US3129665A

US3129665A - Shell with plastic explosive and hollow liner

Info

Publication number: US3129665A
Application number: US209770A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr John O Evans
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-02-07
Filing date: 1951-02-07
Publication date: 1964-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1981-04-21

Description

April 21, 1964 J. o. EVANS, JR 3,129,665

SHELL WITH PLASTIC EXPLOSIVE AND HOLLOW LINER Filed Feb. 7, 1951 INVENTOR F157. 3

JOHN C. EVANS JR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,129,665 SI-ELL WITH PLASTIC EXPLOSIVE AND HOLLOW LINER John 0. Evans, 312, Washington, D.C. (3121 Westcliif Road W., Fort Worth, Tex.) Filed Feb. 7, 1951, Ser. No. 299,770 4 Claims. (U. 10256) This invention relates to projectiles, more particularly to shell for use against armor.

The invention utilizes in a single projectile two known principles, namely:

(a) The shaped charge effect, and (b) The plastic explosive or squash head effect.

An object of the invention is to provide a shell having excellent armor penetrating characteristics.

Another object is to provide a shaped charge projectile that carries an unusually large explosive charge.

Another object is to provide a shell of this character that is constructed in a simple manner of relatively few and simple components.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention are realized in an explosive shell comprising an elongated enclosed hollow casing having a nose portion the walls of which are deformable upon impact and a body portion having substantially stronger walls, enclosed hollow liner means supported within said casing and substantially spaced from the walls thereof, said liner means extending from a point within the body portion of said casing to a point within the nose portion of said casing, an initiator in the body portion of said casing, an explosive composition substantially filling the space between said linear means and the walls of said casing, at least a substantial part of the explosive composition in the nose portion of said casing being plastic.

One form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a shell embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the plane of the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of one of the components of the shell of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the shell at a stage shortly after impact with a target.

Referring to the drawing, the illustrative shell has a body portion of conventional form having relatively thick, strong side walls and a base fuze and booster device 11 that is also conventional.

An ogival nose portion 12 is screwed at 13 to the body 10. An annular recess 14 is provided between a shoulder 15 of the nose portion and the forward end of the body and a ring 16 is removably seated in this recess. The ring has inwardly projecting legs 17 welded to the bottom or rearward part of the skirt of a bell-shaped liner 18 that extends forwardly into the nose cavity of the shell.

A conical cup-shaped liner 19 is fitted into the bottom of the liner 18 and tack-welded thereto along the line 20 of peripheral engagement therebetween. This conical liner projects rearwardly into the body cavity of the shell.

The assembly of

liner

18 and 19 provides an envelope in which is a cavity 21 that normally contains only air. These liners are preferably made of metal such as steel or copper.

The body cavity of the shell is filled with a brisant high explosive composition 22 up to the liner 19 and spider ring legs 17. The nose cavity is filled with a plastic high explosive composition 23 forwardly of the spider ring and the liner 18. The masses of explosive composition in the nose and body cavities may be in physical contact with each other through the openings between the legs 17 of the spider ring. The charge 22 may be TNT and the charge 23 may be TNT plasticized with lubricating oil, wax or the like.

The nose portion 12 of the shell preferably is formed of a soft, ductile metal such as aluminum or magnesium or alloys thereof. The body portion 10 may be a conventional steel forging.

Referring to FIG. 4, the projectile of FIGS. 1 to 3 is shown in contact with a target 24 that may be an armor plate. In point of time, the shell has struck the target and the fuze and booster have just been fired but the explosive wave or shock wave has not yet progressed forwardly through the explosive material 22 to the apex of the cone liner 19. The nose portion 12 has been flattened at the forward end against the target and the liner 18 has been driven forwardly through the plastic explosive material 23 into contact with the nose portion 12. Some deformation of the front of the liner 18 has occurred. The plastic explosive is deformed and expanded laterally to provide a mushroom shaped head. A clear passage is provided by the cup 18 forwardly of the base of the conical liner 19 to the nose portion 12.

Now, let it be assumed that the shock wave progresses forwardly to the base of the conical liner 19. The liner collapses inwardly extruding an armor piercing jet that is projected forwardly through the space provided by the cup 18 to penetrate the forward end of the cup, the nose portion 12 and the target 24.

The shock wave continues forwardly through the annular mushroom shaped mass of plastic explosive material 23, through the nose portion 12 and into the target 24. The effect of this shock wave is to set up disruptive stresses in the target resulting in spalling of the metal at the reverse side of the armor plate.

The fuze in the fuze and booster device 11 preferably is one of the inertia type that functions by action of set forward forces. It is adjusted to function shortly after impact of the projectile against the target at a time that will allow the explosive wave to reach the cone apex just after the liner 18 has been driven forward into contact with the deformed nose piece 12.

From the foregoing description, other forms of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the ordnance art. The forwardly projecting liner 18 may be replaced by other means that will provide a substantially unobstructed path through which the armor piercing jet produced by the conical liner 19 may travel to the target through the mass of plastic explosive. The liner 19 may have other appropriate forms. The explosive containing cavities of the shell may be entirely filled with plastic explosive instead of being partly filled with a non-plastic type.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a spin stabilized projectile, it is evident that it may be applied to fin stabilized or other non-rotating projectiles.

I claim:

1. An explosive shell comprising an elongated enclosed hollow casing having a nose portion the walls of which are deformable upon impact and a body portion having substantially stronger walls, enclosed hollow liner means supported within said casing and substantially spaced from the walls thereof, said liner means extending from a point within the body portion of said casing to a point within the nose portion of said casing, explosive composition substantially filling the space between said liner means and the walls of said casing, at least a substantial part of the explosive composition in the nose portion of said casing being plastic, and means for initiating detonation of said explosive composition solely at the base thereof.

2. An explosive shell comprising a shell body having a cavity therein, a first liner at the front end of said body cavity and spaced from the walls of said body, said first liner having a forwardly facing depression therein, a nose portion secured to said shell body and extending forwardly thereof, said nose portion having a cavity therein, a second liner in said nose portion cavity and spaced from the walls of said nose portion, said second liner having a rearwardly facing depression therein, the depression of said second liner communicating with the depression of said first liner, a plastic explosive composition in the space between said second liner and said nose portion, an explosive composition in the space between said first liner and said shell body, and base fuze means in said shell body positioned to initiate detonation solely at the base of the explosive composition in said shell body.

3. An explosive shell comprising a substantially cylindrical shell body having a substantially cylindrical coaxial cavity therein, said cavity being closed at the base end and open at the forward end, a hollow ogival nose piece attached to the forward end of said shell body, said nose piece having a rearwardly opening cavity communicating with the forwardly opening cavity of said shell body, the walls of said nose piece being constructed of a ductile metal readily deformable on impact, a substantially cylindrical first liner supported in the cavity of said nose piece and spaced from the walls of said nose piece, said first liner being open at the rearward end and closed at the forward end, a second conical liner supported in the open end of said first liner with its apex pointing rearwardly and substantially spaced from the walls of said shell body, a plastic explosive composition in the space between said nose piece and said first liner, an explosive composition in the space between the walls of said shell body and said second liner, and a base fuze in said shell body cavity positioned to initiate detonation solely at the base of the explosive composition in said shell body.

4. An explosive shell comprising an elongated enclosed hollow casing having a nose portion the walls of which are deformable upon impact of the shell against a target, enclosed hollow liner means supported within said casing and spaced from the walls of said casing, the rearward portion of said liner means having the form of a cone pointing rearwardly, explosive composition substantially filling the space between said liner means and the walls of said casing, at least a substantial part of the explosive composition in the nose portion of said casing being plastic, and base fuze means for initiating detonation of said explosive composition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,150,667 Dunwoody Aug. 17, 1915 FOREIGN PATENTS 572,661 Great Britain Oct. 18, 1945 614,320 Great Britain Dec. 14, 1948

Claims

4. AN EXPLOSIVE SHELL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED ENCLOSED HOLLOW CASING HAVING A NOSE PORTION THE WALLS OF WHICH ARE DEFORMABLE UPON IMPACT OF THE SHELL AGAINST A TARGET, ENCLOSED HOLLOW LINER MEANS SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID CASING AND SPACED FROM THE WALLS OF SAID CASING, THE REARWARD PORTION OF SAID LINER MEANS HAVING THE FORM OF A CONE POINTING REARWARDLY, EXPLOSIVE COMPOSITION SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID LINER MENS AND THE WALLS OF SAID CASING, AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THE EXPLOSIVE COMPOSITION IN THE NOSE PORTION OF SAID CASING BEING PLASTIC, AND BASE FUZE MEANS FOR INITIATING DETONATION OF SAID EXPLOSIVE COMPOSITION.