MARKING AMMUNITION

• US 20110252999A1
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Dynamics OTS Incorporated (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Carlson, Erik K., Head, Lawrence P., Schroeder, Matthew S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,485,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 102/513
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/40 of target-marking, i.e. impact-indicating type F42B12/48, F42B12/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/045 of telescopic type F42B5/184 takes precedence

Abstract

Marking cartridge for conventional firearms that deposits marking media on impact with a target. The marking cartridge generally comprises a marking projectile containing a quantity of marking media beneath a frangible cap portion and having a more durable exterior surface adapted to engage the rifling of the barrel when fired. The marking projectile also may comprise a receptacle for marking media having a curled lip adapted to remove air during assembly and excess marking media to insure a consistent quantity of marking media is contained within the marking projectile. The receptacle defining a marking media cavity radially spaced from exterior bearing portion wall and having a mushroom shape. The marking cartridge also may comprise an extendable casing.

Claims

1. A marking cartridge comprising a marking projectile, the marking projectile comprising two polymer components secured together defining a first axially centered cavity, the first cavity at least substantially filled with marking media, the two polymer components meeting at an exteriorly exposed junction, the juncture extending into the interior of the projectile into a second cavity separated from the first, the second cavity at least substantially vacated of marking media.

2. The marking cartridge of claim 1 wherein the two polymer components comprise a cap portion and a body portion, the cap portion having an ogive portion with a projectile tip and unitary skirt portion extending downwardly from the ogive portion.

3. The marking cartridge of claim 2 wherein the body portion comprises a base portion, a cylindrical wall unitary with and extending from the base portion, and wherein the skirt portion and cylindrical wall are sized to cooperatively connect with one another.

4. The marking cartridge of claim 3 wherein the skirt portion and cylindrical wall are configured to be slidingly engaged into a snap-fit attachment with the skirt portion and cylindrical wall having tapered lead-in surfaces.

5. The marking cartridge of claim 4 wherein the base portion has a axially extending and centrally located post portion having an cylindrical wall portion with a distal lip, the lip engaged with an inside surface of the ogive portion.

6. The marking cartridge of claim 2 wherein the base portion is of a first polymer, the cap portion is of a second polymer, the second polymer having a greater stiffness that the first polymer.

7. The marking cartridge of claim 2 wherein the base portion is of a first polymer, the cap portion is of a second polymer, the second polymer having a greater frangibility that the first polymer.

15. The marking projectile of claim 1 wherein marking media in the first cavity is mushroom shaped.

8. A marking projectile, the projectile having an axis and comprising a ogive with an ogive wall portion, a bearing portion with a cylindrical bearing wall portion extending from the ogive, and a heal portion connecting to the bearing portion, the ogive wall portion formed of a polymer frangible on impact with a target, the projectile further having a receptacle portion defining a first cavity coextensive with the axis of the projectile and centrally positioned within the ogive portion at the ogive wall portion, the receptacle portion radially spaced from the bearing wall portion.

9. The marking projectile of claim 8 wherein the receptacle portion radially spaced from the bearing wall portion and the bearing wall portion define a second cavity, the second cavity configured as a cylindrical annulus positioned adjacent the bearing wall portion and extending axially.

10. The marking projectile of claim 8 wherein the first cavity is at least substantially filled with marking media and the second cavity is at least substantially not filled with marking media.

11. The marking projectile of claim 8 wherein the bearing wall is comprised of a first cylindrical wall portion unitary with the ogive wall portion and wherein the head portion has a second cylindrical wall portion conforming to and engaged with the first cylindrical wall portion and unitary with the heel portion.

12. The marking projectile of claim 11 wherein the bearing wall portion has an axial length and the first cylindrical wall portion and the second cylindrical wall portion each individually extend axially a distance more than half the axial length of the bearing wall portion.

13. The marking projectile of claim 11 wherein the bearing wall portion has an axial length and the first cylindrical wall portion and the second cylindrical wall portion each overlap one another a distance that is most of the axial length of the bearing portion.

14. The marking projectile of claim 8 wherein the receptacle portion is unitary with the heel portion and further comprises an annular lip that has one of a) an outward flare and b) an outward and downward flare.

16. A method of manufacturing a marking projectile, the marking projectile having an axis, the method comprising:

providing a base portion with a heel portion and a central receptacle extending axially upward, the receptacle having an annular lip;

placing in the receptacle one of a marking media paste and marking media gel such that the one of the marking media paste and marking media gel fills the receptacle and extends upwardly beyond the annular lip in a self supporting form;

providing a cap portion having a dome shaped projectile tip and joining the cap portion to the base portion such that the self supporting form is depressed and deformed by an inside surface of the dome shaped projectile tip.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming the self supporting form extending above the annular lip of the receptacle to be at least one of rounded and tapering.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing a receptacle and cap portion wherein the diameter of the receptacle is less that the diameter of the dome shaped projectile tip, the diameter of each taken in a plane normal to the axis of the projectile.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising depressing the self supporting form into a mushroom shaped cavity such that the marking media has a mushroom shape after it has been depressed.

20. (canceled)

21. Marking cartridge for depositing marking media upon impact with a target, the cartridge comprising:

a marking projectile for conveying a quantity of marking media to a target and depositing the quantity of marking media on the target upon impact, the marking projectile comprising;

a frangible cap portion having a projectile tip portion adapted to fracture on impact with a target and a skirt portion extending from the projectile tip portion;

a projectile body portion comprising a base portion and an inner post including a receptacle for receiving marking media, the inner post unitary with and extending from the heel portion, the receptacle having an annular lip, the projectile body portion attachable to cap portion such that when attached the inner post is inserted into the frangible cap portion the annular lip engages the frangible cap portion to define a primary enclosed space within the projectile tip portion and the skirt portion engages the projectile body portion to form a secondary enclosed space defined between the post and the skirt; and

a quantity of marking media disposed in the receptacle.

22. The marking cartridge of claim 21, wherein the receptacle further comprises a curled lip for engaging the projectile tip portion such that any excess marking media or air trapped in the quantity of marking media deposited in the receptacle are forced out of the primary enclosed space into the secondary enclosed space with the inner post is inserted into the frangible cap portion.

23. The marking cartridge of claim 21, wherein the frangible cap portion comprises a rigid polymer adapted to fracture upon impact with the target and the projectile body portion comprises a durable polymer for preventing fracturing of the rigid polymer until impact with the target.

24. The marking cartridge of claim 21, wherein the projectile body portion further comprises a skirt portion corresponding to the skirt portion of the projectile cap portion such that the skirt portion of the projectile body portion extends over the skirt portion of the frangible cap portion when the inner post is inserted into the frangible cap portion, wherein only the projectile tip portion protrudes from the projectile body portion after the projectile body portion and frangible cap portion are fitted together.

25. The marking cartridge of claim 24, wherein the skirt portion of the projectile body portion can be sealingly engaged to the skirt portion of the projectile cap portion to provide a hermetically sealed primary and secondary enclosed spaces.

26. The marking cartridge of claim 24, wherein the skirt portion of the projectile body defines a cylindrical bearing portion that is engagable by the rifling of a firearm to impart a spin to the marking projectile during firing.

27-37. -37. (canceled)