Ammunition and explosives – Propellent chemical charge container
Patent
1986-06-06
1987-10-27
Brown, David H.
Ammunition and explosives
Propellent chemical charge container
102283, 102285, F42B 538
Patent
active
047021675
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a propellant-charge module. More particularly this invention concerns such a module used to fire a separate projectile.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the use of separate ammunition at least one propellant-charge module is dropped into the barrel, followed by the projectile to be fired. A primer cap is then detonated to ignite a primer charge in the charge pack, which in its turn ignites the propellant charge. In the simplest system, the pack simply comprises a bag of the propellant charge provided at one end with the primer or detonating charge.
German published patent specification No. 3,113,406 discloses the use of a rigid cardboard cartridge sleeve instead of a powder bag. These cartridge sleeves contain an end charge and a centrally arranged transmitting charge as well as an augmenting charge and, in order to improve and speed up the ignition, a relatively space-consuming cavity for catching the detonating blast.
A substantial disadvantage of this arrangement is that it is impossible to stack up a number of the cartridge sleeves, since when the stack is too long gas pressures vary excessively within the firing chamber. Furthermore propellant-charge powder subject to brittle failure is destroyed at the base of the shell, which can lead in bad cases to ruining of the shot or even of the weapon. In addition it is possible to put these cartridge sleeves or powder bags into the chamber upside down, leading to misfiring and in extreme cases to damage to the weapon.
Studies of barrel-type weapons using such or similar modular loose-powder propellant charges have showed that especially at charge densities of more than 0.4g/cm.sup.3 irregular gas-pressure curves and therefore nonreproducible trajectories are produced. The cause of this performance lies in the unsatisfactory central burnthrough of the charge pack, which effect is even greater with end-lit charges.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved propellant-charge pack or module.
Another object is the provision of such a propellant-charge pack which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which can be stacked up in substantial numbers without problems, and that can be loaded easily.
A further object is to provide an improved method of loading and firing separate ammunition including the pack according to this invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A propellant-charge pack according to the invention has an annular envelope having an outer wall extending along and centered on an axis, a pair of axially spaced end walls extending transversely inward from the axis and having inner peripheries centered on the axis, and an inner wall defining a clear axially throughgoing passage between the inner peripheries of the end walls. The envelope is generally axially symmetrical about the axis, that is it is formed as a body of revolution or of regular polygonal section, and is substantially symmetrical to a plane perpendicular to the axis midway between the end walls. A relatively easily ignited primer charge forms a part of the inner wall symmetrical of the plane and a propellant charge fills the envelope between the walls outward of the inner wall. The primer charge is of such high combustibility, compared to the diameter of the passage, that the entire primer charge, even of a stack of such packs, will be ignited before they burn through and set off the respective propellant charges.
The provision of a clear ignition passage inside the primer charge of the propellant-charge module advantageously provides a nearly instantaneous ignition of the propellant-charge powder over the entire length of the charge and thereby a minimal pressure differential inside the chamber. As a result it is possible to set the gas-pressure curve so that a perfectly reproducible trajectory is obtained, even with long charge lengths.
The axially symmetrical arrangement of the primer charge in the ignition-passage wall ensures in addition to a rapid and central
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patent: 3264997 (1966-08-01), Michael
patent: 3304867 (1967-02-01), Nadel
patent: 3340809 (1967-09-01), Stadler et al.
patent: 3372643 (1968-03-01), Kvavle
patent: 4463679 (1984-08-01), Billard
Reinelt Kalrheinz
Schwenzer Michael
Brown David H.
Rheinmetall GmbH
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