Propelling cage projectile arrangement

• US 4,850,280 A
• Filed: 10/21/1987
• Issued: 07/25/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
• Original Assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
• Inventors: Bethmann, Karl W., Wallow, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): TUDOR, HAROLD JAY
• Application Number:
  US07/110,737
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 102/501, 102/517, 102/519, 102/520-523, 102/703
• US Class Current: 102/522
• 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

Abstract

A propelling cage sabot is provided with longitudinal slits and its front region is provided with centering holding elements which are oriented inwardly toward the projectile while its rear region has a centering face associated with the projectile. A rear opening in the propelling cage sabot is provided with an internal thread to accommodate a screw-in element which at its front serves as a seat for a tail surface of the projectile. Compressible band-shaped elements disposed around the circumferential region of the propelling cage sabot may be provided. Conical surfaces of the propelling cage sabot facilitate insertion of the arrangement at a cadence customary in automatic equipment, with any possibly occurring insertion shock not resulting in relative axial movement of the projectile with respect to the propelling cage sabot due to a frontal holding region and the centering surface. Under the influence of the air streaming in from the front, the parts of the propelling cage sabot formed by the above-mentioned longitudinal slits and held together in the frontal region by the band-shaped element are pivoted away from the projectile and tear apart the band-shaped element, thereby releasing the projectile from the propelling cage for further unimpeded flight.

Claims

1. A propelling cage sabot for a subcaliber projectile which is configured as a rotationally symmetrical pointed cone having a smooth surface extending over the entire length of the projectile, the projectile having a large length to diameter ratio and being resistance stabilized, said sabot comprising;

a propelling cage configured as a cylindrical sleeve which is open at its front end and surrounds at least a rear section of the projectile and which is closed at its rear end by an end surface, said sleeve having an outer cylindrical surface sized to the full-caliber cross section of a high-speed acceleration device, and an inner surface which is spaced from the pointed conical circumferential surface of the projectile to provide an air collection chamber within said cage between said sleeve and a projectile;

means for centering a projectile within said propelling cage including a centered receptacle provided within said propelling cage at its rear end for receiving a tail end of the rear section of a projectile, and a plurality of narrow web-like holding elements disposed adjacent said front end of said sleeve and extending radially inwardly from said inner surface of said sleeve for engaging the circumferential surface of a projectile with their respective inner ends, and with at least said plurality of holding elements simultaneously securing a projectile against axial movement relative to said propelling cage, said inner surface of said sleeve and said holding elements defining open air channels into said air collection chamber and said holding elements each having a frontal surface which is inwardly radially tapered; and

a plurality of longitudinal slits formed in said sleeve and extending from the front end of said sleeve so as to divide said sleeve into a plurality of sleeve elements which extend from the front to a rear full caliber region of said cage adjacent said end surface, with said sleeve elements, under the influence of air flowing into said chamber via said open end of said sleeve after the sabot projectile leaves the high-speed acceleration device, being pivotable in the manner of a lever in a direction opposite to the acceleration direction of the arrangement so as to release the projectile from said propelling cage for further unimpeded flight.

2. A propelling cage sabot as defined in claim 1 wherein:

said inner ends of said plurality of holding elements form a ring for surrounding and contacting the circumferential surface of a projectile, with said ring being provided with longitudinally extending through slits between each pair of adjacent said holding elements.

3. A propelling cage sabot as defined in claim 2, wherein said rear end surface of said propelling cage is provided with a centrally disposed opening having an internal thread and with the diameter of said opening being larger than the largest diameter of the projectile;

and a circularly cylindrical screw-in plug is disposed in said opening.

4. A propelling cage sabot as defined in claim 3 wherein said inner ends of said holding elements are longitudinally tapered and shaped to conform to the portion of the circumferential surface of a projectile engaged by same so as to axially secure the projectile.

5. A propelling cage sabot as defined in claim 4 wherein a portion of said side wall of said receptacle is longitudinally tapered and shaped to conform to the peripheral surface of the tail section of the projectile to engage same, so as to further axially secure the projectile.

6. A propelling cage sabot as defined in claim 1 wherein said inner ends of said holding elements are provided with radially extending pins for engaging in openings in the surface of a projectile so as to axially secure the projectile.

7. A propelling cage sabot as defined in claim 1 further comprising a radially compressible band-shaped element disposed on the outer circumferential surface of said sleeve in the region of at least one of the rear end of said propelling cage and the area of engagement of said holding elements with the surface of a projectile.

8. A propelling cage sabot as defined in claim 7 wherein respective said band shaped elements are disposed in the region of said rear end of said cage and in the region of said area of engagement of said holding elements.

9. A propelling cage sabot as defined in claim 1 wherein said inner ends of said holding elements are provided with radially compressible elements for forming a friction locking engagement with the surface of a projectile.

10. A propelling cage sabot as defined in claim 1 wherein a portion of said side wall of said receptacle is longitudinally tapered and shaped to conform to the peripheral surface of the tail section of the projectile to engage same, so as to further axially secure the projectile.

11. A propelling cage sabot projectile for firing from a high-speed acceleration device comprising in combination:

a subcaliber projectile configured as a rotationally symmetrical pointed cone having a smooth surface extending over the entire length of said projectile, said projectile having a large length to diameter ratio and being resistance stabilized;

a propelling cage configured as a cylindrical sleeve which is open at its front end and surrounds at least a rear section of said projectile and which is closed at its rear end by an end surface, said sleeve having an outer cylindrical surface sized to the full-caliber cross section of a high-speed acceleration device for the projectile arrangement, and an inner surface which is spaced from the pointed conical circumferential surface of said projectile to provide an air collection chamber within said cage between said sleeve and said projectile;

means for centering said projectile within said propelling cage including a centered receptacle provided within said propelling cage at its rear end for receiving a tail end of said rear section of said projectile, and a plurality of narrow web-like holding elements disposed adjacent said front end of said sleeve and extending radially inwardly from said inner surface of said sleeve toward said circumferential surface of said projectile and engaging said circumferential surface with their respective inner ends, and with at least said plurality of holding elements simultaneously securing said projectile against axial movement relative to said propelling cage, said inner surface of said sleeve and said holding elements defining open air channels into said air collection chamber, and said holding elements each having a frontal surface which is inwardly radially tapered; and

a plurality of longitudinal slits formed in said sleeve and extending from the front end of said sleeve so as to divide said sleeve into a plurality of sleeve elements which extend from the front to a rear full caliber region of said cage adjacent said end surface, with said sleeve elements, under the influence of air flowing into said chamber via said open end of said sleeve after said projectile arrangement leaves the high-speed acceleration device, being pivotable in the manner of a lever in a direction opposite to the acceleration direction of the arrangement so as to release said projectile from said propelling cage for further unimpeded flight.

12. A propelling cage sabot projectile arrangement as defined in claim 11 wherein:

said inner ends of said plurality of holding elements form a ring which surrounds and contacts said circumferential surface of said projectile, with said ring being provided with longitudinally extending through slits between each pair of adjacent said holding elements.

13. A propelling cage sabot projectile arrangement as defined in claim 11, wherein:

said rear end surface of said propelling cage is provided with a centrally disposed opening having an internal thread and with the diameter of said opening being larger than the largest diameter of said projectile; and

a circularly cylindrical screw-in plug is disposed in said opening.

14. A propelling cage sabot projectile arrangement as defined in claim 13 wherein said inner end surfaces of said holding elements are longitudinally tapered and shaped to conform to the engaged portion of said circumferential surface of said projectile so as to axially secure said projectile.

15. A propelling cage sabot projectile arrangement as defined in claim 14 wherein a portion of said side wall of said receptical is longitudinally tapered and shaped to conform to the peripheral surface of said tail section of said projectile and which engages same, so as to further axially secure said projectile.

16. A propelling cage sabot projectile arrangement as defined in claim 11 wherein radially extending pins extend radially from the inner ends of said holding elements and engage in openings in said surface of said projectile so as to axially secure said projectile.

17. A propelling cage sabot projectile arrangement as defined in claim 11 wherein:

said projectile has a center of gravity which is disposed forward of the center of air pressure during flight; and

said holding elements engage said projectile in close vicinity to the center of gravity of said projectile.

18. A propelling cage sabot projectile arrangement as defined in claim 11 further comprising a radially compressible band-shaped element disposed on the outer circumferential surface of said sleeve in the region of at least one of the rear end of said propelling cage and the area of engagement of said holding elements with said surface of said projectile.

19. A propelling cage sabot projectile arrangement as defined in claim 18 wherein respective said band shaped elements are disposed in the region of said rear end of said cage and in the region of said area of engagement of said holding elements.

20. A propelling cage sabot as defined in claim 11 wherein a portion of said side wall of said receptacle is longitudinally tapered and shaped to conform to the peripheral surface of the tail section of said projectile and which engages same, so as to further axially secure said projectile.