US 5,400,714 A · Large-caliber two part ammunition unit

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for producing a large-caliber ammunition unit including a combustible or partially combustible propelling charge casing and compacted or partially compacted propelling charge powder, to increase internal ballistic performance. It is known to partially or completely compact or compress the propelling charge powder in a cartridge casing. However, such methods generally cannot be employed for ammunition including a combustible or at least partially combustible propelling charge casing because of the lower strength of the relatively thin-walled combustible casing material, as this would lead to deformation and/or to reduced loadability of such cartridges. The present invention permits the compaction or partial compaction of the propelling charge powder of an ammunition unit including a combustible propelling charge casing in that a pressing mold or matrix is employed which directly encloses the propelling charge casing, with an appropriate annular gap being left free between the inner surface of the propelling charge casing and the outer surface of the press die in dependence on the grain dimension of the propelling charge powder grains to be compacted so that the propelling charge powder can be compacted almost without shear forces with respect to the inner surface of the propelling charge casing.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A large-caliber two piece ammunition unit including a first rear combustible propelling charge casing part having a base at a rear end and a closed front end and being filled with at least partially compacted propelling charge powder, and a second front combustible propelling charge casing part having a projectile inserted into and mounted on a front end, and a closed rear end, and containing propelling charge powder;

an ignition tube fastened to said casing base and extending axially over substantially the entire length of said rear combustible propelling charge casing part;
and wherein:
about 35% to about 80% of the propelling charge powder of the total propelling charge is compacted around said ignition tube and disposed in said rear casing part adjacent said casing base, with any remaining volume of said rear casing part being filled with loosely poured propelling charge powder;
and the remaining portion of the propelling charge powder of the total propelling charge is disposed in said front casing part and surrounds a tail section of the projectile which extends into said front casing part.

1 more element

A large-caliber two piece ammunition unit including a projectile inserted into and mounted on the front end of a propelling charge casing containing at least partially compacted propelling charge powder and wherein:

said propelling charge casing for the ammunition unit is composed of first and second parts including a first rear part and a second front part, with said first rear part having a casing base at one end, being closed by a layer of combustible material at its opposite other end, and, in significant cylindrical longitudinal regions, being composed of a thin-walled, combustible material having a comparatively low strength, and with said second front part being formed of said thin walled combustible material, having a rear cylindrical portion of the same diameter as said first rear part, having a front portion for connection to a tail section of a projectile, and having a rear end closed by a layer of combustible material;
an ignition tube which is fastened to said base and which extends along a longitudinal axis of said base and of said first rear part of said propelling charge casing over substantially the entire length of said first rear part of said propelling charge casing;
said projectile has a tail section inserted into and connected to said front portion of said front part of said casing so that said tail section of the projectile extends into said cylindrical portion of said front part of said casing;
and
approximately 35% to approximately 80% of the propelling charge powder of the entire propelling charge for the ammunition unit is disposed in said first rear part of said casing and is compacted, and the remainder of the propelling charge powder of the entire propelling charge fills any remaining volume between the compacted portion and said layer of combustible material closing said other end of said first rear part, and is disposed within said second front part of said casing and surrounds said tail section of the projectile with a density in the vicinity of said tail section which at most is only slightly higher than that of loosely poured propelling charge powder.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Large-caliber two part ammunition unit

Life of this patent

Large-caliber two part ammunition unit

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10