo not dangerous to personnel and equipment. Accordingly, the thickness of the outer wall surrounding the body section 78 varies from about 1 to about 6 mm, and most preferably from about 2 to about 5 mm to provide sufficient strength to withstand the pressures exerted by the explosive charge on the walls during flight while maintaining the strength of the walls sufficiently low to allow the front portion of the projectile to disintegrate after impact in the event of a fire failure. The ribs 98 a-h in the body section 78 are also designed to provide a particular reinforcement to the body section 78 to obtain the particular crushing characteristics necessary to ensure that the explosive charge is completely disintegrated in the event of a fire failure. A cross-sectional view of a configuration of the knock device 90 is illustrated in Figure 7. The knock device 90 includes a trigger device 114., a spring member 118 by diverting the trigger device 114, a primer 122, a detonator 126, a safety pin (e.g., a Cotter pin) 130 separating the trigger device 114 from the primer 126, a detonator support 125, a rear plug 127, and a knock device body 123. The trigger device, which is typically composed of a metal or plastic, is movably mounted in the knock device 90, so that the trigger device can move forwardly. in the body of the detonation device 123. When the projectile hits the face of a rock, the triggering device 114 overcomes the spring member 118 deflects and then impacts the primer 122. The primer 122 initiates and in turn initiates the detonator 126 , which in turn initiates the explosive charge 86. During boarding of the detonating device (minus the detonator), the safety pin 130 prevents the trigger device 114 makes contact with the primer 112, and thus prevents accidental initiation of the impact fuse. This aspect allows the detonation device to have a transport safety classification UN 1.4S. The detonation device 90 is movably and loosely mounted in a passage 134 of the detonation device to allow the detonation device to experience some lateral (collateral) and longitudinal (end-to-end) movement. This is achieved by having a gap between the outer walls of the detonation device 90 and the internal walls of the passage 134 of the detonation device. It has been found that the gap provides more reliable initiation compared to the detonation device which is safely held in a fixed position in the passage. The gap between the side wall of the detonation device and the side wall of the cavity preferably ranges from about 0.5 to about 4.0 mm. The detonation device 90 is also capable of moving back and forth in contact with the explosive charge. Preferably, the cavity volume preferably ranges from about 45 to about 90% of the volume of the detonation device; the length of the cavity preferably varies from about 75 to 100% of the length of the detonation device 90; and the width of the cavity preferably ranges from about 65 to about 95% and most preferably about 75 to 85% of the width of the knock device 90. Furthermore, in a second configuration of the knock device shown in Figure 5B, the knock device 90 has a front end 138 wider than a rear end 142, which allows the detonation device to be inserted in the passage 134 of the knock device only in the correct orientation. This prevents incorrect assembly. Now the operation of the system will be discussed. Before aiming the tube, the launch tube 14 is removed from the inner tube 38 and the base 18, the propulsion load 40 is placed in the cavity 34 in the inner tube 38, the initiator 46 connected to the propellant charge runs to Through the hole 50, the launch tube 14 is reattached to the inner tube 38 and base 18, the locking pin 54 is inserted to lock the launch tube and the base in place, and the anchor tip 22 enhances the gallery through the rocks or is pushed towards the ground. To mount the launch tube, the aiming device 24 is placed on the launch tube, a beam of light is emitted from the aiming device 24 and the launch tube is repositioned until the light beam illuminates the area desired goal. The aiming device 24 is removed from the launch tube once the launch tube and base are secured in the target position. The projectile is assembled by first inserting the detonator into the open end of the detonation device, placing the detonation device in the passage of the detonation device, and placing the explosive charge in front of the projectile. The driving plate 26 is coupled to the bottom of the caudal fins 70 a-d and the assembled projectile 30 and the attached driving plate 26 are first placed on the driving plate in the launching tube. The launch area is then evacuated. The propellant charge 40 is then initiated using appropriate methods (e.g., a remote control device, an electrical or non-electrical impulse, or a wick) and the projectile is launched from the tube. When the projectile hits the target area, the explosive charge is deformed a little to match the shape of the face of the rock and the contact force between the projectile and the face of the rock drives the firing device 114 forward with a sufficient force to overcome the resistance of the spring member 118. The pointed end 200 of the triggering device then impacts and initiates the primer 122, which ignites and initiates the detonator 126. The initiation of the detonator in turn detonates the explosive charge 86, which fragments the face of the rock and breaks it. In a second embodiment of the present invention, the system may include one or more of a mobile unit for transporting and positioning the tube, transmission, reception and collection units to allow remote operation of the system, and / or remote viewing devices for aim the tube from a site that is at a distance from the tube. An important aspect of the second mode is the use of electromagnetic energy, such as cryptically encoded radio signals, which allow an operator to remotely and safely control the operation of the system from the initiation of the launcher to the final disposal of the explosive charge. in the projectile, without the accidental initiation by other unrelated radio frequency sources, which are common in mining and construction operations. As noted, the system according to the second embodiment may include one or all of the following components in addition to the system discussed above: Mobile carrier or other suitable platform. • Remote viewing device. RF controller / transmitter. RF receiver / transmitter Receiver / RF collectors in the projectile and the propellant charge.

The carrier can be a modified mining machine or other suitable carrier. The carrier is modified to mount a launch tube that can be either (1) either placed and directed to the target rock mass by placing cylinders or (2) dropped into position and disengaged from the carrier through a quick notch or another suitable provision. The latter allows the carrier to be moved back out of a dangerous direction if a substantial rock slide is expected when the target rock mass is fragmented. Figure 13 shows a typical load-carry-dump (LHD) carrier with a launch tube shown at its front end. The carrier can be placed for a shot or can place the launch tube for a shot as illustrated in Figures 14A and 14B. Once placed, the operator can move to a safe place to start the launcher. The remote splitting device can be used to safely observe the target rock mass without the personnel moving in the danger zone, where an unstable mass of rock can suddenly loosen and break. In some cases, there will be a line of sight to the target rock mass (for example, in punches where the block is below the ridge, independent ore blocks or unstable rock walls in open quarries). In other cases, the target rock mass may not be visible, for example, a pit for blocking high punches around the crest of the punch). In any case, far vision media includes remotely operated cameras or optical fibers. The camera or other means to see remotely can be mounted either on the carrier or launch tube and used to obtain an image of the target rock mass. This camera can be controlled through the operator as described below. The RF controller / transmitter is considered as a portable unit that the operator carries with himself. The controller contains an RF transmitter capable of communicating with a receiver / transmitter located either on the carrier or on the launch tube. The controller / transmitter is capable of transmitting a signal on a short scale of up to several hundred meters. The controller / transmitter contains the electronics, special silicon chips and associated software to allow the operator to send cryptically encoded instructions to the RF receiver / transmitter. The controller / transmitter includes safety switches to prevent accidental operation, a keypad to enter key codes and other instructions and software codes that only the operator can activate. Key codes or cryptic encoding codes can be changed from time to time to obtain continuous security. In a modern mine, there are many sources of RF noise associated with mining communications, cell phones, engine noise from large machines and computers. One of the main security aspects of the RF transmitter / controller that is part of the present invention is that the RF signals that will be transmitted will be cryptically encoded, so that the receiver / transmitter will only respond to these cryptically encoded signals and not to other signals RF strange including those of the same carrier sequence. The RF receiver / transmitter is located in the carrier or in the launch tube. This unit receives cryptically encoded control signals from the RF controller / transmitter and retransmits them to an RF receiver / collector on the board, the projectile in the launch tube and to a unit associated with the projectile propulsion system. This unit can also be used to receive and retransmit control signals to control the position of the launch tube and / or to control a remote camera or fiber optic unit used to view the target rock mass. When the receiver / transmitter issues the "launch" command, sends cryptically encoded instructions to the projectile to make the fuse in the projectile activate, energize and prearranged. It also sends cryptically encoded instructions to the receiver / collector unit that initiates the projectile propulsion system. A receiver / collector unit can be located not only in the propellant charge, but also in the projectile. In any case, one or more receiver / collector units are used in each shot and in this way the units are considered as a consumable item and preferably are low cost. The receiver / collector unit in the propellant charge (eg, a cartridge containing a charge of fumigant powder, an electric wick, and a small initiation charge) is activated when it recognizes a cryptically encoded signal to fire and launch the projectile. After receiving this signal, the unit begins to collect and convert electromagnetic energy to electrical energy, which is stored in an electrical storage device such as a capacitor. When the chip (wafer) in this unit determines that the correct charge is stored, it generates a control signal to initiate the propellant charge to launch the projectile. Alternatively, the receiver / transmitter unit in the launching carrier or tube may directly ignite the projectile by opening a solenoid operated valve that discharges compressed air to the launching tube behind the projectile. Alternatively, the receiver / transmitter unit in the launching carrier or tube can directly fire the projectile by activating an electrical solenoid to discharge a cartridge and compressed gas. The receiver / collector unit located inside the projectile is used to activate, energize, arm and control the operation of the fuse that initiates the explosive charge within the projectile. This unit is activated when it recognizes a cryptically encoded signal for the ignition. After receiving this signal, the unit begins to collect and convert the electromagnetic energy to electrical energy, which is stored in an on-board electrical storage device such as a capacitor. When the chip (wafer) in this unit determines that the correct charge is stored, it generates a control signal to pre-arm the fuse in the explosive charge (the final assembly is made after the projectile leaves the launch tube. The electric storage device retains enough charge to operate the additional arming and control functions that occur after launch and during the subsequent flight of the projectile The functional elements of the receiver / collector for the propellant charge are shown in Figure 17. The functional elements of the receiver / collector located in the projectile are shown in Figures 18A and 18B.The electronic fuse, radio-controlled or detonation device can be used with preference for the detonation device discussed above, and is the heart of the system. important safety functions are developed in the detonation device.First, the projectile contains a substantial explosive charge and can still carry its own propelling charge. When the operator unpacks the projectile, transports it and loads it into the launch tube, the explosive, and, if used, the propellant charge, they are in an inert state and are unable to accidentally discharge. Secondly, when the projectile is thrown, the explosive charge starts after the projectile has been launched and without considering what type of impact situation it is. As noted above, the impact of the projectile may be on an oblique surface and this increases the possibility that the projectile fuse may not burst. Since the oblique aspect of the impact can not be controlled and the possibility of untapped turns becomes an aspect of safety, the system of the second mode not only uses a projectile that disintegrates after the impact, but also a projectile that includes one or more fail-safe devices such as timers or chronometers. These units contain a small sensor that detects the launch force. This sensor will not be activated until the fuse has been pre-armed and, therefore, can not be activated accidentally before receiving the firing command coded cryptically. Once this sensor (which can be a piezoelectric, mechanical or electronic sensor) detects the launch force, it activates one or more counters. A first counter is set to close the final fuse link switch after a time long enough for the projectile to clean the launch tube. This prevents the accidental initiation of the explosive charge during the launch cycle. Now the projectile is in flight and fully armed. A second counter is set to detonate the explosive charge on the projectile after a sufficiently long time that the projectile must have reached its target rock mass. This is a fail-safe aspect that ensures that there will not be an explosive not detonated in the rock mass. Alternatively, the second counter can be started after the first counter has expired (ie, after the projectile has rinsed the launch tube). The choice is programmable on the receiver / collector chip. In an alternative configuration of the detonation device, the detonation device or the same fuse can be composed of an electric detonator or an electric wick or other small explosive initiation device connected to a frame and ignition circuit. The fuse may include a closing sensor or switch, which is activated by the impact of the projectile. The closing sensor or switch is sensitive enough to operate after an oblique impact or change in the projectile flight direction examples of both types of fuse system are shown in Figures 19A and 19B. There may be one or more fuse assemblies in the projectile all controlled by the receiver / collector chip. The control logic to assemble the fuse (one or more armed stages) and the electric power to activate the fuse are stored on the receiver / controller chip inside the projectile. In the second embodiment of the present invention, fuse assembly is achieved remotely through the operator sending a cryptically encoded signal from his RF controller / transmitter unit. The operator may be required to install the fuse on the projectile, but at no time will there be a source of energy in the projectile capable of arming or starting the fuse. The innovation of the present invention is best understood in terms of its operational sequence. Figures 20A-20E together show the sequence of the carrier by placing the launch tube to remove a punch block. In both cases of the placement of the launch tube while joining or separating from the carrier, the propellant and fuse system is completely de-energized and is incapable of accidental initiation. The projectile and the propellant charge have been loaded into the launch tube before the carrier is moved into place. The operator now moves to a safe start position. You can use your portable RF transmitter / controller unit to remotely observe the target rock mass (if a remote viewing system is used) and to additionally activate the launch tube (if remotely operated systems are used). Once the launch tube is placed, armed and ready to be launched, the operator emits a launch command cryptically encoded to the RF receiver / transmitter located in the carrier or launch tube. The sequence of events that follows the sending of the launch command are schematically illustrated in Figures 21A-F. The result of the launch command is the launching of the projectile and the detonation of the explosive charge either by impact with the target rock mass or by the fault-proof self-destruct command issued from the unit of the receiver / collector unit within of the projectile. A more detailed discussion of Figures 13-21 will now be presented. Figure 13 shows a carrier 201 crawling along a subterranean sinkhole driven by an operator 202. A launch tube 203 is shown mounted or removably held on the front of the carrier 201 through a quick-release hydraulic release mechanism 204. An RF receiver / transmitter unit 205 is attached to the launch tube 203. The operator 202 carries a portable RF transmitter / controller unit (not shown) that communicates with the RF receiver / transmitter unit 205. FIGS. 14A and 14B show a sequence of frames illustrating the remote attachment of the launch tube in the launch position. In Figure 14A, a carrier 206 with a launch tube 207 attached to the front end of the carrier 206 moves to its place under the crest of a punch 208. A number of ore blocks 209 block the punch 208. In Figure 14B, the carrier 206 has been disconnected and places the launch tube 207 under the punch 208 below the unstable block 209. The carrier 206 has moved the tunnel to a safe place. Another configuration of a projectile is shown in Figure 15. The projectile is comprised of a body shell 210 and a driver plate 211 of sufficient thickness to withstand launch pressures typically as high as 3.5 MPA. The back portion of the body is filled with an inert filler material 212 such as concrete. A cavity in the front portion of the projectile is filled with a high explosive 213. An RF receiver / collector unit 214 is located in the projectile. An impact closure sensor or switch 214 is located within the projectile. The receiver / collector unit RF 214 contains a silicon chip (wafer), which in turn contains a charge collection and storage device, an acceleration sensor, arming switches, counters and a detonator. The impact closure sensor or switch sends a signal or completes a circuit after impact. In the event that the projectile does not impact an object within a prescribed time, the RF receiver / collector unit 214 detonates the main explosive charge 213 to prevent the unexploded explosive from being left in the rock mass. Another projectile configuration is shown in Figure 16. The projectile is composed of a container 216 for the explosive 217, a lightweight body 218 formed by, for example, plastic fins, and a driver plate 219 of sufficient thickness to resist launch pressures typically of the order of 0.70 to 1.4 MPA. In this design, the entire front end container 216 is filled with the explosive 217. As in the heavy projectile shown in Figure 16, an RF receiver / collector unit 220 is located in the body of the explosive 217. A sensor or switch of impact closure 221 is located on the front portion of the projectile. The receiver / collector unit RF 220 contains a silicon chip, which in turn contains a charge collection and storage device, an acceleration sensor, arming switches, counters and a detonator. The impact closure sensor or switch sends a signal or completes a circuit after the impact causes the detonator to detonate the main explosive charge 217. In the case where the projectile does not impact an object within a prescribed time , the receiver / collector unit RF 220 detonates the main explosive charge 217 to prevent the unexploded explosive from being left in the rock mass. The functional components of receiver / collector 222 that ignite the propellant charge are shown in Figure 17. Receiver / collector 222 contains a receiving antenna 223 that is attached to a collector 224, which collects the electromagnetic energy that is cryptically encoded in appropriately and stores the energy in a storage device 225 (such as a capacitor). When the appropriate amount of electric charge is accumulated in the storage device 225, the switch 226 is closed by buffering the stored electrical energy through the initiating device 227 for the propulsion charge which, in turn, releases the projectile. The functional components of the receiver / collector 228 that controls the arming and fail-safe operation of the fuse in the explosive charge are shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B for two cases. In Figure 18A, a sensor 229 is used both to detect the start of acceleration in the launch tube and the impact of the projectile against the target rock mass. The receiver / collector unit 228 contains a reception antenna 230 which is connected to a collector 231, which collects the electromagnetic energy that is cryptically encoded in an appropriate manner and stores the energy in a storage device 232 (such as a capacitor). When the appropriate amount of electric charge is accumulated in the storage device 232, the switch 233 is closed, thus pre-assembling the fuse circuit. Meanwhile, the propellant charge has been initiated and the projectile begins to accelerate. The sensor 229 starts a counter 234, which closes the switch 235 after a time that allows the projectile not to leave the launch tube. The counter 236 starts either at the start of the launch or at the end of the counter 234. When the projectile impacts the target rock mass, the sensor 229 closes the switch 237, dampening the electrical energy stored in the storage device 232 through the detonator , which in turn initiates the main explosive charge in the projectile. In the event that the projectile does not impact the rock mass or otherwise fail the detonation in a safe period, the counter 236 disconnects and closes the switch 237 by dampening the electrical energy stored in the storage device 232 through the detonator, which in turn initiates the main explosive charge in the projectile. In Figure 18B, a small sensor 238 in the receiver / collector unit 239 detects the launch of the projectile. The receiver / collector unit 239 contains a receiving antenna 240 that is attached to a collector 241, which collects electromagnetic energy that is cryptically encoded appropriately and stores the energy in a storage device 242 (such as a capacitor). When the appropriate amount of electric charge is accumulated in the storage device 242, the switch 243 is closed by pre-assembling the fuse circuit. Meanwhile, the propellant charge has been initiated and the projectile begins to accelerate. The sensor 238 initiates a counter 244, which closes the switch 245 after a time that allows the projectile to exit the launch tube. The counter 246 starts either at the start of the launch or at the end of the counter 244. When the projectile impacts the target rock mass, the impact switch is closed by dampening the electrical energy stored in the storage device 242 through the detonator, the which in turn initiates the main explosive charge in the projectile. In the case where the projectile does not impact the mass of the rock or otherwise fail the detonation in a safe period, the counter 246 disconnects and closes the switch 247, dampening the electrical energy stored in the storage device 242 through of the detonator by deflecting the impact switch. This initiates the main explosive charge on the projectile. The functional components of a typical fuse assembly are shown in Figures 19A and 19B for two cases. In Figure 19A, a sensor 248 is used to detect the impact of the projectile against the target rock mass. An RF receiver / collector unit 249 contains an RF receiver element, a cryptic decoder, which allows cryptically encoded RF energy to be collected in an electrical storage device, a switch that closes to pre-assemble the fuse before launching, a counter to determine when the final arming switch closes after the projectile leaves a launch tube, and a counter that determines when to detonate the explosive in the case where the projectile has not hit the mass of rock or otherwise failed to detonate in a period of safety. The sensor 248 is connected to the receiver / collector 249 and controls the switches within the receiver / collector unit 249. The receiver / collector unit 249 in turn controls the detonator 250. An impact switch 252 is used to detect the impact of the projectile against the target rock mass. The receiver / collector unit RF 251 contains an RF receiver element, a cryptic decoder, which allows cryptically encoded RF energy to be appropriately collected in an electrical storage device, a switch that closes to pre-arm the fuse before launch, a counter to determine when the arming switch Final closes after the projectile leaves the launch tube, and a counter that determines when to detonate the explosive in the event that the projectile does not impact on. the rock mass or otherwise fail the detonation in a safe period. The impact switch 252 connects the receiver / collector 251 with the detonator 253. If the impact switch fails to operate or otherwise does not impact after the safety counter expires, the receiver / collector 251 closes an internal switch, which dampens the electric energy stored through the detonator by branch 254. Figures 20A-E show a sequence of frames illustrating operator operations leading to the launching of the projectile in the rock mass. In Figure 20A, the operator 255 directs the carrier 256 with the launch tube 257 attached in a pulling position to a punch 258 blocked with a rock mass 259. In Figure 20B, the operator 260 stops the carrier 261 and places the launch tube 262 under the punch 263. An RF receiver / transmitter 264 is shown attached to the launch tube 262. The operator 260 does not leave the carrier 261 and is protected from any rock failure of the rock mass 265. In the Figure 20C, carrier 266 has been moved away from punch 267, launch tube 268 is in place for launching into rock mass 269, and operator 270 has assumed a safe launch position. In Figure 20D, operator 271 has activated its portable controller / transmitter 272 and has sent a cryptically encoded signal 273 to receiver / transmitter 274 on launch tube 275. Signal 273 results in the launcher being activated, 276. Figure 20E shows the rock mass 277 having been taken to the launch tube 278, which can then be safely removed from the rock pile. The operator 279 and the carrier 280 have remained safely in the direction of the rock carried from the punch 281. Figures 21A-F show a sequence of frames illustrating the events that occur as a result of the operator issuing the ignition command. Figure 21A shows the projectile pack 282 in the ignition position within the launch tube 283. The RF receiver / transmitter unit 284 is mounted on the launch tube 283. As shown in Figure 21B, when the receiver / RF transmitter 285 receives a cryptically encoded signal from the operator's portable controller / transmitter, sends a cryptically encoded signal to receiver / collector unit 286 located in projectile pack 287. This signal activates receiver / controller 186 to close The pre-armed switch on the fuse and to collect the RF energy and store it in the internal storage device. Then, as shown in Figure 21C, the RF receiver / transmitter 287 sends a cryptically encoded signal to the other receiver / collector unit 288 located in the propellant charge 289. The receiver / collector unit 288 then picks up the RF energy and it stores it in the internal storage device. When this electrical storage device is fully charged, the propellant charge 289 is automatically started, starting the acceleration of the projectile 290. The acceleration of the projectile 291 shown in Figure 21D starts a counter that determines when the projectile 291 has left the launch tube. 293. In Figure 21E, projectile 294 has come out of launch tube 295 and is in free flight. When the counter in the internal receiver / collector 296 determines that a predetermined time has elapsed, the counter generates a control signal to close the final arming switch to fully arm the fuse in the explosive charge. A second counter in the receiver / collector unit 296 has started counting at the same time as the fuse-armed counter or alternatively begins counting when the fuse-armed counter ends and fully arms the fuse. In Figure 21F, the projectile 297 impacts the objective rock mass 298 and the fuse detonates the explosive load 299. In the case where the projectile 297 does not detonate on impact or does not impact the target rock mass, when the second counter determines that a predetermined time has elapsed, the counter generates a control signal to detonate the explosive charge 299.

Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is evident that modifications and adaptations to those embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. However, it is expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the scope of the present invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims (36)

1. A system for launching a projectile to remove a rock body in an excavation, comprising: a projectile including: a nose being substantially and concave to inhibit the deflection of the projectile from a face of the rock; a body that contains an explosive charge; and an end or tail having a plurality of fins transversely oriented to control the trajectory of the projectile; and a tube to launch the projectile.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the body contains a detonation device, the detonation device having a primer at a close end and a separating device at a distal end, the trigger and the primer being separated one. of the other through a spring member that forces the trigger away from the primer and a safety pin that restricts the movement of the trigger to the primer.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the tube includes a cavity in a bottom of the tube to contain a propellant charge to launch the projectile from the tube.

4. The system according to claim 3, further comprising: a driving plate located between the propellant charge and the bottom of the projectile, the upper part of the driving plate being in contact with the bottom of the projectile to push the projectile out of the tube when the propulsion charge is turned on.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the gap between the outer perimeter of the driving plate and the inside of the tube is relatively small to substantially seal gases from the propellant charge ignited in the cavity and, thus form a differential. of gas sure on opposite sides of the driving plate, the gas sure at the bottom of the driving plate being greater than the gas sure at the top of the driving plate.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the bottom of the driving plate is concave.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the explosive is selected from the group consisting of TNT, PETN, RDX, HMX, explosives based on ammonium nitrate, and mixtures thereof.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the tube includes a receiver / transmitter for receiving a control signal from a transmitter and transmitting a second control signal to a receiver on the projectile.

9. A projectile to remove a rock body in an excavation, which includes: a nose in the front part of the projectile; a body located behind the nose and containing a detonation device and an explosive charge, the detonating device including a detonator for detonating the explosive charge and being located in a cavity having at least a length and a width exceeding a corresponding one of the length and width of the detonation device, thus allowing at least a longitudinal and latitudinal movement of the detonation device in the cavity in response to the movement of the projectile; and an end or tail located behind the body and having a plurality of fins transversely oriented to stabilize the trajectory of the projectile.

10. The projectile according to claim 9, wherein the nose is at least substantially planar and concave to inhibit the deflection of the projectile from a face of the rock.

11. The projectile according to claim 9, wherein the external diameter of the body is not less than about 25% and not more than about 100% of the outer diameter of the tail.

12. The projectile according to claim 9, wherein the body has an external wall composed of plastic.

13. The projectile according to claim 9, wherein the tail or end has a length and the length is at least about 60% of the total length of the projectile.

14. The projectile according to claim 12, wherein the thickness of the external wall varies from about 1 to about 6 mm.

15. The projectile according to claim 9, wherein the body includes a plurality of ribs located below and supporting the explosive charge, and where the number of ribs is at least 6. 16.- The projectile of according to claim 9, wherein the center of gravity of the projectile is located in the body and the center of pressure of the projectile is located at the end or tail. 17. The projectile according to claim 9, further comprising at least one receiving unit for receiving a control signal from a transmitter and for pre-arming, arming or detonating the detonation device. 18. The projectile according to claim 9, further comprising a counter for determining a range after firing the projectile from an ignition tube and providing a control signal for fully arming the firing device. 19. The projectile according to claim 9, further comprising a counter for determining a range after firing the projectile from an ignition tube and providing a control signal for detonating the detonation device. 20. The projectile according to claim 9, wherein the cavity has a width that is at least about 65%) and not more than about 95% of the volume width of the detonation device. 21. The projectile according to claim 9, wherein the length of the cavity varies from about 75 to 100% of the length of the detonation device. 22. The projectile according to claim 9, wherein the width of the detonation device is less than the width of the cavity. 23. The projectile according to claim 9, wherein the gap between a side wall of the detonation device and a side wall of the cavity ranges from about 0.5 to about 4.0 mm. 24. The projectile according to claim 9, wherein there is a gap between an internal wall of the cavity and an external wall of the detonation device and the gap varies from about 0.5 to about 4.0 mm. 25. The projectile according to claim 9, wherein the detonation device has a primer and the detonator at a close end and a triggering device at a distal end, the trigger and the primer being separated from each other through a spring member, which forces the trigger away from the primer and a safety pin that restricts the movement of the trigger to the primer. 26. The projectile according to claim 9, wherein a distal end of the detonation device has an outer diameter greater than a close end of the detonation device, so that the near end of the detonation device may be received throughout. of substantially the entire length of the cavity and the distal end of the detonation device can not be received substantially along the entire length of the cavity. 27.- A method to remove a rock body in an excavation, which includes: aiming a launch tube containing a projectile so that the projectile hits a target area on the rock body after launch; transmitting a control signal to a receiver from a distant site to cause at least some of the following to occur: the launching of the projectile and the arming of the projectile; throw the projectile from the tube; and contact the nose of the projectile with the target area. 28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising: when the projectile is launched, transmitting a second control signal to a counter, when the counter determines that a predetermined time is reached, generating a third control signal for perform at least one of the following steps: assemble a detonation device on the projectile and initiate the detonation device to initiate an explosive charge on the projectile. 29. The method according to claim 27, further comprising: moving a trigger device in a detonating device in the projectile forward against a resistance of a spring member; and impacting a primer with the front portion of the trigger to initiate the primer, thereby initiating a detonator and thereby initiating an explosive charge contained in the projectile. 30. The method according to claim 27, further comprising: converting the control signal into electrical energy and when a predetermined amount of electrical energy is generated in the conversion step, transmitting the electric energy to an ignition device for Start the launch step. 31. The method according to claim 27, further comprising: converting the electric power control signal and when a predetermined amount of electrical energy is generated in the conversion step, transmitting the electrical energy to activate a device for pre -arm or assemble an ignition device in the projectile. 32. The method according to claim 27, wherein a velocity of the projectile during the flight varies from approximately 25 m / sec. at approximately 250 m / sec. 33.- The method according to claim 27, wherein the nose of the projectile is blunt to inhibit the deflection of the projectile from angled surfaces. 34. The method according to claim 27, wherein the step of aiming comprises placing a device for emitting radiation on the tube and then aligning a beam of radiation light from the device for emitting radiation with the target. 35.- A method to remove a rock body in an excavation that includes: aiming a launch tube containing a projectile so that the projectile impacts a target area on the body of the rock after launch; throw the projectile from the tube; when the projectile is launched, transmit a control signal to a counter; and if the counter determines that a predetermined time has elapsed, generate a second control signal to initiate the detonation device to activate an explosive charge on the projectile. 36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising transmitting a third control signal to a receiver from a remote location to cause at least some of the following to occur: launch the projectile and assemble the projectile.