Canister loading using stacked cylinders

Oct 23, 1956

R. J. ZEAMER

2,767,656

CANISTER LOADING USING STACKED CYLINDERS

Filed Aug. 22, 1951

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BY

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United States Patent Office

2,767,656

Patented Oct. 23, 1956 / 1 .

2,767,656

CANISTER LOADING USING STACKED CYLINDERS

Richard J. Zeamer, Wellesley Hills, Mass., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army

Application August 22,1951, Serial No. 24'3,144

Claims. (Cl. 102—38) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266)

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to a projectile for use in machine guns and artillery pieces wherein each individual round comprises a canister loaded with pellets which disperse upon collapse of the canister in firing.

Experience in warfare has shown that the ordinary single shot shell or projectile has been ineffective at close range in repelling mass attacks by the enemy and in discouraging enemy personnel from approaching tanks. It has been found however that ammunition utilizing a metal canister filled with pellets such as steel balls and having no explosive charge, has been effective for these purposes since the canister, which is projected by a propelling charge, breaks up upon leaving the muzzle of the gun, allowing the balls to scatter.

It is therefore an object of my invention to disclose an improved projectile filled with pellets, for use in firing at close range.

A further object of my invention is to disclose a projectile which will improve a dispersal or shot pattern at a desired range for which the projectile is intended to be more effective.

It is also an object of my invention to disclose a canister specially constructed to protect the gun bore, and which will tend to hold the pellets against immediate and ineffective dispersal until they have traveled to an effective range.

It is also a further object of my invention to disclose a typical stacking arrangement of pellets in the steel canister which will not have the tendency to “bunch” on set back and which therefore will not prematurely cause breaking up of the canister to injure the bore of the gun barrel.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawing in which

Figure 1 represents an assembled round including the cartridge case.

Figure 2 represents a longitudinal section taken on line 2—2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a transverse section taken on line 3—3 of Figure 2 and showing a layer of pellets.

Figure 4 is an elevation looking to the left of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective of one of the cylindrical pellets.

The complete round comprises a cartridge case 1 which includes the usual propelling charge 2 and primer 2α, and the projectile or canister 3. The projectile per se includes a heavy cylindrical steel jacket or tubing 4, and an inverted base or cup 5 of heavy steel consisting of base 6 and skirt or rearwardly directed side wall portion 7. A raised bead band 8 is circumferentially formed on the flange of the base and is provided with circumferentiallyspaced helical splines 9 (see Figure 1), fitting between the rifling lands of the barrel to cause the projectile to spin as it travels along the bore of the gun. The cartridge

- -2 case 1 is crimped about and makes a tight fit about the flanged portion 7 of the base. In axial alinement with the cartridge case and extending forwardly is the tubing 4 which also is fitted tightly about the base and welded or soldered thereto. Bead 8 acts as an abutment for both the cartridge case and tubing, axially separating one from the other.

The. canister is loaded with short steel pellets or slugs 10 which are cylindrical in shape for a purpose to be later described. These pellets are stacked in layers, the present embodiment showing 7 layers of 19 slugs per layer. However it is to be understood that the size of slugs, number of layers, and slugs per layer may be varied. A chipboard liner 11 is interposed between the outer surfaces of the pellets on the side and top thereof and the steel jacket in order to facilitate packing of the pellets and to prevent them from rattling around in the canister. The steel jacket 4 is provided with 4 equiangularly spaced longitudinal slots 15, and a cover 12 is provided to close off the container. In order to hold the cover fast in the canister, the outer peripheral edge 13 of the canister is crimped over and is spot welded to the cover as at 14.

The projectile above described is extremely effective in repelling mass attacks at close range and is constructed to reduce to a minimum the injury resulting to the bore of the weapon from which it is fired. Several factors militate to reduce wear on the bore. The heavy inverted steel base is provided to bear the brunt of the initial set back forces. In addition the heavy steel jacket 4 will resist the centrifugal action caused by the spinning of the projectile and the spreading of the heavy steel slugs as the projectile traverses the barrel. Since these slugs are cylindrical rather than ball-shaped the tendency to bunch is considerably reduced and bulging of the side wall is cut down until the projectile is free of the confining gun barrel. Experience and tests have shown that by using a canister having slots terminating short of the base of the steel jacket, I provide in effect, a number of resilient fingers which initially hold the pellets en mass, but which eventually yield due to centrifugal force of the spinning mass of pellets to permit dispersal. The function of the slitted jacket, therefore is to hold the pellets against immediate and ineffective dispersal during their travel to an effective range, to thus improve the shot or dispersal pattern at the desired range for which the projectile is intended to be most effective. When the canister collapses the pellets are free to disperse and in scattering they assume a cone shape to effect considerable damage upon enemy personnel at close range.

It is apparent that my device is superior to prior art projectiles in the provision of a heavy steel walled canister, a heavy metal base, in the shape and arrangement of slugs and in a new arrangement of elements to achieve a more effective projectile.

Other modifications and alterations of the structure which has been disclosed herein for purposes of illustration will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and it is obvious that the same may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.