A booster assembly

Abstract

A booster assembly ( 60 ) for use in a drill and blast operation comprises in co-axial alignment: (a) a booster ( 65 ) for initiating an explosion of an explosives material in a hole ( 90 ) in a pit floor ( 91 ) as part of a drill and blast operation, (b) a spool ( 63 ) and a detonation cord ( 66 ) wrapped around the spool in a storage position outside the hole and connected to the spool and to the booster, and (b) a stake ( 61 ). The spool allows the detonation cord to be unwound from the spool as the booster is moved from the storage position to an operative depth in the hole and the spool remains in the storage position. The stake is provided for locating the spool in the pit floor proximate the hole after the booster is at the operative depth in the hole.

1 . A booster assembly for use in a drill and blast operation, comprising in co-axial alignment:
 (a) a booster for initiating an explosion of an explosive material in a hole in a pit floor as part of a drill and blast operation;   (b) a spool and a detonation cord wrapped around the spool in a storage position outside the hole and connected to the spool and to the booster, with the spool being provided for allowing the detonation cord to be unwound from the spool as the booster is moved from the storage position to an operative depth in the hole and the spool remains in the storage position; and   (c) a stake for locating the spool in the pit floor proximate the hole after the booster is at the operative depth in the hole; and   
       with an end of the spool being formed to receive and locate an end of the booster such that the booster is seated on the spool when the booster assembly is in an upright orientation in the storage position before moving the booster to the operative depth in the hole. 
     
     
         2 . The booster assembly defined in  claim 1  wherein the booster and the spool have complementary formations that allow the spool to receive and locate the booster and thereby seat the booster on the spool. 
     
     
         3 . The booster assembly defined in  claim 1  wherein the booster is seated on the spool by being releasably coupled to the spool so that, in use, the booster is coupled to the spool in the storage position and can be moved clear of the spool as part of a process for moving the booster to the operative depth in the hole. 
     
     
         4 . The booster assembly defined in  claim 1  wherein the booster and the spool have complementary formations that allow the booster and the spool to be releasably coupled together by positively docking the booster on the spool and allow the booster to be released from the positive docking and moved clear of the spool as part of the process for moving the booster to the operative depth in the hole. 
     
     
         5 . The booster assembly defined in  claim 1  wherein the booster comprises a booster casing. 
     
     
         6 . The booster assembly defined in  claim 5  wherein the booster casing comprises an engagement feature, such as a collar, that facilitates engagement of the booster with a delivery assembly for transporting the booster assembly to a delivery position directly above the hole. 
     
     
         7 . The booster assembly defined in  claim 6  wherein the spool comprises a spool casing having an engagement feature, such as a collar, that facilitates engagement of the booster assembly with the delivery assembly for transporting the booster assembly to an intermediate transfer position proximate the delivery position directly above the hole. 
     
     
         8 . The booster assembly defined in  claim 1  wherein the spool comprises a brake to control the release of the detonation cord. 
     
     
         9 . The booster assembly defined in  claim 1  wherein the booster comprises formations that allow the booster to receive and locate a pusher element of a booster delivery assembly for applying a downwardly-acting force to move the booster downwardly from the delivery position into the hole to an operative depth. 
     
     
         10 . The booster assembly defined in  claim 9  wherein the booster and the pusher element are formed so that the pusher element is releasably coupled to the booster. 
     
     
         11 . The booster assembly defined in  claim 10  wherein the pusher element is releasably coupled to the booster by forming the booster with formations that allow the pusher element to be positively docked with the booster, with the formations including a recess in an upper end of the booster that can receive the pusher element. 
     
     
         12 . A booster assembly for use in a drill and blast operation, comprising in co-axial alignment:
 (a) a booster for initiating an explosion of an explosive material in a hole in a pit floor as part of a drill and blast operation;   (b) a spool and a detonation cord wrapped around the spool in a storage position outside the hole and connected to the spool and to the booster, with the spool being provided for allowing the detonation cord to be unwound from the spool as the booster is moved from the storage position to an operative depth in the hole and the spool remains in the storage position; and   (c) a stake for locating the spool in the pit floor proximate the hole after the booster is at the operative depth in the hole.