SABOT PROJECTILE

• US 20100000439A1
• Filed: 06/23/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH (Rheinmetall AG)
• Original Assignee: Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH (Rheinmetall AG)
• Inventors: Heithmann, Thomas, Baumann, Christian, Vagedes, Michael, Freudenthal, Klaus-Dieter
• Granted Patent: US 8,424,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 102/521
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 14/064 Sabots enclosing the rear end of a kinetic energy projectile, i.e. having a closed disk shaped obturator base and petals extending forward from said base
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/18 Caseless ammunition; Cartridges having combustible cases

Abstract

A sabot projectile with a subcaliber projectile body and a sabot, which includes a propulsion element that acts on the rear end of the projectile body and a segmented, essentially cylindrical metal guide cage, which is located at the front end of the propulsion element. The guide cage has a central opening that extends in the axial direction, through which the projectile body is passed. So that the sabot projectile is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, has a low weight, and ensures good detachment of the sabot from the projectile body after discharge, the guide cage is a hollow cylinder, on whose inside wall preferably several radial transverse ribs are arranged, which are spaced some distance apart and extend both in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the sabot and in the direction of the projectile body.

Claims

1. A sabot projectile, comprising:

a subcaliber projectile body; and

a sabot, the sabot including a propulsion element that acts on a rear end of the projectile body and a segmented, substantially cylindrical metal guide cage, which is located at a front end of the propulsion element, wherein the guide cage has a central opening that extends in an axial direction, through which central opening the projectile body is passed, wherein the guide cage is a hollow cylinder.

2. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 1, wherein the guide cage has an inside wall on which a plurality of radial transverse ribs are arranged spaced some distance apart so as to extend both in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the sabot and toward the projectile body.

3. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 2, wherein the transverse ribs are closed by partitions at least one predetermined distance from the inside wall of the guide cage, so that several chamber-like cavities are formed, which surround the central opening and extend in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the sabot.

4. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 3, wherein the partitions are adjacent to the projectile body and join ends of the transverse ribs that face the projectile body.

5. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 3, wherein the chamber-like cavities are arranged with uniform distribution around a circumference of the guide cage.

6. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 5, wherein the guide cage has eight cavities arranged with uniform distribution around the circumference.

7. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 1, wherein the central opening has a substantially constant inside diameter along a longitudinal axis of the sabot, said inside diameter corresponding to a maximum outside diameter of the projectile body, and further comprising a metal support wall detachably mounted on a front end of the guide cage, the support wall having air holes and extending radially inward so as to support the projectile body.

8. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 7, wherein a front end of the support wall has an axial projection, which is surrounded by an annular elastic body that fits into a groove of the axial projection and into a groove in the projectile body.

9. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 1, wherein the central opening has a course that tapers towards a front end of the guide cage along a longitudinal axis of the sabot so that an inside diameter of the central opening in a rear-end region of the guide cage corresponds to a maximum outside diameter of the projectile body and so that the guide cage surrounds a front end of the projectile body in a form-locking way.

10. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 9, wherein the front-end region of the guide cage has a peripheral guide projection that is directed radially outward so as to provide front-end support in a gun barrel.

11. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 9, wherein a front end of the guide cage has an axial projection, which is surrounded by an annular rubber body that fits into a groove of the axial projection and into a groove in the projectile body.

12. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 1, wherein the guide cage is made of an aluminum or magnesium alloy.

13. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 1, wherein the guide cage comprises two segments formed as half shells.

14. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 1, wherein the guide cage is a segmented extruded profile.

15. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 1, wherein the hollow cylinder is formed by a slit tube or two half tubes.

16. The sabot projectile in accordance with claim 15, wherein the hollow cylinder has transverse ribs.