(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,925.463 B1 Sullivan Et Al
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
USOO892.5463B1 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,925.463 B1 Sullivan et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jan. 6, 2015 (54) PRESSURE RELEF SYSTEM FOR GUN (56) References Cited FIRED CANNON CARTRIDGES U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (75) Inventors: Kevin Michael Sullivan, Kennebunk, 3,927,791 A 12, 1975 Hershberger ME (US); Marcelo Edgardo Martinez, 4,892,038 A * 1, 1990 Lubbers ........................ 102,439 Cordoba (AR); Nicolas Horacio Bruno, 5,044,154 A * 9, 1991 English et al. .................. 60,223 Cordoba (AR); Brian Desmarais, 5,155,295 A 10/1992 Campoli Kennebunk, ME (US) 5,311,820 A 5/1994 Ellingsen (Continued) (73) Assignee: KMS Consulting, LLC, Kennebunk, ME (US) FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this WO 2011071576 A1 6, 2011 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 OTHER PUBLICATIONS U.S.C. 154(b) by 167 days. Kohnken, KH. Ceramic Gun Barrels, Advanced Materials & Pro cesses; Sep. 2002, pp. 01-02. (21) Appl. No.: 13/597,640 (Continued) (22) Filed: Aug. 29, 2012 Primary Examiner — Bret Hayes Assistant Examiner — Derrick Morgan (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Karl F. Milde, Jr.; Eckert Related U.S. Application Data Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC (63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 12/875,402, (57) ABSTRACT filed on Sep. 3, 2010, now Pat. No. 8,573,127. A high Velocity munition comprises a projectile, mounted on (60) Provisional application No. 61/653,600, filed on May a cartridge case, that can be fired from an automatic cannon or 31, 2012, provisional application No. 61/239,464, weapon. During storage or transport an IM venting device included in the cartridge case prevents the propellant charge filed on Sep. 3, 2009. from firing the projectile, leaving the cartridge damaged, but (51) Int. C. intact upon premature ignition. The IM vent exhaust channel F4 LA 7/16 (2006.01) is filled with a solid fusible material that melts at a lower F42B IS/36 (2006.01) temperature than the ignition temperatures of the igniter (or (52) U.S. C. primer) and the propellant charge of the projectile. At least USPC ............ 102/439; 102/430; 102/469; 102/481 one non-fusible, ruptureable member is included in the IM (58) Field of Classification Search vent channel and positioned to provide structural integrity to CPC .......... F42B33/04: F42B 39/00, F42B 39/14: the fusible material in the channel. Alternatively or in addition F42B 39f2O to the fusible material, a shape memory alloy ring Surrounds USPC .............. 102/430, 439, 469, 470, 481, 202.1, the igniter (or primer) and separates from the cartridge when 102/.441 the cartridge reaches a temperature that causes auto-ignition. See application file for complete search history. 10 Claims, 14 Drawing Sheets ESE Si. 848 SHAPE RERYAY CASE - - NE KERACE -PART s Y-C5RSSRCA: sing --- PR:: EX AUS AREA.2% OA. AREA US 8,925.463 B1 Page 2 (56) References Cited 2004/0107860 A1* 6/2004 Loubser ........................ 102,481 2005/01 15443 A1* 6/2005 Rastegaret al. ... 102,400 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 2005, 0199055 A1* 9, 2005 Browne ....... 73,170.12 2007/0151473 A1* 7/2007 Brunn ........................... 102,444 5,398.498 A * 3/1995 Mort et al. ...................... 60,223 2008.0006170 A1 1/2008 Haeselich 5,621,183. A * 4/1997 Bailey ...... 102,202.7 2010.0089272 A1* 4/2010 Cook et al. .................... 102,481 5,735,114 A * 4/1998 Ellingsen ....................... 60/39.1 2010, 0126887 A1* 5, 2010 Kaddour et al. ... 206,216 5.936,189 A 8, 1999 Lubbers 2011/0192312 A1* 8, 2011 Toreheim et al. ... 102.469 6,321,656 B1 * 1 1/2001 Johnson ........................ 102,377 2012fO298.005 A1* 11, 2012 Kotefski et al. ... 102,481 6,679, 177 B1 * 1/2004 Wu et al. .. 102,377 2013/032001.0 A1* 12/2013 Kotefski et al. ... 220,89.1 6,752,085 B2* 6/2004 Roach . 102,481 2014/0061515 A1 3/2014 Traxler et al. ................... 251f11 7,051,511 B2 * 5/2006 Prytz ............................... 60,223 7,107,909 B2 9, 2006 Haeselich OTHER PUBLICATIONS 7,472,653 B1* 1/2009 Hays et al. .................... 102,481 “IM Solutions for Projectiles Crimped to Cartridges for Artillery g R: ": R. ea . S. Application Phase II. Transition from Cartridge Case Venting to 8.408.136 B1* 4/2013 fee . 102,377 Insensitive Propellant” by Carl J. Campagnuolo, Christine M. 8.550,004 B1 10, 2013 Woo et al. ..................... 102,430 Michienzi, Edward G. Tersine, Christine D. Knott, William J. 8,584,588 B2 * 1 1/2013 Larousse et al. .............. 102,481 Andrews NDIA IM/EM Symposium, May 11-14, 2009. 8,616,131 B2 * 12/2013 Kaddour et al. 102,481 2003/0205161 A1* 11/2003 Roach ........................... 102,481 * cited by examiner U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 2015 Sheet 1 of 14 US 8,925.463 B1 (KA.- ... 3 Caier essare vs. i.e F. reiative Cather Pressure pa y Asso & Weapes U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 2015 Sheet 2 of 14 US 8,925.463 B1 U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 2015 Sheet 3 of 14 US 8,925.463 B1 38a. 38: s- Y * U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 2015 Sheet 4 of 14 US 8,925.463 B1 ES . CAER}-CASE 2. S. PPOR; 3:6 - SPORT 8: TS 4 - 88 if Rii. S - Six if ... it 3 - PROFEAxi U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 2015 Sheet 5 of 14 US 8,925.463 B1 Without neiting materia Sivrig compressed, Released system G. 8 U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 2015 Sheet 6 of 14 US 8,925.463 B1 iters is articige-ase x-Siggast 3- Support its 4- Reting materia SS Ring ...is 8 repaiart :xxxis: $88.8s 8ig 8x8& 88: 888 G. U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 2015 Sheet 7 of 14 US 8,925.463 B1 8x8883xxx & 8-g 88 sing exerg:888x: 88.888 & O. r. U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 2015 Sheet 8 of 14 US 8,925.463 B1 s ti SO w f WA U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 2015 Sheet 9 of 14 US 8,925.463 B1 ####| ###### Sf C if Offic U.S. Patent US 8,925.463 B1 ? s: - Siti Ofic - U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 2015 Sheet 11 of 14 US 8,925.463 B1 U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 2015 Sheet 12 of 14 US 8,925.463 B1 CLOSE SWARNG SHAPEMEMORYALOY SCA - COROS 880 CASE INTERFACE RAR *aka: Sir - PRNER EXAS AREA 20% OA AREA F.G. 15B U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 2015 Sheet 13 of 14 US 8,925.463 B1 U.S. Patent Jan. 6, 2015 Sheet 14 of 14 US 8,925.463 B1 US 8,925,463 B1 1. 2 PRESSURE RELEF SYSTEM FOR GUN applied to a variety of munitions, be they ordnance, rockets or FIRED CANNON CARTRIDGES missiles. These solutions include concepts of melting plugs alone or in combination with burst disks, memory alloy fas CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED teners or rings, as well as detonating cords and active venting APPLICATIONS devices using shaped charges, etc. Many applications of the concepts described have been developed on munitions rang This application is a continuation-in-part of the U.S. patent ing from grenade cartridge cases, rocket motor cases and application Ser. No. 12/875,402, filed Sep. 3, 2010, and artillery projectile bodies, to fuses and warheads. However, entitled “Pressure Relief System For Gun Fired Cannon Car few Such concepts have been applied to gun-fired munitions tridges.” This application also claims priority from U.S. Pro 10 and even fewer relate to technology that disables ammunition visional Application Ser. No. 61/239,464, filed Sep. 3, 2009, propulsion systems in response to IM stimuli. entitled “Pressure Relief System For Gun Fired Cannon Car 1.1 Prior Art: tridges: the aforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. No. The prior art in this field of Insensitive Munitions includes 12/875,402, filed Sep. 3, 2010, entitled “Pressure Relief Sys a number of articles and patents that are relevant to the present tem. For Gun Fired Cannon Cartridges' and U.S. Provisional 15 invention. Typical of such prior art is the U.S. Pat. No. 5,936, Application Ser. No. 61/653,600, filed May 31, 2012, entitled 189 to Lubbers and an article “IM Solutions for Projectiles “Pressure Relief System For Gun Fired Cannon Cartridges.” Crimped to Cartridges for Artillery Application Phase II, all of which applications are incorporated herein by refer Transition from Cartridge Case Venting to Insensitive Prope CCC. liant' by Carl J. Campagnuolo, Christine M. Michienza, Edward G. Tersine, Christine D. Knott, William J. Andrews— BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION NDIA IM/EM Symposium, May 11-14, 2009. The Lubbers U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,189 discloses a cartridge The present invention relates to high Velocity automatic munition used with rapid-fire weapons of medium caliber cannon and weapon munitions having a pressure relief sys (about 40 mm). Many such cartridges are received into a belt tem. 25 that is fed to the rapid-fire weapon. The propulsion chamber 1.0 Introduction: in Some cartridge case types are divided into a high-pressure The term “Insensitive Munitions’ refers to a generic body chamber (into which the propulsive charge is placed) and a of munitions knowledge that includes guidance practices, low-pressure chamber that is connected with the high-pres regulations, technology, methodologies and Standards for Sure chamber via exhaust apertures. The cartridge case and complying with the following objective: 30 projectile are mechanically connected via a central threaded “To ensure, to the extent practicable, that munitions under connection that includes an intended break point.