Breaching Apparatus for Use with Explosive Charges

Abstract

A collapsible, foldable breach bag with a planar body and a flexible fillable bladder for breaching locked or barricaded doors or penetrating surfaces with explosive charges. The breach bag is generally cylindrical and includes an interior wall and an exterior wall, joined at their respective upper and lower edges so as to form a tube with space apart interior and exterior sides. A flexible fill spout with a flexible material connection to an upper portion of the exterior wall enables detonation of the bag without producing a dangerous projectile. Material attributes and dimensions enable the bag to capture and secure a length of det cord disposed through the interior passage when the bag is filled with fluid. Air pockets may be urged out from the interior volume using the fill spout, and the fill spout may then be clamped or tied off and secured to a structural surface.

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       What is claimed as invention is: 
     
     
         1 . A breach bag, comprising a collapsible, flexible cylindrical container having a singular continuous tubular bladder with spaced apart flexible interior and exterior membrane sides, said interior side defining and surrounding a hollow interior portion into which an explosive charge, such as detonation cord may be disposed. 
     
     
         2 . The breach bag of  claim 1 , wherein said bladder is configured to be filled with water and/or a water-based composition and when so filled said interior membrane side of said bladder forms an interior space sized to grasp and hold a length of det cord. 
     
     
         3 . The breach bag of  claim 2 , wherein said bladder is fabricated from flexible thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         4 . The breach bag of  claim 1 , wherein said breach bag is collapsible into a flat configuration including four layers of flexible material. 
     
     
         5 . The breach bag of  claim 1 , further including an integral fill spout that attaches to a side of said bladder. 
     
     
         6 . The breach bag of  claim 5 , wherein the attachment of said integral fill spout with said side of said bladder does not include rigid valve material. 
     
     
         7 . The breach bag of  claim 1 , wherein said bladder has an exterior membrane side joined with a lap weld to a contiguous panel forming an interior membrane side. 
     
     
         8 . The breach bag of  claim 7 , wherein said interior and exterior membrane sides each comprise flexible material panels affixed or butt welded at their respective upper and lower edges. 
     
     
         9 . The breach bag of  claim 8 , wherein said panels are fabricated from thermoplastic material suitable for thermoforming and thermoplastic welding. 
     
     
         10 . The breach bag of  claim 1 , further including a funicular fill spout integral with said exterior membrane side. 
     
     
         11 . A breach bag, comprising a cylindrical and tubular bladder formed from spaced apart flexible interior and exterior membrane sides having a flat configuration in an unfilled configuration and when filled with fluid, a filled configuration wherein said interior membrane side defines a cylindrical interior wall with portions of the surface of said interior membrane side urged against one another such that a length of detonation cord may be disposed and secured in place. 
     
     
         12 . The breach bag of  claim 11 , further including a fill spout configured for filling from a hose or spigot. 
     
     
         13 . The breach bag of  claim 11 , wherein said membrane sides are made from thermoplastic material 
     
     
         14 . The breach bag of  claim 13 , wherein said membrane sides are clear PVC. 
     
     
         15 . A method of making a breach bag, comprising:
 (a) cutting a main body panel from a thermoplastic, sized approximately twice the finish size in width with room for a weld on a side of the panel and approximately double the finish size in length with extra material for a weld near a bottom edge;   (b) locating and marking a fill spout inlet hole the upper portion of the main body panel;   (c) making a fill spout from an elongated strip of material cut at double the length needed to form the flat spout to be welded to the side wall of the bladder;   (d) making a hole in the main body of the bladder for the fill spout;   (e) welding the fill spout to the main body;   (f) folding the main body panel lengthwise and welding the side to form an elongated tubular body;   (g) folding the elongated tubular main body outside while keeping the fill spout to the outside of the bladder with the fill spout slightly below a fold at the top of the tubular fill spout;   (h) lining up the top edge of the main body will with the bottom edge of the main body; and   (i) welding both layers of material closed to form an elongate double-walled tubular bladder with a longitudinal passage opening through a center.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further including tacking handling straps to reinforced material to form patches and welding the patches to the main body panel in predetermined locations.