Method of making a two-piece primer insert

• US 9,869,536 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2016
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Velocity Holdings LLC (Energy Transfer LP)
• Original Assignee: True Velocity, Inc.
• Inventors: Burrow, Lonnie
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan, Derrick R
• Application Number:
  US15/065,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20170261296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 102430, 102464, 102465, 102466, 102467, 102469, 102470
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 33/001 Devices or processes for assembling ammunition, cartridges or cartridge elements from parts
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/26 Cartridge cases F42B5/18 takes precedence ; manufacturing of cartridge cases B21K21/04
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/285 formed by assembling several elements
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/30 of plastics , i.e. the cartridge-case tube is of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/307 formed by assembling several elements
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/36 modified for housing an integral firing-cap
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 19/083 characterised by the shape and configuration of the base element embedded in the cartridge bottom, e.g. the housing for the squib or percussion cap

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of making a two piece primer insert comprising: an upper primer insert portion comprising an upper primer bottom surface, an upper primer aperture through the upper primer bottom surface; a substantially cylindrical coupling element extending away from the upper primer bottom surface, and an interior surface; a lower primer insert portion comprising a lower primer bottom surface opposite a lower primer top surface having a primer recess, a lower primer aperture through the lower primer bottom surface, and a flange adapted to receive a polymer overmolding that extends circumferentially about an outer edge of the lower primer top surface; and an insert joint that links and aligns the upper primer bottom surface and the lower primer bottom surface to form a primer insert.

Claims

1. A method of making a two piece primer insert for ammunition comprising the steps of:

providing an upper primer insert portion comprising;

an upper primer bottom surface opposite an upper primer top surface,

a flash hole aperture through the upper primer bottom surface,

a flash hole aperture groove positioned in the upper primer top surface around the flash hole aperture configured to receive a polymer overmolding through the flash hole aperture, and

a substantially cylindrical coupling element extending away from the upper primer bottom surface,

providing a lower primer insert portion comprising;

a lower primer bottom surface opposite a lower primer top surface,

a primer recess in the lower primer top surface that extends toward the lower primer bottom surface and adapted to fit a primer, and

a lower primer aperture through the lower primer bottom surface, aligning the upper primer top surface and the lower primer bottom surface; and

connecting the upper primer top surface and the lower primer bottom surface to form a two piece primer insert.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the upper primer insert portion, the lower primer insert portion or both are independently formed by metal injection molding, polymer injection molding, stamping, milling, molding, machining, punching, fine blanking, smelting, or any other method that will form insert portions that may be joined together to form a primer insert.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of linking is accomplished by threading, riveting, locking, friction fitting, coining, snap fitting, chemical bonding, chemical welding, soldering, smelting, sintering, adhesive bonding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, friction spot welding, friction stir welding spin-welding, vibration-welding, ultrasonic-welding, laser-welding techniques or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the upper primer insert portion, the lower primer insert portion or both independently comprises a polymer, a metal, an alloy, or a ceramic alloy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the upper primer insert portion and the lower primer insert portion comprise the same material or different materials.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the upper primer insert portion and the lower primer insert portion comprise different polymers, different metals, different alloys, or different ceramic compositions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the upper primer insert portion comprises a polymer, a metal, an alloy, or a ceramic alloy and the lower primer insert portion comprises a different polymer, metal, alloy, or ceramic alloy.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the upper primer insert portion and the lower primer insert portion independently comprise steel, nickel, chromium, copper, carbon, iron, stainless steel brass or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the upper primer insert portion comprises 102, 174, 201, 202, 300, 302, 303, 304, 308, 309, 316, 316L, 316Ti, 321, 405, 408, 409, 410, 415, 416, 416R, 420, 430, 439, 440, 446 or 601-665 grade stainless steel or Ti₆Al₄V and the lower primer insert portion comprises 102, 174, 201, 202, 300, 302, 303, 304, 308, 309, 316, 316L, 316Ti, 321, 405, 408, 409, 410, 415, 416, 416R, 420, 430, 439, 440, 446 or 601-665 grade stainless steel or Ti₆Al₄V.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprises the flash hole aperture groove extends circumferentially about the flash hole aperture.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the upper primer insert portion and the lower primer insert portion independently comprises:

(a) 2-16% Ni;

10-20% Cr;

0-5% Mo;

0-0.6% C;

0-6.0% Cu;

0-0.5% Nb+Ta;

0-4.0% Mn;

0-2.0% Si and the balance Fe;

(b) 2-6% Ni;

13.5-19.5% Cr;

0-0.10% C;

1-7.0% Cu;

0.05-0.65% Nb+Ta;

0-3.0% Mn;

0-3.0% Si and the balance Fe;

(c) 3-5% Ni;

15.5-17.5% Cr;

0-0.07% C;

3-5.0% Cu;

0.15-0.45% Nb+Ta;

0-1.0% Mn;

0-1.0% Si and the balance Fe;

(d) 10-14% Ni;

16-18% Cr;

2-3% Mo;

0-0.03% C;

0-2% Mn;

0-1% Si and the balance Fe;

(e) 12-14% Cr;

0.15-0.4% C;

0-1% Mn;

0-1% Si and the balance Fe;

(f) 16-18% Cr;

0-0.05% C;

0-1% Mn;

0-1% Si and the balance Fe;

(g) 3-12% aluminum, 2-8% vanadium, 0.1-0.75% iron, 0.1-0.5% oxygen, and the remainder titanium;

or

(h) 6% aluminum, about 4% vanadium, about 0.25% iron, about 0.2% oxygen, and the remainder titanium.

12. A method of forming a two piece primer insert for ammunition comprising the steps of:

forming an upper primer insert portion comprising;

an upper primer bottom surface opposite an upper primer top surface, and

a flash hole aperture in the upper primer bottom surface that extends circumferentially about the upper flash hole aperture configured to receive a polymer overmolding through the flash hole aperture, and

a substantially cylindrical coupling element extending away from the upper primer top surface;

forming a lower primer insert portion comprising;

a lower primer bottom surface opposite a lower primer top surface,

a primer recess in the lower primer top surface that extends toward the lower primer bottom surface and adapted to fit a primer,

aligning the upper primer bottom surface and the lower primer bottom surface to align the flash hole aperture and the primer recess to form an insert joint; and

connecting the insert joint to connect the lower primer insert portion and the upper primer insert portion and form a primer insert.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the upper primer insert portion, the lower primer insert portion or both are independently formed by metal injection molding, polymer injection molding, stamping, milling, molding, machining, punching, fine blanking, smelting, or any other method that will form insert portions that may be joined together to form a primer insert.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of connecting includes threading, riveting, locking, friction fitting, coining, snap fitting, chemical bonding, chemical welding, soldering, smelting, sintering, adhesive bonding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, friction spot welding, friction stir welding spin-welding, vibration-welding, ultrasonic-welding, laser-welding techniques or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the upper primer insert portion, the lower primer insert portion or both independently comprises a polymer, a metal, an alloy, or a ceramic alloy.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the upper primer insert portion and the lower primer insert portion comprise the same material or different materials.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the upper primer insert portion and the lower primer insert portion comprise different polymers, different metals, different alloys, or different ceramic compositions.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the upper primer insert portion comprises a polymer, a metal, an alloy, or a ceramic alloy and the lower primer insert portion comprises different polymer, metal, alloy, or ceramic alloy.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the upper primer insert portion and the lower primer insert portion are metal injection molded from different compositions of steel, nickel, chromium, copper, carbon, iron, stainless steel or brass with properties that allow sintering.