Propellant charge component for use with a projectile for muzzle

Details Propellant charge component for use with a projectile for muzzle Propellant charge component for use with a projectile for muzzle

1984-08-06

1986-06-10

Jordan, Charles T.

Ammunition and explosives

Having radially directed propelling holes

F42B 1322

Patent

active

045936200

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a propellant charge component for use with a projectile for muzzle-loaded weapons.
Projectiles for muzzle-loaded weapons usually exhibit an ogival-shaped shell body with a tail assembly containing a propellant charge component in the form of a cartridge tube surrounded by wings or fins and which encloses an ignition or propellant cartridge consisting of an appropriate powder. In addition to this cartridge, a further quantity of powder may also be provided on the outside of the cartridge tube, usually in the form of a number of increment charges. The cartridge tube is provided with a number of transcurrent holes to form an exit route for the powder gases. The gases not only drive the shell forwards, but also provide the necessary ignition impulse for any increment charges which may be present on the outside of the cartridge tube.
It is also possible to execute the propellant charge component and the shell body as two separate parts, each of which can be loaded into the weapon separately, whereby only the shell body will be expelled from the weapon, with the propellant charge component being left behind. For this purpose, the fins of the projectile are so arranged as to be in a position in which they are folded down onto the shell body, from where they are extended as soon as the shell body has left the barrel of the weapon. The advantage of using this form of division is that all the available kinetic energy can be utilized purely for the acceleration of the shell body. The problem associated with division, however, is the inability to remove the spent propellant charge component from the weapon rapidly and without the use of a great deal of energy, so that the weapon may be re-loaded.
One method of ejecting a spent propellant charge from a barrel is described in Swiss Patent Specification No. 498.361. According to this Specification, a piston is so arranged as to expel the projectile from the barrel in the manner of a sabot, at the same time as the piston, once it has covered a pre-determined distance, will come up against a stop organ arranged on the propellant charge component so that the piston will transfer kinetic energy to the propellant charge component, causing it to be ejected from the barrel.
A disadvantage of the previously disclosed arrangement is that the projectile is affected by acceleration forces only for as long as the piston is moving. Once the piston has come up against the stop organ, the function of the piston as a sabot will cease.
The purpose of the present invention is, therefore, to provide the ejection of the spent propellant charge component at the same time as the acceleration forces acting on the projectile are permitted to act during the entire travel of the projectile through the barrel. This object is achieved by endowing the propellant charge component with the characteristic features indicated in claim 1.
The invention is described below in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a mortar, the barrel of which is partially sectioned to show how the propellant charge component in accordance with the invention and the associated projectile are each loaded into the barrel.
FIGS. 2 and 3 show a partially sectioned longitudinal view of two different phases in the firing of a projectile, which is provided with a propellant charge component in accordance with the invention.
The mortar illustrated in FIG. 1 consists of a barrel 1, preferably with a smooth bore, a base plate 2 and a support 3, which is not illustrated in full in the Figure. The associated shell consists in accordance with the invention of a projectile 4 containing, amongst other things, a payload such as a sustainer and/or a warhead of a type not illustrated in detail, and of a propellant charge component 5 with a conventional propellant charge (not shown here) for driving the projectile forwards.
The warhead may, for instance, consist of a shaped charge with a directiona

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