Shot pattern controlling device

An improved shot compressor for use in a shotgun cartridge containing shot. The improved compressor has a plurality of equally spaced fins disposed around and integral with a centrally disposed collapsing means for controlling the pattern of opening shot as it leaves the barrel of a shotgun upon firing.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to the field of shotgun cartridges and more 
specifically to shotgun cartridges having shot compressor devices 
contained therein. 
2. Background of the Invention 
In my earlier patent, "Shot Compressor Devices and Method Therefor", U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,167,904, issued on Sept. 18, 1979, I disclosed a shot 
compressor device comprising an upstanding tube essentially disposed 
internally of a shotgun cartridge with the shot disposed around the tube. 
When the cartridge is fired, the tube is compressed by the shot and, in 
the case of steel shot, barrel abrasion is minimized and generally greater 
distance is achieved with a tighter pattern of shot. The centrally 
disposed tube causes the shot to move radially inwardly as it travels 
through the barrel, thus minimizing the deformation of softer lead shot 
with the same results. 
I have now improved the shot compressor of my earlier patent by providing a 
device for controlling the pattern of opening the shot as it leaves the 
barrel. 
Prior to this application, I conducted a patentability search to ascertain 
any comparable prior art approaches. The results of that patentability 
search resulted in the following patents: 
______________________________________ 
Inventor Pat. No. Issue Date 
______________________________________ 
Winans 519,559 May 8, 1894 
Plottenburg 85,149 Feb., 1896 
LaDow, C. 776,918 Dec. 6, 1904 
Winans, et al. 
875,762 Jan. 7, 1908 
King 265,370 Feb. 10, 1927 
Piegay 1,526,972 May, 1968 
Craft, et al. 
4,006,688 Feb. 8, 1977 
______________________________________ 
The 1894 patent of Winans (U.S. Pat. No. 519,559) sets forth a spreader 
dividing the shot into three or more separate compartments. Each divider 
is rectangular in shape and is designed to rest upon the wad being long 
enough to reach the top of the shot. The 1909 Winans et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 
875,762) and the 1927 King (British Pat. No. 265,370) patents describe 
"post-type" spreaders. The remaining patents are not as close to my 
invention as those described above. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an improvement to my U.S. Pat. No. 4,167,904 
wherein the shot compressor device of that invention is improved by 
providing a plurality of equally spaced fins disposed around the 
compressor for controlling the pattern of opening the shot pattern as the 
shot leaves the barrel. The fins are substantially rectangular in 
cross-section and in shape when viewed from the side with the width of 
each fin being in the range of 25% to 75% of the inner radius of the 
cartridge. Varying the width of each fin controls the pattern opening of 
the shot as it leaves the barrel of the shotgun in order to uniformly 
disperse shot at a target.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
In FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved compressor 10 of the 
present invention to include a circular base 20, a hollow tube 250, and a 
plurality of equally spaced fins 30 integral with tube 250 and circular 
base 20 for use in a shotgun cartridge 40. The construction of the 
circular base 20 and the tube 250 is set forth in my prior patent (for 
example, FIGS. 13-18, thereof). 
The details of the improved shot compressor 10 of the present invention is 
set forth in FIGS. 2-5. In FIG. 2, the improved shot compressor includes a 
hollow tube 250 slightly tapered from the bottom to the upper region 
(typically 0.060 inches to 0.040 inches). Affixed to the hollow tube 250 
are the plurality of fins 30 which, in the example shown in FIGS. 1 
through 4, are equally spaced at 120 degrees. In the preferred invention, 
three fins are utilized although the invention, like Winans, is not so 
limited. Each fin is substantially rectangular in shape in cross-section 
32 as shown in FIG. 3 and each fin is substantially rectangular when 
viewed from the side as shown in FIG. 2. The fins follow the taper of the 
tube 250 and form an outer diameter of 0.26 inches on the bottom to 0.25 
inches on the top. The slight taper of the fins 30 and the tube 250 allows 
the improved compressor 10 to be manufactured through means of a mold. 
Likewise, the thickness of each fin 30 varies from the bottom to the top 
such as, 0.05 inches to 0.04 inches. In the preferred embodiment, the tube 
250 is hollow and is made of solid material that collapses as taught by my 
earlier patent. The circular base 20 has a plurality of notches 22 formed 
around the outer circumference of the base for the following reasons. The 
notches 22 are designed to fit wads containing buttressed petals 
(buttressed petal wads have four upstanding posts or bars which stiffen 
the upright petals). 
The circular base 220 is designed to fit within conventional shotgun wads, 
hence the outer diameter of base 20 substantially equals the inner 
diameter of the cartridge 40 or of a suitable wad. The height of the 
improved compressor 10 of the present invention equals the substantial 
height within cartridge 40 or the wad. 
As shown in FIG. 3, the width of each fin 30 varies in a preferable range 
between a range 300 which is preferably 25% to 75% of the inner radius of 
the cartridge 40. Or, substantially 25% to 75% of the outer radius 310 of 
disk 20. Control of the opening of the pattern occurs with a width less 
than radius 310 so that the shot can fit around the outer edges of the 
fins 30 as shown in FIG. 6 with primary control within the aforesaid 
range. The shot 600 is shown in FIG. 6 disposed around the device 10 of 
the present invention and, therefore, the outer limit for the width of 
each fin 30 would be the radius 310 of disk 20 less the diameter of the 
shot plus tolerances. 
A cross-section of the wad 700 of the present invention is shown in FIG. 7 
to include a plurality of segments 710 disposed above a cushion 720 and a 
brace 730. The brace 730 is mounted on a base 740. 
The details of each of the segments 710 are shown in FIG. 8 and include a 
plurality of slits 702 disposed between the segments 710. The segments 710 
are attached to a base 706 and centrally mounted on that base 706 is an 
upstanding nub 750. As shown in FIG. 7, and in the preferred embodiment of 
the shot cup, the improved compressor 10 of the present invention is 
designed to have the lower end 252 of the tube 250 firmly fit over nub 750 
to hold the improved compressor 10 in the center portion of the wad 700. 
It is to be expressly understood that the compressor 10 could be integral 
with the shot cup or the disc 20 could rest in the shot cup without 
benefit of a nub 750. Hence, under the teachings of the present invention, 
the device 10 can be either inserted into the wad 710 or the device 10 can 
be used without a wad. Under the base 706 is a cushion area 720 which is 
designed to lessen the recoil caused by the firing of a cartridge in a 
shotgun. It further functions to provide an added force or push to the 
shot as the shot is released from the gun as will be explained shortly. In 
other words, the cushion area recoils in the direction of arrow 760 upon 
firing to minimize recoil and then, through spring tension, straightens 
out and moves the shot in the direction of arrow 770. 
The cushion 720 is integral with base 706 on the upper end and base 722 on 
the lower end. As shown in FIG. 9, the cushion members 724 are rectangular 
in shape when viewed from the side and are bent inwardly at area 726. In 
the preferred embodiment, there are four cushion members 724 in the 
orientation as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9. The brace section 730 is generally 
comprised of three rectangular braces 732. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the 
rectangular braces 732 have additional bracket supports 734 and 736. The 
brace section 730 is integral with upper base 722 and the lower thickened 
base 740. The center 742 of the lower base 740 is raised to provide 
further bracing. 
The operation of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 10-12. In FIG. 10, 
a conventional shotgun shell 1000 is aimed at a target such as a bird 
1010. The gun 1000 is fired and the shell 1020 is discharged. The wad 700 
of the present invention containing the shot travels for a given distance 
before being separated from the shot 600 (an example of 10 to 15 yards is 
shown, but varies according to the amount of powder, type of shot, etc.). 
The wad 700 including the compressor 10 of the present invention then 
follows a trajectory 1030 to the ground. The shot 600 continues along the 
path 1040 until hitting the target 1010 which is typically located forty 
yards from the gun 1000. This is similar to FIG. 1 of my earlier patent. 
In FIG. 11, the compressor moves inwardly as shown by arrows 1100 while 
traveling through the barrel of the gun 1000. However, the fins 30 cause a 
slight opening of the shot 600 in the direction of arrow 1110. At this 
point in time, but not shown in FIG. 11, the cushion members 720 are fully 
compressed downwardly in the direction of arrow 710. 
In FIG. 12, the shot 600 is separating from the wad 700 at point 1050 of 
FIG. 10. From the point in time that the wad 700 leaves the gun, as shown 
in FIG. 11, to the point in time of separation, as shown in FIG. 12, the 
compressed cushion members 720 are moving outwardly in the direction of 
arrow 770 to provide a push to the shot 600. In addition, the fins 30 of 
the improved compressor 10 of the present invention have acted upon exit 
from the gun 1000, to control the opening of the shot 600. 
While the discussion of events occurring in FIGS. 1 through 12 are believed 
correct, it is to be expressly understood that no actual testing at the 
times of FIGS. 10, 11, and 12 have occurred through instantaneous 
photographic techniques to verify the above analysis. 
The results of using the improved compressor of the present invention are 
shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. In FIG. 13, a target 1300 was placed at 
twenty-five yards. A shell without the improved compressor of the present 
invention was fired resulting in 274 pellets within the interior circle of 
1310 and 122 pellets hitting between circle 1310 and circle 1320. 
In FIG. 14, the same gun was used to fire a shell loaded with the improved 
compressor of the present invention. The target 1300 again was placed at 
twenty-five yards and 128 pellets were found within circle 1310 and 204 
pellets were found between circles 1310 and 1320. This resulted in a 
fairly even distribution of the shot over a much larger area than the 
narrow and uneven distribution of the shot without utilizing the 
compressor of the present invention. The test was based upon a Merkel 
shotgun using a potential hunting reload assembled as: 
Winchester AA Case 
Winchester 209 Primer 
23.0 Grains of Unique 
Windjammer wad 
11/8 ounces 71/2 Copper-plated shot 
While FIGS. 13 and 14 show the targets for one test, an average for three 
patterns in the test resulted in: 
______________________________________ 
Load Core Ring 
______________________________________ 
Without Device 10 272 120 
With Device 10 129 206 
______________________________________ 
In addition, a chamber pressure was conducted for the shotgun based upon 
the following parameters: 
Winchester AA Case 
Winchester 209 Primer 
19.0 Grams of Trap-100 
Winchester WAA12 (white wad) 
11/8 Ounces 71/2 shot 
The results of this test conducted on the 30 inch full choke test barrel 
while working at a temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit are: 
______________________________________ 
Load Pressure Velocity 
______________________________________ 
Without Device 10 
8,900 1,178 
With Device 10 9,100 1,193 
______________________________________ 
Hence, the improved compressor of the present invention increases barrel 
pressure and the resultant velocity of the shot as well as controls the 
pattern of the shots to provide a more even and wider distribution of the 
shot. 
Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of 
particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made 
by way of example and that changes and details of structure may be made 
without departing from the spirit thereof.