Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DEVIATION HOLE PLUG
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The presen-t device includes ribbed wings for
strength and a cone-shaped solid base to facilitate posi-
tioning and to absorb and deflect explosive forces.
The present invention relates to new and useful
improvements in deviation hole plugs, which are plugs
used approxi~ately two feet down the hole in order to
plug off the hole when seismic explosions are fired, it
being understood that soil or the like is then placed
in the upper two feet of the hole above the plug.
With prior art devices, the energy produced by
the explosive locat~d in the bottom of the test hole often
forces the hole plug out of the hole primarily because
the wings or flanges of prior art devices that engage
the side walls of the test hole, are not constructed so
as to secure the hole plug in position.
Furthermore, the bottom of the hole plugs in
conventional construction is ~lat or planar so that the
hole plug itself must absorb the energy produced by the
explosive which once again displaces the hole plug.
Such hole plugs are usually inserted by means
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of a loading pole which is engaged within the flat base
and is often forced through the base due to the central
aper-ture provided therein thus rendering it unuseable.
Conventional hole plugs do not enter the test
hole vertically due to the awkward shape thereof and often,
poor materials result in breakage when outside tempera-
tures exceed -20 C.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
. .
The present invention overcomes all of these
disadvantages by providing a conical shaped hole plug
with a substantially reinforced base with no aperture
therein and ribbed reinforcing for the base as well as
for the radially extending wings.
One aspect of the invention is to provide a devia-
tion hole plug comprising in combination a reinforced
cone-shaped, solid central base portion, a plurality of
spaced apart wings extending radially upwardly and out-
wardly from the upper edge of said central base portion
and a longitudinally extending, centrally located rein-
forcing rib formed on the underside of each wing.
Another aspect of the invention is to provide
a deviation hole plug for plugging holes for seismic test
purposes, said plug being formed from a plastics material
and being circular in configuration when viewed in plan
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and cone-shaped in configuration when viewed in side ele-
vation, the improvement comprising a solid central cone-
shaped central base portion, a plurality of spaced apart
wings extending radially upwardly and outwardly from the
upper edge of said central base portion and a longitudi-
nally extending, centrally located reinforcing rib formed
on the underside of each wing.
A further advantage of the invention is the ribbed
wings which provide additional strength and the S-shape
of the wing when it engages the side wall, ensures that
the hole plug remains in the hole.
The pointed cone shape makes it possible to divert
the energy produced by the explosive, into the wall of
the test hole rather than absorbing it fully.
Due to the extra reinforcing at the point where
the loading pole contacts the deviator hole plug, the
problem of forcing the loading pole through the hole plug
is no longer encountered and the relatively long cone
shape of the plug ensures vertical installation.
Another advantage of the invention is to provide
a device of the character herewithin described which is
simple in construction, economical in manufacture and
otherwise well suited to the purpose ~or which it is de-
signed.
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With the foregoing in view, and other advantages
as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to
which this invention relates as this specification pro-
ceeds, the invention is herein described by reference
to the acco~panying drawings forming a part hereGf, which
includes a description of the preferred typical embodiment
of the principles of the present invention, in which:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a plan view of one of the prior art
devices.
Figure 2 is a plan view of another of the prior
art devices.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the invention
shown in vertical section.
Figure 4 is an underside plan view of Figure
3.
Figure 5 is a top plan view of Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a fragmentary isometric view of one
end of the invention.
In the drawings like characters of reference indi-
cate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Proceeding therefore to describe the invention
in detail, reference should first be made to Figures 1
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and 2 which show prior art devices.
In Figure 1, a central base 10 is provided with
a central aperture 11 and a plurality of wings 12 extend-
ing radially from the perime-ter of the base with the dis-
tal ends 13 being wider than the inner ends 14.
This not only weakens the wing attachment point,
but also provides a planar base which is apertured and
which not only permits the loading pole to be driven the-
rethrough under certain circumstances, but also absorbs
the ~ull force of the explosion from the bottom of the
hole.
Figure 2 also includes a planar base 15 with a
cone-shaped wall 16 extending upwardly therefrom and an
outer flange 17 cut into segments by radial slits 18 form-
ed therethrough. Once again, the planar base absorbs
the force of the explosion and the relatively large aper-
ture in the centre often results in the loading pole being
forced therethrough.
The presen-t invention, which is illustrated in
Figures 3 through 7, overcomes these disadvantages. It
is preferably made from a plastics material such as Dupont
(Sclair 2107) polyethylene although other plastics can
be utilized.
It consists of a reinforced cone-shaped solid
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central base portion 19 formed with a relatively pointed
lower end 20 and formed from the aforementioned plastic
material or ~e equivalent and it will be noted that the
thickness of this material increases as it approaches
the pointed end 20 and that, furthermore, it is provided
with a plurality of radially extending ribs 21 formed
on the inner surface thereof as clearly shown in Figures
3 and 5.
Extending radially outwardly and upwardly from
the upper edge 22 is a plurality of spaced apart fingers
23 which are formed integrally with the base and decrease
in width from the point of connection 24 to the distal
ends 25 which are curved.
It will also be noted that the thickness of these
wings decreases from the base 24 to the ends 25 and that
a reinforcing rib 26 is formed on the undersurface 27
and extends longitudinally from a point 23 on the outer
surface of the conical base decreasing to 0 at the upper
end 25 of each finger.
It will also be observed, from a perusal of Figure
3, that the angle of inclination of the wings along the
longitudinal axis 29 thereof, is greater relative to the
vertical axis 30 of the plug than the angle of inclination
of the base portion 19 indicated by reference character
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31 all of which reinforces the strength of the device
and facilitates the efficient operation thereof while
it is inserted.
When inserted by a conventional loading pole/
the edge-sharpened ends 25 engage the sides of the hole
and cuts into the wall thus providing superior anchora~e
and as upward pressure is applied due to the force of
the explosion, these extremities bend or curve as the
plug is moved initially upwardly slightly thus giving
an S configuration, further deflection being resisted
by the reinforcing ribs 26 on the underside of the wings.
The fact that the base of the device is solid
without any central aperture, prevents earth fill from
seeping through the plug and also eliminates any danger
of the loading pole being forced downwardly through the
base thus destroying the plug.
The pointed cone-shaped lower end 20 of the base
disperses the energy caused by the explosion and any ener-
gy that is applied to the underside of the plug causes
the further engagement of the upper ends of the wings
as hereinbefore described.
The ribs 21 and the interior wall of the base
of the plug provide the necessary strength during instal-
lation to prevent damage from occurring and the cone-
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shaped configuration of the plugs, of course, facilitatesstacking thus providing compact storage.
Finally, the plurality of wings reinforced with
the ribbing on the underside, provide the stability requi-
red to secure the plug to the side wall of the test hole.
Since various modifications can be made in my
invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently
widely different embodiments of same made within the spi-
rit and scope of the claims without departing from such
spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained
in the accompanying s~ecification shall be interpreted
as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
