Deterrent ammunition projectile

Abstract

Deterrent ammunition, including a projectile of soft elastic rupturable material, such as natural or synthetic rubber or plastic, having a charge of flowable material, such as finely divided particulate or powder, carried in a cross-sectionally polygonal cavity having relatively thin longitudinal rupture wall zones along the corners of the cavity and thicker longitudinal strengthening zones bounding the cavity straight wall surface sections, with a generally ogive-forming nose section having an easily flexible annular wall connecting with a thicker and more rigid piston-forming nose end of lesser lateral cross-section than the interior cavity cross-section at the rear end of the flexible annular wall for ease of rearward piston movement of the piston-forming nose end on target impact. The projectile is carried in a cartridge by a bore-riding segmented sabot of low density, low mass material and is ejected from the cartridge by ignition of propellant in the cartridge, which effects gas pressure on an obturating pusher disc engaging with the rear of the segmented sabot.

Description

This invention relates to deterrent ammunition, and more particularly to personnel deterrent ammunition which is rupturable on impact, and which may be launched for impact rupture against a target and delivery of a flowable material on impact rupture, including launching directly against rioting personnel to provide an impact shock or sting to the target personnel and to deliver a desired flowable material in the vicinity of the target personnel with substantially reduced hazard as compared to conventional ammunition.

Various materials and arrangements have been employed in an effort to control rioting or other disorderly personnel, while minimizing ultimate damage to the personnel being controlled. Fire hoses have been used for this purpose, but have been generally abandoned or found to be generally unsatisfactory, due to the very substantial injury potential, as well as the unfavorable image case on firefighting units by their association with this tactical weapon. Water cannons have also been tried, and while the water cannon has advantages over the fire hose approach, it nevertheless has very substantial injury-producing potential. Technically, the fire hose and the water cannon systems utilize a similar principle of projecting a variable intensity water jet stream to unbalance and/or disarm an individual. Water cannons and fire hose also are large, heavy, cumbersome and normally require several persons for operation.

Also, various mechanisms have been employed, including launchable grenades and shells, for delivery of a desired change of control agent to a target area. However, these prior mechanisms have various disadvantages, and the launched grenades or shells have conventionally been quite lethally hazardous to target personnel in the event of impact with such personnel.

It is an object and feature of the present invention to provide an improved personnel control deterrent ammunition arrangement which provides relatively ow lethality hazard to the target personnel, while enabling a substantial degree of deterrent control of such personnel by impacting a rupturable flowable-charge filled projectile of special design on impact contact with the target personnel or other target in the vincinty of target personnel.

It is a further object and feature of the invention to provide an improved low-hazard riot control ammunition which enables the delivery of a marking or other desired liquid to the vicinity of a rioting person or persons, and which will rupture on impact with good dispersion characteristics.

Still further objects, features and advantages will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following description of a preferred embodiment, constructed in accordance with the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view, in partial longitudinal section, of a cartridge according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view, with one part in partial section for clarity, of a projectile, sabot and pusher according to the invention and as shown in the cartridge of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of the base housing portion of the projectile, taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2.

Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawing, a cartridge 11 is provided, having a projectile 51 carried in a conventional case 21 by a segmented sabot 31, 31, 31 with an obturator pusher disc 41 engaging the rear face of sabot 31, 31, 31.

Case 21 may be, and is in the preferred embodiment, of conventional construction, and includes a charge of propellant 26 enclosed in a chamber formed by a frangible cup 25, percussion primer 29, and screw-in primer retainer 27, the cup 25 being formed as of 0.005-inch mild steel, and in turn mounted within a chamber formed by a nodule protrusion 23 in the interior of case 21. The nodule protrusion 23 has multiple side portions 23a formed therein, which connect with the remaining relatively large volume interior of the case, so as to form a high-low type pressure arrangement for adequate ignition and burning of the propellant 26, as well as providing protection for the obturating pusher during the initial high pressure, high temperature burning of the propellant 26 on firing of the cartridge to launch the projectile 51. As will be apparent, frangible cup 25 is ruptured at ports 23a upon firing and sufficient pressure buildup within the cup 25 through burning of the propellant 26, and the propellant gases then pass through ports 23a and into the enlarged case interior chamber, resulting in reduction of gas pressure and temperature to a desired level for propelling the obturating pusher disc 41, sabot 31, and projectile 51 from a suitable weapon barrel, not shown.

Obturating pusher disc 41 preferably has radial or other reinforcing ribs 41r or other suitable reinforcing construction to enable such to provide a desired structural rigidity with low mass and light weight. An annular rearwardly extending obturating lip is formed about the periphery of the obturating pusher disc 41 and frictionally engages the interior side wall surface of the case 21, both initially as an aid in holding its prefired position and upon firing of the cartridge, and upon ejection of the disc 41 into the weapon barrel the obturating pusher lip of the pusher aids in providing a desired seal with the barrel during forward propelling motion of the disc 41, sabot 31, and projectile 51 along the barrel bore, whether rifled or unrifled, although a rifled barrel bore is preferred for firing so as to provide a desired spin stabilization of the projectile 51 during flight.

Obturating pusher disc 41 and segmented sabot 31, 31, 31 are formed of low density material, preferably low-density thermoplastic resin such as low-density polyethylene, to minimize secondary projectile dangers from the parts 41, 31, 31, 31 after ejection from the weapon barrel and separation thereof from the projectile by wind drag thereon.

Sabot 31, 31, 31 is illustrated as formed by three individual segments, and such is preferable for the particular square-cavity construction of projectile 51 as is later described, as the sabot segment may thus readily encompass all four longitudinal weak rupture zones formed by the square cavity corners, although it will be apparent that other sabot constructions may also be suitably employed to provide the desired lateral and rearward rigidifying stabilization of the projectile during firing and travel of the projectile along the weapon barrel.

The sabot 31, 31, 31, and its frictionally retained projectile 51, are suitably secured in the cartridge as by radially crimping the forward end of the case against the annular surface 31b of the sabot segments 31, 31, 31, as indicated at 21A. The sabot segments 31 are provided with a rifling band 31a which is immediately forward of crimped case end 21A, and which rides in the grooves between rifling bands and is scored and rotated by the rifling during travel along a rifled barrel bore to effect rotation of the frictionally engaged projectile 51.

The sabot segments 31 have forward sections 31c which terminate adjacent the forward end of the projectile 51, and it will thus be appreciated that the rear and lateral walls of the soft elastic projectile with its rupturable weakened zones are effectively cradled and supported by the sabot 31, 31, 31 during the application of firing forces on the projectile and the resulting inertial setback and lateral expansion forces encountered in effecting forward movement of the projectile 51.

As an aid to ensure spin-up of the projectile 51 with the rotating sabot 31, 31, 31 during travel along a rifled launching barrel, the sabot segments 31 have radial ribs 31r which engage with the elastic rear wall 55c of projectile 51 and which under the influence of firing forces and firing set-back forces, effects a depression type gripping action on the rear face of projectile 51.

The projectile 51 is preferably formed of two sections, including a base housing 55 and a generally ogive shaped nose section 53, both of which are molded or otherwise suitably formed of relatively soft (e.g., approximately 30-50 durometer) elastic material such as natural or synthetic rubber. A suitable synthetic rubber compound has been found to be RTV silicone rubber molding compound. The two sections 55, 53 may be suitably secured together, as by an adhesive, along the contiguous intersection zone of forward end face 55fw of base housing 55 with the annular rear face of nose section 53. A suitable adhesive for the embodiment employing RTV silicone rubber sections 55, 53 has been found to be a silicone rubber adhesive, such as that marketed by Dow Corning under the designation RTV-732.

Projectile base housing 55 has a forwardly longitudinally extending cavity which connects with a rearwardly extending cavity formed in nose section 53, to form a combined cavity 57, in which a charge of flowable material, such as finely divided particulate or powder, e.g., tear gas powder, or liquid P is disposed for dispersal on impact of the projectile 51 with a target.

The portion of cavity 57 formed in base housing 55 has a polygonal cross-section, providing peripherally alternatively longitudinally thin weak zones and longitudinally thicker columnar and radial reinforcing zones. A square cavity is preferred, although other cavity cross-sections may be employed.

The longitudinally extending corners 55a of the square portion of cavity 57 form longitudinal weak zones which are relatively easily ruptured on target impact of the projectile, and enable lateral dispersal of the flowable material P in the vicinity of the projectile impact with a target or target zone. The intermediate thicker wall sections bounding the interconnecting flat side wall surfaces 55f of the square base housing cavity add desired radial and columnar strength to the projectile between the weak corner rupture zones, and aid in insuring multiple rupture along a plurality of the corner rupture zones 55a upon impact, and thereby effecting a desired multi-directional lateral dispersal of the flowable material P.

The thick rear wall section 55c of base housing 55 connects with the cavity-forming side wall section through a step-up annular shoulder which is closely adjacent to the rear wall 55r of base housing cavity 57, and chamfers 55b are provided at the rear ends of corners 55a to provide a desired thin-wall thickness at these corner intersections 55b, as shown in FIG. 3.

The ogive nose section 53 has a piston-forming thick nose end wall 53b which is preferably flat on its forward end as well as on the opposite facing interior wall 53ba, and which thick nose end wall is integrally connected with an outwardly tapered or flared relatively easily flexible ogive-continuing wall section 53a which is preferably of substantially constant annular thickness, and as previously noted, is adhesively or otherwise suitably secured to the forward face 55fw of base housing 55. Sabot 31 extends past and provides lateral support prior to and during firing, at this adhesive connection zone, as will be seen in FIG. 1.

On impact of the nose 53b of the projectile with a target or other object, the flexible wall 53a is flexed inwardly by the target resistive driving impact force on piston-forming thick nose 53b and the inertial forces of the projectile, which tends to result in the piston-forming nose being effectively driven rearwardly into the cavity 57, and the base housing cavity side walls 55a, 55f are pressurized and rupture along one or more of corners 55a, the flowable material P being thereby expelled through the lateral rupture openings by this impact compressive force on the piston-forming thick nose section 53, as well as by any residual rotational motion of the projectile after impact. In addition, the projectile may also rupture along the annular junction wall zone 55fw after substantial nose deformation upon impact, further aiding in dispersal of the charge of material P. Of course, it will also be apparent that upon impact there is also a buckling and bulging of the thicker columnar sections between the corners 55a, exerting additional rupture forces on the weaker thin corner zones 55a, to thereby aid in rupture of a plurality, and preferably most or all, of these weak corner rupture zones, and dispersal of material P therethrough.

While the invention has been described with respect to a single preferred illustrative embodiment, it will be apparent that various modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For instance, while delivery and dispersal of a charge of flowable material P is preferred and most advantageous, the projectile may also be used without a charge of material in the rupturable cavity 57, in which event the personnel impact deterrent utility of the soft rupturable projectile is employed, with the advantages flowing from the collapsible nose and the rupturable lateral weakened zones of the base housing being utilized for desired shock absorption so as to minimize personnel permanent damage or lethality on impact. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited by the illustrative embodiment, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

We claim:

1. Deterrent ammunition, comprising,

a projectile formed by a rupturable base housing section with a cross-sectionally polygonal cavity formed therein and having an annular bounding wall with longitudinally extending polygonal corners which are substantially weaker than interconnecting structurally reinforcing side wall sections between said corners,

a nose section closing said cavity at its forward end,

and a flowable dispersable material charge in said cavity for dispersal upon impact of said projectile with a target.

2. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 1,

said base housing section being formed of relatively soft elastic, rupturable material.

3. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 2,

said soft elastic rupturable material being rubber.

4. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 3,

said soft elastic rupturable material being silicone rubber.

5. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 2,

said cavity being square in cross section.

6. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 1,

said cavity being square in cross section.

7. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 6,

said nose section having a generally ogive shape and including a relatively thick piston nose section and a relatively flexible annular wall section rearward of said piston nose section and forming a flexible connection between said piston nose section and said base housing polygonal cavity annular bounding wall.

8. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 7,

said cavity having a rear bounding wall zone including a relatively thick base wall having a reduced diameter exterior annular surface connecting along a connecting shoulder with a forward annular wall section of relatively larger diameter and forming a portion of said annular bounding wall for said cavity,

said shoulder line bounding and adjoining the intersection zone between said weaker longitudinally extending polygonal corners and the inner rear wall surface of said cavity as formed by said relatively thick base wall.

9. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 8,

said intersection zone of each of said polygonal corners with said rear wall surface of said cavity being formed by a chamfer longitudinally coextensive with said connecting shoulder.

10. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 9,

said nose section being a separate element from said base housing section and being secured thereto at the forward end of said base housing section.

11. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 10,

said nose section having a cavity formed therein and connecting with said polygonal base housing section cavity to form a composite single cavity containing said flowable dispersable material charge.

12. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 11,

said flowable dispersable material charge comprising finely divided particulate material.

13. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 1,

said nose section having a generally ogive shape and including a relatively thick piston nose section and a relatively flexible annular wall section rearward of said piston nose section and forming a flexible connection between said piston nose section and said base housing polygonal cavity annular bounding wall.

14. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 13,

said cavity having a rear bounding wall zone including a relatively thick base wall having a reduced diameter exterior annular surface connecting along a connecting shoulder with a forward annular wall section of relatively larger diameter and forming a portion of said annular bounding wall for said cavity,

said shoulder line bounding and adjoining the intersection zone between said weaker longitudinally extending polygon corners and the inner rear wall surface of said cavity as formed by said relatively thick base wall.

15. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 14,

said intersection zone of each of said polygonal corners with said rear wall surface of said cavity being formed by a chamfer longitudinally coextensive with said connecting shoulder.

16. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 1,

said cavity having a rear bounding wall zone including a relatively thick base wall having a reduced diameter exterior annular surface connecting along a connecting shoulder with a forward annular wall section of relatively larger diameter and forming a portion of said annular bounding wall for said cavity,

said shoulder line bounding and adjoining the intersection zone between said weaker longitudinally extending polygon corners and the inner rear wall surface of said cavity as formed by said relatively thick base wall.

17. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 1,

said intersection zone of each of said polygon corners with said rear wall surface of said cavity being formed by a chamfer longitudinally coextensive with said connecting shoulder.

18. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 1,

said nose section being a separate element from said base housing section and being secured thereto at the forward end of said base housing section.

19. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 1,

said nose section having a cavity formed therein and connecting with said polygonal base housing section to form a composite single cavity containing said flowable dispersable material charge.

20. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 1,

said flowable dispersable material charge comprising finely divided particulate material.

21. Deterrent ammunition, comprising,

a projectile formed by a rupturable base housing section with a cavity having a polygonal cross-section zone formed therein and having an annular bounding wall with annularly spaced plural polygonal corners which are substantially weaker than interconnecting relatively thicker structurally reinforcing side wall sections between said polygonal corners,

a nose section closing said cavity at its forward end,

and a flowable dispersable material charge in said cavity for dispersal upon impact of said projectile with a target.

22. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 21,

said base housing section being formed of relatively soft elastic, rupturable material.

23. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 22,

said soft elastic rupturable material being rubber.

24. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 23,

said soft elastic rupturable material being silicone rubber.

25. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 22,

said polygonal cavity zone being square in cross section.

26. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 22,

said nose section having a generally ogive shape and including a relatively thick piston nose section and a relatively flexible annular wall section rearward of said piston nose section and forming a flexible connection between said piston nose section and said base housing cavity annular bounding wall.

27. Deterrent ammunition, comprising,

a projectile formed by a rupturable base housing section with a cavity formed therein and having an annular bounding wall with annularly spaced plural longitudinally extending thinner weakened longitudinal wall zones which are substantially weaker than interconnecting relatively thicker structurally reinforcing side wall sections between said thinner weakened zones,

a nose section closing said cavity at its forward end,

and a flowable dispersable material charge in said cavity for dispersal upon impact of said projectile with a target,

said base housing section being formed of relatively soft elastic, rupturable material,

said cavity having a rear bounding wall zone including a relatively thick base wall having a reduced diameter exterior annular surface connecting along a connecting shoulder with a forward annular wall section of relatively larger diameter and forming a portion of said annular bounding wall for said cavity,

said shoulder bounding and adjoining the intersection zone between said weaker longitudinally extending thinner zones and the inner rear wall surface of said cavity as formed by said base wall.

28. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 27,

said intersection zone of each of said thinner zones with said rear wall surface of said cavity being formed by a chamfer longitudinally coextensive with said connecting shoulder.

29. Deterrent ammunition, comprising,

a projectile formed by a rupturable base housing section with a polygonal cavity formed therein and having an annular bounding wall with annularly spaced plural longitudinally extending thinner weakened longitudinal wall zones formed by polygonal corners of said cavity and which are substantially weaker than interconnecting relatively thicker structurally reinforcing side wall sections between said thinner weakened zones,

and a nose section closing said cavity at its forward end,

said nose section having a generally ogive shape and including a relatively thick piston nose section and a relatively flexible annular wall section rearward of said piston nose section and forming a flexible connection between said piston nose section and said base housing cavity annular bounding wall.

30. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 29,

said base housing section being formed of relatively soft elastic, rupturable material.

31. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 30,

said projectile nose section being formed of relatively soft elastic material.

32. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 31,

said soft elastic material being rubber.

33. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 32,

said soft elastic material being silicone rubber.

34. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 30,

said cavity being square in cross section.

35. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 30,

said cavity having a rear bounding wall zone including a relatively thick base wall having a reduced diameter exterior annular surface connecting along a connecting shoulder with a forward annular wall section of relatively larger diameter and forming a portion of said annular bounding wall for said cavity,

said shoulder line bounding and adjoining the intersection zone between said weaker longitudinally extending thinner zones and the inner rear wall surface of said cavity as formed by said relatively thick base wall.

36. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 35,

said intersection zone of each of said thinner zones with said rear wall surface of said cavity being formed by a chamfer longitudinally coextensive with said connecting shoulder.

37. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 36,

said nose section being a separate element from said base housing section and being secured thereto at the forward end of said base housing section.

38. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 37,

said nose section having a cavity formed therein and connecting with said polygonal base housing section cavity to form a composite single cavity.

39. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 29,

said nose section being a separate element from said base housing section and being secured thereto at the forward end of said base housing section.

40. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 39,

said nose section having a cavity formed therein and connecting with said polygonal base housing section cavity to form a composite single cavity.

41. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 30,

said nose section being a separate element from said base housing section and being secured thereto at the forward end of said base housing section.

42. Deterrent ammunition according to claim 41,

said nose section having a cavity formed therein and connecting with said polygonal base housing section cavity to form a composite single cavity.

43. Deterrent ammunition, comprising,

a projectile formed by a rupturable base housing section with a cavity formed therein and having an annular bounding wall with annularly spaced plural thinner weakened wall zones which are substantially weaker than interconnecting relatively thicker structurally reinforcing side wall sections between said thinner weakened zones,

a nose section closing said cavity at its forward end,

and a flowable dispersable material charge in said cavity for dispersal upon impact of said projectile with a target,

said cavity having a rear bounding wall zone including a base wall having a reduced diameter exterior annular surface connecting along a connecting shoulder with a forward annular wall section of relatively larger diameter and forming a portion of said annular bounding wall for said cavity,

said shoulder bounding and adjoining the intersection zone between said weaker thinner zones and the inner rear wall surface of said cavity as formed by said relatively thick base wall.