AMMUNITION COMPONENT AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME

Abstract

A grinding/polishing unit operation for rendering a mirror finish and precise tolerance to the base of an ammunition article. A diamond wheel is used in a live tooling operation where the diamond wheel has a mating profile to the base to be ground/polished. Bases can be prepared from bar stock or pre-existing bases can be treated to enhance magazine loading ease, ejection ease post firing and a reduction in the tendency for spent propellant residue from accreting on the bases. Several embodiments for the unit operation are disclosed.

Claims

1. An ammunition casing assembly, comprising: a casing base having a plurality of spaced apart first cooperating engagement members located in a face of said casing base; and a casing cylinder having a plurality of spaced apart second cooperating engagement members located in a face of said cylinder, each first cooperating engagement member of said casing base configured for mating cooperative engagement with a respective second cooperating engagement member of said casing cylinder when the respective faces are in contact for preventing relative rotational movement between said casing base and said casing cylinder.

2. The casing assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said face of said casing base is recessed relative to the plane of a terminal end of said casing base.

3. The casing assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein said terminal end has an annular wall surrounding said terminal end.

4. The casing assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said face of said casing cylinder is seated in said face of said casing base.

5. The casing assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first cooperating engagement members comprise recesses.

6. The casing assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first cooperating engagement members comprise projections.

7. The casing assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first cooperating engagement members are disposed radially from a centre of said face of said casing base.

8. The casing assembly as set forth in claim 7, wherein said first cooperating engagement members have a common radius to a centre of said face of said casing base.

9. The casing assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first cooperating engagement members are equidistant relative to one another.

10. The casing assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said casing base and said casing cylinder each include a second respective course of first cooperating engagement members and second respective course of second cooperating engagement members concentrically spaced apart from an adjacent respective course.

11. Firearm ammunition having a casing as set forth in claim 1.

12. A method of forming a casing for a firearm ammunition, comprising: providing a casing base; forming a plurality of spaced apart first cooperating engagement members located in a face of said casing base; providing a casing cylinder; forming a plurality of spaced apart second cooperating engagement members located in a face of said cylinder, each first cooperating engagement member of said casing base configured for mating cooperative engagement with a respective second cooperating engagement member of said casing cylinder; contacting the respective faces to connect said casing base and said casing cylinder, where said first cooperating engagement members and said second cooperating engagement members are in registration for preventing relative rotational movement between said casing base and said casing cylinder.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including the step of mechanically connecting said base and said casing with a secondary mechanical connection.

14. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including the step of forming a recess within said face of said base for seating said face of said cylinder.

15. A method for forming an ammunition casing, comprising: providing a formed ammunition casing with a base having a predetermined cross-sectional profile; and grinding said base with a grinder having a mating profile to said base to impart a reflective surface and lower coefficient of friction relative to a preground base.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein said casing and base comprise two pieces.

17. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein said casing and base comprise a one-piece structure.

18. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein said two pieces comprise a casing base and a casing cylinder.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18, further including: forming a plurality of spaced apart first cooperating engagement members located in a face of said casing base; forming a plurality of spaced apart second cooperating engagement members located in a face of said cylinder, each first cooperating engagement member of said casing base configured for mating cooperative engagement with a respective second cooperating engagement member of said casing cylinder; and contacting the respective faces to connect said casing base and said casing cylinder, where said first cooperating engagement members and said second cooperating engagement members are in registration for preventing relative rotational movement between said casing base and said casing cylinder.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, further including the step of mechanically connecting said base and said casing with a secondary mechanical connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of one possible operation sequence to form a base for ammunition from initial bar stock;

[0064] FIG. 1A is an enlarged view of the profiled diamond wheel illustrating the mating profile relative to the base profile;

[0065] FIG. 2 is an exploded illustration of a casing and base;

[0066] FIG. 3 is a is a schematic illustration of a second possible operation sequence to form a base and casing unit from pre-existing bases and casings;

[0067] FIG. 4 is schematic illustration of an alternate embodiment of the operation sequence;

[0068] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a casing base according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0069] FIG. 6 Is a plan view of a casing cylinder according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0070] FIG. 7 is a cross section view of the casing assembly with the casing base engaged with the casing cylinder;

[0071] FIG. 8 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of the casing cylinder;

[0072] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a further alternate embodiment of the casing cylinder; and

[0073] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a casing base according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0074] Similar numerals used in the Figures denote similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0075] Referring initially to FIG. 1, shown is a schematic illustration of the unit operations attributed to the overall process 10 of forming a base for an ammunition casing.

[0076] In a first embodiment, bar stock material 12, which may be selected from, for example, series 400 stainless steel, is introduced for profiling with a diamond wheel 14. Wheel 14 has a predetermined profile to impart the same profile with a specific predetermined tolerance to bar stock 12. FIG. 1A illustrates an enlargement of the profiled segment 16 of the wheel 14. The profile of segment 16 is imparted to bar stock material 12 forming a base 18. Formed base 18 is retained in a mandrel of cell 1 denoted by numeral 20. At this point, base 18 is predrilled in cell 1 (20).

[0077] The predrilled casing base 18 is then moved to cell 2, referenced as 22, for a secondary drilling operation. For clarity, the movement of the base 18 may be linearly through the stages of FIG. 1 or rotated in a predetermined sequence. Either the cells or the base may be rotated. Suitable arrangements in this regard will be appreciated by those skilled.

[0078] Subsequent to the secondary drilling in cell 2, the base 18 is advanced to cell 3, denoted by numeral 24 for a pre-finishing reaming operation. The next stage, cell 4, (26), exposes the base 18 to a spot face operation and then subsequently to a finishing reaming operation 28 in cell 5. Spot face finishing is completed in cell 6, denoted by numeral 30.

[0079] A supply of casing cylinders 32 may be supplied from, for example, a vibratory bowl feeder 34. As is well known in the ammunition art, the casing cylinder 32, receives propellant and a projectile (neither shown).

[0080] The casing cylinders 32 positioned from the bowl feeder 34 are then coupled to a respective casing base 18 by well-known methods, an example of which is compression fit. This is broadly referenced at cell 7, denoted by numeral 36. The next steps typically associated with the formation of the based casing include a restrike operation at cell 8, swage end operation at cell 9 and a restrike operation of the swage end at cell 10, represented by numerals 38, 40 and 42, respectively.

[0081] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates one possible arrangement for the casing cylinder 32 and casing base 14.

[0082] Once completed the based casings (not shown) are conveyed at 44 for secondary operations such as washing, inspection/quality control and packaging all of which are represented by numeral 46.

[0083] FIG. 3 depicts an operation where pre-existing bases are supplied from a bowl feeder 48. In this embodiment, the diamond wheel 14 with the matching profile of the casing base 18 is employed to impart a mirror finish to the existing base 18 at a specific diameter to enhance the quality of the overall finished and based casing. The advantages of treating pre-existing bases have been enumerated herein previously.

[0084] FIG. 4 illustrates a further embodiment where the diamond polishing wheel 14 is disposed at the final stage of the operation. In this manner, the casing base 18 attached to the casing 32 is polished as an assembled unit.

[0085] In alternate embodiments, the casing and base can be a single piece item made with the bar stock in reference to FIG. 1.

[0086] Further, in some instances, it may be desirable to have the casing diamond polished as well as the base. In this alternative, the profile of the diamond wheel would conform to the profile of the casing.

[0087] As mentioned herein, the overall process can be done in any number of ways known to those skilled. For example, multiple bases can be treated by a rotational mandrel and the individual operations conducted in a linear or rotational manner.

[0088] In a further embodiment of the technology set forth herein, FIG. 5 illustrates first cooperating engagement members 50 on casing base 18 configured to engage second cooperating engagement members 52 on casing cylinder 32 as shown in FIG. 6.

[0089] In the example, the first cooperating engagement members 50 are depicted as a plurality of arcuate recesses. The recesses are equidistantly spaced apart and concentric with the vertical axis 54 of the casing base 18 all with an equal distance from the axis 54. The members 50 are spaced inwardly from the perimeter 56 of the casing base 18 and recessed from the top edge 58 of the casing base. In this manner, a seating is generally formed having a wall 60 surrounding the members 50.

[0090] Referring now to FIG. 6, the second cooperating engagement members 52 are configured to be received in members 50 (FIG. 5). The members 50 and 52 may be reversed as projections and recesses or may include combinations of each.

[0091] The formation of members 50 and 52 in casing base 18 and casing cylinder 32 may be introduced at a suitable stage in the processing operations delineated in FIGS. 1 through 4. The formation of the members 50 and 52 is not only a manufacturing expedient, but also enhances the mechanical connection between the casing base 18 and casing cylinder 32 to prevent relative rotation therebetween during detonation of the complete ammunition. It is believed that since there is no rotation between the two, the casing assembly, i.e. the connected base 18 and cylinder 32, is not subjected to mechanical fatigue which would otherwise be realized at the connection absent the members 50 and 52. This has a commensurate result in that the assembly can have increased longevity for repeated reuse. The latter is a desirable advantage to enthusiasts since casing assembly jamming is reduced as well as cost to replace assemblies prematurely.

[0092] FIG. 7 illustrates the casing assembly 62 with the members 50 of casing base 18 engaged with members 52 of casing cylinder 32.

[0093] As has been generally stated herein previously, the type of metals used for the base casing 18 and the casing cylinder 32 may be the same or different. This will depend upon the specific user requirements for the ammunition.

[0094] Turning to FIG. 8, shown is a variation where there is provided a second course of members 52′. The second course is shown in the example as being concentric, aligned with and spaced from members 52. The shape of the members 52′ may be the same as that for 52 or different or a combination of these.

[0095] FIG. 9 illustrates another variation where members 52′ are concentric, but unaligned with members 52. It will be appreciated that there is also the possibility for alignment and unalignment in combination.

[0096] FIG. 10 depicts a further variation where casing base 18 has a plurality of members 50 dispersed in an irregular pattern. This may be useful to compensate for thermal variation response when the casing base 18 and casing cylinder 32 are composed of different metals. This randomness in disposition of the members 50 when engaged with correspondingly configured members 52 on casing cylinder 32 can alleviate warping or other mechanical stresses experienced between the parts 18 and 32 during detonation.