Mobile explosives detonator

Abstract

An explosives detonator is configured to be moved across land by a vehicle platform to detonate explosives positioned on or in the land. The explosives detonator includes a frame and a plurality of rollers coupled to the frame. The plurality of rollers are configured to engage and roll along the land relative to the frame about respective roller axes as the vehicle travels along the land. The rollers are weighted to exert pressure on the land and activate any pressure-sensitive explosives, such as mines.

1 . An explosives detonator configured to be moved across land by a vehicle platform to detonate explosives positioned on or in the land, the explosives detonator comprising:
 a frame,   a plurality of rollers coupled to the frame and configured to engage and roll along the land relative to the frame about respective roller axes as the vehicle travels along the land, and   a roller mount system configured to mount each of the rollers to the frame, the roller mount system including a roller-support pin coupled to the frame to allow pivotable movement of each roller relative to the frame about a vertical roller axis, a roller-support beam coupled to the roller-support pin for movement with the roller about the vertical roller axis, and a plurality of roller-support arms coupled to the roller-support beam and spaced apart from one another between a first end of the roller-support beam and a second end of the roller-support beam.   
     
     
         2 . The explosives detonator of  claim 1 , wherein each of the rollers includes a plurality of roller rings arranged to lie side by side to one another, an axle extending through each ring included in the plurality of roller rings, and a plurality of bushings coupled to the axle to allow rotation of the axle relative to the frame and the roller mount system. 
     
     
         3 . The explosives detonator of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of roller-support arms includes a first support arm coupled to a first bushing included in the plurality of bushings at a first end of the axle, a second support arm coupled to a second bushing included in the plurality of bushings at a second end of the axle, and a third support arm extending between the axle and the roller-support beam and arranged to lie between the first end of the axle and the second end of the axle. 
     
     
         4 . The explosives detonator of  claim 3 , wherein each roller ring included in the plurality of roller rings is located between two neighboring roller-support arms included in the plurality of roller-support arms. 
     
     
         5 . The explosives detonator of  claim 1 , wherein the frame includes a frame foundation adapted to couple to a front end of the vehicle platform, a roller-support arm configured to mount a corresponding roller included in the plurality of rollers to the frame foundation, and a shield coupled to the frame foundation and arranged to lie between the plurality of rollers and the vehicle to block debris from reaching the vehicle when the plurality of rollers detonate an explosive. 
     
     
         6 . The explosives detonator of  claim 5 , wherein the shield includes a plurality of support posts coupled to the frame foundation, a barrier panel coupled to the plurality of wall support posts and arranged along a lower end of the shield, and a barrier cage coupled to the plurality of wall support posts and to an upper end of the barrier panel, the barrier cage formed to include at least one opening configured to provide a viewport for an operator of the vehicle to view past the frame wall toward the plurality of rollers. 
     
     
         7 . The explosives detonator of  claim 5 , wherein the frame foundation includes a vehicle mount configured to mount to the vehicle and a foundation support beam coupled to each of the roller-support arms. 
     
     
         8 . The explosives detonator of  claim 7 , wherein the foundation support beam includes a first plate coupled with the vehicle mount, a second plate coupled with each of the roller-support arms and arranged parallel to the first plate, and a third plate extending between and interconnecting a center of the first plate and a center of the second plate and arranged perpendicular to both the first plate and the second plate. 
     
     
         9 . The explosives detonator of  claim 7 , wherein the shield is positioned between the vehicle mount and the foundation support beam. 
     
     
         10 . The explosives detonator of  claim 5 , wherein each roller-support arm includes a first link coupled to the frame foundation, a second link coupled to the frame foundation and spaced apart from the first link, and a roller-mount hub coupled to a distal end of the first link and the second link and configured to receive the roller-support pin to mount a corresponding roller to a corresponding roller-support arm. 
     
     
         11 . The explosives detonator of  claim 10 , wherein the first link and the second link converge toward one another at the distal ends thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The explosives detonator of  claim 10 , wherein the first link and the second link are mounted to the frame foundation for pivotable movement about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the vertical axis. 
     
     
         13 . The explosives detonator of  claim 2 , wherein each ring has a central aperture having a first diameter configured to receive the axle and the axle has a second diameter less than the first diameter so that each ring has only a tangential point of contact with the axle. 
     
     
         14 . The explosives detonator of  claim 13 , wherein the first diameter is at least twice that of second diameter. 
     
     
         15 . The explosives detonator of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of roller-support arms includes a first roller-support arm arranged to lie at a first lateral end of the plurality of rings to at least partially cover the central aperture of a first outermost ring included in the plurality of rings to provide a first debris guard mounted at the first lateral end and a second roller-support arm arranged to lie at an opposite, second lateral end of the plurality of rings to at least partially cover the central aperture of a second outermost ring, opposite the first outermost ring, included in the plurality of rings to provide a second debris guard mounted at the second lateral end. 
     
     
         16 . The explosives detonator of  claim 15 , wherein each debris guard has a central aperture with an inner diameter about equal to the second diameter of the axle. 
     
     
         17 . The explosives detonator of  claim 1 , wherein the roller-support pin provides a single point of contact between each roller and the frame to allow free rotation of the rollers relative to the frame about each respective vertical pivot axis. 
     
     
         18 . The explosives detonator of  claim 1 , wherein the frame includes a frame foundation adapted to couple the vehicle platform and a roller-support arm configured to mount a corresponding roller included in the plurality of rollers to the frame foundation, and wherein each roller-support pin is spaced a first distance from the frame foundation and a second distance from each lateral side of the roller, the first distance being greater than the second distance. 
     
     
         19 . The explosives detonator of  claim 18 , wherein each roller-support arm includes a first link coupled to the frame foundation, a second link coupled to the frame foundation and spaced apart from the first link, a pin hub coupled to the roller-support pin and to a distal end of the first link and the second link, and a crossbar extending between the first link and the second link and spaced apart from the frame foundation and the pin hub. 
     
     
         20 . An explosives-detonation system comprising
 a prime mover including a first contact point with land and a second contact point with the land, the prime mover configured to move over the land by exerting force by the first contact point and the second contact point,   a front-end detonator mounted to a front end of the prime mover and configured to detonate explosives entrained in the land in front of the prime mover, the front-end detonator including a first weighted roller having a first travel path including a first width greater than or equal to the first contact point and a second weighted roller having a second travel path including a second width greater than or equal to the first contact point, and   a rear-end detonator mounted to a rear end of the prime mover and configured to detonate explosives entrained in the land behind the prime mover.