Frangible armor piercing incendiary projectile

• US 5,299,501 A
• Filed: 02/16/1993
• Issued: 04/05/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BEI Medical Systems Co., Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEI Medical Systems Co., Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Anderson, Richard V.
• Primary Examiner(s): TUDOR, HAROLD JAY
• Application Number:
  US08/018,084
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 102/364, 102/506, 102/514-518, 102/365, 102/389, 102/473
• US Class Current: 102/364
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/74 of the core or solid body

Abstract

The projectile, adapted to be fired from an automatic cannon, comprises a frangible porous brittle generally cylindrical casing having a tapered nose portion and made of a molded sintered powder material preferably consisting predominantly of 60 to 100% type 316 stainless steel powder, the remainder being pure iron powder. The rear end of the casing is formed with an axial bore wherein a hard dense penetrator rod is received, preferably made of tungsten or tungsten carbide. Behind the penetrator rod, the casing has an enlarged bore wherein an incendiary pellet is received, preferably comprising zirconium crystals molded in an epoxy matrix. A massive closure plug closes the enlarged bore behind the incendiary pellet. Upon impact with a target, the frangible casing disintegrates into granular fragments while the penetrator rod punches a hole in the target through which the fragments are propelled. The incendiary pellet is ignited by heat generated therein by molecular disruption when the pellet is compressed or forced through the hole by the massive closure plug, whereby ignited incendiary particles are energetically propelled through the hole.

Claims

1. An ordnance projectile, comprising

a frangible porous generally cylindrical body made of a frangible molded sintered powder material consisting substantially of metal powder,

said body having a tapered substantially conical nose portion thereon,

said body being frangible into a multitude of granules upon impact of the body with a target,

said body having an internal axial guide opening therein disposed behind said nose portion,

a penetrator rod snugly received in said axial opening,

said penetrator rod being made of a hard heavy metal composition and being effective to punch a hole in the target upon impact of the penetrator rod with the target,

said axial guide opening in said body having an enlarged rear portion,

an incendiary pellet snugly and directly received in said enlarged portion of said axial opening and engaging the rear end of said penetrator rod,

said pellet having a larger diameter than said penetrator rod,

and a massive metal closure plug securely mounted in said enlarged rear portion of said axial opening for securely retaining said incendiary pellet therein and for causing rapid ignition of said incendiary pellet by compression of said pellet and by forcing said pellet through the hole following impact of the projectile with the target whereby ignited particles of said incendiary pellet are energetically propelled through the hole.

2. An ordnance projectile, comprising

a frangible porous generally cylindrical body made of a frangible molded sintered powder material consisting substantially of metal powder,

said body having a tapered substantially conical nose portion thereon,

said metal powder comprising predominantly of stainless steel powder for imparting frangibility to the body whereby the body is frangible into a multitude of granules upon impact of the body with a target,

said body having an internal axial guide opening therein disposed behind said nose portion,

a penetrator rod snugly received in said axial opening,

said penetrator rod being made of a hard heavy composition including tungsten and being effective to punch a hole in the target upon impact of said penetrator rod with the target,

an incendiary pellet disposed in said body behind said penetrator rod and engaging the rear end thereof,

said axial guide opening in said body having an enlarged rear portion for snugly and directly receiving said incendiary pellet,

said pellet having a larger diameter than said penetrator rod,

and a massive metal closure plug securely mounted in said enlarged rear portion of said axial opening for securely retaining said incendiary pellet therein and for causing rapid ignition of said incendiary pellet by compression of said pellet and by forcing said pellet through the hole following impact of the projectile with the target whereby ignited particles of said incendiary pellet are energetically propelled through the hole.

3. An ordnance projectile according to claim 2,

in which said composition of said penetrator rod consists essentially of tungsten metal.

4. An ordnance projectile according to claim 2,

in which said composition of said penetrator rod consists essentially of tungsten carbide.

5. An ordnance projectile, comprising:

a frangible porous generally cylindrical body made of a frangible molded sintered powder material consisting substantially of metal powder,

said body having a tapered substantially conical nose portion thereon,

said metal powder consisting predominantly of 60-100% stainless steel powder,

the remainder of said metal powder being pure iron powder,

said body being frangible into a multitude of granules upon impact of said nose portion of said body with a target,

said body having an internal axial guide opening therein disposed behind said nose portion,

a penetrator rod snugly received in said axial opening,

said penetrator rod being made of a hard heavy composition including tungsten and being effective to punch a hole in the target upon impact of said penetrator rod with the target,

said axial guide opening in said body having an enlarged rear portion,

a substantially cylindrical incendiary pellet snugly and directly received in said enlarged portion of said axial opening and engaging the rear end of said penetrator rod,

said pellet having a larger diameter than said penetrator rod,

said incendiary pellet comprising zirconium crystals in an epoxy matrix,

and a massive metal closure plug securely mounted in said enlarged rear portion of said axial opening for securely retaining said incendiary pellet therein and for causing rapid ignition of said incendiary pellet by compression thereof and by forcing said pellet through the hole following impact of the projectile with the target whereby ignited particles of said incendiary pellet are energetically propelled through the hole.

6. A projectile according to claim 5,

in which said composition of said penetrator rod consists essentially of tungsten metal.

7. A projectile according to claim 5,

in which said composition of said penetrator rod consists essentially of tungsten carbide.