Projectile with enhanced target penetrating power

• US 4,648,324 A
• Filed: 10/01/1985
• Issued: 03/10/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Primex Technologies Inc (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: OLIN Corporation
• Inventors: McDermott, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tudor, Harold J.
• Application Number:
  US06/782,645
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 102/473, 102/474, 102/364, 102/501, 102/517-519
• US Class Current: 102/518
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/06 with hard or heavy core; Kinetic energy penetrators F42B12/16, F42B12/74 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/204 for attacking structures, e.g. specific buildings or fortifications, ships or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/208 characterised by a plurality of charges within a single high explosive warhead
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/44 of incendiary type F42B12/46 takes precedence

Abstract

A projectile with enhanced power for penetrating a target includes an elongated thick-walled casing having a main body with a cavity and a nose with a bore. The nose is interfitted with the main body such that its bore merges with the cavity. An elongated rod-like heavy penetrator extends longitudinally through the main body cavity and into the nose bore. An incendiary charge is disposed in the nose bore, whereas an explosive charge is disposed in the main body cavity. An annular ring is anchored to the main body at the location where the nose bore merges with the main body cavity. The ring has a central opening through which the penetrator is received and aligned for forward penetrating travel upon impact of the nose with the target. The ring separates the nose bore and the main body cavity, retaining the incendiary charge in the nose bore. Finally, the ring contains spaced axial apertures which provide communication of the nose bore with the main body cavity so as to allow ignition of the incendiary charge to travel through the ring and detonate the explosive charge after impact of the nose with the target. Preferably, the penetrator is coupled to the ring for acceleration to a higher velocity upon detonation of the charge.

Claims

1. A projectile with enhanced power for penetrating a target, comprising:

(a) an elongated casing having a main body with a hollow cavity defined therein and a nose with a hollow bore defined therein, said nose being interfitted with said main body and merged at its bore with said cavity of said main body;

(b) an elongated rod-like penetrator extending longitudinally within said casing and through said cavity in said main body thereof and into said bore of said nose thereof;

(c) a first destructive charge disposed in said nose bore;

(d) a second destructive charge disposed in said main body cavity; and

(e) means disposed within said casing so as to generally separate said nose bore and said main body cavity and retain said first charge in said nose bore, said means receiving and aligning said penetrator for forward penetrating travel upon impact of said nose with the target and also containing at least one passageway which provides communication of said nose bore with said main body cavity for allowing travel of ignition of said first charge from said nose bore to said second charge in said main body cavity and detonation of said second charge in said main body cavity after impact of said nose with the target, said means receiving and aligning said penetrator also being coupled to said penetrator and disposed with respect to said second charge such that said means absorbs the energy of said second charge and provides the necessary thrust for acceleration of said penetrator to a higher velocity upon detonation of said second charge.

2. The projectile as recited in claim 1, wherein said means receiving and aligning said penetrator is an annular support ring disposed within said casing at the location where said nose is interfitted with said main body, said ring being anchored to at least one of said main body and nose of said casing.

3. The projectile as recited in claim 2, wherein said ring has a central opening through which said penetrator is received and aligned for forward penetrating travel upon impact of said nose with the target.

4. The projectile as recited in claim 1, wherein said coupling between said penetrator and said receiving and aligning means is in the form of means defined on said penetrator which overlies said receiving and aligning means and is disposed within said nose bore.

5. The projectile as recited in claim 4, wherein said coupling, means between said penetrator and said receiving and aligning means is in the form of a head defined on said penetrator which overlies said receiving and aligning means and is disposed within said nose bore.

6. The projectile as recited in claim 4, wherein said coupling means between said penetrator and said receiving and aligning means is in the form of a shoulder defined on said penetrator which overlies said receiving and aligning means and is disposed within said nose bore.

7. The projectile of claim 1, wherein the second destructive charge comprises a gas producing charge and an explosive charge.

8. The projectile as recited in claim 1, wherein said first charge is an incendiary charge and said second charge includes an incendiary charge followed by an explosive charge.

9. A projectile with enhanced power for penetrating a target, comprising:

(a) an elongated casing having a main body and a nose, said main body having opposite leading and trailing ends and a hollow cavity defined therein, said cavity extending between said opposite leading and trailing ends and being closed at said trailing end and open at said leading end of said body, said nose having opposite front and rear ends and a hollow bore defined therein, said bore extending between said front and rear ends and being closed at said front end and open at said rear end of said nose, said nose being interfitted at its rear end with said leading end of said main body and being merged at its bore with said cavity of said main body so as to interconnect and close said rear nose and leading body ends;

(b) an elongated rod-like penetrator extending longitudinally within said casing and through said cavity in said main body thereof and into said bore of said nose thereof;

(c) an incendiary charge disposed in said nose bore;

(d) an explosive charge disposed in said main body cavity about said penetrator; and

(e) an annular support ring disposed within said casing at generally the location where said rear nose end is interfitted with said leading main body end and said nose bore is merged with said main body cavity so as to generally separate said nose bore and said main body cavity and retain said incendiary charge in said nose bore, said ring being anchored to at least one of said main body and nose of said casing and having a central opening through which said penetrator is received and aligned for forward penetrating travel upon impact of said nose with the target, said ring also containing a plurality of axially-extending passageways which provide communication of said nose bore with said main body cavity through said ring for allowing travel of ignition of said incendiary charge in said nose bore through said ring to said explosive charge in said main body cavity and detonation of said explosive charge about said penetrator in said main body cavity after impact of said nose with the target, said ring being coupled to said penetrator and disposed with respect to said explosive charge such that said ring absorbs the energy of said explosive charge and provides the necessary thrust for acceleration of said penetrator to a higher velocity upon detonation of said explosive charge.

10. The projectile as recited in claim 9, wherein said coupling between said penetrator and said ring is in the form of means defined on said penetrator which overlies said ring and is disposed within said nose bore.

11. The projectile as recited in claim 10, wherein said coupling means between said penetrator and said ring is in the form of a head defined on said penetrator which overlies said ring on a side thereof facing said nose bore.

12. The projectile as recited in claim 10, wherein said coupling means between said penetrator and said ring is in the form of a shoulder defined on said penetrator which overlies said ring on a side thereof facing said nose bore.

13. The projectile of claim 9, wherein said main body cavity also includes a gas producing charge disposed about said penetrator.

14. A projectile with enhanced power for penetrating a target, comprising:

(a) an elongated casing having a main body with a hollow cavity defined therein and a nose with a hollow bore defined therein, said nose being interfitted with said main body and merged at its bore with said cavity of said main body;

(b) an elongated rod-like penetrator extending longitudinally within said casing and through said cavity in said main body thereof and into said bore of said nose thereof;

(c) a first destructive charge disposed in said nose bore;

(d) a second destructive charge disposed in said main body cavity; and

(e) means disposed within said casing so as to generally separate said nose bore and said main body cavity and retain said first charge in said nose bore, said means receiving and aligning said penetrator for forward penetrating travel upon impact of said nose with the target and also containing at least one passageway which provides communication of said nose bore with said main body cavity for allowing travel of ignition of said first charge from said nose bore to said second charge in said main body cavity and detonation of said second charge in said main body cavity after impact of said nose with the target, said means receiving and aligning said penetrator also being coupled to said penetrator and disposed with respect to said second charge such that said means absorbs the energy of said second charge and provides the necessary thrust for acceleration of said penetrator to a higher velocity upon detonation of said second charge, said means receiving and aligning said penetrator being an annular support ring disposed within said casing at the location where said nose is interfitted with said main body, said ring being anchored to at least one of said main body and nose of said casing, said ring having a central opening through which said penetrator is received and aligned for said forward penetrating travel upon impact of said nose with the target, said at least one passageway being disposed through said ring outwardly from said central opening thereof, said coupling between said penetrator and said ring being in the form of means defined on said penetrator which overlies said ring and is disposed within said nose bore.

15. The projectile as recited in claim 14, wherein said coupling between said penetrator and said ring is in the form of a head defined on said penetrator which overlies said ring and is disposed within said nose bore.

16. The projectile as recited in claim 14, wherein said coupling between said penetrator and said ring is in the form of a shoulder defined on said penetrator which overlies said ring and is disposed within said nose bore.