Projectiles with sealed propellant
AssigneeMetal Storm Limited
InventorsJames Michael O'Dwyer, Sean Patrick O'Dwyer
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Abstract
Projectiles with sealed propellant are described herein. In one embodiment of the invention, a projectile includes a chamber having a propellant charger, an exit from the chamber for release of propellant gases into a barrel when the propellant is ignited to fire the projectile, and a seal to block the exit which is opened by ignition of the propellant within the chamber but is resistant to ignition of other propellant in the barrel, where the seal is carried from the barrel by the projectile after the ignition. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
Claims15
A stackable projectile for use in a barrel together with a plurality of stacked projectiles, the projectile comprising:
- a projectile body having a forward end and a rearward end,
- a component removably retained in the projectile body, the component including a cavity containing
- a propellant charge,
- an electric initiator at a forward end of the cavity,
- an inductive element connected to the electric initiator, wherein the cavity opens rearwards through an aperture for release of propulsion gases from the cavity rearwards into the barrel when the electric initiator ignites the propellant to fire the projectile from the barrel,
- a seal disc, wherein the sealing disc is opened by ignition of the propellant within the cavity and includes an edge surface for sealing contact with an interior wall in the cavity for sealing the propellant charge in the cavity, the edge surface and the interior wall include profiles wherein force applied to the disc external to the cavity forces the disc further into sealing contact with the interior wall, and
- a resisting component rearwards of the seal for, after the seal is opened, containing the seal within the projectile, wherein the seal is carried from the barrel by the projectile after ignition of the propellant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.