Patent ID: 6049957
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: B65B,F42B

Abstract:
A method for filling a shell body with a plurality of sub-projectiles, comprising the steps of:(a) providing a shell body having a longitudinal axis and an opening of a predetermined configuration and cross-sectional area;(b) providing a plurality of sub-projectiles each having an axial length;(c) providing a reservoir having a front wall and a back wall defining a width therebetween that is substantially equal to the axial length of the sub-projectiles and extends in a direction that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shell body, and also having a pair of side walls defining a length therebetween;(d) providing a first stop having an upper surface of a desired configuration, and a front surface of a configuration that is different from the predetermined configuration of the opening of the shell body, and of a cross-sectional area that is greater than the cross-sectional area of the opening of the shell body;(e) providing a second stop having an upper surface of a configuration that is substantially identical to the desired configuration of the upper surface of the first stop;(f) feeding said plurality of sub-projectiles downwardly into said reservoir and onto said upper surface of said first stop, thereby filling said reservoir with said plurality of sub-projectiles each having its axial length oriented in a direction that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shell body; then(g) moving said first stop in a direction away from said opening of said shell body to a retracted position, thereby causing said plurality of sub-projectiles to fall a predefined distance onto said upper surface of said second stop; then(h) moving said first stop in a direction towards said opening of said shell body to an extended position, thereby causing said front surface of said first stop to push a first set of sub-projectiles from said plurality of sub-projectiles toward said opening while the upper surface of the first stop supports the remainder of the plurality of sub-projectiles, whereby, due to the difference in configuration and cross-sectional area between the opening of the shell body and the front surface of the first stop, a first sub-set of the first set of sub-projectiles corresponding in cross-sectional configuration to the configuration of the opening is pushed into the shell body through the opening while a second sub-set of the first set of sub-projectiles is precluded from being pushed into the shell body; then(i) moving said first stop in a direction away from said opening of said shell body to said retracted position, thereby causing said remainder of the plurality of sub-projectiles to fall a predefined distance onto said upper surface of said second stop; then(j) moving said first stop in a direction towards said opening of said shell body to said extended position, thereby causing said front surface of said first stop to push a second set of sub-projectiles from said remainder of the plurality of sub-projectiles toward said opening and into contact with said first sub-set of the first set of sub-projectiles while the upper surface of the first stop supports the rest of said remainder of the plurality of sub-projectiles, whereby, due to the difference in configuration and cross-sectional area between the opening of the shell body and the front surface of the stop, a first sub-set of the second set of sub-projectiles corresponding in cross-sectional configuration to the configuration of the opening is pushed into the shell body through the opening while the first sub-set of the first set of sub-projectiles is further pushed into the shell body, and also while a second sub-set of the second set of sub-projectiles is precluded from being pushed into the shell body; and then(k) repeating steps (I) and (j) for successive sets of sub-projectiles, whereby when inserted into said shell body each of the sub-sets retains the cross-sectional configuration that corresponds to the configuration of the opening.