U.S. patent number 3,669,023 [Application Number 04/838,069] was granted by the patent office on 1972-06-13 for shot protector.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation. Invention is credited to Robert J. Klein, Vernon C. Moehlman.
United States Patent |
3,669,023 |
Moehlman , et al. |
June 13, 1972 |
SHOT PROTECTOR
Abstract
A one piece plastic shot protector for use with a shot shell,
the shot protector having a lower or rearward gas obturating
portion, and an upper or forward shot-receiving pocket. The shot
pocket has a side wall including a plurality of adjacent petals of
predetermined thickness, each of the petals being joined to the
pedal next adjacent thereto by a thin web of plastic, and the
terminal forward portion of each petal being outwardly flared. Wad
retaining means may be included in the shot pocket.
Inventors: |
Moehlman; Vernon C.
(Florissant, MO), Klein; Robert J. (Florissant, MO) |
Assignee: |
Olin Mathieson Chemical
Corporation (N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
25276176 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/838,069 |
Filed: |
July 1, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
102/453 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F42B
7/08 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F42B
7/00 (20060101); F42B 7/08 (20060101); F42b
007/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;102/42C,95 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Stahl; Robert F.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A shot protector formed from a one-piece plastic body for use
with a shotshell, said shot protector comprising:
a. substantially cylindrical wall means sub-divided into a
plurality of longitudinally extending flexible petals of
predetermined thickness defining at least part of the side wall of
a shot pocket, said petals having separate tip portions defining a
mouth on said shot pocket, said tip portions being outwardly flared
with respect to the remainder of said petals and said tip portions
forming means to stressingly force said petals outwardly when said
tip portions are deflected inwardly from their outwardly flared
positions;
b. a transverse web having a surface defining a closed transverse
bottom wall of said shot pocket; and
c. connecting means joining adjacent ones of said petals to provide
a rupturable connection between said petals.
2. The shot protector of claim 1, wherein said connecting means is
a membrane having a wall thickness substantially thinner than the
wall thickness of said petals.
3. A shot protector formed from a one-piece plastic body and for
use with a shotshell, said shot protector comprising:
a. cylindrical wall means sub-divided into a plurality of
longitudinally extending flexible petals of predetermined thickness
defining at least part of the side wall of a shot-receiving
pocket;
b. a transverse web having a surface defining a closed transverse
bottom wall of said shot-receiving pocket;
c. membrane means joining adjacent side edges of adjacent ones of
said petals, said membrane means having a wall thickness which is
substantially thinner than the wall thickness of said petals, and
said membrane means being operative to provide a rupturable
connection between adjacent ones of said petals; and
d. outwardly flared separated tip means connected to said petals
along a substantially rigid hinge line, said tip means being
operative to bias said petals outwardly when said tip means are
deflected inwardly from their flared positions.
4. The shot protector of claim 3, further comprising a flexible
annular skirt extending from said transverse web and substantially
coaxial with said cylindrical wall, said skirt combining with said
transverse web to define gas obturating means.
5. The shot protector of claim 3, further comprising at least one
radially inwardly projecting protrusion on said cylindrical wall
operative to retain a filler wad in position adjacent to said
bottom wall of said shot-receiving pocket.
6. The shot protector of claim 5, wherein said protrusion is spaced
apart from said bottom wall of said shot-receiving pocket a
distance approximately equal to the thickness of a filler wad.
7. The shot protector of claim 5, wherein said protrusion is a rib
extending longitudinally from said bottom wall of said
shot-receiving pocket toward said flared tip means.
8. A shotshell comprising:
a. tubular side wall means;
b. a propellant charge positioned within said tubular side wall
means; and
c. a unitary plastic shot protector positioned within said tubular
side wall means and overlying said propellant charge to form a gas
obturating seal thereabove, said shot protector including shot
pocket means having a side wall comprising a plurality of flexible
petals of predetermined wall thickness, outwardly flared tip means
connected to said petals along a substantially rigid hinge line,
said tip means defining the mouth of said shot pocket means and
said tip means being disposed in stressed engagement with said
tubular side wall means and operative to position said petals in a
stressed condition to bias said petals against said tubular side
wall means, and membrane means interconnecting adjacent ones of
said petals to form a rupturable connection between said petals,
said membrane means having a wall thickness which is substantially
less than said petal wall thickness, and said membrane means being
operative to transmit stress from one petal to each of the petals
adjacent thereto.
Description
This invention relates to a one-piece plastic shot protector for
insertion into a shot shell tube, the protector providing a gas
obturator and a shot pocket in which the shot are disposed.
In general, a one-piece plastic shot protector for use with a
shotshell, and having a gas obturating portion and a shot pocket
portion is old in the art. Shop protectors of this character may
include a lower or rearward hallowed end portion with an outwardly
deflectable skirt, which rearward end portion overlies the
propellant charge in the shot shell. When the shell is fired, the
skirt flares outwardly against the barrel bore to seal combustion
gases as the shot protector and shot charge are propelled through
the barrel. Shot protectors of this character also may include an
upper or forward end portion which defines a shop pocket having a
cylindrical side wall. The shot charge is disposed in the shot
pocket and travels through the barrel bore with the protector when
the shell is fired. The side wall of shot protector thus protects
the shot charge from contact with the barrel bore so that the shot
pellets will experience minimum abrasion and compaction from the
barrel bore as the shot charge passes through the barrel. A
transverse web is included in the shot protector to separate the
gas obturator from the shot pocket. Furthermore, the side wall of
the shop pocket may include a number of longitudinal slits forming
outwardly deflectable petals in the side wall. The petals flare
outwardly when the shot protector leaves the gun muzzle, the
flaring being triggered by air resistance, and the shot charge then
moves forward away from the protector while the latter falls to the
ground.
In assembling a shot shell using this variety of shot protector,
the protector is inserted into the shot shell tube and slid
thereinto until the obturator overlies the propellant charge. The
shot pocket is then filled with shot by pouring the latter into the
mouth of the shell tube. The tube mouth is then closed by crimping
or in any other conventional manner. A problem has been found to
exist with respect to the loading of this type of shotshell. This
problem concerns maintaining the petals flush against the inside
surface of the shot shell tube so that the shot pellets will not
become lodged between the outer surface of the petals and the inner
surface of the tube when the shot is poured into the shot pocket.
Pellets which lodge between the petals and the tube cause the
petals to bend inwardly with the result that subsequent pellets
introduced into the tube will lodge between the petals and the tube
and will not enter the shot pocket. These pellets will be abraded
by the barrel bore after firing and will result in a poor shot
pattern. Furthermore, these pellets will score the barrel bore
reducing the life expectancy of the barrel.
Prior to the initial loading of the shot protector into the shell
tube, the protectors may be stored for long periods of time and may
undergo substantial handling. Since the petals are rather fragile,
they often are bent or creased prior to loading. Often one or more
of the petals will be bent inwardly into the shot pocket so that
when the protector is inserted into the tube, the bent petals will
not lie flat against the inside surface of the tube. Since the
petals on the shot protectors of the prior art are unconnected and
operate independently of each other, the other petals on the
protector are not able to bring the bent petal into proper position
against the tube when the protector is inserted into the tube. Thus
shot loaded into the shot pocket will lodge between the petals and
the shell tube in an undesirable fashion.
The shot protector of this invention is formed with the upper or
forward terminal portions of the petals flared outwardly at an
angle to the axis of the shot protector. Adjacent petals on the
shot protector are connected by a thin plastic membrane which is
operative to lend the strength of each petal to the adjacent
petals. Thus any one petal will resist being bent inwardly since it
is connected to the adjacent petals by the membranes. This
resistance to deformation is greater than if the petals were
completely disassociated from adjacent petals. The flared end
portions of the petals are stressingly pressed against the inner
wall of the shotshell tube and thus closely adjacent thereto so
that no shot pellets can become lodged between the protector and
the shell tube. Furthermore, if one of the flared portions of a
petal becomes creased or deformed inwardly, the connecting
membranes serve to urge the deformed petal outwardly toward its
original position when the protector is inserted into the shell
tube. The membranes are sufficiently weak, however to tear when the
protector and shot charge are fired from the muzzle of the shotgun
and exposed to air resistance. The flared portions of the petals
tend to act as a scoop to increase air resistance acting on the
petals and thereby quickly tear the membranes to permit the petal
to flare outwardly in the air to release the shot charge.
A second problem occurring with the prior art shot protectors
concerns the positive positioning of filler wads within the shot
pocket. The same shot protector can be used with a variety of shot
loads if the extra space within the shot pocket is filled with a
filler wad which is seated against the bottom wall of the shot
pocket beneath the shot charge. The filler wad is placed in the
shot pocket before the shot charge is inserted, so that the filler
wad, and its position relative to the bottom of the shot pocket
determines the volume of shot that can be poured into the shot
pocket. The filler wads are sized to a predetermined volume to
cooperate with a shot pocket of predetermined volume to define the
size of the shot charge. If the filler wad does not seat against
the bottom of the shot pocket, or does not remain seated against
the shot pocket bottom during handling before the shot is poured
into the pocket, the amount of shot that can be poured into the
shot pocket will be less than the prescribed shot charge for the
shell. The shot pocket of this invention may be equipped with
radially inwardly extending projections which engage the filler wad
in a positive manner to retain the latter in abutment with the
bottom wall of the shot pocket.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a plastic
shot protector adapted to be positioned in a shotshell so as to
prevent shot pellets from wedging between the protector and the
shotshell wall.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a shot
protector of the character described wherein a plurality of petals
are disposed to define the side wall of the shot pocket, the end
portions only of the petals being outwardly flared for stressing
contact with the wall of the shotshell.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a shot
protector of the character described wherein adjacent ones of the
petals are partly joined together by a thin web of plastic material
so that adjacent petals are opera-tively connected together.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide a shot
protector of the character described wherein the shot pocket
includes projections operative to positively grip a filler wad to
hold the latter in abutting contact with the bottom wall of the
shot pocket.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention will
become readily apparent from the following detailed description
when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the shot
protector of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the shot protector taken along
line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a top view of the shot protector of FIG. 1 shown in
position within a shotshell;
FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the shotshell and shot protector
taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3 and showing the shot pocket filled
with shot pellets; and
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of another shot protector formed in
accordance with this invention but without an obturator and having
an alternative wad-retaining structure.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the shot
protector of this invention is shown. The shot protector is
preferably formed from a one-piece molded resilient plastic tube of
generally cylindrical configuration. The tube includes a side wall
2 which is cylindrical and which is integral with a transverse web
4 having a surface 6 defining the bottom wall of the shot pocket 8.
The side wall 2 is sub-divided into a plurality of petals 10. Each
petal 10 is connected to the next adjacent petal by means of a
thin-walled plastic membrane 12 which preferably extends through
substantially the entire longitudinal dimension of the opposed
edges of adjacent petals 10. The membrane 12 is actually a
substantially thinned and weakened extension of the adjacent petals
10 and serves to intimately interconnect adjacent petals of the
shot protector. Forces exerted on any one petal 10 are thus
imparted to the adjacent petals by means of the connecting membrane
12. The strength and resistance to deformation of each petal 10,
particularly to inward bending or creasing, are in part increased
by means of the adjacent petals and connecting membranes. The
forward or upper tip portions of the petals 10 are flared outwardly
as at 14 to lie at an acute angle to the axis of the protector. The
juncture 16 between the flared tip 14 and the main portion 10 of
each petal is a substantially rigid connection which will tend to
resist inward deflection of the flared tips 14. Thus when the
flared portion 14 of any one petal is moved or deflected inwardly,
the entire petal is put into a stressed state of outwardly directed
tension by means of the rigid juncture 16 and by means of the
connection between the root of the petal and the side wall 2 of the
protector. The petals are thus biased outwardly when the protector
is inserted into the shotshell tube. The membranes 12 serve to
transmit the outwardly directed bias of each petal to each of the
adjacent petals when the protector is inserted into the shotshell
tube thereby tending to correct any inward deformation which may
have been inflicted on any of the petals. The lower or rearward
portion of the shot protector is hollowed out, as at 18 beneath the
transverse web 4. The side wall of the hollow 18 is relatively thin
and flexible to form an annular skirt 20 which flares outwardly
when the shell is fired to obturate the barrel against gas leakage
as the protector and shot charge are propelled through the gun
barrel. A plurality of inwardly extending projections 22 are formed
on the inner surface of the side wall 2 and spaced apart a
predetermined distance from the bottom wall 6 of the shot pocket 8.
The projections 22 act to retain a filler wad in place, as will be
explained in greater detail hereinafter.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the shot protector of FIGS. 1 and 2
is shown positioned within a shotshell 24 having a cylindrical tube
26 in which is positioned a base wad 28 of conventional structure,
and a propellant charge 30 above the base wad 28. The shot
protector hollow 18 and obturating skirt 20 overlie the propellant
charge 30. The shell also includes a metallic head 32 centrally
apertured to receive a primer cup 34 of conventional nature. A
filler wad 36 is positioned in the shot pocket, the wad 36 being
held against the bottom wall 6 of the shot pocket by the
projections 22 which overlie the top surface of the filler wad 36.
The projections are sufficiently flexible so as to be deflected
aside when the filler wad is pressed into the shot pocket, but
sufficiently rigid to retain the filler wad 36 in place against the
shot pocket bottom wall 6 if the protector is jostled or turned
upside down during handling. The projections 22 also prevent the
filler wad 36 from becoming tilted within the shot pocket after
initial positioning therein. When the shot protector is positioned
in the tube 26, the flared petal portions 14 are forced toward the
axis of the shell, and the inherent resiliency of the flared
portions 14 in turn forces them outward into snug engagement with
the inner wall of the tube 26. This snug fit prevents shot pellets
from becoming wedged between the petals and the tube 26 when the
shell is loaded. As previously noted, the thin membranes 12 act to
transmit the outwardly directed biasing force of each petal 10 and
flared portion 14 to each of the adjacent petals and their
associated flared portions, so that the entire mouth of the shot
pocket fits snugly against the shell tube 26 inspite of inward
deformations which may be present in individual ones of the petals.
After the shot protector is positioned in the shell tube 26, a
charge of shot pellets S is poured into the shot pocket. The upper
end of the shell may then be closed in any conventional manner, as,
for example, by means of a crimp closure, a frangible or
non-frangible top wad, or the like.
Referring to FIG. 5, an alternative means for retaining the filler
wad in position is shown. The lower portion of the side wall of the
shot pocket is formed with a plurality of radially inwardly
projecting, longitudinally extending ribs 38 which frictionally
engage the side wall of the filler wad to grip the latter and hold
it against the bottom wall 6' of the shot pocket 8'.
It is readily apparent that the shot protector of this invention
can easily be molded as a unitary plastic body for economy, and
will be more durable during handling and loading operatings, while
insuring a snug fit between the mouth of the shot pocket and shell
tube so as to prevent shot pellets from becoming wedged between the
shotshell tube and the wall of the shot pocket. It is, furthermore,
apparent that the total shot load poured into the shot pocket can
be more accurately controlled when the use of a filler wad is
dictated, by means of the radial projections in the shot pocket
which engage and hold the filler wad in place.
While several preferred embodiments of the invention have been
explicity set forth, it is contemplated that obvious modifications
therefrom could be employed without departing from the spirit of
the invention.
* * * * *