Ammunition articles and method of making ammunition articles

• US 7,059,234 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Development Capital Management Company
• Original Assignee: NATEC, Inc.
• Inventors: Husseini, Nabil
• Primary Examiner(s): Chambers, Troy
• Application Number:
  US10/853,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20050081704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 86/55, 86/54, 86/23, 86/195
• US Class Current: 86/55
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/74 of the core or solid body
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/76 of the casing
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 33/001 Devices or processes for assembling ammunition, cartridges or cartridge elements from parts
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/02 Cartridges, i.e. cases with charge and missile
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/307 formed by assembling several elements

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an ammunition article, includes forming a projectile of an ammunition article at a first station of an apparatus, transporting the projectile within the apparatus to a second station of the apparatus, and injection molding at the second station a cartridge casing body of the ammunition article around at least a portion of the projectile. An apparatus for making an ammunition articles is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an ammunition article, comprising:

forming a projectile of an ammunition article at a first station of an apparatus;

transporting the projectile within the apparatus to a second station of the apparatus;

injection molding at the second station a cartridge casing body of the ammunition article around at least a portion of the projectile.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the projectile is formed by injection molding.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the projectile is formed from at least one of a polymer, a metal, and a composite material.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cartridge casing body is formed from at least one of a polymer, a metal, and a composite material.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, comprising cooling the projectile with a cooling apparatus during transportation from the first to the second station.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cartridge casing body is formed by insert injection molding.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cartridge casing body is molded to have a first end to which the projectile is attached and a second end.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cartridge casing body is molded around a core pull such that the core pull and a portion of the projectile define an interior volume of the cartridge casing body, the method comprising the further step of removing the core pull from the cartridge casing body.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the core pull has a smaller diameter than the portion of the projectile such that the interior volume of the cartridge casing body includes a first interior portion defined by the portion of the projectile and a second interior portion having a smaller diameter than the first interior portion and being separated from the first interior portion by a shoulder, the shoulder being of sufficient size to prevent axial movement of the projectile into the second interior portion.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the projectile is formed to have a recess therein, and the cartridge casing body is molded around the projectile such that material from which the cartridge casing body is formed enters the recess and forms a flange on the cartridge casing body extending into the recess.