1. Field of invention
The technical scope of the invention is that of ammunition transportation containers and namely containers enabling the blocking of explosive ammunition.
2. Description of the related art
A container is known, namely by patent EP1101077 that comprises an inner casing able to be moved from a blocking position to an unblocking position. This inner casing incorporates a front part comprising flexible tongues that press on the front pocket of a fin-stabilized projectile.
In the blocked position, the tongues are held radially by a fixed case. In the unblocked position, traction on the ammunition radially deforms the tongues allowing the ammunition to be extracted from the container.
When the container falls on its closing lid, the ammunition is held in place by tongues that are not able to deform radially thanks to the case.
Such a container is well adapted to the retention of fin-stabilized ammunition whose projectile incorporates a front pocket whose substantially conical profile enables the tongues to be deformed and which enables the ammunition to be extracted.
It is, however, unsuitable for the blocking of ammunition equipped with a shaped charge explosive projectile that does not incorporate such a front pocket.
Common explosive projectiles have a bottle-shaped profile incorporating a substantially calibred body extended by a sub-calibred neck tipped by an impact switch.
The only abutment surface available for such a projectile is a flange ring generally placed alongside the impact switch. But such an abutment surface is perpendicular to the ammunition's axis and is not able to ensure the spacing of the retention fingers. This results in a risk of the ammunition being stuck in the container preventing its subsequent removal.
The aim of the invention is to propose a container that overcomes such drawbacks.
Thus, the container according to the invention efficiently blocks the ammunition whatever the profile of the available bearing surface on the projectile body.
The invention thus relates to a container for ammunition of the type comprising a case inside which an inner casing receiving the ammunition is able to slide between two axial positions, one in which it blocks the ammunition and the other in which it unblocks the ammunition, the inner casing incorporating a front sleeve having flexible fingers, such sleeve cooperating in its blocking position with a fixed limit stop integral with the case and ensuring the retention of the fingers on a zone of the projectile to limit its translation, such container wherein it incorporates means ensuring the radial spacing of the flexible fingers at a distance from the projectile in the unblocking position of the inner casing.
According to a particular embodiment, the means ensuring the radial spacing of the fingers may comprise a cylinder coaxial to the inner casing and integral with the fixed limit stop.
The fixed limit stop may incorporate a conical profile cooperating, in the blocking position, with a matching profile on the sleeve's fingers.
According to a particular embodiment, the fixed limit stop may comprise a conical portion connected to the coaxial cylinder by at least one radial rib.
The sleeve will, in this case, incorporate slots separating the fingers, such slots intended to receive the ribs on the fixed limit stop.
The fixed limit stop may be integral with a shim made of a compressible material fixed to the case.
The shim of compressible material may advantageously incorporate a conical profile extending that of the limit stop.
The sleeve of the inner casing will surround one front part of the projectile, an inner surface of the sleeve forming a support for the ammunition body.
The sleeve may be globally conical in shape surrounding a front part of the projectile, such sleeve extended by a seat fastened to the inner casing.
The container may incorporate at least one cylindrical shim integral with the inner casing, such shim intended to be placed between said casing and the ammunition.
The invention will become more apparent from the following description of a particular embodiment, such description being made with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
a and 3b are views of the fixed limit stop alone,
With reference to
The case 2 of the container is generally cylindrical in shape. It is advantageously made of cardboard and is closed off at one end by a crimped metallic bottom 5.
The case is closed at its other end for example by a threaded link 7.
Here the ammunition 4 is explosive tank ammunition. It comprises a combustible case 4a integral with a base 4d and a shaped charge projectile 4b incorporating a sub-calibred nose 4c tipped by an impact switch 8 fitted with a flange ring 9.
The inner casing 3 incorporates a cylindrical body formed of two coaxial cardboard tubes 3a and 3b, such body being mounted able to slide inside the case 2. Cylindrical shims 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d (see
The inner tube 3b has a collar 24 made of a plastic material that is in contact with a circular rim of the base 4d.
In accordance with the invention, the inner casing 3 also incorporates a front sleeve 10 of a globally conical shape. This sleeve surrounds the nose 4c of the ammunition 4 and part of the front of the body 4b of the ammunition 4.
As may be seen in
This
The fingers 13 are applied on the nose 4c of the projectile behind the flange ring 9. The flat part 10b thus forms an abutment surface preventing the ammunition from being extracted.
Thus, the sleeve 10 ensures that the inertial stresses of the ammunition 4 are taken up further to a fall in direction F. These inertial stresses are communicated by the projectile, via the sleeve 10, to the inner casing 3 and to the collar 24.
The lid 6 has a bottom shim 18 made of deformable foam itself pressing against a shim of rigid polystyrene 19 surrounded by a ring of cardboard 28. This ring is crushed by the collar 24 during a fall in direction F.
The sleeve 10 has a conical external surface 10a that is intended to cooperate with the internal surface of a limit stop 16.
This limit stop 16 may be seen more particularly in
The limit stop 16 is made here as a single part of plastic material. As may be more particularly seen in
When the container is being assembled, the slots 14 separating the fingers 13 receive the limit stop's ribs 16. The sleeve 10 thus comes into contact without hindrance with the limit stop 16 despite the presence of the internal cylinder 16b which is thus positioned inside the sleeve 10.
The fixed limit stop 16 is integral with a shim 20 of compressible material (for example foam) which is itself made integral with the case 2 (by bonding or stapling).
The shim 20 thus incorporates a conical inner bore 20a shaped so as to receive the limit stop 16. The latter is immobilized axially with respect to the shim 20 between two counter-sinks 21a and 21b. The limit stop 16 is mounted in the flexible shim 20 by being clicked into position between the counter-sinks. This is enabled by the flexibility of the material constituting the shim.
Furthermore, the shim 20 incorporates a conical profile 22 extending that of the limit stop 16 which is also applied against the external profile of the sleeve 10 in its blocking position.
When the container 1 receives a piece of ammunition 4 and is closed (position shown in
During a fall of the container 1 in direction G, the body 4b of the projectile abuts against the sleeve 10 by its calibred front part 4e (
The inertial stresses on the ammunition are communicated by the sleeve 10 to the limit stop 16 and the shim 20 which is crushed to absorb the shock.
As may be more particularly seen in
To introduce ammunition into the container, the casing 3 is also made to slide rearwards, thereby spreading the fingers 13 by means of the internal cylinder 16b and enabling the ammunition to be introduced.
Note that, by design, the elasticity of the fingers 13 of the sleeve 10 would enable the passage of the nose's flange ring 9 during the introduction of the ammunition (if the fingers 13 were not spread enough by the internal cylinder 16b).
Different variants are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. It is thus possible for a container to be defined whose sleeve is of a different shape and which is adapted to the profile of another type of projectile.
In any case, flexible fingers pressing on a zone of the projectile will be provided, the fingers being simply held in their blocking position by a fixed limit stop and spread by suitable means at a distance from the projectile in their unblocking position to allow the ammunition to be removed.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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04. 07109 | Jun 2004 | FR | national |