One piece polymer ammunition cartridge having a primer insert and methods of making the same

• US 10,704,876 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2018
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Velocity Holdings LLC (Centerpoint Energy Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Velocity Holdings LLC (Centerpoint Energy Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boss, Tyler Lee, Burrow, Lonnie, Godart, Michael Edward, Sloan, Jimmie, Rosek, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Bergin, James S
• Application Number:
  US16/110,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20190011233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 102430, 102447, 102464-470, 86 10, 86 18, 86 195, 86 198
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/108 Mixtures obtained by warm mixing
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/10 Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/004 Filling molds with powder feeding material to presses in general B30B15/302
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/1021 Removal of binder or filler removal of binder from ceramics C04B35/638
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/1025 not by heating only
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/225 by injection molding
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/06 of threaded articles, e.g. nuts
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 9/04 starting from solid material, e.g. by crushing, grinding or milling C22C1/1084 takes precedence; crushing, grinding or milling, in general, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B02C
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/64 Burning or sintering processes C04B33/32 takes precedence ; powder metallurgy B22F
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 14/00 Alloys based on titanium
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 33/0257 characterised by the range of the alloying elements
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 33/0285 with Cr, Co, or Ni having a minimum content higher than 5%
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/02 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/04 containing manganese
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/18 containing chromium
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/42 with copper
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/44 with molybdenum or tungsten
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/48 with niobium or tantalum
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/58 with more than 1.5% by weight of manganese
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 33/00 : Manufacture of ammunition; Dismantling of ammunition; Apparatus therefor F42B5/188 takes precedence; manufacturing processes for hollow charges F42B1/036; manufacture of blasting cartridge initiators F42B3/195
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 33/001 : Devices or processes for assembling ammunition, cartridges or cartridge elements from parts
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 33/02 : Filling cartridges, missiles, or fuzes; Inserting propellant or explosive charges F42B33/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 33/04 : Fitting or extracting primers in or from fuzes or charges F42B33/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/02 : Cartridges, i.e. cases with charge and missile
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/025 : characterised by the dimension of the case or the missile
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/30 : of plastics , i.e. the cartridge-case tube is of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/307 : formed by assembling several elements
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/313 : all elements made of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 19/0807 : characterised by the particular configuration of the transmission channels from the priming energy source to the charge to be ignited, e.g. multiple channels, nozzles, diaphragms or filters
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 19/0823 : Primers or igniters for the initiation or the propellant charge in a cartridged ammunition primers for caseless ammunition F42C19/085
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 19/083 : characterised by the shape and configuration of the base element embedded in the cartridge bottom, e.g. the housing for the squib or percussion cap

Abstract

The present invention provides a single piece polymer ammunition cartridge and polymer ammunition and methods of forming a single piece polymer ammunition cartridge and polymer ammunition.

Claims

1. A polymeric ammunition cartridge made by the process of:

providing a polymer ammunition cartridge blank comprising an unformed top end connected to a cartridge bottom by a polymer middle body to form a propellant chamber, wherein the unformed top end comprises a nose end aperture, wherein the cartridge bottom comprises a primer insert comprising a top surface opposite a bottom surface and a coupling element that extends from the bottom surface, a primer recess in the top surface that extends toward the bottom surface, a primer flash hole aperture positioned in the primer recess to extend through the bottom surface and a groove in the primer recess positioned around the flash hole aperture, wherein the middle body is overmolded through the primer flash hole aperture into the groove;

providing a thermal form comprising a body segment extending to a shoulder segment that transitions to a neck segment that terminates at a tip segment end and a mandrel extendable into the neck segment at the tip segment end;

heating the thermal form;

inserting the unformed top end into the thermal form;

extending the mandrel into the nose end aperture;

contacting the unformed top end with the tip segment end to form a polymer ammunition cartridge having a shoulder connected to a neck, wherein the nose end aperture forms a projectile aperture; and

removing the polymer ammunition cartridge from the thermal form.

2. The polymeric ammunition cartridge of claim 1, wherein the polymer ammunition cartridge blank is formed from a ductile polymer.

3. The polymeric ammunition cartridge of claim 1, further comprising the steps of forming a texturing at the nose end aperture.

4. The polymeric ammunition cartridge of claim 3, wherein the texturing includes one or more selected from etching, grooves, hatching, knurling, a texture, rings, and free formed textures.

5. The polymeric ammunition cartridge of claim 3, wherein the texturing is on an internal neck region.

6. The polymeric ammunition cartridge of claim 5, wherein the texturing includes one or more selected from etching, grooves, hatching, knurling, a texture, rings, and free formed textures.

7. The polymeric ammunition cartridge of claim 1, wherein the mandrel comprises a texturing that textures the nose end aperture.

8. The polymeric ammunition cartridge of claim 1, wherein the polymer ammunition cartridge blank comprise a nylon polymer.

9. The polymeric ammunition cartridge of claim 1, wherein the polymer ammunition cartridge blank is formed from a fiber-reinforced polymeric material.

10. The polymeric ammunition cartridge of claim 9, wherein the fiber-reinforced polymeric composite contains between about 10 and about 70 wt % glass fiber fillers, mineral fillers, or mixtures thereof.

11. The polymeric ammunition cartridge of claim 1, wherein the polymer ammunition cartridge blank comprise a polymers selected from the group consisting of polyurethane prepolymer, cellulose, fluoro-polymer, ethylene inter-polymer alloy elastomer, ethylene vinyl acetate, nylon, polyether imide, polyester elastomer, polyester sulfone, polyphenyl amide, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride or thermoset polyurea elastomer, acrylics, homopolymers, acetates, copolymers, acrylonitrile-butadinen-styrene, thermoplastic fluoro polymers, inomers, polyamides, polyamide-imides, polyacrylates, polyatherketones, polyaryl-sulfones, polybenzimidazoles, polycarbonates, polybutylene, terephthalates, polyether imides, polyether sulfones, thermoplastic polyimides, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyphenylene sulfides, polyethylene, polypropylene, polysulfones, polyvinylchlorides, styrene acrylonitriles, polystyrenes, polyphenylene, ether blends, styrene maleic anhydrides, polycarbonates, allyls, aminos, cyanates, epoxies, phenolics, unsaturated polyesters, bismaleimides, polyurethanes, silicones, vinylesters, urethane hybrids, polyphenylsulfones, copolymers of polyphenylsulfones with polyethersulfones or polysulfones, copolymers of poly-phenylsulfones with siloxanes, blends of polyphenylsulfones with polysiloxanes, poly(etherimide-siloxane) copolymers, blends of polyetherimides and polysiloxanes, and blends of polyetherimides and poly(etherimide-siloxane) copolymers.

12. The polymeric ammunition cartridge of claim 1, wherein the polymer ammunition cartridge blank comprises one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of polybutylene, polybutylene terephthalates, polyphenyl sulfones, polyether sulfones, and polycarbonates.

13. The polymeric ammunition cartridge of claim 1, wherein the polymer ammunition cartridge blank is a .17 HMR, .17 Hornet, .17 Ackley Hornet, .17 Winchester Super Magnum, .17-32 Magnum, .17 VHA, .17 Remington, .17/222, 0.17 Mach .17 Ackley Improved Bee, .17-357 RG, .17 Remington Fireball, .17 Incinerator, 4.39×

39Rmm SPS, .204 Ruger, 5 mm Remington Rimfire Magnum, 5.45×

39 mm Russian family, .22 Short, .22 Long, .22 Long Rifle, .22 Stinger, 22 Extra Long, .297/230 Morris Extra Long, .22 Hornet, .22 Rem Automatic, 5.66×

39 MPS, .22 Rem Jet, .218 Bee, .219 Zipper, .22 Hornet-K, .220 Swift, .222 Remington, .222 Remington Magnum, .223 Remington, 5.56×

45 mm NATO, 5.7×

28 mm, .22 TCM, 5.8×

42 Chinese, .224 Weatherby Magnum, .225 Winchester, .223 Winchester Super Short Magnum (Obsolete) .223 Ackley Improved, .219 Donaldson Wasp, .221 Remington Fireball, .22-250 Remington and many more, .243 Winchester, .244 Remington, 6 mm Remington, 6 mm plastic airsoft BBs, 6 mm Whisper, 6 mm PPC, 6 mm Bench Rest Remington, 6×

45 mm, 6×

47 mm, 6 mm Cheetah, .240 Weatherby, 6×

62 Freres, 6 mm Norma BR, 6XC Tubb, 6 mm JDJ, 6 mm SAW, 6-250 Walker, 6.17 Spitfire, 6.17 Flash, 6 mm Lee Navy, and more, .25 ACP (.251″

), 250/3000 Savage, 257 Roberts, 25-06 (.257″

), .277, 6.5×

55 mm, .260 Remington, 26 Nosler, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5×

47 Lapua, .270 Winchester, 6.8, 6.8 SPC, .280 Remington, 7 mm-08 Remington, 7 mm Remington Magnum, 7×

57 mm Mauser, 7×

64 mm, .30 Luger (7.65×

21 mm Luger), .30-30 Win, 30 Herrett, .300 Whisper, .30-378 Weatherby, 7.63 Mannlicher-Schoenauer, 7.63 Mauser, .30 USA Rimless, .308 Corbon, .3-9 Savage, .30 Kurz, 300 AAC Blackout (7.62×

35 mm), 7.5 mm Schmidt-Rubin, .300 Winchester Magnum, .30 Carbine, 309 JDJ, .30-03, 0.30-06 Springfield, .30-06 JDJ, .307 GNR, .308 Winchester (7.62×

51 mm NATO), .300 Weatherby Magnum, .30 Army (.30-40 Krag), 7.82 mm Lazzeroni, and dozens more, .303 British, 7.62×

39 mm Soviet, 7.62×

54 mmR, 7.62×

25 mm, 7.7×

58 mm, .32 ACP, 8×

57 mm IS, .325 WSM, 8 mm Remington Magnum, 8 mm plastic (airsoft) BBs, .338 Lapua, .338 Norma Magnum, .338 Winchester Magnum, .338-378 Weatherby Magnum, 9 mm Luger, 9 mm Ultra, 9 mm Bayard Long, 9 mm Browning Long, 9 mm Mauser, 9 mm Winchester Magnum, 9 mm Glisenti, 9×

21 mm, 9×

23 mm Winchester, 9 mm Mi-Bullet, 9 mm Steyr, .356 Team Smith &

Wesson, 9 mm Federal, 9 mm×

25 mm Dillon, 9 mm Action Express, .380 ACP (9 mm Short), 9×

56 mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer, 9 mm×

57 mm Mauser, .38 Super, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .357 SIG, .35 Remington, 9×

18 mm Makarov, 9.3×

62 mm, 9.3×

64 mm Brenneke, 9.3×

72 mmR, 9.3×

74 mm, .375 H&

H Magnum, 9.5×

57 mm Mannlicher-Schö

nauer (.375 Rimless Nitro Express (RNE)×

2¼

), .40 S&

W, 10 mm Auto, .444 Marlin, .44 S&

W Russian, .44 S&

W Special, .44 Remington Magnum, .44 Auto Mag, .440 Cor-Bon, 44/454 JDJ Woodswalker, .45 ACP, .45 GAP, .454 Casull, .45 Long Colt, .455 Webley, .50 BMG, .50 Action Express, 12.7×

108 mm polymer ammunition cartridge blank.