Combustible cartridge cased ammunition assembly

• US 8,430,034 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Armtec Defense Products Co. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Armtec Defense Products Co. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mutascio, Enrico R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdosh, Samir
• Application Number:
  US13/424,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20120291653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 102/431
• US Class Current: 102/431
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/18 Caseless ammunition; Cartridges having combustible cases
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/181 consisting of a combustible casing wall and a metal base; Connectors therefor

Abstract

A combustible cartridge assembly is described. The assembly of one embodiment includes a projectile, a body having a first end portion coupled to the projectile and a second end portion opposite the first end portion. The body is made of a combustible material configured to be consumed upon firing the ammunition round assembly. A sleeve is at least partially contained within the base. The sleeve has a free end portion radially to adjacent to and coupled to the second end portion of the body. The sleeve and the body defines an interior area configured to contain a combustible propellant. A non-combustible base at least partially is coupled to the sleeve and is adjacent to the second end portion of the body.

Claims

1. A method for assembling a combustible-cased ammunition round assembly, comprising:

coupling a projectile with a combustible cartridge body, the body having an end portion opposite the projectile;

attaching an engagement member to a non-combustible base such that an engagement portion of the engagement member projects beyond an edge of the base;

positioning the engagement portion radially adjacent to the end portion of the body such that the end portion of the body is adjacent to the edge of the base; and

adjusting an overall length of the combustible-cased ammunition round assembly by adjusting an amount of overlap between the engagement portion and the end portion of the body.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a lap joint between the engagement portion of the engagement member and the end portion of the body.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein positioning the engagement portion includes positioning the engagement portion radially inward of the end portion.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting an overall length of the combustible-cased ammunition round assembly includes increasing an amount of overlapping between the engagement portion of the engagement member and the end portion of the body.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the base is cup-shaped with an open end defined by the engagement portion, and attaching the engagement member includes placing the cup-shaped sleeve into the base.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the base includes a metallic base portion and a flexible ring, and wherein attaching the engagement member includes positioning the metallic portion of the base around the engagement member such that the flexible ring at least partially encloses the engagement portion and is adjacent to the end portion of the body.

7. An assembly method for a combustible-cased ammunition round, comprising:

connecting a projectile to a first end portion of combustible cartridge body, the body having a second end portion opposite the first end portion and an interior area between the first and second end portion;

disposing a propellant into the interior area of the body through the second end portion after the projectile is connected to the first end portions;

attaching an engagement sleeve to a non-combustible base such that an engagement portion of the engagement sleeve projects beyond an edge of the base, the engagement sleeve being attached to the base while out of engagement with the body;

positioning the engagement portion radially adjacent to the second end portion of the body after the engagement sleeve is attached to the base and such that the second end portion of the body overlaps the engagement portion and is adjacent to the edge of the base; and

adjusting an overall length of the combustible-cased ammunition round by adjusting an amount of overlap between the engagement portion of the sleeve and the end portion of the body.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising forming a lap joint between the engagement portion of the engagement member and the second end portion of the body.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein positioning the engagement portion includes positioning the engagement portion radially inward of the second end portion.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein adjusting an overall length of the combustible-cased ammunition round includes increasing the amount of overlap between the engagement portion of the engagement sleeve and the second end portion of the body.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the engagement sleeve is cup-shaped with an open end defined by the engagement portion, and attaching the engagement sleeve includes placing the cup-shaped sleeve into the base with the open end exterior of the base.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the base includes a metallic base portion and a flexible ring, and wherein attaching the engagement sleeve includes positioning the metallic portion of the base around the engagement sleeve such that the flexible ring at least partially encloses the engagement portion, and wherein positioning the engagement portion includes positioning the engagement portion relative to the second end portion of the body with the second end portion abutting the flexible ring.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the base has a primer aperture, and wherein attaching the engagement sleeve includes attaching the engagement sleeve to the base with the engagement sleeve substantially coaxially aligned with the primer aperture.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising disposing a primer in the primer aperture in the base before the positioning of the engagement portion radially adjacent to the second end portion of the body.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein the base has a primer aperture, and the method further comprising disposing a primer in the primer aperture in the base before the positioning of the engagement portion radially adjacent to the second end portion of the body.

16. The method of claim 7 wherein the base has a mounting feature, and wherein attaching an engagement sleeve includes positioning the engagement sleeve in the base with a portion of the engagement sleeve adjacent to the mounting feature, and securing a retention device to the mounting feature with the portion of the engagement sleeve being retained between the retention device and the base to retain the engagement sleeve in the base.

17. The method of claim 7 wherein the base has a primer aperture therein and a boss surrounding the aperture, and wherein attaching the engagement sleeve includes positioning the engagement sleeve in the base with a portion of the engagement sleeve adjacent to the boss, and securing a retention device to the boss with the portion of the engagement sleeve being retained between the retention device and the base.

18. The method of claim 7 wherein the base has a primer aperture, and the attaching the engagement sleeve to the non-combustible base includes positioning the engagement sleeve substantially in coaxial alignment with the primer aperture, and the method further comprises disposing a primer in the primer aperture.

19. An assembly method for a combustible-cased ammunition round, comprising:

connecting a projectile to a first end portion of a combustible cartridge body, the body having a second end portion opposite the first end portion and an interior area between the first and second end portions;

disposing a propellant into the interior area of the body through the second end portion after the projectile is connected to the first end portion;

positioning an engagement sleeve in a non-combustible base having a mounting feature, wherein a base portion of the engagement sleeve is positioned adjacent to the mounting feature;

securing the engagement sleeve to the base with a retention device that engages the mounting feature, wherein the base portion of the engagement sleeve is retained between the retention device and the base, and wherein an engagement portion of the engagement sleeve projects beyond an edge of the base, the engagement sleeve being secured to the base while out of engagement with the body; and

positioning the engagement portion radially inward and adjacent to the second end portion of the body after disposing the propellant into the interior area and such that the second end portion of the body overlaps the engagement portion and is adjacent to the edge of the base whereby an overall length of the combustible-cased ammunition round can be adjusted.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising adjusting an overall length of the combustible-cased ammunition round by adjusting an amount of overlap between the engagement portion of the engagement sleeve and the end portion of the body.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising increasing the amount of overlap between the engagement portion of the engagement sleeve and the second end portion of the body.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising lengthening the overall length of the combustible-cased ammunition round by decreasing the amount of overlap between the engagement portion of the engagement sleeve and the end portion of the body.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the engagement sleeve is cup-shaped with an open end defined by the engagement portion, and positioning the engagement sleeve includes placing the cup-shaped sleeve into the base with at least a portion of the engagement portion projecting from the base.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the base includes a metallic base portion and a flexible ring, and wherein positioning the engagement sleeve includes positioning the metallic portion of the base around the engagement sleeve such that the flexible ring at least partially encloses the engagement portion, and wherein positioning the engagement portion includes positioning the engagement portion relative to the second end portion of the body with the second end portion abutting the flexible ring.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the base has a primer aperture, and the method further comprising disposing a primer in the primer aperture in the base before the positioning of the engagement portion radially adjacent to the second end portion of the body.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising fixing with an adhesive the engagement portion to the second end portion of the body that overlaps with the engagement portion.