Abstract: A sabot bullet is disclosed having a front conical part and a rear conical part converging towards each other and joined by an integral interconnecting part having a smooth outer surface joining with the adjacent ends of the conical front and rear parts. The front conical part has a forwardly open empty recess having flat side walls and a polygonal radial cross section in the front end thereof.

Abstract: An energetic combustible cartridge case comprises a tubular body of a plastic nonfelted sheet propellant and an outer coating portion of a thermoset polymeric resin such as a polyurethane. The sheet propellant is a colloidal nitrocellulose composition which preferably contains a large portion of nitroglycerine and diethylene glycol dinitrate.

Abstract: Apparatus for verifying the temperature of a polymerase chain reaction system comprises a pair of conical probe tips which are shaped to fit the wells of the temperature-controlled sample block. One of the probe tips encloses a resistance thermometer device which is connected by cable to a meter outside the system. The cable passes through the other probe tip where it is warmed, thereby reducing measurement errors due to heat conductance to ambient. The probe tips are normally arranged to fit into adjacent wells of the sample block.

Abstract: A high impedance current source includes a voltage to current transducer having positive and negative inputs with an output current passed through a monitor resistor. Matched resistances are connected from both sides of the monitor resistor back to the positive and negative inputs to the transducer. Matched resistances are also connected between the positive and negative inputs and a common base, and the control voltage is applied across the inputs through matched resistances. The circuit is preferably utilized to provide current to a circuit utilized in differential calorimetry.

Abstract: Alkali metal-containing glass beads for use as sources in thermionic detectors for gas chromatography are manufactured by a method which produces reproducible beads of preselected sizes. A glass tube of the desired composition is reduced to capillary size. A section having the volume of the desired bead is cut from the capillary tube and threaded onto a support wire. It is then melted and caused to coalesce onto the support wire. The resultant bead and a portion of the support wire are then incorporated into the detector.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in space environments to control the flow of a propellant to a thruster at a low mass flow rate comprises an insulated body having a cavity therein defining a vaporizing chamber, a porous medium having a low liquid permeability disposed in the chamber, a conduit means for feeding a propellant liquid into the chamber and exhausting a propellant vapor from the vaporizing chamber, and a heating means communicating with the medium within the chamber for controllable heating of the liquid propellant in the chamber creating a variable liquid/vapor transition zone within the medium. The transition zone is responsive to the heating means to control the mass flow rate of propellant through the vaporizing chamber. As the liquid/vapor transition zone is moved upstream by increasing the heater output, and thus increasing the volume of vapor within the porous medium, mass flow through the porous medium is decreased.

Abstract: The sabot bullet has a rearwardly tapered front part and a forwardly tapered rear part converging toward each other and spaced from each other by an integral connecting part. The sabot for the bullet has two mating segments each having complementary shaped tapered front and rear cavity parts converging toward an integral interconnecting part. Each segment has a transverse flat disk portion at the rear of the rear part. The segments form an integral, transverse circular disk which abutts the rear end face of the projectile when the sabot segments are joined about the bullet.

Abstract: A nontoxic primer mix for use in a percussive primer, especially of the Boxer type which principally comprises diazodinitrophenol and boron. The composition may also contain calcium carbonate or strontium nitrate as an oxidizer, a nitrate ester as a fuel, and tetrazene as a secondary explosive.

Abstract: A method of assembling a pyrotechnically initiated explosive projectile having coaxially arranged, a nose incendiary, a penetrator core, a high explosive, and an overall jacket. A seal ring is installed between the nose incendiary and the penetrator core to preclude relative movement between the core and the jacket during projectile assembly, acceleration and spin up from prematurely igniting the incendiary charge. The seal ring has a front collar portion which preferably has a diameter greater than that of the inside diameter of the jacket so that the collar scrapes the inside wall of the jacket during insertion to remove incendiary residual so that no incendiary can lodge between the jacket and the penetrator core.

Abstract: A reinforced sub-caliber kinetic energy penetrator comprises an elongated solid cylindrical hard metal body having a plurality of circumferential channels in said surface of said body. A plurality of circumferential reinforcing bands are swaged into the channels in the body to mechanically interlock the bands and said body together. The reinforcing bands stiffen the penetrator during impact with a target at oblique angles and enhance the target penetration and after armor effects.

Abstract: A cartridge assembly is provided, in one embodiment, comprising a combustible casing with an open forward end and an open breach end, enclosed at the breech end by a thin metal stub casing, a projectile assembly mounted in the forward end, an igniter assembly, a resilient obturator pop riveted to the casing, and annular sabot, and a plurality of flexible combustible priming tubes immersed in a propellant charge and extending the length of the casing. In another embodiment, the combustible casing comprises two separate casings joined together with fasteners, each casing having a set of flexible combustible priming tubes, an interface portion defined between the two where respective ends of combustible priming tubes abut. In both embodiments, the priming tubes combust rapidly producing complete ignition of the propellant charge and resultant stable projectile flight.

Abstract: An ammunition cartridge is disclosed comprising a projectile threadably attached to a combustible case body via a threaded combustible case adapter. At least one of the adapter end have an uniform density of polyurethane resin to provide strength and sufficient support for the threads. The combustible case body may also have an uniform resin density to support threads corresponding to those on the rear end of the adapter. The preferable uniform polyurethane density is about 0.75 grams per cubic centimeter.

Abstract: A moisture seal over shot wad for a roll crimped shotshell casing. The seal has a pair of spaced tubular flanges which comprise the rim portion of the disk shaped over shot wad. The tubular flanges are designed to receive the terminal end of the shotshell casing as the roll crimp is formed to frictionally engage the terminal end and seal the casing against the intrusion of moisture.

Abstract: A pyrotechnically initiated explosive projectile has coaxially arranged, a nose incendiary, a penetrator core, a high explosive, and an overall jacket. A seal ring is installed between the nose incendiary and the penetrator core to preclude relative movement between the core and the jacket during projectile assembly, acceleration and spin up from prematurely igniting the incendiary charge. The seal ring has a front collar portion which preferably has a diameter greater than that of the inside diameter of the jacket so that the collar scrapes the inside wall of the jacket during insertion to remove incendiary residual so that no incendiary can lodge between the jacket and the penetrator core.

Abstract: A controlled expanding small caliber bullet is disclosed which comprises a unitary metal body of generally H shaped cross section having an ogival nose portion, a cylindrical heel portion behind the nose portion, and an integral transverse partition therebetween. The nose portion has an empty hollow point formed by a forwardly open central blind bore. The heel portion has a rearwardly opened cavity filled with a dense material such as lead. The cavity is closed behind the lead core by a solid disk crimped into mechanical engagement with the heel portion of the metal body.

Abstract: A shotshell casing has a tubular body with an open mouth end and an integral compression formed basewad portion at the other end. A metal case head is preferably installed over the basewad portion. The basewad portion has a circumferential channel in the wall of the body above the end of the basewad portion. This channel forms a cavity beneath the metal case head which collapses upon propellant ignition to absorb a portion of the recoil force produced upon shotshell firing.

Abstract: An increased volume shotshell having a biaxially oriented plastic tubular body has an end closure disk heat sealed to the open end of the shotshell eliminating the conventional star crimp closure. The increases volume results from making available the space normally taken up by the internal folds of the crimp. The end closure on the open end of the shotshell tube is fused to the tubular body to seal the shot load without destroying the biaxial orientation of the open end of the tubular body.

Abstract: An arcjet thruster is disclosed which has an electrically conductive anode body having an anode cavity therein which defines a nozzle symmetrical about a central axis. The anode cavity has a tandemly arranged divergent recombination portion and a divergent expansion portion. The expansion portion has a greater rate of divergence than the recombination portion. The anode body further preferably comprises a cylindrical constrictor portion upstream and in tandem with the recombination portion. An electrically conductive cylindrical cathode body is coaxially arranged and spaced from the anode body by a gap. An electrical current source connected to the cathode and the anode produces an electrical arc across the gap. A vortex flow of propellant gas is fed through the gap and through the nozzle to produce thrust. The vortex flow of propellant gas pushes the arc through the constrictor into one of the divergent portions of the nozzle.

Abstract: A submunition dispensing system is disclosed which includes inflatable bladders expandable from collapsed to inflated conditions in response to fluid pressure. The bladders are mounted in cavities of a carrier frame underlying subpacks of submunitions. The bladders lie adjacent to the support and central structures of the frame defining the cavities. Each bladder can be configured to have either an unpleated or a pleated configuration in the collapsed condition. The bladder can also be configured for expansion to an overall constant diameter outer shape or to a generally conical outer shape in the inflated condition. Expansion to the conical shape imparts a velocity gradient to the subpack. The dispensing system also includes retaining assemblies for releasably retaining the subpacks in the cavities against the collapsed bladders and a gas generator disposed in a passage of the central structure of the carrier frame.

Abstract: A low cost penetrator projectile is disclosed having a hard metal penetrator core with a generally hollow conical shape. The core is formed from low carbon steel in a series of progressive dies. The formed cores are then carburized and tempered to achieve a final Rockwell hardness of between about C50 and C55.