Frangible munition

Abstract

The invention relates to a common carrier munition ammunition device, more particularly to common carrier payload delivery shell with a frangible ogive element. There is provided a common carrier munition comprising a tail unit, a main body which comprises a payload cavity for receiving a payload, a fuze, and located between said main body and the fuze an frangible ogive element, wherein the tail unit and main body comprise cooperatively engaging male and female threaded portions, wherein at least one of the threads is a shearable thread.

Claims

1. A frangible munition comprising: a tail unit; a main body which comprises a payload cavity for receiving a payload; a fuze; an explosive train operably connected to said fuze; a frangible ogive element located between said main body and the fuze, wherein the frangible ogive element and main body are retained in operable engagement by at least one frangible link, such that upon an impact, said frangible link is caused to fail; a locking ring located between the main body and said frangible ogive element, to retain said payload within the payload cavity, wherein the locking ring and main body comprise cooperatively engaging threaded portions, and wherein the frangible link of the frangible ogive element is threaded to engage the locking ring; and a further shearable portion between the main body and the tail unit having a lower shear strength than the frangible link, such that the further shearable portion between the tail unit and the main body fails prior to said frangible link being caused to fail.

2. The munition according to claim 1, wherein the frangible link is a shearable thread or at least one shear pin.

3. The munition according to claim 2, wherein the main body comprises a first threaded portion manufactured from a first material, and the frangible ogive element comprises a second threaded portion manufactured from second material, wherein the second material has a lower hardness value than the first material.

4. The munition according to claim 3, wherein the first material is selected from a steel alloy and the second material is selected from aluminium or alloy thereof.

5. The munition according to claim 1, wherein the locking ring and main body comprise cooperatively engaging threaded portions.

6. The munition according to claim 1, wherein the frangible ogive element has a forward end locatable with said fuze and an aft end locatable with said main body, wherein the internal diameter of the aft end of said frangible ogive element is substantially the same as the internal diameter of said payload cavity.

7. The munition according to claim 1, wherein the fuze is operably connected to at least one expulsion charge, wherein said charge is suspended in free space.

8. The munition according to claim 1, wherein the payload cavity has substantially parallel walls, which extend from the intersection of the tail unit to the locking ring.

9. The munition according to claim 1, wherein the payload is a modular unit.

10. The munition according to claim 9, wherein the modular unit, is reversibly loadable from the aft end of the main body.

11. The munition according to claim 2, wherein the payload is capable of being dispensed rearwardly from the main body, upon shearing the shearable thread.

12. A method of dispensing a payload from a munition according to claim 1, comprising: causing initiation of an expulsion charge, the expulsion charge operably connected to the explosive train; and causing shearing of the shearable thread.

13. The munition according to claim 1 wherein ignition of the explosive train causes the further shearable portion between the tail unit and the main body to fail thereby allowing the payload to be dispensed rearwardly from the main body.

14. A frangible munition comprising: a main body which comprises a payload cavity for receiving a payload; a fuze; an explosive train operably connected to said fuze; a frangible ogive element located between said main body and the fuze, wherein the frangible ogive element and main body are retained in operable engagement by at least one frangible link, such that upon an impact, said frangible link is caused to fail, wherein the frangible link comprises a shearable thread; a locking ring located between the main body and said frangible ogive element, to retain said payload within the payload cavity, wherein the locking ring and main body comprise cooperatively engaging threaded portions, and wherein the frangible link of the frangible ogive element is threaded to engage the locking ring; and a further shearable portion between the main body and the tail unit having a lower shear strength than the frangible link, such that the further shearable portion between the tail unit and the main body fails prior to said frangible link being caused to fail.

15. The munition according to claim 14, wherein the main body comprises a first threaded portion manufactured from a first material, and the frangible ogive element comprises a second threaded portion manufactured from second material, wherein the second material has a lower hardness value than the first material.

16. The munition according to claim 14, wherein the locking ring and main body comprise cooperatively engaging threaded portions.

17. The munition according to claim 14, wherein the fuze is operably connected to at least one expulsion charge, wherein said charge is suspended in free space.

18. The munition according to claim 14 wherein the payload is a modular unit, and the modular unit is reversibly loadable from the aft end of the main body.

Description

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the device in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIGS. 1 show an exploded side view of a shell according to the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross section along the axis of the shell in FIG. 1.

(4) Turning to FIG. 1 there is provided a shell 1, with a main body 5, which is manufactured from a steel alloy. Located around the circumference of the main body 5 is a copper driving band 4, which allows engagement with the rifling on the bore of a barrel, so as to impart spin. A tail unit 2 is located at the aft of the main body 5. The tail unit 2 is made from aluminium and contains a male threaded portion 3, which engages with a reciprocal female threaded portion (not shown) located in the aft of the main body 5. The payload 10 (shown external to the shell 1), when located in the payload cavity (not shown), inside the main body, is retained in place by use of a locking ring 6, which screws into the forward end of main body 5. The frangible ogive element 7 has a frangible link 7a, in the form of an aluminium thread. The frangible ogive element 7 may be secured to the locking ring 6 or directly to the main body 5. The frangible ogive element receives the expulsion charge 8 and fuze 9. Upon operation of the fuze 9, the expulsion charge 8 builds up pressure within the frangible ogive element and at the bursting pressure the thread 3 shears and the payload 10 is expelled from the aft of the main body 5. During a blind event, the shell 1 would not function as detailed above, and would hit the ground, wherein the frangible link 7a would be caused to fail, such that if fuze 9 did erroneously function, that the expulsion charge 8 would be at least partially vented and would not cause the payload 10 to be expelled from the shell 1.

(5) FIG. 2 shows an illumination shell 20, with a main body 24 formed from a steel alloy, with a driving band 26 located thereupon. A tail unit 12 is located at the aft of the main body 24. The tail unit 12 is made from aluminium and contains a male threaded portion 13, which engages with a reciprocal female threaded portion 14 located at the aft of the main body 24.

(6) The payload 22 is located in the payload cavity 15, and is retained in place by use of a locking ring 16, which screws into the forward end of main body 24. The payload 22 is a modular illumination or smoke payload, (contents not shown) which slides into the payload cavity 15.

(7) The frangible ogive element 17 has a frangible link 17a, in the form of an aluminium thread, which is fastened to the locking ring 16. The frangible ogive element receives the expulsion charge 18 and fuze 19. Upon operation of the fuze 19, the expulsion charge 18 builds up pressure within the frangible ogive element and at the bursting pressure the thread 13 shears and the payload 22 is expelled from the aft of the main body 24.

(8) Upon operation of the fuze 19, the expulsion charge 18 builds up pressure within the frangible ogive element 17 and at the bursting pressure the thread 13 shears and the payload 22 is expelled from the aft of the main body 24.

(9) During a blind event, the fuze 19 would not function as detailed above, and the shell 20 would hit the ground, wherein the frangible link 17a would be caused to fail. Therefore if the fuze 19 did erroneously function, the expulsion charge 18 would be at least partially vented via the failed frangible link and would not cause the payload 22 to be expelled from the shell 20.