Blasting agent package

Claim 2

sliding in a loose fit a second wider, rigid self-supporting tube of a length roughly equal to said inner tube over said inner tube so as to be approximately concentrical and envelop, when fully assembled, the inner tube and the sleeved-on tubular liner,

Claim 3

a flexible tubular liner made of water-resistant film, having a diameter greater than that of the inner tube and a length at least equal to the desired depth of its insertion into the borehole, said liner being sleeved over the length of said inner tube and compressed in regular or irregular folds, concertina-fashion, towards its upper end so as to fit the length of the liner in a loose fit onto said inner tube, the upper end of said liner being attached to said inner tube and the lower end of said liner being closed e.g. by sealing, knotting or tying it with string so as to prevent substantial discharge of the explosive mixture therefrom when the latter is pumped into it, and

Claim 4

an outer rigid, self-supporting tube of a diameter sufficient to envelop in a loose fit said inner tube together with the liner sleeved thereon and of a length approximately equal to that of the inner tube, thereby protecting said folded-up liner along its length, said outer tube being roughly concentrical with said inner tube, rigidly attached to it near or at its upper end and open at its lower end.

Claim 5

attaching the liner to the upper end of the inner tube

Claim 6

A protected preassembled package for blasting agents according to claim 1 comprising in addition liner-delivery-restraining means at and between the lower open ends of said outer and inner tubes, causing the maximum frictional resistance against forces pushing or pulling said folded-up liner off the outer mantle of the inner tube outwardly through the bottom opening of the outer tube to occur between said lower ends of both tubes, said maximum frictional resistance, however, being below the tear strength of the material of the liner and below the force of the downward thrust exercised upon the interior of said liner by the blasting agent being pumped into it; and, optionally, across the opening at the bottom end of the tubes a cap attached removably to, and protecting, the assembly against physical damage and ingress of foreign material into the tubes.

Claim 7

A protected preassembled package for blasting agents according to claim 1 wherein the material of construction of the inner and outer rigid and self-supporting tubes is selectEd from the group consisting of metals, timber, rigid water resistant paper or plastics and rigid rubber.

Claim 8

fastening the outer and inner tubes together at their respective upper ends.

Claim 9

A protected preassembled package for blasting agents according to claim 1 wherein the material of construction of the inner and outer rigid and self-supporting tubes is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, galvanized iron, low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, polyethyleneterephthalate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene rubber.

Claim 10

A protected preassembled package for blasting agents according to claim 1 wherein the inner and outer rigid and self-supporting tubes are constructed from polyethylene tubing having an outer diameter which is from 1 to 15 cm less than the diameter of the borehole in which it is to be used, said polyethylene tubing having a wall thickness from 3 to 15 mm.

Claim 11

A protected preassembled package for blasting agents according to claim 1 wherein the material of construction of the flexible tubular liner is selected from the group consisting of water-proofed textile, water-proofed paper and plastic film.

Claim 12

A protected preassembled package for blasting agents according to claim 1 wherein the material of construction of the flexible tubular liner is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, polyethyleneterephthalate, nitrocellulose and rubber of wall thickness in the range from 0.001 to 0.10 inch.

Claim 13

A protected preassembled package for blasting agents according to claim 1 wherein the flexible tubular liner is a thin walled corrugated tubular film in concertina form consisting of alternating widening and narrowing sections roughly describing in lengthwise cross-section a sinoidal curve.

Claim 14

A protected preassembled package for blasting agents according to claim 1 wherein the flexible tubular liner is a multiplicity of annuli of thin flat plastic film the outer and inner circumference of each annulus being alternatively sealed with the outer and inner circumference of the adjacent upper, or, respectively, lower annulus to constitute, in assembly a concertina as hereinbefore described.

Claim 15

A protected preassembled package for blasting agents according to claim 1 wherein the flexible tubular liner is provided in the region of its lower end with a multiplicity of small orifices.

Claim 16

A protected preassembled package for blasting agents according to claim 1 which comprises in the region of its lower end a one way non-return discharge valve.

Claim 17

A process which comprises the steps:

Claim 18

A process according to claim 13 which comprises the additional step of fitting the assembly at its upper end with means for removably connecting it to a loading hose for blasting agents.

Claim 19

A process according to claim 13 which comprises the additional step of fitting the inner tube at its upper end with means for removably connecting it to a loading hose for blasting agents.

Claim 20

A process according to claim 13 which comprises the additional step of closing the open, lower end of the outer or inner tube with a removable protective cap.

Claim 21

In a process of blasting wherein a water sensitive pumpable blasting agent is bulk loaded into a borehole and detonated therein, the improvement which comprises preparing an assembly according to claim 1, locating said assembly in a borehole, transferring a charge of a water sensitive pumpable blasting agent into said located assembly to form in situ a package charge and detonating said package charge.

Claim 22

In a process of confining a pourable, pumpable or blowable material in a desired confined location the improvement which comprises preparing an assembly according to claim 1, placing said assembly into said location and transferring said pourable, pumpable or blowable material into said assembly to form in situ a packaged material in said confined location.