Apparatus for the safe storage and handling of normally explosive materials

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE SAFE STORAGE AND HANDLING OF A NORMALLY EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL IN ITS LIQUID STATE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A CONTAINER INSULATED AGAINST HEAT AND SHOCK, A VESSEL SEALABLE PRESSURE TIGHT AND LIQUID TIGHT FOR HOLDING SAID NORMALLY EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL, SAID VESSEL BEING SPACED APART FROM THE WALL OF SAID CONTAINER TO DEFINE THEREWITH A REFRIGERATION COMPARTMENT, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AND WITHDRAWING THE NORMALLY EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL FROM SAID VESSEL, MEANS FOR REFRIGERATING SAID COMPARTMENT THEREBY TO PROVIDE A HEAT SINK FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF HEAT FROM THE WALLS OF THE VESSEL TO MAINTAIN THE NORMALLY EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL WITHIN THE VESSEL AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW ITS CRITICAL TEMPERATURE, MEANS FOR PRESSURIZING SAID VESSEL TO A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE NORMALLY EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL THEREIN IN A LIQUID STATE, SAID PRESSURIZING MEANS INCLUDING A CONDUIT CARRYING AN INERT GAS PRESSURIZING MEDIUM WHICH CONDUIT EXTENDS THROUGH SAID REFRIGERATION COMPARTMENT TO SUBJECT THE PRESSURIZING MEDIUM TO THE COOLING ACTION OF SAME PRIOR TO ENTRY OF THE MEDIUM INTO SAID VESSEL, HEAT TRANSFER PANELS DISPOSED IN GRID FASHION WITHIN SAID VESSEL TO EXTEND LATERALLY AND LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF TO CONDUCT HEAT FROM WITHIN THE VESSEL TO ITS WALLS, AND PACKING MATERIAL DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE SAID TRANFER PANELS TO SUBSTANTIALLY FILL SAID VESSEL TO DEFINE FOR THE RECEIPT OF SAID NORMALLY EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL NUMEROUS INTERSTICES OR CELLS OF NO LARGER DIAMETERS THAN THE QUENCHING DISTANCE OF THE NORMALLY EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL AT THE SAID TEMPERATURE AND SAID PRESSURE MAINTAINED WITHIN SAID VESSEL, SAID PACKING MATERIAL, SAID VESSEL, AND SAID HEAT TRANSFER PANELS EXPOSED TO SAID NORMALLY EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL BEING SUBSTANTIALLY NONREACTIVE WITH SAID NORMALLY EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL AND SUBSTANTIALLY CATALYTICALLY INACTIVE WITH REGARD TO DECOMPOSITION OF THE NORMALLY EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL AT THE SAID TEMPERATURE AND SAID PRESSURE MAINTAINED WITHIN SAID VESSEL.