Rocket assisted projectile
AssigneeThiokol Corporation
InventorBobby J. Lyles
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved projectile suitable for use in artillery pieces, though preferably in the higher calibres, is disclosed wherein projectile range upon launching by the gun is considerably extended by means of a propellant rocket motor in combination therewith which motor is characterized by containing in its combustion chamber a flowable propellant charge in the form of a fluidizable, shapeable propellant charge composition which under the high radial acceleration forces imparted to the projectile when fired from a rifled gun barrel, flows and shapes itself into the shape of a hollow cylinder and, when ignited in flight, burns in the manner of a solid propellant grain of the same shape to aid in propelling the projectile a greater distance than is possible with the gun alone.
Claims10
In a rocket assisted projectile adapted to be ejected from a rifled gun barrel and comprising, in combination, a warhead and a rocket motor fixedly attached to the aft end of said projectile, said rocket motor comprising a combustion chamber containing only a combustible propellant charge for producing rocket propulsive gases upon combustion of said charge, an exhaust nozzle communicating with said chamber only during combustion periods for conducting said propulsion gases from said chamber to propel said projectile but closed to said chamber prior to combustion by a rupturable closure, and means for igniting said charge, the improvement comprising:
- said combustible propellant charge being an uncured slurry of an inorganic oxidizer and a liquid fuel and in the form of a flowable and shapable viscous fluid the volume of which is less than the volume of said chamber so as to provide a free space therein said charge, in response to centrifugal force generated by the rotation of said projectile and rocket motor imparted thereto by the riflings in said gun barrel, flows radially and longitudinally to shape itself into a hollow body of revolution having a central substantially cylindrical structurally fully unsupported core and an outer surface configuration conforming to the inner configuration of said chamber and, said free space being displaced to form said central core.
In a gas generator having a walled combustion chamber for generating gases containing only a combustible charge disposed within said chamber, a discharge nozzle communicating with said chamber after combustion has occurred for conducting gases obtained from combusting said charge from said gas generator but closed to said chamber prior to combustion by a rupturable closure, means for igniting said charge, and said generator rotating rapidly about its axis coincident with the longitudinal central axis of said discharge nozzle, the improvement comprising said combustible charge being an uncured slurry of an inorganic oxidizer and a liquid fuel and in the form of a flowable and shapeable viscous fluid propellant the volume of which is less than the volume of said chamber so as to provide a free space in said chamber said charge, in response to the centrifugal force generated by rapid rotation of said chamber flows as a viscous fluid radially and longitudinally to shape itself into a substantially hollow cylinder having a structurally unsupported central core and an outer surface configuration confirming to the inner surface configuration of said chamber and, said free space being displaced to form said central core of said shaped combustible charge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.