Apparatus for continuous melt-pour of high explosives

Claim 1

Apparatus for continuously melting and pumping a molten high explosive such as TNT to a remote loading station, which comprises in combination: a. means for continuously melting solid explosive comprising a vertical cylindrical jacketed vessel, which comprises an axially aligned, rotatable hollow agitator mounted at the top of the vessel and terminating short of the bottom of the vessel and a height/diameter ratio greater than about three and is heated by circulation of a heating medium through said jacket and hollow agitator; b. means for continuously feeding solid explosive into said vessel; c. a jacket heated pipe system for transporting molten explosive from said vessel to the loading station; d. a pump for pressurizing and transporting molten explosive through said pipe system; e. detonation traps in said pipe system comprising a breakwire sensor positioned proximate a conduit of said pipe system, an electronic switch electrically connected to said breakwire and adapted to maintain said electronic switch non-operative when said breakwire is intact and to supply a voltage pulse when said breakwire is broken, and means, electrically connected and responsive to said electronic switch, disposed in said conduit to interrupt the conduit in response to said switch and thereby arrest an in-line detonation; and f. means for continuously controlling the feed of solid explosive into said vessel and flow of molten explosive therefrom.