Projectile with a payload

A projectile having a payload, a first brake system and a second brake system at one side of the payload. A first explosive charge and a second explosive charge, separated from one another by a drive disk, are arranged at the other side of the payload and surrounded by a hollow projectile jacket. In order to render as simple as possible the construction of such projectile and in order to make available for the payload as large as possible part of the cross-section of the projectile, there is provided a latching or locking location at the projectile jacket for a container and the payload. The container and payload can remain in the projectile jacket as long as the initially effective brake system brakes the projectile. For slowly lowering the payload with the other brake system the payload leaves the latching location and thus the projectile jacket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of a 
projectile having a payload, first and second brake systems at one side of 
the payload, a first explosive charge and a second explosive charge 
separated from one another by a drive disk and arranged at the other side 
of the payload and surrounded by a projectile jacket or casing. 
With prior art projectiles of this type there is carried as the payload a 
pyrotechnic or flare body and as the brake system there are employed 
parachutes. Such type projectile is disclosed for instance in U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,834,312. With this construction the flare body or assemblage is 
surrounded by a cylindrical container or casing which, viewed in the 
direction of motion, is open at the rear. At the front this container is 
closed and carries delay and explosive charges. At the flare body there 
merges towards the rear a lengthwise divided tubular section or piece 
which is detachably connected with the flare body and forms a container 
for the main parachute. The flare composition is surrounded at its 
periphery by a total of three jackets if there is also taken into account 
the projectile jacket. One of these jackets exclusively serves for 
interconnecting the lengthwise divided tubular section with the flare 
body. 
It is a drawback to package the flare body in an unnecessarily large number 
of containers, since such can only be accomplished by reducing the 
diameter of the flare body inasmuch as the outer diameter of a projectile 
is fixed. Such small diameter changes lead, however, to proportionately 
large changes in the cross-sectional area, since such is proportional to 
the square of the diameter. 
In order to obtain as good as possible illumination of a terrain, it is 
important that the cross-sectional area of the flare body is as large as 
possible since such only burns at its end surface. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Hence, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved construction of a projectile which is not associated with the 
aforementioned drawbacks and limitations of the prior art proposals 
heretofore discussed. 
Another and more specific object of the present invention aims at the 
provision of a projectile structured to reliably and suitably accommodate 
a payload and having a relatively simple construction while rendering 
possible an available cross-section for the payload which is as great as 
possible. 
Yet a further significant object of the present invention is to provide a 
new and improved projectile having a payload, which projectile is 
relatively simple in construction and design, relatively economical to 
manufacture, extremely reliable in operation, and provides as large as 
possible cross-sectional area for the payload so as to enhance the 
effectiveness thereof. 
Now in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, 
which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the 
invention contemplates providing a locking or latching location in the 
projectile jacket for the container of the second brake system and the 
payload after ignition of the first explosive charge. 
The explosive charges are preferably separated from one another by means of 
a drive disk. Such can accommodate, apart from the delay composition or 
charge, also explosive charges.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Describing now the drawings, by referring to the projectile construction 
shown in FIG. 1 there will be recognized a projectile 1 composed of a 
substantially cylindrical, hollow projectile jacket or casing 2, which, 
viewed in the direction of firing of such projectile 1, is closed at its 
front end by a hood or cone 29 and at its rear end by a floor or base 11. 
By means of the floor or base 11 of the projectile 1 the latter is 
connected in any appropriate fashion to a rocket motor or engine housing 
3. The projectile jacket 2 encloses a payload which is here in the form of 
a flare body or composition 7 surrounded by a sleeve 8, a parachute 13 
fixed to the sleeve 8 and protected by a container 31 and a brake 
parachute 14 which is attached to the container 31. This container 31 is 
composed of the two half shells 9 and the intermediate floor 10. 
A drive or propelling disk 6 is arranged between the flare body 7 and the 
hood 29. This drive disk 6 is configured such that towards the rear there 
is available space for an explosive charge 23. This explosive charge 23 is 
in contact with a star booster charge 24. With the embodiment shown in 
FIGS. 1 and 2 a bore 25 is provided at the center of the drive disk 6 and 
in which there is arranged a delay charge 22. An explosive charge 5 is 
inserted into a recess 6a at the upper side or face of the drive disk 6. 
Continuing, with the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3 there are mounted 
detonator caps 21 for the ignition of the delay charges 22 arranged 
externally of the central region of the projectile 1. The detonator caps 
21 are triggered by the firing pins 20 which are arranged upon firing pin 
supports 18. These firing pin supports 18 are displaceable along their 
axes, but however are retained in their forwardmost position by the rings 
or ring members 19. The explosive charge 5 is arranged at the center and 
so as to protrude somewhat from the drive disk 6. In both exemplary 
embodiments the drive disk 6 carries at its periphery a resilient or 
spring ring 17 serving as anchoring means. When the drive disk 6 assumes a 
latching or locking position the resilient ring or ring member 17 jumps 
into a groove or recess 27 or equivalent structure provided at the 
projectile jacket 2. At the forwardmost location of the projectile 1, 
within the hood or cone 29, there is space for a fuze 4. There is 
preferably used a time fuze or delayed action fuze. 
Now by referring to FIG. 4 there will be recognized that the intermediate 
floor or bottom 10 is constructed so as to have an essentially 
container-like shape and is surrounded at its periphery by a metallic 
bellows or diaphragm 15 serving as damping means. This metallic bellows or 
diaphragm 15 or equivalent structure bears towards the rear, by means of a 
ring 30, at a releasable stop or impact member 16 constructed as a 
shearing bolt. Towards the front the metallic bellows 15 constituting the 
damping means bears against the outwardly directed flange edge 10a of the 
intermediate floor or bottom 10. The floor or base 11 of the projectile 1 
is connected with the projectile jacket 2 by means of predetermined or 
reference breaking or fracture locations 12, here shown for instance in 
the form of shearing bolts. The screw 26 or equivalent structure serves 
for the additional attachment of the brake parachute 14 at the floor or 
base 11, whereas the screw 28 connects the parachute 13 with the 
intermediate floor 10. 
Having now had the benefit of the foregoing discussion of the exemplary 
embodiments of projectiles having a payload and constructed according to 
the teachings of the invention, the mode of operation of such projectiles 
will now be considered and is as follows: 
After expiration of the time which has been set at the fuze 4 the explosive 
charge 5 is ignited. By virtue of the gases which are produced by the 
explosive charge 5 there is exerted a rearwardly directed pressure or 
compressive force against the drive disk 6. This force is transmitted to 
the projectile floor 11 by means of the sleeve 8 surrounding the flare 
body 7, the half shells or bowls 9 and by means of the intermediate floor 
10. Consequently, there are sheared the reference breakage or fracture 
locations 12 which have been designed in the form of shearing bolts. The 
drive disk 6, the flare body 7 with the parachute 13, the half shells 9, 
the intermediate floor 10 and the projectile floor 11 are moved towards 
the rear, so that the rocket motor or engine housing 3 separates from the 
projectile jacket 2 and draws the brake parachute 14 out of the rear part 
of the projectile 1, as best seen by referring to FIG. 2. The brake 
parachute 14 which is connected by means of the screw 26 or other 
equivalent fastening expedients with the floor 11 unfolds and there is 
torn its connection with the floor 11. The projectile 1 is braked. The 
movement of the drive disk 6, the flare body 7, the half shells 9 and the 
intermediate floor 10, after shearing through of the reference fracture 
locations 12, is reduced owing to the thus occurring deformation of the 
damping means 15 to such an extent that detachable stops 16 do not shear 
off upon impact thereagainst of the intermediate floor 0. Now when the 
drive disk has reached its rear end position the spring or resilient ring 
17 snaps into the groove 27. This securing action prevents that drive disk 
6, upon sudden braking of the projectile 1 by the brake parachute 14, will 
be moved together with the flare body 7 again towards the front. The 
payload in the form of the flare body 7, the second brake system 13 with 
its container 31 and the drive disk 6 thus have assumed there latching or 
locking position. 
Now in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3, following the ignition of the 
explosive charge 5 the firing pin supports 18 are loaded by the pressure 
prevailing in front of the drive disk 6 and shear off the rings 19. The 
rearwardly moved firing pins 20 puncture the detonator caps 21, thereby 
igniting the delay charges 22. After expiration of about 2 to 3 seconds, 
and triggered by the delay charges 22, there is accomplished the ignition 
of the explosive charge 23. The pressure force exerted by the gases of the 
explosive charge 23 and formed between the drive disk 6 and the end 
surface or face of the flare body 7 is transmitted by means of the flare 
body 7, the half shells 9 and the intermediate floor 10 to the releasable 
stops 16 which are thus sheared. By virtue of the gases there is 
simultaneously ignited the star booster charge 24 and by means of such the 
flare body or composition 7, and the flare body 7 connected with the 
parachute 13, the half shells 9 and the intermediate floor 10 connected 
with the brake parachute 14 are ejected rearwardly out of the projectile 
jacket 2. Externally of the projectile jacket 2 both of the half shells 9 
and the intermediate floor 10 with the brake parachute 14 separate from 
the flare body 7 having the parachute 13, so that such now can open. While 
the flare body 7 is thus further braked by the parachute 13, the hood 29 
together with the projectile jacket 2, the half shells 9 and the 
intermediate floor 10 connected with the brake parachute 14 drop to the 
ground. 
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the delay charge 22 is directly 
ignited by the explosive charge 5. The explosive charge 23 arranged 
between the drive disk 6 and the flare body 7 then ignites the star 
booster charge 24 and such in turn ignites the flare body or composition 
7. 
One of the dominant advantages of this solution resides in the fact that 
the projectile jacket 2 connects the flare body 7 with the container or 
other receptacle 31 which contains the second brake system. Hence, there 
remains free for the payload a considerably large part of the 
cross-section of the projectile 1. Additionally, the projectile, upon 
ejection of the flare body, disintegrates into a few parts, which reduces 
the probability of unintentionally endangering ones own troops or 
installations. 
Of course payloads different than flare compositions can be used, for 
instance radiation bodies or also measuring instruments which should be 
transported in a projectile of this type. Equally, the projectile can be 
placed into its trajectory in a number of different ways, for instance by 
firing it from a cannon or a rocket. 
Also parachutes do not constitute the only possible braking systems which 
can be used to advantage for practicing the teachings of the invention. 
For instance, a balloon could directly assume this role. It is also 
conceivable to incorporate into a projectile two different types of brake 
or braking systems. 
While there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the 
invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not 
limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced 
within the scope of the following claims. ACCORDINGLY,