PROJECTILE LAUNCHING SYSTEM INCLUDING DEVICE FOR AT LEAST PARTLY ENCASING A PROJECTILE

• US 20110023746A1
• Filed: 07/26/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Israel Aerospace Industries Limited (Government of Israel)
• Original Assignee: Israel Aerospace Industries Limited (Government of Israel)
• Inventors: HAYAT, Abraham
• Granted Patent: US 8,567,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 102/520
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 14/067 Sealing aspects in sabots, e.g. sealing between individual segments of the sabots or sealing between the outer surface of the sabot and the inner surface of the barrel

Abstract

Projectile assembly apparatus comprising a projectile and a projectile head-protecting element surrounding at least a portion of the projectile and operative to separate from the projectile only as the projectile is launched, the projectile head-protecting element including a separation prevention device operative to prevent said projectile head-protecting element from separating from said projectile until a launch-indicative event has occurred

Claims

1. Weaponry apparatus comprising:

a projectile; and

a projectile head-protecting element surrounding at least a portion of the projectile head and operative to separate from the projectile only as the projectile is launched, the projectile head-protecting element including a separation prevention device operative to prevent said projectile head-protecting element from separating from said projectile until a launch-indicative event has occurred.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 and also comprising launching apparatus including a barrel from which the projectile is launched.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said barrel comprises a smoothbore barrel.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the projectile comprises a susceptible head which is susceptible to damage and wherein the projectile head-protecting element protects the susceptible head.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the separation prevention device is operative to prevent said head-protection portion from separating from said projectile until the following launch-indicative event has occurred:

a current forward acceleration of the projectile reaches a level high enough to be indicative of launching.

6. Apparatus according claim 1 and wherein said projectile head-protecting element comprises a front portion of a projectile enveloping element enveloping at least a portion of the projectile other than the head.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said projectile defines an axis along the forward direction and a circumference surrounding the axis and wherein said projectile head-protecting element includes at least first and second projectile head-protecting element segments arranged about the circumference of the projectile, wherein said first projectile head-protecting element segment comprises a spring loaded weighted connector, having a first position, and a second position when a force contrary to the spring force is applied to the weighted connector, wherein the connector is configured and arranged to connect the first projectile head-protecting element segment to the second projectile head-protecting element segment when the connector is in the first position and not when the connector is in the second position, and wherein the connector is positioned such that at least a portion of the forward acceleration of the projectile works against the spring force.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the first projectile head-protecting element segment is no longer connected to the second projectile head-protecting element segment by the spring loaded weighted connector once the forward acceleration overcomes the spring force.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 and also comprising a connector disabler operative to prevent the connector element from re-connecting the first and second projectile head-protecting element segments once the connector element has reached the second position.

10. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said barrel comprises a rifled barrel, and said separation prevention device comprises a toothed separation prevention device operative to perform a spin motion around the projectile as the projectile and surrounding projectile head-protecting element move along the rifled barrel, said toothed device being operative to prevent said projectile head-protecting element from separating from said projectile until the following launch-indicative event has occurred:

at least one characteristic of the spin motion has reached a level unique to launching.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the toothed separation prevention device includes pre-formed teeth.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said characteristic comprises a number of times that the device spins around the projectile and wherein the device is operative to prevent said projectile head-protecting element from separating from said projectile until said number of times is high enough to be indicative of launching.

13. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said projectile defines an axis along the forward direction and a circumference surrounding the axis and wherein said projectile head-protecting element includes at least first and second projectile head-protecting element segments arranged about the circumference of the projectile, wherein the rifled barrel defines a first threading direction and wherein the device is peripheral to and in threaded engagement with the first and second projectile head-protecting element segments, thereby to define a second threading direction which is the same as said first threading direction.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the rifled barrel defines a first number of revolutions along the barrel and the threaded engagement of the device with the projectile head-protecting element defines a second number of revolutions, which is smaller than the first number of revolutions.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the projectile has a forward acceleration during launch and wherein said launch-indicative event comprises a situation in which the forward acceleration of the projectile reaches a level high enough to be indicative of launching.

16. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the separation prevention device comprises a wheel whose weight is radially-unevenly distributed to promote sideways motion of said wheel, after said wheel has exited a barrel.

17. Apparatus according to claim 6 and wherein said projectile enveloping element comprises a sabot.

18. A method for providing a projectile, the method comprising:

Providing a projectile; and

Providing a projectile head-protecting element surrounding at least a portion of the projectile head and operative to separate from the projectile only as the projectile is launched, including providing a separation prevention device operative to prevent said projectile head-protecting element from separating from said projectile until a launch-indicative event has occurred.