Abstract A device for artificially producing diamonds or other articles of substantial hardness by utilization of heat and pressure over an instantaneous time period. The device, which is designed to achieve the requisite heat and pressure by detonation in an implosive manner, consists of two mating hemispheric bodies having a centrally interior cavity of spherical configuration. The two bodies are adapted to be affixed to one another in a positive manner, such as by internal screw threads. The hollow hemispherical bodies, which may be of bronze or other relatively soft material, are suspended such as by nylon string, within a hollow plastic shell. An explosive material is positioned about the exterior surface of the shell in an even and uniform manner with a plurality of detonators operatively connected to the explosive at appropriately spaced positions. An ignition harness is connected to the detonators so that they may all be actuated in a simultaneous manner. The material which is to be transformed, such as graphite or other carbonaceous matter, is disposed in the cavity of the bodies and upon detonation of the explosive there is created extreme inwardly directed pressures and temperatures which transform the carbonaceous material into stable diamond.
An apparatus for compacting powders, by detonation of implosive forces, so as to form a dense body of extreme hardness, comprising a plurality of heat and pressure transmitting bodies having cooperating mating surfaces which are adapted to fixidly engage one another, said bodies being of substantially uniform thickness so as to equally transmit the forces of compaction, each said body having a substantially semi-hemispherically shaped cavity disposed at an inner surface thereof and means on said bodies for affixing them to one another so as to form a unitary elemental piece having an inner central spherical cavity therein for receiving the powder to be compacted, wherein a first hollow spherical shell having interior and exterior surfaces is disposed about said unitary elemental piece, suspension means affixed to said shell and to said elemental piece for maintaining the latter within the former and in spaced relation thereto, and an explosive charge uniformly disposed on the exterior surface of said shell so that upon detonation thereof the implosive shock wave is transmitted first through said space and then into said elemental piece.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
180 words
An apparatus for compacting powders, by detonation of implosive forces, so as to form a dense body of extreme hardness, comprising a plurality of heat and pressure transmitting bodies having cooperating mating surfaces which are adapted to fixidly engage one another, said bodies being of substantially uniform thickness so as to equally transmit the forces of compaction, each said body having a substantially semi-hemispherically shaped cavity disposed at an inner surface thereof and means on said bodies for affixing them to one another so as to form a unitary elemental piece having an inner central spherical cavity therein for receiving the powder to be compacted, wherein a first hollow spherical shell having interior and exterior surfaces is disposed about said unitary elemental piece, suspension means affixed to said shell and to said elemental piece for maintaining the latter within the former and in spaced relation thereto, and an explosive charge uniformly disposed on the exterior surface of said shell so that upon detonation thereof the implosive shock wave is transmitted first through said space and then into said elemental piece.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
105 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein there is provided a second hollow spherical shell having interior and exterior surfaces, disposed about said first hollow spherical shell, said second shell being larger than said first shell so as to create a uniform space thereabout, suspension means affixed to said second Shell and to said first shell so as to maintain the latter within the former while said elemental piece is disposed in said first shell, and an explosive charge uniformly disposed on the exterior surface of said shell so that upon detonation thereof the implosive shock wave reinforces the implosive shock wave from said first shell.