Patent ID: 7415929

Claim:
A system for launching projectiles from a bore, said system comprising: a shell having a base and a casing, the casing defining an interior; projectiles located within the interior and configured to be expelled from the shell casing; an explosive charge located within the interior and configured to expel the projectiles from the casing; and a wad located within the interior and configured to expel the projectiles from the casing in response to detonation of the explosive charge, the wad having petals and at least one petal stop, the petals being movable between a closed position in which free ends of the petals are arranged proximate to each other such that the petals at least partially surround the projectiles, and an open position in which the free ends of the petals are displaced from each other, the at least one petal stop being configured to limit movement of the petals beyond the open position; wherein, responsive to being expelled from a bore by detonation of the explosive charge, the petals move from the closed position to the open position, thereby retarding the wad and releasing the projectiles the system further comprising: a projectile director located within the shell interior and being configured to alter a dispersion pattern of the one or more projectiles as the one or more projectiles is being separated from the wad; and means for rotating the wad and the projectiles; further comprising: a tether having a first end and a second end, the first end being attached to the free end of one of the petals, the second end being attached to the projectile director such that the tether limits motion of the free end of the petal beyond the open position.