Blast suppression device

A blast supression device for use in explosive hardening in a relatively confined enclosed area. The device absorbs and dissipates the explosive force by utilizing a containment frame covered with overlapping multiple flexible resilient flaps that dissipate the explosive force by yielding during the blast within the device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Technical Field 
This device relates to blast suppression enclosures that limit or confine 
the blast effects for safety and health reasons. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Prior art devices of this type have relied on a variety of different 
structural enclosures to limit blast effects. See for example U.S. Pat. 
Nos. 4,325,309, 4,248,342 and 3,800,715. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,309, a device is disclosed that comprises a shield 
system having multiple paneled configurations of alternate layers of steel 
grating, steel perforated plates and steel louvered panels or wire 
screening. The shield reduces blast over pressure and heat and will 
contain flying debris. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,342 discloses an improved version of the shield system 
that was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,309 having almost an identical 
structural configuration. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,715, a bomb recovery shield apparatus is shown 
having a support cage covered with rigid high strength material, such as 
steel, with the ends of the enclosure being open and covered with mesh and 
a lid to help suppress the blast force directed outwardly from the ends. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A blast suppression device for use in a confined area provides a yielding 
structure to absorb and dissipate the blast effects without damage to 
itself for repeated reuse. The device consists of a rigid support frame 
with multiple flexible panels movably secured thereto. The device is 
buried in sand or the like to stabilize and restrict movement of the 
flexible panels under the force of the blast.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
A blast suppression device for use with explosive hardening techniques that 
comprises a support frame 10 having a pair of base support tubular members 
11 and 12 in spaced parallel relation to one another. 
An upper support tubular member 13 is vertically spaced between said 
support tubular members. Pairs of longitudinally angularly aligned 
oppositely disposed interconnection member 14 extend between said upper 
support member 13 and said base support tubular members 11 and 12 
respectively forming a generally elongated triangular frame configuration. 
An end base tubular connection member 15 is positioned on either end of 
said support frame 10 removably secured between the free ends of said base 
support tubular members 11 and 12. A plurality of resilient flap 
configurations 16 comprised of individual flaps 17, each secured to the 
base support tubular members 11 and 12 by attachment bars 18 and fasteners 
F as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. 
The resilient flap configurations 16 have a plurality of flaps located on 
either side of the elongated triangular frame configuration in side to 
side abutting relationship. Each pair of oppositely disposed flaps 17 
overlap their respective free ends 19 on one another equally across the 
upper support tubular member 13 forming a tent-like enclosure resilient 
and yieldable in nature. 
Referring to FIGS. 2,3 and 4 of the drawings, an alternate form of the 
invention is disclosed having a plurality of arcuate upstanding plates 20 
aligned longitudinally in spaced relation to one another. Each of the 
plates 20 has a series of radially spaced notches 21 in its outermost edge 
to receive longitudinally extending interconnecting fastner bands 22 
defining a ribbed enclosure 23A. Pairs of oppositely disposed resilient 
rubber flaps 23 are secured to the lowermost band 22 at 21 by a support 
plate 24 and multiple fasteners 25. The flaps 23 abut one another in side 
to side relationship as seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings overlapping their 
free ends of the oppositvely disposed flap pairs on the ribbed enclosure 
23A. The arcuate upstanding plates 20 provide a stable frame for the 
interconnecting bands 22 and expose only a small edge surface area to the 
blast force improving durability and reuse factors. 
In operation, the blast suppression device is positioned directly over the 
material to be hardened (M) on a bed of sand (SB). The material to be 
hardened (M) has been prepared with appropriately placed and configured 
blasting charges (not shown) positioned as will be well understood by 
those skilled in the art of blast hardening. The multiple flaps 23 are 
overlapped on the structure as hereinbefore described. End retainers (R) 
shown in broken lines in FIG. 4 of the drawings are secured to either end 
of the support frame. The end retainers (R) can be of any one of a variety 
of different materials and are used solely to prevent the filling in or 
the enclosure ends by sand (S) that is used to cover the entire structure 
to a depth of approximately three to four feet. 
Once the blasting charges are fired, the resulting blast force is confined 
within the blast suppression device which absorbs and dissipates the blast 
force by flanging back the flaps 17 and 23 under the weight of the sand S. 
This unique flexible absorbent action allows such blast hardening to be 
used in an indoor relatively confined space, unlike blast hardening 
methods used heretofore that require a large outdoor blast area consisting 
of many acres. 
After the blast, the blast suppression device is removed and reused in tact 
with only the addition of new end retainers (R). 
It will be evident from the above description that the principal object of 
the invention is to contain and dissipate blast force in a reuseable 
structure which is most desirable in the blast hardening techniques of 
metal articles, such as railroad frogs. The ability to contain and 
dissipate the blast allows use of the blast hardening in confined areas 
such as indoors where it was heretofore impossible to do allowing blasting 
on site of production greatly reducing the cost and time consuming factors 
of shipping material to a blast site.