Advanced muzzle loader ammunition

• US 9,377,277 B1
• Filed: 08/05/2013
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Secretary of the Army, Federal Cartridge Company (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vista Outdoor Operations LLC (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Inventors: Worrell, William J. Jr., Goodlin, Drew Lee, Quesenberry, Richard, Bandel, Jeffrey, Vaughan, Benjamin R., Case, Sandra L., Young, Ming-Wan, Gogos, Costas G., Faridi, Niloufar, Zhu, Linjie, Bonnett, Peter, Shimm, Howard, Caravaca, Elbert, Palk, Joseph Jr., Conti, Dale, Elalem, Mohamed, Shen, Fei
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Bret
• Application Number:
  US13/959,125
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 102/431, 102/432, 102/433, 42/51, 86/11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 30/02 Bullets
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/067 Mounting or locking missiles in cartridge cases F42B5/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/18 Caseless ammunition; Cartridges having combustible cases
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/182 Caseless cartridges characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/188 Manufacturing processes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/192 Cartridge cases characterised by the material of the casing wall cartridge bags F42B5/38

Abstract

A muzzle loaded ammunition round having a bullet and a consumable cartridge case. The cartridge case is hollow and is filled with at least one propellant composition, the cartridge case being constructed from a consumable material, such as foamed celluloid. The bullet is commonly engaged to the propellant composition at least via the cartridge case, the propellant composition having a charge weight.

Claims

1. A muzzle loaded ammunition round comprising:

a fixed round comprising a bullet and a consumable cartridge case;

wherein the cartridge case is filled with at least one propellant composition, the propellant composition having a charge weight;

wherein the cartridge case comprises foamed cellulose;

wherein the bullet is commonly engaged to the propellant composition at least via the cartridge case; and

wherein the bullet is positioned within a sabot and the sabot is engaged to the cartridge case.

2. The muzzle loaded ammunition round of claim 1 in which the sabot is constructed at least in part out of a thermoplastic material.

3. A method of manufacturing a muzzle loaded ammunition round comprising a bullet and a consumable cartridge case, the method comprising:

providing a fixed round comprising a bullet and a consumable cartridge case;

the cartridge case is filled with at least one propellant composition, the cartridge case is constructed from a consumable material;

the bullet is commonly engaged to the propellant composition at least via the cartridge case, the propellant composition has a charge weight, wherein the consumable material is a foamed celluloid;

heating at least one sheet of a foamed celluloid to a predetermined softening temperature;

stretching the at least one sheet about a cylindrical mandrel of a desired diameter of the consumable cartridge case;

using a vacuum to pull the sheet into a desired shape of the consumable cartridge case;

closing a first end of the consumable cartridge case;

filling the consumable cartridge case with at least one propellant composition; and

closing the second end of the consumable cartridge case.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising applying pressure to the sheet of a forming die can be used with pressure to finalize the desired shape or dimensions of the cartridge case.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a seam is formed where two ends of the sheet of foamed celluloid method and the seam is glued with a cyanoacrylate.

6. A method of manufacturing a muzzle loaded ammunition round comprising a bullet and a consumable cartridge case, the method comprising:

providing a fixed round comprising a bullet and a consumable cartridge case;

the cartridge case being filled with at least one propellant composition, the cartridge case constructed from a consumable material;

the bullet commonly engaged to the propellant composition at least via the cartridge case, the propellant composition having a charge weight, wherein the consumable material is a foamed celluloid;

extruding foamed celluloid material in a long tube using a thermoplastic extrusion process;

cutting the tube to a desired length of the consumable cartridge case;

closing a first end of the consumable cartridge case;

filling the consumable cartridge case with at least one propellant composition; and

closing the second end of the consumable cartridge case.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first and second ends are closed with small end caps that are attached to the cut cylindrical tube.