Nonrecocheting Projectile Patents (Class 102/398)
  • Patent number: 10690465
    Abstract: Frangible firearm projectiles, firearm cartridges containing the same, and methods for forming the same. The firearm projectiles are formed from compacted metal powders that may include an anti-sparking agent. The compacted metal powders may be or include a compacted mixture of metal powders that may include powders of one or more of iron, zinc, bismuth, copper, tungsten, nickel, boron, and/or alloys thereof, and/or oxides thereof. The compacted mixture may be heat treated for a time sufficient to form a plurality of discrete alloy domains within the compacted mixture. The frangible firearm projectile may be formed by a mechanism that includes vapor-phase diffusion bonding and oxidation of the metal powders and that does not include forming a liquid phase of any of the metal powders or utilizing a polymeric binder. The anti-sparking agent may include a borate, such as boric acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Environ-Metal, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Franklin Morse, Ralph Nauman, Robert Charles Nichols
  • Patent number: 10502537
    Abstract: An ammunition round comprises an optimized projectile incorporating a hardened penetrator and an explosive self-destruct mechanism for a medium caliber high rate of fire round. The ammunition round incorporates a hardened segment penetrator followed by a pyrotechnically initiated high explosive warhead that substantially increases the effective range and terminal performance against RAM targets. The hardened segment penetrator localizes the kinetic energy of the projectile to increase target penetration prior to the initiation of the high explosive warhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Nicole Sapp, Jeffrey Darbig, Jonathan Escobar
  • Patent number: 10260850
    Abstract: Frangible firearm projectiles, firearm cartridges containing the same, and methods for forming the same. The firearm projectiles are formed from a compacted mixture of metal powders that includes zinc and iron powders and which may include an anti-sparking agent. The compacted mixture is heat treated for a time sufficient to form a plurality of discrete alloy domains within the compacted mixture. The frangible firearm projectile may be formed by a mechanism that includes vapor-phase diffusion bonding and oxidation of the metal powders and that does not include forming a liquid phase of any of the metal powders or utilizing a polymeric binder. A majority component of the frangible firearm projectile may be iron. One or more of zinc, bismuth, tin, copper, nickel, tungsten, boron, and/or alloys thereof may form a minority component of the frangible firearm projectile. The anti-sparking agent may include a borate, such as boric acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Environ-Metal, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Franklin Morse, Ralph Nauman, Robert Charles Nichols
  • Patent number: 9410780
    Abstract: An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a method for creating and consolidating fragments and a useable structure formed from said consolidated fragments. The method includes swaging a metal powder into a first consolidated structure. The consolidated structure is ground to form particles and the particles are sifted to select those with a predetermined diameter. The particles having the predetermined diameter can then be swaged into a second consolidated structure. The resultant second consolidated structure is therefore configured to fragment controllably. The second consolidated structure can also be formed from reactive metal laminates such that the structure also has chemical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: David Michael Lunking, Timothy P. Weihs
  • Patent number: 8222583
    Abstract: A drag-stabilized water-entry projectile having a projectile body, one or more drag-stabilizing elements, such as fins, flares or canards, and one or more attachment members adapted to hold the one or more drag-stabilizing elements to the projectile body. The one or more attachment members are coated with a thermally reactive material. A projectile and cartridge assembly has a shear pin, a projectile having a first cutout portion, the cutout portion sized to receive the shear pin. The assembly also includes a sabot configured to house the projectile and having a second cutout portion, the second cutout portion sized to receive the shear pin. The cutout portion is positioned to provide an offset region between an aft end of the projectile and a base of the sabot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Jyun-Horng Fu, Antonio Paulic
  • Patent number: 8082847
    Abstract: A cavity-enhancing feature and method are disclosed for a projectile that is capable of operating underwater in a cavity-running mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: Jyun-Horng Fu
  • Patent number: 7273010
    Abstract: An impact part on a projectile permits the activation of detonation systems within a large angular range of contact with a target. The impact part is provided with annular recesses with embedded circular rings that engage with the target and prevent the projectile from rebounding. A thin-walled, dome-shaped tip prevents relatively large disruptive effects upon the projectile's hollow charge. As a result of dimensioning the impact part in accordance with the rules of fracture mechanics, it is possible to achieve a desired fragmentation on the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Saab Bofors Dynamics Switzerland Ltd.
    Inventor: Josef Bissig
  • Patent number: 6012393
    Abstract: A penetration warhead of a positively position-controlled roll-stabilized missile. The warhead has a main axis and includes a nose section which is asymmetric with respect to the main axis of the warhead, the asymmetry is selected such that upon impacting a target the forces acting on the nose section create a moment about the warhead's center of gravity which directs the penetration warhead in a direction which is substantially toward the perpendicular, thereby increasing the warhead's penetration depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: State of Israel-Ministry of Defense, Rafael-Armamient Dieve
    Inventor: Zeev Tal
  • Patent number: 5955698
    Abstract: A supercavitating water-entry projectile having empennage on the aft end ch provides both aerodynamic and hydrodynamic stability and a supercavitating nose section is provided. A representative projectile is a subcaliber munition adapted for use in a 25 mm weapon using a sabot currently in use with the M919 round. The projectile has circumferential grooves around its center section to match these sabots. A key feature in the invention is the size and shape of the nose section. The projectile has a novel high strength extended blunt nose section followed by a truncated conical section which angles towards the body of the projectile in the range of five degrees. During underwater trajectory, the entire projectile is contained within the cavitation bubble formed by the blunt nose tip. The projectile's aft empennage, which provides both aerodynamic and hydrodynamic stability, fits within the bore of the weapon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Thomas K. Harkins, Howard K. Steves, Jacques E. Goeller
  • Patent number: 5929370
    Abstract: A projectile is propelled from a location in air, through an air/water interface, and toward a submerged underwater object. The projectile includes a forward end that forms a cavitation void around the projectile in water, avoiding water drag on the remainder of the projectile. The projectile further includes an outwardly flared or finned rearward end that aerodynamically stabilizes the projectile in air and flare stabilizes it in water, in each case against yaw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Brown, Reed Copsey, Marshall Tulin, Roy Kline
  • Patent number: 5852255
    Abstract: A non-toxic, highly frangible elongated soft-point training round bullet core which will disintegrate upon striking its target, for use in a training round in training exercises for law enforcement personnel and having a central heart of non-toxic metal selected from a group consisting of zinc, iron, steel, and copper with a plurality of wires of non-toxic metal selected from that group twisted around said heart throughout its length prior to being swaged into deforming and inter-engaging relation with the heart, and the core having been subsequently swaged into the shape of a soft-point nose of a bullet, with pressures sufficient to cause the strands of wire and the heart to inter-engage and deform while retaining their individuality at least to a limited extent, whereupon substantially all of the strands of the core, upon the core being fired and striking a target, will fragment along at least some of their original physical boundaries into discrete fragments smaller than the original size of the bullet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: Federal Hoffman, Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Hallis, Richard W. Proulx
  • Patent number: 5834683
    Abstract: A projectile for firearms has a body (11) consisting of a plurality of disc-shaped elements (14) coaxially fitted in a holding cup (15) forcedly filled therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Fiocchi Munizioni S.p.A.
    Inventor: Carlo Benvegnu'
  • Patent number: 5679920
    Abstract: A non-toxic highly frangible training round bullet, and a method of making same, in which a plurality of segments of non-toxic metal selected from a group including zinc, iron, steel and copper are grouped or arranged within pressure-molding equipment and sufficient pressure is applied thereto to cause such segments to inter-engage and cohere, one to another, while being formed into a desired shape of bullet and retaining their individuality at least to a limited extent. Upon impact with a target, such a bullet fragments to a large extent along at least some of the original physical boundary lines of the original segments into new segments which are relatively small as compared to the size of the original segments. There is no substantial ricocheting or "bounce-back" activity associated with such fragmentation and, of course, there are no toxic effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Federal Hoffman, Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Hallis, Richard W. Proulx
  • Patent number: 4637313
    Abstract: A terra-finned earth penetrator having a plurality of axially symmetric fins adapted to rotate in a downward direction in response to off-axis inertial reactive forces generated on impact with earth. The penetrator thereby executes a tuck maneuver within the earth surface thereby avoiding ricochet, broaching or upward turning found in low level weapon delivery systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1987
    Assignee: Avco Corporation
    Inventors: David Henderson, James A. Hollowell, Howard A. Woodbury
  • Patent number: 4488487
    Abstract: A penetration bomb has a resistant body containing an explosive composition. The body has a rear portion connected by an intermediate portion to a front portion of reduced diameter. While the rear portion has a high explosive content, typically higher than 75%, the front portion has a thick content of explosive charge, typically about 15%. The intermediate zone is approximately frustoconical for transferring kinetic energy from the rear portion to the front portion which acts as a penetrator before firing of its explosive content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1984
    Assignee: MATRA
    Inventor: Pierre C. Croizer