Abstract:
An ammunition projectile comprising a metal jacket containing a powder-based core incompletely filling the trailing end of the jacket, and a disc overlying the trailing end of the core within the jacket, the disc being frangible by reason of a plurality of indentations in at least one face of the disc. A method is claimed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/075,334, filed Feb. 14, 2002, entitled: Projectile Jacket Having Frangible Closed End and Method of Manufacture, such application being incorporated herein in its entirety, by reference. 
     
    
     
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not Applicable  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    This invention relates to gun ammunition projectiles and particularly to frangible projectiles and more particularly to frangible projectiles for use in pistol or rifle ammunition of 50 caliber or smaller.  
           [0004]    In the art there exists a major concern relating to the danger associated with ricocheting projectiles fired from guns, especially from pistols and rifles of 50 caliber or smaller calibers. Major litigation has arisen seeking monetary recovery from law enforcement officers and/or governmental agencies as compensation from injury to a bystander or other innocent person struck by a ricocheting projectile or portion of a projectile. Also importantly, ricocheting projectiles are a very present danger to fellow law enforcement officers when gunfire erupts within a closed area, such as border patrol officers inspecting the holds of ships for contraband, etc. Further, training of law enforcement officers commonly includes participating in exercises which include entry into a “live fire house”. These exercises involve rapid entry by a number of officers into a “live fire house” training building and live firing of weapons at designated targets within the building. The presence of several officers within the enclosure, each of which may be firing their weapon, generates a real danger of injury of an officer by reason of their being struck by a ricocheting portion or all of a projectile.  
           [0005]    Projectiles of the prior art have almost exclusively included a lead core, either with or without an outer covering of the core. In either event, lead has been recognized as an environmental pollutant and is now either banned or being considered for banning, in gun ammunition projectiles. Moreover, lead projectiles tend to ricochet from many surfaces which have a hardness on the order of a hardwood or even from the ground.  
           [0006]    Accuracy of delivery of a projectile to an intended target is of importance in any shooting situation, but is of great importance in competitive sport shooting and in certain military and/or law enforcement shooting situations. Of especial concern is the repeatability from projectile to projectile of accuracy of delivery of the projectiles to a target.  
           [0007]    To solve both the environmental concerns and the ricochet tendency of lead projectiles, there have been developed projectiles formed from a combination of materials which are collectively frangible when the projectile strikes a solid or semi-solid target. In those instances where these newer projectiles include a core which is housed within a jacket, such as copper, brass or other metal or metal alloy, the frangibility of the jacket is of concern. For example, fragments of the jacket may ricochet off an intended or unintended target and become independent small projectiles which can be injurious to an unintended target, such as a bystander or even the shooter. Depending upon various factors such as distance, outerwear protection, size of fragment, etc., such fragments can be lethal.  
           [0008]    The present inventor has found that dislodgement and escape of powder particulates from the trailing end of a powder-based core exposed to the heat and blast forces generated by the burning powder within the case of a round of ammunition create at least two deleterious effects.  
           [0009]    First, the center of gravity of the projectile is altered by the loss of the dislodged powder particles. The quantity of particles dislodged is different from projectile to projectile so that there is no consistency in the degree of alteration of the center of gravity between projectiles. This unpredictable alteration of the center of gravity of the projectile causes the projectile to exhibit more or less tendency to “yaw” along its free flight path to a target, with resultant inaccuracy of delivery of the projectile to the target. This problem, in its more severe state, can actually lead to the projectile assuming a tumbling is action during its free flight to a target.  
           [0010]    Second, in those instances where the powder-based core of the projectile is incorporated into a metal jacket and the initially open end of the jacket becomes the trailing end of the projectile, upon the projectile being fired down the barrel of the weapon, the trailing end of the core is exposed to the blast of the burning gun powder held within the case in which the projectile is disposed. Unless this initially open trailing end of the jacket is closed by some means, it has been found that individual particulates of the powder-based core break away from the core and exit the unclosed open end of the jacket. Such particulates, especially when they comprise a heavy metal, such as tungsten, etc., have further been found to affect damage to the bore of the barrel of the weapon, and in some instances, affect physical injury to personnel who may be disposed adjacent the muzzle of the weapon at the time it is fired. The hazardous nature of such loose powder particulates (which may comprise a grouping of multiple individual powder particulates bound together into a larger missile) has prompted the establishment of a test for powder-based projectiles which provides a type of measure of the quantity and/or size of loose powder particulates exiting the muzzle of the weapon and striking a sheet of paper positioned substantially perpendicular to the flight path of the projectile and at a distance of about ten feet from the muzzle of the weapon. This test provides information as to the density of loose powder particles exiting the weapon, the size of individual ones or groups of particles, and their spatial relationship to the actual flight path of the projectile.  
           [0011]    It has been proposed that prevention of the release of powder particulates from the trailing end of a jacketed powder-based projectile may be affected by incorporating within the jacket a solid metal closure disc that is placed within the jacket in overlying relationship to the trailing end of the powder-based core, and thereafter the rim of the open end of the metal jacket is folded radially inwardly of the jacket to engage and anchor the solid metal disc within the jacket. Whereas this proposed procedure can be effective to block the egress of loose powder particulates from the trailing end of the projectile, it presents a more serious problem in that the solid metal disc does not readily disintegrate when the projectile strikes a solid or semi-solid target. Rather, the solid metal disc becomes a potentially lethal missile in and of itself and therefore presents a hazard which can be more serious than the hazard associated with individual powder projectiles.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0012]    In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a barrier disposed within the initially open end of the jacket in overlying relationship to the flat trailing end of a powder-based core disposed within the jacket, such barrier comprising a solid, preferably metal, disc which has been indented on at least one of its initially planar faces, with a multiplicity of indentations into the thickness of the disc prior to insertion and anchoring of the disc within the jacket. In accordance with the present invention, these indentations are spaced apart from one another over substantially the entire area of at least one face of the disc. Such indentations have been found to both weaken the disc at multiple locations over the area of an initially flat face of the disc and to impart multiple stressed areas within the disc, thereby rendering the disc frangible when the projectile strikes a solid or semi-solid target.  
           [0013]    Accordingly, the indentations preferably extend from a face of the disc into the thickness of the disc by a distance equal to about 30% to 75%, and preferably not less than about 50% of the thickness of the disc, but not so deep into the disc as to permit the disc to disintegrate due to the forces exerted against it when the projectile is fired from a weapon. The depth of the indentations is partially a function of the mechanical properties of the material from which the disc is formed. Whereas the size and geometry of the individual indentations may vary over relatively large ranges, it is preferred that the indentations be substantially uniformly sized and substantially uniformly spaced over substantially all of the area of at least one initially flat face of the disc. Further, in one embodiment of the present invention, indentations may be provided on both of the opposite faces of the disc, as desired. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a side view, in section, of one embodiment of a metal jacketed projectile incorporating therein a barrier disc of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a side view, in section, of another embodiment of a jacketed projectile incorporating therein a barrier disc of the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a side view, in section, of a further embodiment of a jacketed projectile incorporating therein a barrier disc of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a partial view, in section, of the left bottom corner of the projectile depicted in FIG. 2 and taken generally along the line  4 - 4  of FIG. 2;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a sectional plan view taken generally along the line  5 - 5  of FIG. 2;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is side view, in section, of one embodiment of barrier disc incorporating various of the features of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is perspective view of a barrier disc embodying various features of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of a barrier disc embodying various features of the present invention;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 9 is a top view of a strip of metal which has been indented in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 10 is a top view of a die-punch device for punching a barrier disc from the strip of metal depicted in FIG. 9;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 11. is a top view of a barrier disc which has been punched out of the strip of metal depicted in FIG. 9;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 12 is side view of a section of an indented strip of metal as depicted in FIG. 9 and preparatory to the punching of a barrier disc therefrom;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of a die-punch device for punching a barrier disc from an indented strip of metal preparatory to the deposit of such disc in a metal jacket containing a powder-based core and held in a die cavity;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 14 is a further schematic view of the die-punch device depicted in FIG. 13 and depicting a punched-out barrier disc deposited within a metal jacket as depicted in FIG. 13;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a further die-punch device for radially infolding of the rim of the open end of a metal jacket containing a powder-based core and a barrier disc of the present invention for anchoring the core and disc within the jacket; and,  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 16 is a schematic representation of a round of gun ammunition having incorporated therein a projectile embodying various of the features of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0030]    In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a projectile  12  for ammunition for a small bore weapon, i.e. a rifle or pistol of .50 caliber or smaller caliber. The projectile of this invention is powder-based, that is, all or the bulk of the projectile is formed from a blend of metal powders which, when blended, commonly exhibit a density equivalent to or greater than the density of lead, but may be less than the density of lead.  
         [0031]    With reference to FIGS. 1-3, there are depicted three embodiments of a projectile embodying various of the features of the present invention. In FIG. 1 there is depicted, in section, a projectile  12  suitable for firing from a rifle, for example. This projectile includes an outer jacket  14  which includes a generally cylindrical body portion  16  of substantially uniform wall thickness, a tapered closed leading end  18  defining an ogive  20 , and an open trailing end  23 . In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-3, a core  26  made up of a cold-compacted quantity of a blend of a heavy metal powder such as tungsten metal powder and a relatively light metal powder, such as tin metal powder, is disposed within the jacket and substantially fills the interior volume of the jacket aside from a relatively small portion  22  of the jacket interior adjacent the trailing end  25  of the projectile (See FIG. 13). The quantity of the blended powder mixture is preferably cold-compacted, e.g. at room temperature, for example, in a die to form the self-supporting core  26 . In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-3, the core is formed to geometrically conform to the interior wall of the jacket.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIGS. 1-13 depict a typical cup-shaped jacket  14  having an open trailing end  23  and a closed leading end  24  as employed in the manufacture of a projectile for gun ammunition. The depicted jacket is chosen to illustrate the present invention when manufacturing projectiles such as those depicted in FIGS. 1-3, but it is to be recognized that other caliber projectiles, of different outer geometries, etc., for either pistols or rifles of 50 caliber or smaller, may be manufactured employing the present invention and will exhibit the novel features referenced herein. The depicted jacket may be formed from a metal such as copper, or a metal alloy such as brass or other ductile metal or metal alloy, is thin-walled, e.g., having a wall thickness of about 0.013″, is open at one end  13  and is closed at its opposite end  24  to define an interior surface  20 . In most instances, depending upon its mode of manufacture, the wall thickness of the jacket adjacent its closed end may increase by a few thousandths of an inch as compared to the wall thickness of the jacket adjacent its open end. The closed end or base of the jacket is commonly about 0.030″ thick.  
         [0033]    As seen in FIGS. 1-4, there is further included within the jacket a barrier disc  30  of the present invention. Prior to indentation, this disc  30  is initially of substantially uniform thickness and density throughout the disc. Prior to insertion into a jacket, at least one of its opposite faces is indented to define a plurality of indentations  34  which define outwardly extending projections  54  that are disposed adjacent to and engaging the end surface  36  of the trailing end  38  of the core. Within the jacket, the disc is oriented with its opposite faces  29  and  31  normal to and concentric with the longitudinal centerline  32  of the jacket. The disc further is of a diameter which is only slightly, e.g. a few thousandths of an inch, smaller than the internal diameter of the open trailing end of the jacket so that the disc will readily enter the open end of the jacket and snugly fit within the jacket.  
         [0034]    The barrier disc of the present invention is necessarily heat and pressure resistant for protecting the core from the heat and pressure generated by burning gunpowder. In smaller caliber projectiles, e.g. .22 caliber, the heat and pressure experienced is less than the heat and pressure experienced by larger caliber projectiles such as .50 caliber projectiles. Tin, copper and various metal alloys, such as brass, having heat and pressure resistance substantially equivalent to these same properties of tin, copper or brass are suitable candidates for the barrier disc of the present invention. Tin is preferred for smaller caliber projectiles and copper or brass is preferred for the larger caliber projectiles. The thickness of the disc can vary, the major determinant of thickness being the ability of the disc to retain its integrity and shape when subjected to the heat and pressure associated with the burning gunpowder employed in a given round of ammunition. By way of example, in a 9 mm pistol projectile, a tin barrier disc of 0.750 inch thickness is suitable.  
         [0035]    As noted, a relatively short length  22  of the trailing end of the jacket, e.g. a length of jacket which is a length not greater than a radius of the cylindrical portion  16  of the jacket, is folded inwardly, e.g. swaged, toward the longitudinal centerline  32  of the jacket and into contact with the rear face  31  of the disc, thereby anchoring the disc and the core within the jacket. Importantly, the disc covers the end surface  36  of the trailing end  38  of the core so that none of the core is exposed exteriorly of the jacket. As so disposed, the disc is in position to serve as a barrier against the heat and blast forces which are exerted against the trailing end of the projectile upon ignition and burn of the gun powder  42  of a round of ammunition  44  which includes the present projectile  12  in the open end of a case  46  as depicted in FIG. 16, thereby preventing the dislodgement and escape of powder particulates from the open end of the projectile during the firing and flight path of the projectile to a target.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIGS. 5-7 are enlarged views of one embodiment of an indentation pattern formed in that face  29  of the disc  30  which faces the trailing end  38  of the core. The pattern of indentations depicted in FIGS. 5-7 comprises a square pattern of parallel side-by-side, equally spaced apart, vertical elongated indentations  50  which are perpendicularly intersected by a plurality of parallel side-by-side, equally spaced apart, horizontal elongated indentations  52  formed in the face  29  of the disc. Each elongated indentation is of a generally triangular cross-section so that a pyramidal projection  54  (typical) is defined at each of the intersections of the several side-by-side vertical and horizontal elongated indentations. The base  56  of each pyramidal projection faces inwardly of the disc thickness and is preferably interconnected to the bases of each of its neighboring pyramidal projections. The apices  58  of the pyramidal projections terminate distally of the face of the disc.  
         [0037]    In a preferred embodiment, the individual indentations and resulting projections are each of like size and shape, thereby lending uniformity of distribution of the pyramidal projections over substantially the entire surface of the disc. The pattern of indentations into the disc may assume any of many geometrical configurations, including differently sized and/or shaped indentations in a given pattern, so long as the indentations are substantially uniform in size and shape and distribution radially of the central axis  60  of the disc.  
         [0038]    It will be recognized that the intersecting indentations define points of weakness of the disc at their intersections, thereby causing the disc to disintegrate into multiple very small fragments (each fragment approximating a pyramidal projection in size) upon the projectile containing the disc striking a solid or semi-solid target. Such relatively minute fragments, when separated from the disc, lose their velocity almost immediately, falling harmlessly away from the struck target.  
         [0039]    In a preferred embodiment of a disc for forming a .223 caliber rifle projectile, the disc  30  is of about 0.030″ thickness prior to indentation. In this embodiment, the depth of penetration of each of the indentations  26  into the thickness of the disc is about 0.015″, thus defining a height of about 0.015″ for each pyramidal projection  54 , and leaving about 0.015″ of thickness of the disc intact over the area of the face  31  of the disc. Preferably, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, it is desired that the number of indentations be maximized, taking into consideration, among other things, the extent to which the indentations lessen the tensile strength of the disc, thereby maximizing the number of sites of fracture of the disc upon the projectile striking a target. By way of example, between about  24  and  48  indentations have been found to provide the desired disintegration of a disc for a .223 projectile jacket. Moreover, the total area of the face of the disc which is covered by the total area of the indentations preferably is between about 80% and about 99% of the total area of the disc face, i.e., the indentations may be slightly separated from one another or they may have common outboard perimeters between adjacent indentations.  
         [0040]    Preferably the depth of the indentations into the disc extends to about 50% of the thickness of the disc. The indentation may extend into the thickness of the disc a distance equal to between about 20% and about 75% of the thickness of the disc, leaving intact sufficient thickness of the disc as will withstand firing of the projectile to a target without disintegration prior to striking the target.  
         [0041]    Further referring to FIG. 6, there are depicted multiple stress lines  62  (typical), which develop within the disc upon the indentation into the disc. These stress lines represent avenues along which a fracture originating between or within adjacent ones of the pyramidal projections may propagate into the intact unindented portion of the disc upon the projectile striking a relatively hard surface. These stress lines thus function to further enhance the disintegration of the disc into fragments which are sufficiently small as to possess insufficient energy as to present a danger to persons or property located near a target impacted by a projectile of the present invention.  
         [0042]    Whereas pyramidal indentations into the thickness of the disc are most suitable, other geometric configurations of the indentations are acceptable, for example, indentations having a cross-section of rhomboidal or diamond geometry or a mixture of geometric configurations as will be recognized by one skilled in the art. Likewise, the pattern of the indentations may vary quite widely. By way of example, FIG. 8 depicts a disc  30  having a plurality of conical projections  69  formed over the face  29  of the disc. Preferably, the pattern of indentations provides for indentations over substantially the full area of the disc. In any event, it is desired that a maximum number of side-by-side indentations be provided, and that these indentations extend substantially fully over the area of the disc surface, thereby ensuring frangibility of all portions of the disc into harmless fragments. Further, desirably the indentations are uniform in geometry and spacing radially from the longitudinal central axis  60  of the jacket over the overall surface of the disc to avoid creating an imbalance of spin stability of the projectile about its longitudinal axis, when fired from a gun.  
         [0043]    One embodiment of apparatus and a method for the production of the disc useful in the present invention is schematically depicted in FIGS. 9-12. In this embodiment, a strip  70  of copper metal of about 0.030″ thickness which has had one of its flat faces indented with mutually perpendicularly intersecting individual pyramidal indentations, such as depicted in FIG. 7, is fed into a die  74  having a circular opening  76  through the thickness of the die. A cylindrical punch  78  is pushed through the circular opening to punch out a disc  30  as shown in FIG. 11. Formation of the indentations in the face of the disc may be effected by any of several well-known techniques. In Applicant&#39;s copending application, there is disclosed a die and punch technique for forming the indentations. Other techniques included feeding of the strip of copper metal through the nip between a smooth roll and a second roll having its surface provided with pyramidal projections which are forced into the thickness of the metal strip, thereby defining the projections illustrated in FIG. 7, for example.  
         [0044]    In FIGS. 13-16, there is schematically depicted a further embodiment of apparatus and method for both forming a disc and insertion of the same into a jacket containing a core. This further embodiment comprises a second die  80  disposed underneath a first die as depicted in FIG. 10. This second die includes a cavity suitable for receiving therein a jacket  14  having a powder-based core  26  disposed therein, the open end  13  of the jacket being in register with the circular opening in the first die. Thus, upon the disc being punched out of the strip  70  of indented copper, the disc is further pushed down into the open end  23  of the jacket and into overlying and covering relationship to the trailing end  38  of the core as best seen in FIG. 13.  
         [0045]    Referring to FIG. 15, closure of the open end of the jacket is effected by means of a second punch  84  radially inwardly folding the rim portion  22  of the jacket over onto the disc to lock the disc and core within the jacket. As desired, but not depicted, the closure operation may be carried out in multiple stages wherein the rim of the open end of the jacket is first folded partially radially inwardly toward the longitudinal centerline of the jacket and thereafter the infolding is completed in a further step. As depicted in FIG. 15, the infolded rim portion of the jacket fully covers the disc, but as seen in FIGS. 1-3, the infolded rim portion need not necessarily cover the entire surface of the disc.  
         [0046]    Whereas the present invention has been described employing specific examples and dimensions, it will be recognized by one skilled in the art that modifications or other embodiments of certain elements of the invention may be altered without departing from the concepts of the invention. In particular, it will be recognized that the pattern of indentations imparted to the disc may assume different geometries and may include more or fewer indentations per unit area of the disc without losing the desired frangibility of the jacket. Further, as noted each indentation need not necessarily be of the same size as others of the indentations, nor of the same geometry as others of the indentations. For example, where the rows of indentations cross one another at angles other than 90 degrees, the cross section of one or more of the indentations may be of a rhomboid or diamond geometry. It is therefore intended that the invention be limited only as set forth in the claims appended hereto.