Firearms – Electric appliances
Patent
1998-04-07
2000-10-31
Carone, Michael J.
Firearms
Electric appliances
89 1405, 89193, F41A 1900
Patent
active
061383953
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to munitions and firearms.
This invention has particular, but not exclusive, application to a barrel having a plurality of projectiles stacked axially within the barrel together with discrete selectively ignitable propellant charges for propelling the projectiles sequentially through the muzzle of the barrel. Such barrels will be referred to hereinafter as of the type described.
BACKGROUND ART
International Patent Number WO94/20809 relates to firearms of the type described. Field tests of prototype versions of firearms utilizing barrels of the type described have shown that such barrel assemblies perform to expectations. However the inventor has proposed useful variations, including munitions, as well as improvements which may assist in either the efficient production of such firearms or facilitate their performance or useability. Furthermore the inventor envisages that single barrel rates of fire in excess of 40,000 rounds/minute may be achievable in practice and this possibility creates further scope for munitions of conventional style and firearms utilizing barrels of the type described.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to one aspect this invention provides a barrel assembly of the type described, wherein: spaced apart relationship by locating means separate from the projectiles, and seal with the bore of the barrel.
The locating means may be the propellant charge between adjacent projectiles and the sealing means suitably includes a skirt portion of each projectile which expands outwardly when subject to an in-barrel load. The in-barrel load may be applied during installation of the projectiles or after loading such as by tamping to consolidate the column of projectiles and propellant charges or it may result from the firing of an outer projectile and particularly the adjacent outer projectile.
The propellant charge may be form as a solid block to operatively space the projectiles in the barrel or the propellant charge may be encased in metal or other rigid case which may include an embedded primer having external contact means adapted for contacting an pre-positioned electrical contact associated with the barrel. For example the primer could be provided with a sprung contact which may be retracted to enable insertion of the cased charge into the barrel and to spring out into a barrel aperture upon alignment with that aperture for operative contact with its mating barrel contact. If desired the outer case may be consumable or may chemically assist the propellant burn. Furthermore an assembly of stacked and bonded or separate cased charges and projectiles may be provide for reloading a barrel.
The rear end of the projectile may be formed with a skirt about an inwardly reducing recess such as a conical recess or a part-spherical recess or the like into which the propellant charge portion extends and about which rearward movement of the projectile will result in radial expansion of the projectile skirt. This rearward movement may occur by way of compression resulting from a rearward wedging movement of the projectile along the leading portion of the propellant charge it may occur as a result of metal flow from the relatively massive leading part of the projectile to its less massive skirt portion.
Alternatively the projectile may be provided with a rearwardly divergent peripheral sealing flange or collar which is deflected outwardly into sealing engagement with the bore upon rearward movement of the projectile. Furthermore the sealing may be effected by inserting the projectiles into a heated barrel which shrinks onto respective sealing portions of the projectiles. Then again the projectile may comprise a relatively hard mandrel portion located by the propellant charge and which cooperates with a deformable annular portion supported thereabout for expansion into operative sealing engagement with the bore. The deformable annular portion may be moulded about the mandrel to form a unitary projectile which relies on metal flow between the nose of the projectile an
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patent: 5133242 (1992-07-01), Witt
patent: 5272956 (1993-12-01), Hudson
patent: 5388500 (1995-02-01), Petrovich
patent: 5883329 (1999-03-01), O'Dwyer
Buckley Denise J
Carone Michael J.
Metal Storm Limited
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