PROJECTILE WITH ENHANCED ROTATIONAL AND EXPANSION CHARACTERISTICS

FIELD

The disclosed exemplary embodiments are directed to ammunition, and in particular to a bullet or other projectile with holes or passages that enhance performance.

BACKGROUND

FIG. 1 illustrates typical features of a bullet or projectile 100 that may be fired from a weapon. The projectile 100 may include an upper part including a meplat 105, referring to the tip of the projectile, and an ogive nose 110, referring to the curved surface or ogival arch forming the nose of the projectile. The projectile may have a secant ogive nose with a cylindrical surface of the bullet or projectile secant to the curve of the meplat, or a tangent ogive nose with a cylindrical surface tangent to the curve of the meplat. The projectile may further include a lower part including an ogive base 115 that provides a transition from the ogive nose to a cylindrical shank 120, a conical ramp 125 that provides a transition from the shank 120 to a bearing surface 130 which engages a barrel of the weapon during firing, and a boat tail 135 that operates to reduce drag during flight.

The weapon generally includes a rifled barrel with internal helical grooves that cause a projectile to rotate around its longitudinal axis which somewhat improves stability during flight and may extend flight time. However, the rifling profile is fixed and may not cancel the effects of asymmetry of all projectiles used in the weapon and may not extend flight time significantly for all projectiles. Furthermore, the projectile may be designed to expand upon impact, but is generally designed to deform without crumbling or separating.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure seeks to provide a projectile that is designed to rotate around its longitudinal axis at an increased rate that imparts increased stability, minimizes ballistic drop, and increases the time of flight, and is also designed to divide into sections that spread apart and separate from the projectile upon impact, causing a loss of mass and momentum of the projectile within a target, making it more likely that the projectile and separated sections remain within the target.

In at least one aspect, the disclosed embodiments are directed to a firearm projectile having a plurality of holes spaced equidistant from each other, where each hole extends from an upper part to a lower part of the firearm projectile, and where each hole extends at an acute angle from a z-axis longitudinal centerline of the firearm projectile, in both x and y axes directions, causing an accelerated rotation of the firearm projectile upon firing and an expansion of the firearm projectile upon impact that causes sections of the firearm projectile to separate.

The plurality of holes may be cylindrical.

The plurality of holes may be through holes.

Each hole may extend from an ogive nose to an ogive base of the firearm projectile.

Each hole may extend from an ogive nose to a bearing surface of the firearm projectile.

Each hole extends from an ogive nose to a shank of the firearm projectile.

Each hole may extend from a meplat to a shank of the firearm projectile.

Each hole may extend from a meplat to an ogive base of the firearm projectile.

Each hole may extend from a meplat to a bearing surface of the firearm projectile.

The plurality of holes may be open at the upper part of the firearm projectile and blind at the lower part of the firearm projectile.

The firearm projectile may be a pre-existing bullet through which the plurality of holes are machined.

The disclosed embodiments may include a method of manufacturing the firearm projectile including placing an electrode proximate the upper part of the firearm projectile, directing a stream of dielectric fluid toward a space between the electrode and the upper part of the firearm projectile, periodically applying an electrical potential between the electrode and the firearm projectile causing a cyclical arcing between the electrode and the upper part of the firearm projectile, causing an erosion of a portion of the upper part of the firearm projectile, resulting in individual ones of the plurality of holes.

The electrode may include a composition that may include one or more of brass, copper, copper graphite, graphite, tungsten, or any conductive material.

The dielectric fluid may include deionized water.

Periodically applying an electrical potential between the electrode and the firearm projectile may include applying the electrical potential at between 50-250 volts DC or AC, and between 200 to 500,000 cycles per second.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the various components of a typical bullet or projectile;

FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate an example of a projectile according to the disclosed embodiments with through holes extending from an ogive nose of the projectile to an ogive base of the projectile;

FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate an example of a projectile according to the disclosed embodiments with through holes extending from an ogive nose of the projectile to a bearing surface of the projectile;

FIGS. 4A-4E illustrate an example of a projectile according to the disclosed embodiments with through holes extending from a meplat of the projectile to a shank of the projectile;

FIGS. 5A-5D illustrate an example of a projectile with blind holes or passages extending from a meplat of the projectile toward a bearing surface of the projectile;

FIGS. 5E, 5F, and 5G depict section, side, and top views, respectively of the projectile of FIGS. 5A-5D;

FIG. 6 illustrates another example of a projectile with blind holes or passages;

FIG. 7 illustrates an EDM process for fabricating through holes in a projectile;

FIGS. 8A-8C show examples of the projectiles of FIGS. 2-4, respectively, fabricated using the EDM process and with electrodes in the through holes illustrating the orientation of the through holes after fabrication;

FIG. 9 illustrates an EDM process for fabricating blind holes in a projectile; and

FIG. 10 shows an example of the projectile of FIG. 5A fabricated using the EDM process and with electrodes in the blind holes illustrating the orientation of the blind holes after fabrication.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The aspects and advantages of the exemplary embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Moreover, the aspects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

For purposes of the present disclosure, a round or cartridge may refer to an assembly including a bullet, a case or shell with a propellant, and a primer. A projectile may refer to the bullet portion of a round or cartridge. A projectile may further refer to any object fired from a weapon.

A projectile and a method of fabricating a firearm projectile are disclosed with holes or passages that cause one or more of an accelerated rotation resulting in at least an approximate 10% increase in range or an expansion of the firearm projectile upon impact that causes sections of the projectile to separate. The accelerated rotation may act to stabilize the projectile during flight, may operate to cancel effects of any asymmetry of the projectile, and may act to minimize ballistic drop, thus increasing the time of flight. The expansion of the firearm projectile upon impact that causes sections of the projectile to separate may cause a loss of mass and momentum of the projectile, making it more likely that the projectile and separated sections remain within the target.

The plurality of holes may be spaced equidistant from each other, where each hole extends from an upper part to a lower part of the firearm projectile, and where each hole extends at an acute angle from a y-axis longitudinal centerline of the firearm projectile, in both z and x axes directions, causing the accelerated rotation of the firearm projectile and the expansion of the firearm projectile upon impact.

FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate different views of an exemplary projectile 200, referred to as a T9 projectile, with through holes 205 that may cause accelerated rotation of the projectile 200 during flight. As shown in FIG. 2A, the through holes 205 may extend from an ogive nose 210 of the projectile 200 to an ogive base 215 of the projectile 200. The through holes 205 are generally cylindrical and straight, and may extend at an acute angle from a Z-axis longitudinal centerline, in both X and Y axes directions. For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, the through holes 205 may extend 40° from an ogive surface 220 of the ogive nose 205 of the projectile 200 with adjacent through holes in the ogive base rotationally offset 60° from each other, as shown in FIG. 2C. FIG. 2D illustrates a perspective view of the T9 projectile where an upper end 225 of the through holes 205 may be offset approximately 0.07 inches from the Z-axis longitudinal centerline. It should be understood that the number of through holes 205 is not limiting and any number of suitable through holes may be utilized. It should also be understood that the angles at which the through holes extend may be any angles suitable for imparting an accelerated rotation to the projectile 200.

FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate different views of a projectile 300, referred to as a T11 projectile, that may have an accelerated rotation during flight due to through holes 305. As shown in FIG. 3A, the through holes 305 may extend from an ogive nose 310 of the projectile 300 to a bearing surface 315 of the projectile 300. The through holes 305 may generally be cylindrical and straight, and may extend at an acute angle from a Z-axis longitudinal centerline, in both X and Y axes directions. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, the through holes 305 in the ogive nose 310 may extend 10° from a Z-axis longitudinal centerline to the bearing surface 315 where adjacent through holes in the bearing surface are rotationally offset 60° from each other, as shown in FIG. 3C. FIG. 3D illustrates a perspective view of the T11 projectile where an upper end 325 of the through holes 305 may be offset approximately 0.075 inches from the Z-axis longitudinal centerline. It should be understood that the number of through holes 305 is not limiting and any number of suitable through holes may be utilized. It should also be understood that the angles at which the through holes extend may be any angles suitable for imparting an accelerated rotation to the projectile 300. It should further be understood that depending on a distance the projectile extends along the Z-axis longitudinal centerline, the through holes 305 may extend from the ogive nose 310 of the projectile 300 to a shank 330 of the projectile 300.

FIGS. 4A-4E illustrate an example of a projectile 400, referred to as a T10 projectile, with through passages, also referred to as through holes 405, that may operate to cause the projectile 400 to expand upon impact. As shown in FIG. 4A, the through holes 405 may extend from a meplat 410 of the projectile 400 to a shank 415 of the projectile 400. The through holes 405 may generally be cylindrical and straight, and may extend at an acute angle radially from a Z-axis longitudinal centerline to the shank 415 of the projectile 400. As shown in FIG. 4B, the through holes 405 may extend at a 10° angle radially from the Z-axis longitudinal centerline, where adjacent through holes are rotationally offset from each other by 60° as shown in FIG. 4C. FIG. 4D shows a perspective view of the T10 projectile, and FIG. 4E shows an exemplary point of entry for machining the holes offset approximately 0.023 inches from an outside edge 430 of the meplat 10. It should be understood that the through holes may extend at any angle suitable for extending radially from the meplat 410 to the shank 415 of the projectile 400. Furthermore, while six through holes 405 are depicted, it should be understood that any number of through holes may be utilized. Still further, it should be understood that the through holes 205 may also extend from the meplat 410 to any one of an ogive base 420 or a bearing surface 425 of the projectile 200.

FIG. 5A illustrates an example of a projectile 500, referred to as a T12 projectile, with blind holes or passages 505 that may extend from a meplat 510 of the projectile 500 to toward a bearing surface 515 of the projectile 500, but do not extend or penetrate through the bearing surface 515. The blind holes 505 may operate to cause the projectile 500 to expand upon impact. The blind holes 505 are generally cylindrical and straight, and may extend at an acute angle radially from a Z-axis longitudinal centerline toward the bearing surface 515. The introduction of the blind holes generally results in a hollow cavity 520 within an ogive nose 525 of the projectile 500, and a solid cone 530 within an ogive base 530 of the projectile 500. In some embodiments, the blind holes 505 may be tapered. As shown in FIG. 5B, the blind holes 505 may extend at a 6° angle radially from the Z-axis longitudinal centerline, where adjacent through holes are rotationally offset from each other by 60° as shown in FIG. 5C. FIG. 5D shows a perspective view of the T12 projectile. It should be understood that the blind holes 505 may extend at any angle suitable for extending radially from the meplat 510 to the bearing surface 515 of the projectile 500. Furthermore, while six blind holes 505 are depicted, it should be understood that any number of blind holes may be utilized. Still further, it should be understood that the blind holes 505 may also extend from the meplat 510 to any one of the ogive base 530 or a shank 535 of the projectile 500.

FIGS. 5B, 5C, and 5D depict section, side, and top views, respectively of the projectile of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 illustrates another example of a projectile 600, referred to as a T12A projectile with blind holes or passages 505 that may extend from a meplat 610 of the projectile 600 to toward a bearing surface 615 of the projectile 600, but do not extend or penetrate through the bearing surface 615. The blind holes 605 are generally cylindrical and straight, and may extend at an acute angle radially from a Z-axis longitudinal centerline toward the bearing surface 615. The projectile may include a generally ovoid hollow portion 620 that may operate to enhance expansion of the projectile 600 on impact. The blind holes may extend proximate to the bearing surface 615, and may form a cone shape 635 within the projectile 600. While the blind holes 605 are illustrated as extending at a particular angle from the Z-axis longitudinal centerline, it should be understood that the blind holes 605 may extend at any angle suitable for extending from the meplat 610 to the bearing surface 615 of the projectile 600. Furthermore, it should be understood that the blind holes 605 may also extend from the meplat 610 to any one of an ogive base 625 or a shank 630 of the projectile 500.

The through holes or passages extending from a meplat of the projectile to an ogive base, shank, or bearing surface of the projectile, or alternately, extending from an ogive nose of the projectile to an ogive base, a shank, or a bearing surface of the projectile, may operate to accelerate rotation of the projectile during flight and may also operate to cause an expansion of the projectile upon impact that causes sections of the projectile to spread apart and separate from the projectile upon impact.

The blind holes or passages extending from a meplat of the projectile to an ogive base, shank, or bearing surface of the projectile without extending or penetrating through the ogive base, shank, or bearing surface may operate to cause an expansion of the projectile upon impact that causes sections of the projectile to spread apart and separate from the projectile upon impact.

It should be understood that there may be a relationship among two or more of the angle of the holes, the placement of the holes, the shape of the projectile, the rotational speed of the projectile, the forward velocity of the projectile, and the size of the separated sections of the projectile.

Once fired, the aerodynamics of a projectile are affected by the projectile's rotation which acts to stabilize the projectile during flight. Rotational forces may operate to cancel effects of any asymmetry of the projectile, minimize ballistic drop, and thus increase the time of flight. The ballistic coefficient of projectiles incorporating the disclosed embodiments may also be enhanced due to the accelerated rotation of the projectile. The increased rotational spin results in reduced projectile yaw, further resulting in less drag, increased velocity, less travel time to target, and less time to kill. Using kinetic energy as the traditional way to rate a projectile's performance, doubling the velocity results in quadrupling the kinetic energy. For example, a velocity increase of approximately 10% will quadruple the performance differential of the projectile.

A firearm's damage falloff range is the range at which the firearm imparts 100% of its base damage and the firearm's falloff curve provides the amount of damage as it decreases with increasing range to the target. Use of the projectiles as disclosed may generally result in increased damage falloff range and increase the range at which the firearm's falloff curve occurs.

Terminal ballistics and stopping power are aspects of firearm projectile design that affect what happens when the projectile impacts an object. The outcome of the impact is determined by the composition and density of the target material, the angle of incidence, and the velocity and physical characteristics of the projectile itself. As described above, some embodiments of the disclosed projectiles are generally designed to penetrate, deform, or break apart. For a given material and projectile, the strike velocity is generally the primary factor that determines which outcome is achieved. On impact, the meplat, ogive nose and ogive base sections of the projectiles of some of the embodiments, for example, illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4D, FIGS. 5A-5G, and FIG. 6, may collapse at a higher rate than a conventional projectile because of the position of the holes, cone shapes and hollow cavities of the disclosed embodiments. The collapsed sections of the projectile may be divided into sections upon impact, that spread apart and separate from the projectile, for example, the bearing surface and the boat tail, causing a loss of mass and momentum of the projectile, slowing the forward movement of the projectile and making it more likely that the projectile and separated sections remain within the target, thus reducing danger to adjacent objects.

The through holes of the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in any suitable projectile, including those already manufactured or currently being produced. This allows current or future ammunition producers to incorporate the advantages of the features of the disclosed embodiments into existing inventory or future products. Purchasers of ammunition incorporating the disclosed features may realize improved performance without modifying existing firearms.

The holes or passages for both applications may be fabricated using electrical discharge machining (EDM) techniques by guiding one or more wire electrodes through the firearm projectile.

The disclosed embodiments are further directed to a method of fabricating the projectile with the through holes or blind holes using EDM. The EDM process is generally based on erosion of a metal workpiece by electrical discharges through a space between a charged workpiece and a charged electrode. The electrode may be made of one or more of brass, copper, graphite, or tungsten.

A high voltage causes a spark to pass through the space which causes vaporization of some of the workpiece material as well as some of the material of the electrode. The process can be repeated at a very high rate (200-500,000 cycles per second) while the electrode is guided through the workpiece with the metal removal rate being controlled by the current density or average current in circuitry controlling the discharge. The EDM process has the advantage of being able to produce very precise, small diameter passages that may be extremely difficult with conventional drills. In addition, the EDM process is capable of producing passages at various angles to the surface of the workpiece, which may be impossible with conventional drills. As an example, a 5-Axes CNC EDM machine may be used to either modify an existing projectile design or create a new projectile design using EDM techniques by guiding one or more wire electrodes through the projectile.

FIG. 7 illustrates through holes being machined in an exemplary projectile using an EDM machine, and FIGS. 8A-8C show examples of projectiles with through holes according to the disclosed embodiments, fabricated using the EDM process. The fabricated projectiles are shown with electrodes in the through holes illustrating the orientation of the through holes after fabrication.

FIG. 9 illustrates blind holes being machined in an exemplary projectile using an EDM machine, FIG. 10 shows an example of a projectile with blind holes according to the disclosed embodiments, fabricated using the EDM process. The fabricated projectiles are shown with electrodes in the blind holes illustrating the orientation of the blind holes after fabrication.

While FIGS. 7 and 9 illustrate EDM processes being applied to a single projectile, it should be understood that multiple projectiles may be operated upon at the same time. For example, in applications where a single electrode may be guided through a single projectile at a time, multiple projectiles may be assembled in a row or matrix, for example, a 1×10 matrix, and a corresponding arrangement of electrodes may be assembled in a cartridge or palette attached to an EDM head. An EDM slider may advance the cartridge toward the projectiles while high voltage pulses are applied to the electrodes, such that the number of projectiles assembled together may be operated upon simultaneously, resulting in a significant reduction in production time. In some examples, a reduction of 30% production time per hole may be achieved.

It is noted that the embodiments described herein can be used individually or in any combination thereof. It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the embodiments. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the embodiments. Accordingly, the present embodiments are intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Various modifications and adaptations may become apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts in view of the foregoing description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, all such and similar modifications of the teachings of the disclosed embodiments will still fall within the scope of the disclosed embodiments.

Various features of the different embodiments described herein are interchangeable, one with the other. The various described features, as well as any known equivalents can be mixed and matched to construct additional embodiments and techniques in accordance with the principles of this disclosure.

Furthermore, some of the features of the exemplary embodiments could be used to advantage without the corresponding use of other features. As such, the foregoing description should be considered as merely illustrative of the principles of the disclosed embodiments and not in limitation thereof.

PROJECTILE WITH ENHANCED ROTATIONAL AND EXPANSION CHARACTERISTICS

Information

Publication Number

Date Filed

Date Published

Inventors

CPC

International Classifications

Abstract

Description

Claims

Provisional Applications (1)