Large caliber frangible projectile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9546852-B1
Application number	US-201514848627-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 9, 2015
Priority date	Aug 30, 2013
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

A large caliber, frangible, training projectile imitates, for training purposes, the corresponding tactical projectile. To enable fragmentation of the training projectile at impact, some embodiments of the frangible projectile are partially or entirely made of a material with a lower yield strength than the material used in the counterpart tactical projectile. Some embodiments of the frangible projectile may include portions that are sectioned, welded, or provided with stress risers. Some embodiments of the frangible projectile may include high density particles suspended in a weaker medium. The fragmentation methods may be applied to the overall mass of the projectile, or to a portion of the projectile.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A frangible training projectile for a large caliber gun, comprising:
a solid, generally cylindrical base;
a hollow cap that is fixed to and closed by the base, the hollow cap having a cylindrical portion, a conical portion, and an interior wherein the base and the hollow cap have a common central longitudinal axis;
a mixture that fills the interior of the hollow cap, the mixture including a plurality of particles dispersed and completely encapsulated in a rigid potting medium, the particles being made of a material having a density greater than a density of steel; and
wherein the projectile is 60 mm or larger; and
wherein, upon impact of the projectile, the hollow cap separates from the base and the mixture forms a plurality of fragments.

2. The projectile of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical portion of the hollow cap includes internal threads that engage external threads on the base.

3. The projectile of claim 1 , wherein the base and the hollow cap are made of steel having a yield strength of at least 60 ksi.

4. A method, comprising:
launching the projectile of claim 1 from the large caliber gun;
during impact of the projectile, fragmenting the mixture into the plurality of fragments.

Assignees

• Kostka John F
• Lavrador Luis M
• Us Army

Inventors

• Kostka John F
• Lavrador Luis M

Classifications

• F42B12/22

  with fragmentation-hull construction · CPC title

• F42B12/56

  for dispensing discrete solid bodies (F42B12/70 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F42B12/02

  characterised by the warhead or the intended effect · CPC title

• F42B8/14 Primary

  disintegrating in flight or upon impact · CPC title