Shaped charge perforating unit and well perforating apparatus employing the same

Claim 1

IN A WELL PERFORATING ASSEMBLY, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A SHAPED CHARGE PERFORATING UNIT HAVING A CASE, SAID CASE BEING GENERALLY REARWARDLY TAPERED AND SYMMETRICAL ABOUT A LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND INCLUDING A FORWARD BODY, A BOSS INTEGRAL WITH SAID BODY AND PROJECTING REARWARDLY THEREFROM, AND A CAP FITTED OVER THE END OF SAID BOSS, SAID BODY PROVIDING A MAIN CAVITY DEFINED BY THE INNER BODY FACE, SAID BOSS HAVING AN AXIAL BORE THERETHROUGH PROVIDING A BOOSTER CAVITY COMMUNICATING WITH THE REAR END OF SAID MAIN CAVITY, THE REAR END OF SAID BOOSTER CAVITY BEING CLOSED BY SAID CAP, SAID BOSS HAVING A RADIAL CHANNEL THROUGH ITS REAR END, THE INNER END OF SAID CHANNEL COMMUNICATING WITH SAID BOOSTER CAVITY AND THE REAR OPENING AND OUTER END OF SAID CHANNEL BEING CLOSED BY SAID CAP; A MAIN EXPLOSIVE CHARGE SEATED IN SAID MAIN CAVITY, SAID CHARGE PROVIDING A CONCAVITY IN ITS FORWARD END DEFINED BY A CHARGE FACE CONFORMING TO A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION ABOUT SAID AXIS; A LINER APPLIED TO THE CHARGE FACE DEFINING SAID CONCAVITY; A BOOSTER CHARGE SEATED IN SAID BOOSTER CAVITY AND ADAPTED TO DETONATE SAID MAIN CHARGE; SAID BODY HAVING A REARWARDLY FACING CIRCUMFERENTIAL SHOULDER ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID BODY, AND SAID CASE TO THE REAR OF SAID SHOULDER NOT EXCEEDING IN DIAMETER THE DIAMETER OF THE CASE AT THE SHOULDER; A RADIAL FIN INTEGRAL WITH SAID BODY AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID SHOULDER, SAID FIN TERMINATING REARWARDLY IN A HOOK FOR POSITIONING A DETONATING FUSE AT THE SIDE OF SAID BOSS ADJACENT TO SAID RADIAL CHANNEL; A DETONATING FUSE ENGAGED BY SAID HOOK AND HAVING A PORTION DISPOSED CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE OUTER END OF SAID RADIAL CHANNEL AND ADAPTED TO FIRE SAID BOOSTER CHARGE; AND MEANS FOR DETONATING SAID FUSE.