U.S. patent number 3,678,858 [Application Number 04/846,512] was granted by the patent office on 1972-07-25 for all plastic polycarbonate shot shell with star crimp.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Herter's Inc.. Invention is credited to George L. Herter, Glen L. Mittelsteadt.
United States Patent |
3,678,858 |
Herter , et al. |
July 25, 1972 |
ALL PLASTIC POLYCARBONATE SHOT SHELL WITH STAR CRIMP
Abstract
A plastic molded one piece shot shell case entirely of plastic
and with the open mouth end reduced in thickness by molding and
formed in a star crimp to close the case and confine the shot and
powder.
Inventors: |
Herter; George L. (Waseca,
MN), Mittelsteadt; Glen L. (Waseca, MN) |
Assignee: |
Herter's Inc. (Waseca,
MN)
|
Family
ID: |
25298140 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/846,512 |
Filed: |
July 31, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
102/466;
102/463 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F42B
7/12 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F42B
7/00 (20060101); F42B 7/12 (20060101); F42b
005/30 () |
Field of
Search: |
;102/42,42C,43,43P |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Stahl; Robert F.
Claims
What we claim is:
1. A charged shot shell having an all plastic case comprising:
a molded polycarbonate plastic case with substantial stiffness and
tensile strength, the tubular wall of the case having a
substantially cylindrical outer surface, and the wall having a star
crimp formed at the open mouth end of the case wall to confine the
charge of the shot shell, the case wall having a bend at the
periphery of the star crimp and adjacent the substantially
cylindrical wall and the crimped mouth portion of the case
extending evenly radially along the crimp folds and then smoothly
joining the cylindrical case wall at said bend, the case wall being
tapered at the inner surface thereof from a location below said
bend and toward the end edge of the open mouth of the shot shell
case wall, said all plastic case wall being reduced progressively
in thickness at said bend and toward the open mouth therefrom, the
wall being tapered in thickness to substantially a minimum adjacent
the end edge at the open mouth, the being being no more than
90.degree. to minimize the folding of the case wall at the
periphery of the star crimp, the bend at the periphery of the star
crimp being rounded and not sharply angular, and the plastic case
wall extending from said bend away from each other and along the
case wall and into the star crimp and not being folded back upon
itself.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It has recently been found possible to manufacture shotgun shells
with an all plastic one piece molded shot shell case. Such cases
are molded entirely in one piece of plastic. The plastics used must
have sufficient tensile, sheer and impact strength as to withstand
the pressures encountered in the chamber of a shotgun upon firing
the shot shell, and must be capable of being bent or crimped
numerous times to facilitate repeated loading, crimping, firing and
reloading. Polycarbonate plastics are satisfactory, and it has been
found desirable in certain instances to mix eight to ten per cent
by weight of polyethylene into the polycarbonate. Such
polycarbonates are made by several manufacturers under several
names, such as Lexan by General Electric Company of Schenectady,
New York, and Merion by Mobay Chemical Company of Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania. Where, herein, the terminology plastic or all plastic
is used with reference to such shot shell cases, it is intended to
include such materials or mixtures of materials as described
above.
Heretofore polycarbonate plastic has been considered stiff and
tough, but it has not been acknowledged to have any properties of
being bendable and returnable to its original shape. Applicants, in
molding shot shell cases from plastic, have been informed by all of
the experts in the field of plastics that it is impossible to make
any sharp bends in this material with any expectancy that such
material would assume its original shape. As a result, it has been
common in the past to close such all plastic shot shell cases by
means of a closure wad or end disc and a very slight crimp or taper
at the mouth end of the shot shell case.
Applicants have found that, after a considerable amount of work in
this forming of all plastic shot shell cases, under certain
circumstances hereinafter set forth, it is possible to make a star
crimp in a plastic shot shell case so that the case can be reloaded
and reclosed eight or ten or more times.
An object of this invention is to devise a construction of an all
plastic case wherein the mouth end of the shot shell case can be
closed with a star crimp and then reopened upon firing and then
reclosed again upon reloading through a number of reloadings so
that maximum use can be obtained of the case.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is an elevation view of a loaded shot shell, partly broken
away for clarity of detail, made according to the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is an end elevation view of the closed shot shell case
illustrated in FIG. 1 and showing the star crimp which has been
formed.
FIG. 3 is a detail section view of the mouth end of the shot shell
case formed according to the present invention and adapted for
forming of the star crimp.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The all plastic shot shell case 10 in FIG. 1 is seen to be loaded
and closed and ready for firing. In the cutaway portion in the
drawing, the shot 11 is seen to fill up the upper spaces of the
case, into the area of the closure 12, and a conventional shot cup
13 is also provided in the case to hold the shot charge. The
closure 12 will be seen to be a star crimp, and in this particular
crimp the star has six folds, but the star crimp could as well have
eight or 12 folds. In FIG. 3 the open mouth of an empty shot shell
case 10 is seen in section and it will be noted that the upper
portion 14 of the case wall, around the entire periphery of the
case wall, is tapered to a reduced thickness, immediately adjacent
the end edge. The taper at 14 in the case wall is formed during the
molding process so that the wall 10 is uniform in consistency as to
the plastic and without any stress lines throughout the entire
length thereof. The molded taper facilitates the inward folding of
the end of the case wall into the star crimp as seen in FIGS. 1 and
2.
It is to be particularly noted that, in forming a star crimp of the
tapered end of the case wall of plastic, the tapered portion 14 of
the wall is simply folded directly inwardly in the star crimp
folds, and without any folding of the wall downwardly back upon
itself to form a peripheral bead or crimp around the edge of the
star crimp closure 12. Preferably the tapered end portion 14 of the
case wall is turned inwardly at approximately 90.degree., but it is
also preferred that the fold inwardly not exceed 90.degree.. In
most instances, it is not necessary to force the tapered portion of
the plastic case wall so as to obtain a full 90.degree. bend, but
it is suitable in many instances, as in the case where a shooter is
reloading his own ammunition, to let the star crimp bulge or taper
slightly upwardly a few degrees, less than 5.degree., from the
horizontal position illustrated in FIG. 1.
It has been found that when using the star crimp in the all plastic
shot shell case, the case wall will withstand numerous firings and
it has been found that the case may be reloaded as many as eight or
ten times with regularity.
By way of example, the plastic case wall is approximately thirty
thousandths of an inch thick immediately below the tapered portion
14 of the case wall and the wall is tapered at the inner side as
seen, down to a thickness of approximately twenty thousandths of an
inch.
The exterior periphery of the case wall is substantially
cylindrical upon molding so that when the closure 12 opens upon
firing of the shotgun shells, the outer periphery of the case wall
will lay flat against the interior periphery of the shell chamber
in the barrel of the gun. The taper will further minimize damage to
the mouth portion of the case wall upon the ejecting of the shot
and wadding from the shotgun shell upon firing.
It will be seen that we have provided a new and improved all
plastic shot shell case construction facilitating star crimping of
the all plastic shot shell case by molding in a taper adjacent the
mouth of the case wall to accommodate the folding and inward
bending so that the closure portions of the case wall form
approximately a 90.degree. bend with the cylindrical peripheral
portions of the case wall.
* * * * *