Importance

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Abstract

This invention relates to a blast plug (10). The blast plug (10) includes a body (12), a means for suspending the blast plug (10) in a blast hole (50) above an explosive charge (54) and a bag member (16). The body (12) comprises a first end (18), an opposing second end (20) and one or more sides tapering (22) from the first end (18) towards the second end (20). The blast plug (10) suspending means is located at least partially at the second end (20) of the body (12). The bag member (16) is attached to the tapering sides (22) of the body (12) and extends about the body (12) such that the attached portion of the bag member (16) is restricted from moving toward the first end (18) of the body (12) by the tapering sides (22) thereof, wherein the bag member (16) operatively catches and contains tamping material deposited down the blast hole (50). In use, with the blast plug (10) suspended in the blast hole (50) by the blast plug (10) suspending means, the tamping material caught and contained in the bag member (16) causes the bag member (16) to expand radially outwardly relative to the body (12) to abut and seal against the blast hole walls (56) thereby to confine the blast energy generated on detonation of the explosive charge (54), with the first end (18) of the body (12) acting to reflect pressure waves propagating from the detonated explosive charge (54) back down the blast hole (50) thereby to increase the efficiency of the explosion.

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First Claim