Method for producing subsonic ammunition casing

• US 9,453,714 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Make-Up Art Cosmetics Incorporated (The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Make-Up Art Cosmetics Incorporated (The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.)
• Inventors: Bosarge, John Francis, Maljkovic, Nikica
• Primary Examiner(s): Chambers, Troy
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEMICK, JOSHUA T
• Application Number:
  US14/679,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20150285604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 86/10, 86/18
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 33/0207 Processes for loading or filling propulsive or explosive charges in containers

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for manufacturing subsonic ammunition articles from conventional supersonic ammunition articles are provided. The apparatus includes devices for controllably introducing a filler material to reduce the inner volume of a conventional supersonic ammunition article. Method are also provided for converting a conventional supersonic ammunition article to a subsonic ammunition article including defining a new subsonic propellant volume within said conventional supersonic ammunition article and controllably introducing a filler material therearound.

Claims

1. A method of producing a subsonic ammunition article comprising:

providing a conventional supersonic ammunition article, the article having a primer end having a primer hole disposed therein, and a neck end having a neck hole disposed therein, and the article further having an outer wall defining an internal cavity therebetween, the internal cavity defining a first volume;

forming an access hole in the outer wall of the ammunition article;

inserting a core pin having a body defining a second volume through one of either the neck or primer holes and into the internal cavity such that a first end of the core pin is disposed within the neck hole and occludes at least a portion of the neck end of the ammunition article, and such that a second end of the core pin is disposed within the primer hole of the ammunition article;

inserting a filler material through the access hole in the outer wall of the ammunition article such that the filler fills a space within the internal cavity formed between the outer wall of the ammunition article and the body of the core pin;

solidifying the filler material within the space such that the access hole is occluded by the filler material;

removing the core pin from the ammunition article to expose a subsonic internal cavity having the second volume; and

wherein the second volume is at least 20% less than the first volume.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the filler material is a metal, polymeric material or thermosetting material.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the filler material is a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyimides, polyesters, polycarbonates, polysulfones, polylactones, polyacetals, acrylontrile/butadiene/styrene copolymer resins, polyphenylene oxides, ethylene/carbon monoxide copolymers, polyphenylene sulfides, polystyrene, styrene/acrylonitrile copolymer resins, styrene/maleic anhydride copolymer resins, aromatic polyketones and mixtures thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second volume is at least 40% less than the first volume.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second volume is at least 60% less than the first volume.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second volume is at least 80% less than the first volume.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second volume is at least 70% less than the first volume.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting the filling material comprises one of either a die casting or injection molding process.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the core pin has an outer contour selected from the group of straight walled, concave, convex, curve, arced, ellipsoid, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the ammunition article has a caliber selected from the group of .22, .22-250, .223, .243, .25-06, .270, .300, .30-30, .30-40, 30.06, .303, .308, 357, .38, .40, .44, .45, .45-70, .50 BMG, 5.45 mm, 5.56 mm, 6.5 mm, 6.8 mm, 7 mm, 7.62 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, 12.7 mm, 14.5 mm, 20 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, and 40 mm.

11. An apparatus for manufacturing a subsonic ammunition article comprising:

a boring machine for forming an access hole in an outer side wall of an ammunition article the ammunition article defining an internal volume;

a removable core pin having a body defining a volume and having first and second ends, the first end configured to be disposed within a neck hole of the ammunition article such that it occludes at least a portion of a neck end of the ammunition article, and the second end configured to be disposed within a primer hole of the ammunition article; and

a source of solidifiable filler material disposed in fluid communication with a filler volume disused between the outer side wall of the ammunition casing and the core pin through the access hole of the ammunition article, the source of solidifiable filler material having sufficient filler material to fill the filler volume; and

wherein the volume of the core pin is at least 20% less than internal volume of the ammunition article.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the filler material is a metal, polymeric material or thermosetting material.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the filler material is a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyimides, polyesters, polycarbonates, polysulfones, polylactones, polyacetals, acrylontrile/butadiene/styrene copolymer resins, polyphenylene oxides, ethylene/carbon monoxide copolymers, polyphenylene sulfides, polystyrene, styrene/acrylonitrile copolymer resins, styrene/maleic anhydride copolymer resins, aromatic polyketones and mixtures thereof.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the volume of the core pin is at least 40% less than the internal volume.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the volume of the core pin is at least 60% less than internal volume.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the volume of the core pin is at least 80% less than the internal volume.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the volume of the core pin is at least 70% less than the internal volume.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the source of filling material comprises a fluid pathway comprising at least gates and runners.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the core pin has an outer contour selected from the group of straight walled, concave, convex, curve, arced, ellipsoid, or a combination thereof.