Fragmentation Patents (Class 102/389)
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Patent number: 11796293Abstract: A telescoped ammunition formed of a shell integrated into a case closed by a rear end cap, the shell includes a nose cone, a body made of a heavy material followed by a cage, wherein the body of the shell is formed of an internal part and an external part, the internal part being tubular in shape and having embrittlement grooves the external part being arranged to press on the internal part and formed of a stack of discs, each disc having embrittlement grooves.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2020Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: CTA INTERNATIONALInventors: Chris Carr, Titouan Voillot
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Patent number: 11598621Abstract: A munition includes a warhead having a warhead axis and axially opposed first and second warhead ends. The warhead includes: a tubular shock attenuation barrier including an axially extending passage extending from a first barrier end proximate the first warhead end to a second barrier end proximate the second warhead end; an explosive core charge disposed in the passage; an explosive main charge surrounding the shock attenuation barrier; projectiles surrounding the main charge; a core charge detonator; and a main charge detonator. The warhead is configured to be activated in each of a first projection mode and an alternative second projection mode. When the warhead is activated in the first projection mode, the main charge detonator detonates the main charge to thereby forcibly project the projectiles from the warhead with a first set of projection velocities and velocity profile.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2022Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: Corvid Technologies LLCInventors: David Thomas Stowe, Andrew John Auvil
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Patent number: 10976144Abstract: A cartridge that generates higher than typical chamber pressures has an enhanced means of primer retention for retaining the primer in the primer recess of the casing. The means may be a lip folded onto a conical surface, a annular groove to receive deformed primer wall portion material upon detonation, a concavity in the rearward facing wall of the primer, a check valve in the flash tube to inhibit propellant gases from reaching the primer recess, or specifically configured primers with a greater length than diameter and with greater wall thicknesses.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2019Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: Vista Outdoor Operations LLCInventors: Bryan Peterson, Jared Kutney, Joel L. Sandstrom
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Patent number: 10436558Abstract: A preformed warhead is provided with a casing having a front section and a rear section. A plurality of target piercing fragments is arranged at the front section. The density of a given fragment diminishes the further the given fragment is from a centerline of the warhead. An initiating point located on the centerline is positioned at the rear section of the warhead. An explosive charge is positioned between the initiating point and the target piercing fragments. Upon detonation of the warhead, the explosive wave propagates in a radial fashion such that the fragments receiving the impact of the explosive force soonest and most directly are those fragments closest to the centerline. Thus, a substantially planar velocity profile of all the fragments is achieved.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2008Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Inventor: Jason C. Gilliam
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Patent number: 8943974Abstract: A wall breaching explosive fragmentation ammunition having a tungsten alloy nose cap with ceramic cone nose which make possible penetration into a hardened target with survivability of the warhead. The ammunition employs a unitary construction with fuze completely within the projectile's shell case. The ammunition has an external plastic rotating band which also encloses an induction antenna. The antenna may signal the fuze on a wire, through a hole in the shell case. The fuze signals may be fed through a gun barrel, then picked up on the antenna. The ammunition also employs a controlled pattern fragmentation mechanism incorporating a patterned plastic liner.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2012Date of Patent: February 3, 2015Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the ArmyInventors: Vladimir M. Gold, William J. Poulos
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Patent number: 8794154Abstract: An artillery projectile for firing from an artillery gun, mortar or artillery rocket launcher. The artillery projectile includes a body, a payload with a number of inert fragments located within the body, a booster motor associated with the body for accelerating the body with the payload to a penetration velocity, and an opening arrangement associated with the body and deployed for initiating release of the fragments. The artillery projectile further includes a control system causally associated with the booster motor and the opening arrangement. The control system is configured to generate a first command to actuate the booster motor and a second command to actuate the opening arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2009Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.Inventor: Menachem Rotkopf
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Patent number: 8387538Abstract: Some embodiments pertain to a projectile that includes a propellant and a casing that encloses the propellant such that the casing acts as a reaction chamber during flight of the projectile. The casing includes a plurality of flechettes. When the projectile strikes (or is near) a target, a large internal sheer pressure forms within the casing. This sheer pressure causes the flechettes to sheer apart at the thinnest sections of the casing. Once the thin sections of the casing are sheered apart, the flechettes will be unconstrained such that the flechettes take individual flight paths.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2010Date of Patent: March 5, 2013Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventor: Steven J. Elder
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Patent number: 8272329Abstract: The dynamically configurable controlled fragmentation insert mechanism of this invention includes an assembly of three or more sleeves with differing through hole patterns thereon, that fit inside the shell casing. The individual sleeves can move independently of one another and a simple pinning mechanism holds the parts in place for a selected configuration. The warfighter can realign the insert sleeves by to create different geometric patterns of holes, each designed to engage a different target set with optimally sized fragments. The aligned patterns of holes creates individual geometric shapes that focus high-velocity jets to cut into the steel shell casing to correlate to the through-holes in the aligned patterned sleeves. Realigning the insert sleeves changes the through-hole pattern to produce different fragment sizes and mass distributions.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2011Date of Patent: September 25, 2012Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the ArmyInventors: Henry Hsieh, Peter Rottinger, Richard Fong
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Patent number: 7347906Abstract: The invention, as embodied herein, comprises a variable yield warhead comprising an inner core of cylindrically-shaped, explosive material surrounded by an outer annulus of a different explosive material. The inner core explosive material has a heat of combustion comprising about 16 kcal/cc or higher and the outer annulus of explosive material has a heat of detonation comprising about 2.1 kcal/cc or higher. A warhead casing surrounds the outer annulus of material. The warhead has a dual initiation system. The first initiation system comprises a detonation cord that extends substantially through the inner core of explosive material and has an initiator at the tope side. The second initiation system comprises a booster explosive that contacts the bottom side of the outer annulus of explosive material and an initiator proximate to the booster.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2004Date of Patent: March 25, 2008Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventor: Raafat H. Guirguis
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Patent number: 6966265Abstract: An ammunition device (4) comprising one or more warhead effect jackets (17), each jacket containing warhead effect elements (18). The ammunition device also incorporates one or more explosive compositions arranged inside each warhead effect jacket that in or close to the target is/are triggerable by means of a triggering device. One or more separation charges is/are arranged adjacent to each warhead effect jacket that when actuated cause removel of one or more said warhead effect jacket(s). The actuation devices incorporate or interact with a programming device that operates with a first mode that can be an initial mode in which the actuation devices remain non-actuated, and a second mode in which the programming device actuates the actuation devices for initiating the separation charges, thereby causing ejection of each warhead effect jacket concerned.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2001Date of Patent: November 22, 2005Assignee: Bofors Defence ABInventors: Torsten Ronn, Nils Johansson
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Patent number: 6962113Abstract: The present invention comprises a warhead designed to provide a number of spiraling tendrils composed of segmented rods that move in an increasing radial arc in order to defeat a target. The warhead comprises a substantially cylindrical explosive charge having a plurality of rod segments arranged circumferentially around the explosive charge in a plurality of horizontal layers. As the horizontal layers descend down the explosive charge, the rod segments are offset from those directly above and below them to create a pattern that appears to be twisted columns. The number of columns is equivalent to the number of rod segments in each horizontal layer.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2003Date of Patent: November 8, 2005Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Victor John Carlson, Timothy S. Hennessey, Mary H. Sherlock, Windsor Furr
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Patent number: 6910421Abstract: A general purpose bomb having a shaped charge penetrator warhead mounted in the front of the bomb and facing forward, in which the caliber of the warhead is at least 90% of the caliber of the general purpose bomb.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 1993Date of Patent: June 28, 2005Assignee: BAE Systems plcInventors: Bernard C. Gethings, Dennis J. Flynn, John A. Appleton
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Patent number: 6895864Abstract: The present invention relates to a segmented subcaliber projectile (1) subdivisible into a number of separate segments contiguous with each other at least initially to form an integral projectile of united segments or submunitions (5). The advantage with this subcaliber projectile is that since the segments or submunitions (5) are arranged sequentially after each other, each one comprises an explosive charge (7) initiatable by a very powerful shock and encased in an outer casing (6) of hard material such that the projectile in integral form can be used directly against heavy armor, and by means of dispersion of the various segments can also be used against aircraft.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2001Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignee: Borfors Defence ABInventor: Torsten Ronn
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Patent number: 6374744Abstract: A shrouded bomb is provided having components which are substantially free of weld lines and rivets. The shroud assembly includes a nose cone having a forward end and a rear end, a central tube having a forward end contiguous with the rear end of the nose cone, and a rear end, and an aft tube having a forward end contiguous with the rear end of the central tube.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2000Date of Patent: April 23, 2002Assignee: Lockheed Martin CorporationInventors: Bruce E. Schmacker, Ronald L. Wooten
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Patent number: 5691502Abstract: A plurality of objects is deployed in generally radial directions at low velocities in order to achieve a predetermined pattern of the deployed objects. The device has a metal inner wall member (20, 120) having a plurality of annular cylindrical segments of differing outside diameters, an explosive body (22, 122) of low velocity explosive, and a plurality of arrays (40, 140) positioned coaxially with and exteriorly of the explosive body (22, 122) and spaced along the length of the explosive body (22, 122). Each array (40, 140) comprises a plurality of objects (28). The explosive body (22, 122) can be in the form of a plurality of annular sections which provide the objects (28) in each array with an amount of energy different from that provided to each of the objects in the adjacent array. An annular flange (32) can separate the forward end of the explosive body (22, 122) from a booster ring (66), or the booster ring (166) can be positioned within a central cavity of the inner wall member (120).Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 1995Date of Patent: November 25, 1997Assignee: Lockheed Martin Vought Systems Corp.Inventors: Gerald Graves Craddock, Elmer C. Cruise
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Patent number: 5668346Abstract: For attacking semi-hard target objects (21) even in a semi-covered position (for the avoidance of the munition-technical expenditure on the intelligent search-fuse submunition with P-charge against hard targets), there is provided a scatter munition whose warhead (22 ) descends into the target area (12 ), hanging on a rotational parachute (13), and triggers off a fragment cone of heavy metal balls (23) inclinedly downwardly as soon as a search-fuse sensor (19) which is oriented parallel to the operative direction acquires a target object (21) on the basis of its own radiation, its radiation shadow or its contour relative to the surrounding target area (12).Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 1996Date of Patent: September 16, 1997Assignee: Diehl GmbH & Co.Inventors: Jurgen Kunz, Max Rentzsch
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Patent number: 5535679Abstract: A plurality of objects is deployed in generally radial directions at a low velocity in order to achieve a predetermined pattern of the deployed objects. The device has an inner wall member (20), an annular body (43) of low velocity explosive, at least a first plurality of objects (56) in a first annular array (51) and a second plurality of objects (56) in a second annular array (52) positioned coaxially with and exteriorly of the annular body (43) of low velocity explosive, the arrays being positioned at different locations along the length of the annular body (43) of low velocity explosive such that the objects in each array are provided with an amount of energy different from that provided to each of the objects in the adjacent array. Each of the objects (56) has a shape which minimizes aerodynamically induced deviations in the path of the object during deployment, a mass of at least 50 grams, and a density of at least 15 g/cc.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 1994Date of Patent: July 16, 1996Assignee: Loral Vought Systems CorporationInventor: Gerald G. Craddock
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Patent number: 5337673Abstract: An improved method of producing a controlled fragmentation warhead case by mbedding an expanded metal liner on the interior surface of a casing for a warhead or other ordnance device. The process of embedding an expanded metal liner into the casing during the forming of the casing produces a controlled fragmentation grid on the interior surface of the casing. The improved method of producing a controlled fragmentation warhead case is particularly suitable for weapon systems employing large, unitary warheads.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 1993Date of Patent: August 16, 1994Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Robert A. Koontz, Kenneth R. Hayes
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Patent number: 5095821Abstract: The fragmentation casing has a one-piece hollow body (1) that incorporates nominal break points; this hollow body (1) is divided at least in one section (4) by at least one separating cut (5) that forms a separating gap. The separating cut is so made that the hollow body remains in the form of a one-piece structure. The surfaces of the separating cut that are adjacent in the separating gap are brought into contact with each other and are so fixed in contact with each other.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 1989Date of Patent: March 17, 1992Assignee: HUG Interlizenz AGInventor: Karl Merz
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Patent number: 4516501Abstract: Ammunition, such as a warhead with an explosive charge comprises a casing which is provided with a material construction of a nature providing at least controlled formation of fragments of a certain preferred mass, coverings for formation of explosion formed projectiles of a certain preferred mass, or preformed fragments of a certain preferred mass. The explosive charge is located within the casing and there are means for selective munition conversion alternatively to control formation of fragments or to natural fragmentation. For this purpose one or more recesses are provided in the explosive charge adjacent the casing as a means for munition conversion to the formation of explosion formed projectiles or unshattered preformed fragments. The filling of inert material is provided in at least a portion of the recess and it comprises a liquid inert material or a plastic inert material or a liquid explosive or plastic explosive.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 1981Date of Patent: May 14, 1985Assignee: Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm GmbHInventors: Manfred Held, Peter Grossler
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Patent number: 4458596Abstract: A multi-purpose bomblet is designed for accomplishing various military mions. A standoff spike and shaped charged are provided for piercing heavy armor and a fragmentation case surrounds the shaped charge. Upon detonation of the shaped charge, the fragmentation case disintegrates to provide shrapnel which is effective against personnel. An inner liner of incendiary material also surrounds the shaped charge and, upon detonation of the shaped charge, the incendiary material is ignited and dispersed and is useful for starting fires.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 1982Date of Patent: July 10, 1984Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventor: Stanley Armstrong
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Patent number: 4398467Abstract: An explosive fragmentation device such as a grenade or a mortar bomb has a casing formed from flat sided notched wire formed into a coil. Instead of coiling the wire so that sides of the coiled wire which are adjacent after coiling lie normal to the longitudinal axis of the coil, as in a known form of grenade body, the wire is given additionally a twist about its own longitudinal axis during coiling, so that the adjacent flat faces of adjacent turns are substantially normal to the surface of the finished casing. In this way adjacent turns overlay one another, preferably completely, and the outer surface of the casing can then be smooth. Also, adjacent turns can then be bonded together as by brazing or soldering, which is impractical with coiling "normal to the axis". This means explosive cannot be trapped between adjacent turns to be accidentally detonated, an outer casing is unnecessary, and the casing is stronger.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 1980Date of Patent: August 16, 1983Assignee: The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandInventor: John W. Leigh
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Patent number: H1047Abstract: A rod for use in fragmenting warheads is notched so that when it is subjed to an explosive load it will break into individual fragments of predetermined shape and size. Various materials can be used depending on the desired kill mechanism. The rods may be alternated and stacked to combine materials and kill mechanisms.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 1991Date of Patent: May 5, 1992Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: William M. Henderson, Leonard T. Wilson, Charles R. Garnett
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Patent number: H1048Abstract: A rod is constructed using two or more materials. It is notched so that w it is subject to an explosive load it will break into individual fragments of predetermined shape and size. Rod materials are selected so that a combination of two or more kill mechanisms can be included in a single fragment. If desired, the rod can be divided into segments that contain liquid compounds.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 1991Date of Patent: May 5, 1992Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the NavyInventors: Leonard T. Wilson, Charles R. Garnett, William M. Henderson