Safety system for explosive powder storage bin

Claim 1

A container for holding a predetermined volume of readily flowable detonatable explosive material, said container comprising; an interior for receiving and holding a quantity of the flowable explosive material sufficient to have a critical area of predetermined location, in which critical area combustion of the material will result in attainment of the mass detonation rate of burning of the material; and open ended vent means mounted in said container interior to form a volumetric void proximate to said critical area, said vent means extending from said void to a point in communication with the ambient atmosphere to provide a path through which combustion heat and pressure can be vented from said critical area to the atmosphere.

Claim 5

A system for storing detonatable explosive material, said system comprising: a. container means; b. a volume of readily flowable detonatable material in said container means, said volume of detonatable material being sufficiently large to have a critical area in which combustion of the material can result in attainment of the mass detonation rate of burning of the material; and c. elongated, hollow, open-ended means secured to said container means, said open-ended means having one end portion disposed within said volume of detonatable material proximate to said critical area, and said open-ended means having another end portion disposed beyoNd the limits of said volume of detonatable material and communicating with the ambient atmosphere.

Claim 6

A system for storing detonatable explosive material, said system comprising: a. container means; b. a volume of readily flowable detonatable material in said container means, said volume of detonatable material being sufficiently large to have a critical area in which combustion of the material can result in attainment of the mass detonation rate of burning of the material; and c. elongated, hollow, open-ended means secured to said container means, said open-ended means having one end portion disposed within said volume of detonatable material proximate to said critical area, and said open-ended means having another end portion disposed beyoNd the limits of said volume of detonatable material and communicating with the ambient atmosphere.

Claim 7

A system for storing detonatable explosive material, said system comprising: a. container means having a cylindrical side wall and a frustoconical bottom wall, said container means having a top end open to the ambient atmosphere, and said container means including chute means at the apex of said bottom wall means for dispensing material from the interior of said container means; b. support means fixing the spacial position of said container means; c. a volume of readily flowable detonatable material in said container means, said volume of detonatable material having a critical area in which combustion of the material can result in attainment of the mass detonation rate of burning of the material, said critical area being located near the apex of said bottom wall means; and d. tubular means mounted in said container means, said tubular means having one open-ended portion disposed within said volume of detonatable material proximate to said critical area, and said tubular means having another open-ended portion disposed outside of said volume of detonatable material, said tubular means being devoid of said detonatable material to act as a vent for combustion gas and heat from said critical area to the ambient atmosphere.

Claim 8

A system for storing detonatable explosive material, said system comprising: a. container means having a cylindrical side wall and a frustoconical bottom wall, said container means having a top end open to the ambient atmosphere, and said container means including chute means at the apex of said bottom wall means for dispensing material from the interior of said container means; b. support means fixing the spacial position of said container means; c. a volume of readily flowable detonatable material in said container means, said volume of detonatable material having a critical area in which combustion of the material can result in attainment of the mass detonation rate of burning of the material, said critical area being located near the apex of said bottom wall means; and d. tubular means mounted in said container means, said tubular means having one open-ended portion disposed within said volume of detonatable material proximate to said critical area, and said tubular means having another open-ended portion disposed outside of said volume of detonatable material, said tubular means being devoid of said detonatable material to act as a vent for combustion gas and heat from said critical area to the ambient atmosphere.