专利US8443730B2复习过程.doc

专利US8443730B2精品文档公开号: US8443730B2专利名称：HIGH STRENGTH POLYMER-BASED CARTRIDGE CASING AND MANUFACTURING METHOD公开日: May21,2013国际分类: F42B 5/SO(2006.01)申请号: 13/350,607申请日: Jan. 13, 2012发明人：Charles Padgett, Orlando, FL (US)申请人：PCP Tactical, LLC, Vero Beach, FL (US)优先权号：US 2012/0180688 A1 Jul. 19, 2012同族专利：发明摘要：A high strength polymer-based cartridge casing can include a first end having a mouth and a neck extending away from the mouth. Next, a shoulder extends below the neck and away from the first end. The cartridge can be have a frangible portion capable of being split upon discharge of a projectile. The shoulder can have unequal outside and inside shoulder angles. The casing can also include an insert having a rim at one end or a plurality of ribs extending longitudinally along a wall between the shoulder and the bottom of the cartridge and spaced radially from each other around a circumference of the wall. A projectile canbe disposed in the mouth and a relief can be disposed on the neck near the mouth and projectile. The relief can form a gap between the neck and the projectile to receive an adhesive.发明领域（关键词）:The present subject matter relates to ammunition articles with plastic components such as cartridge casing bodies, and, more particularly, to making ammunition articles with ribs, a variable width shoulder, an insert, and frangible neck.发明背景：It is well known in the industry to manufacture cartridge cases from either brass or steel. Typically, industry design calls for materials that are strong enough to withstand extreme operating pressures and which can be formed into a cartridge case to hold the bullet, while simultaneously resist rupturing during the firing process.Conventional ammunition typically includes four basic components, that is, the bullet, the cartridge case holding the bullet therein, a propellant used to push the bullet down the barrel at predetermined velocities, and a primer, which provides the spark needed to ignite the powder which sets the bullet in motion down the barrel.The cartridge case is typically formed from brass and is configured to hold the bullet therein to create a predetermined resistance, which is known in the industry as bullet pull. The cartridge case is also designed to contain the propellant media as well as the primer.However, brass is heavy, expensive, and potentially hazardous. For example, the weight of .50 caliber ammunition is about 60 pounds per box (200 cartridges plus links).The bullet is configured to fit within an open end or mouth of the cartridge case. Certain bullets, mainly for non-military uses, can include a groove (hereinafter referred to as a cannelure) formed in the mid section of the bullet to accept a crimping action imparted to the metallic cartridge case therein. When the crimped portion of the cartridge case holds the bullet by locking into the cannelure or onto the diameter, a bullet pull value is provided representing a predetermined tension at which the cartridge case holds the bullet. The bullet pull value, in effect, assists imparting a regulated pressure and velocity to the bullet when the bullet leaves the cartridge case and travels down the barrel of a gun.Furthermore, the bullet is typically manufactured from a soft material, such as, for example only, lead. The bullet is accepted into the mouth of the cartridge, and then the cartridge alone is crimped to any portion of the bullet to hold the bullet in place in the cartridge case. Though, typically, the cartridge case is crimped to the cannelure of the bullet.However, one drawback of this design is that the crimped neck does not release from around the bullet evenly when fired. This is partly due to the fact that the brass casing is not manufactured perfectly. The material thickness around the neck is slightly different causing the case to deform at slightly different rates thus allowing the bullet to be pushed slightly off center when coming out. This leads to uncertain performance from round to round. Pressures can build up unevenly and alter the accuracy of the bullet.The propellant is typically a solid chemical compound in powder form commonly referred to as smokeless powder. Propellants are selected such that when confined within the cartridge case, the propellant bums at a known and predictably rapid rate to produce the desired expanding gases. As discussed above, the expanding gases of the propellant provide the energy force that launches the bullet from the grasp of the cartridge case and propels the bullet down the barrel of the gun at a known and relatively high velocity.The primer is the smallest of the four basic components used to form conventional ammunition. As discussed above, primers provide the spark needed to ignite the powder that sets the bullet in motion down the barrel. The primer includes a relatively small metal cup containing a priming mixture, foil paper, and relatively small metal post, commonly referred to as an anvil.When a firing pin of a gun or firearm strikes a casing of the primer, the anvil is crushed to ignite the priming mixture contained in the metal cup of the primer. Typically, the primer mixture is an explosive lead styphnate blended with non- corrosive fuels and oxidizers which burns through a flash hole formed in the rear area of the cartridge case and ignites the propellant stored in the cartridge case. In addition to igniting the propellant, the primer produces an initial pressure to support the burning propellant and seals the rear of the cartridge case to prevent high-pressure gases from escaping rearward. It should be noted that it is well known in the industry to manufacture primers in several different sizes and from different mixtures, each of which affects ignition differently.The cartridge case, which is typically metallic, acts as a payload delivery vessel and can have several body shapes and head configurations, depending on the caliber of the ammunition. Despite the different body shapes and head configurations, all cartridge cases have a feature used to guide the cartridge case, with a bullet held therein, into the chamber of the gun or firearm.The primary objective of the cartridge case is to hold the bullet, primer, and propellant therein until the gun is fired. Upon firing of the gun, the cartridge case seals the chamber to prevent the hot gases from escaping the chamber in a rearward direction and harming the shooter. The empty cartridge case is extracted manually or with the assistance of gas or recoil from the chamber once the gun is fired.As shown in FIG. 1A, a bottleneck cartridge case 10 has a body 11 formed with a shoulder 12 that tapers into a neck 13 having a mouth at a first end. Note that the shoulder 12 has a uniform thickness, or width. Further, the angle of the shoulder 12 on the outside of the cartridge case 10 is the same as the angle of the shoulder 12 inside the case 10, denoted as a andrespectively. In the prior art, a=0, and the shoulder angle a is dictated by the caliber of the cartridge. A primer holding chamber 15 is formed at a second end of the body opposite the first end. A divider 16 separates a main cartridge case holding chamber 17, which contains a propellant, from the primer holding chamber 15, which communicate with each other via a flash hole channel 18 formed in the web area 16. An exterior circumferential region of the rear end of the cartridge case includes an extraction groove 19a and a rim 19b.Prior art patents in this area include U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,107 to Ringdal, U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,716 to Husseini et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,213,519 to Wiley etal., andU.S. Pat. No. 7,610,858 to Chung. The four patents are directed to an ammunitioncartridge suitable for rifles or guns and including a cartridge case made of at least a plastics material. However, each has their own drawbacks.Further, a technical report released in May 2005 by the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center titled “Alternative Cartridge Case Material and Design” by J.S. Chung, et al. (the “Chung Paper”) describes in detail the failings of certain polymers used in ammunition cartridges and cartridge designs known to the authors. Features and limitations are identified for cartridge, the polymer, and the molding process. Many drawbacks are noted.Hence a need exists for a polymer casing that can perform as well as or better than the brass alternative. A further improvement are polymer casings that are capable of production in a more conventional and cost effective manner, i.e. by using standard loading presses and better manufacturing techniques.发明概述：The teachings herein alleviate one or more of the above noted problems with the strength and formation of polymer based cartridges.A high strength polymer-based cartridge casing inclosing a 25 volume, can include a first end having a mouth, a neck extending away from the mouth, and a shoulder extending below the neck and away from the first end. A proj ectile can be disposed in the mouth and a frangible portion can be disposed on the neck, which is capable of being split upon discharge of the projectile. In an example, the split of the frangible portion prevents a second projectile from being disposed in the mouth.The frangible portion can be, at least, a cut-out, a reduced thickness of the neck, a scallop in the neck, or a perforated seam. The frangible portion can be disposed on an inside or outside of the casing, and can extend to approximately the shoulder.A method of making a high strength polymer-based cartridge casing can have the steps of molding a component using a polymer. The molding step can include molding a first end having a mouth and a second end opposite the first end. Steps also include molding a neck extending away from the mouth, molding a shoulder extending below the neck and away from the first end; and forming a frangible portion on the neck capable of being split.The method may have the step of forming at least one of a cut-out, a reduced thickness of the neck, a scallop in the neck, or a perforated seam and forming the frangible portion on an inside or outside of the neck. Further, the frangible portion can be formed approximately to the shoulder.A high strength polymer-based cartridge casing can include, in another example, a first end having a mouth and a neck extending away from the mouth. Next, a shoulder extends below the neck and away from the first end. Below the shoulder, any of the below examples of cartridges can be formed or any type of polymer cartridge can be formed incorporating the forthcoming example of a shoulder. However, the shoulder includes an outside shoulder sloped at an outside shoulder angle in relation to a center axis extending longitudinally along the cartridge and passing through a center of the mouth. Also, an inside shoulder is sloped at an inside shoulder angle in relation to the center axis. The inside shoulder is separated from the outside shoulder by a shoulder thickness. Further, the outside shoulder angle and the inside shoulder angle are not equal. Additionally, the inside shoulder does not contact the projectile in the neck of the cartridge.The inside shoulder angle can be greater than the outside shoulder angle or less than the outside shoulder angle.Further, the shoulder can have a shoulder thickness formed between the outer shoulder and the inner shoulder and the shoulder thickness can vary along lengths of the inner and outer shoulders.A method of making a high strength polymer-based cartridge casing can include the steps of molding a component using a polymer. The component having a first end having a mouth and a second end opposite the first end. Further steps can be molding a neck extending away from the mouth and molding a shoulder extending below the neck and away from the first end. The steps of molding the shoulder can include forming an outside shoulder sloped at an outside shoulder angle in relation to a center axis extending longitudinally along the cartridge and passing through a center of the mouth and forming an inside shoulder sloped at an inside shoulder angle in relation to the center axis, and separated from the outside shoulder by a shoulder thickness. Another step is setting the outside shoulder angle to not equal the inside shoulder angle. Additionally, the inside shoulder is formed uniform over the entire circumference of the cartridge.In addition to the above method, the setting step can further include setting the inside shoulder angle less than the outside shoulder angle or of setting the inside shoulder angle greater than the outside shoulder angle.A shoulder thickness can be formed between the outer shoulder and the inner shoulder. Furthermore, the forming the shoulder thickness can include a step of varying the shoulder thickness along lengths of the inner and outer shoulders.A further example of a high strength polymer-based cartridge casing can include an upper component, molded from a polymer. The upper component having a first end having a mouth, at least a wall between the first end and a second end of the upper component opposite the first end, and an overlap portion extending from the wall near the second end. The casing also has a lower component, molded from a polymer, including a tapered portion that engages the overlap portion to join the upper and the lower components, an outer sheath disposed opposite the tapered portion, and a lower bowl disposed between the tapered portion and the outer sheath has a hole therethrough. Further included is an insert having a rim disposed at one end of the insert, an overmolded area formed opposite the rim and engaging the outer sheath to join the insert to the lower component and a ring formed on an inside of the overmolded area and extending into the hole of the lower component.The insert can also include a ridge formed on the overmolded area and a key formed on the ridge, wherein both the ridge and the key engage the outer sheath.The example of the lower component of the high strength polymer-based cartridge casing above also contains a seat formed on the tapered portion, and a bottom end of the ribs contact the seat. Further, the lower bowl and the outer sheath can compress against a portion of the overmolded area when under pressure.Alternately, a length of the upper component can greater than a length of the lower component or the length of the lower component can be greater than the length of the upper component.Another example of a high strength polymer-based cartridge casing includes an upper component, molded from a polymer, and having a first end having a mouth, at least a wall between the first end and a second end of the upper component opposite the first end, a sleeve extending longitudinally and radially about the wall, and at least one of an overlap porti