EP0626558A1 - Sabot for a sub-calibre projectile - Google Patents

Abstract

In the case of a sabot (14), which can be discarded, for a sub-calibre projectile (10) which is fired from a weapon barrel provided with rifling grooves, there is a risk of the edges (27, 28) of individual segments (20) of a sabot body (16) striking against the projectile body (11) while being released from said projectile body (11). This striking against the projectile body (11) has an adverse effect on the hit accuracy and should be avoided. In order to avoid this striking, separating surfaces (29) or slots (19) are no longer arranged radially, as in the past, between the individual segments (20) of the sabot body (16), but parallel to radial planes, at a predetermined distance (d) apart, corresponding to at least half the radius (R) of the projectile body (11). The slots (23) are preferably also arranged a predetermined distance (d) apart between the segments (26) of the sabot casing (17) and parallel to radial planes. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a dropable sabot for a sub-caliber floor according to the preamble of the claim.

In a known sub-caliber projectile of this type (see EP-A-0 300 373), the individual segments of a sabot rear part are divided from one another by radial, flat separating surfaces. This type of subdivision of the sabot rear part into three or more segments gives rise to difficulties in detaching the sabot from the projectile body when the projectile emerges from the pipe muzzle. Since on the one hand the individual segments interfere with each other during this detachment and on the other hand push against the projectile body and deflect it from its path, so that the accuracy is impaired. In addition, the known sabot body split radially through the center is susceptible to small manufacturing inaccuracies. In the event of such inaccuracies, the segments cannot detach themselves freely from the arrow, they transmit impulses caused by small asymmetries to the projectile body when detached. These undesirable impulses cause strong initial fluctuations, which results in greater scatter of hits and time-of-flight scatter.

Furthermore, DE-30 50 474 C1 describes a sabot - for a sub-caliber wing-stabilized projectile - with a one-piece body that is slit by machining to pre-segment. In order to achieve increased stability of the sabot cage with simple manufacture, the slots are made in the shape of the one-piece sabot cage body in such a way that additional material bridges form predetermined breaking points between the individual pre-segments, the slots being filled with appropriately designed sheet metal elements for sealing. According to In one exemplary embodiment for a second sabot, the further material bridge provided in the axially central region of the sabot body is formed by slots arranged opposite one another, each of which lies in a plane parallel to a diameter. In order to fulfill the function of this additional material bridge as a predetermined breaking point, the parallel displacement of the slots can only be very slight. In addition, when the sabot is detached from the projectile, a disruptive influence on the projectile when it is not inadvertently touching one of the segments is to be reduced by increasing the number of sabot segments.

The object which is to be achieved with the present invention is to create a sabot which detaches itself more reliably and without interference from the projectile body, if possible without putting the projectile body in initial oscillations.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the features in the characterizing part of patent claim 1.

This special arrangement of separating surfaces between the individual segments of the sabot body means that when these segments are detached from the projectile body, the segments are prevented from bumping against the projectile body.

This has the advantage that the hit accuracy of the sub-caliber bullets or sabot bullets can be improved.

Fig.1

eine Ansicht eines Treibspiegelgeschosses teilweise im Schnitt nach Linie I - I in Fig.2;

Fig.2

einen Schnitt nach Linie II - II in Fig.1 nur durch einen Treibspiegelkörper mit einer bekannten radialen Anordnung der Segmenttrennung;

Fig.2a wie Fig.2,

jedoch mit einer bekannten Segmenttrennung;

Fig.3

einen Schnitt nach Linie III - III in Fig.1 nur durch einen Treibspiegelkörper gemäss einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung;

Fig.4

einen Schnitt nach Linie IV - IV in Fig.1 nur durch einen Treibspiegelkörper gemäss einem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung;

Fig.5

dasselbe wie Fig.2 mit Geschosskörper, jedoch um 60° verschwenkt und ohne Schraffur, mit den bei der Ablösung des Triebspiegels wirkenden Kräften;

Fig.6

dasselbe wie Fig.4 mit Geschosskörper, jedoch leicht verschwenkt und ohne Schraffur, mit den bei der Ablösung des Treibspiegels wirkenden Kräften;

Fig.7

einen Längsschnitt nach Linie VII - VII in Fig.4 mit einer sich über die ganze Länge des Treibspiegelkörpers erstreckenden Sollbruchstelle;

Fig.8

einen Längsschnitt nach Linie VIII - VIII in Fig.3, mit einer Sollbruchstelle am hinteren und vorderen Ende des Treibspiegels;

Fig.9

einen Schnitt nach Linie IX - IX in Fig.1 durch den Treibspiegelmantel;

Fig.10

einen Schnitt nach Linie X - X in Fig.1 gemäss einem erfindungsgemässen Ausführungsbeispiel für den Treibspiegelmantel;

Fig.11

dasselbe wie Fig.5 kurz nach der Ablösung;

Fig.12

dasselbe wie Fig.6 kurz nach der Ablösung und

Fig.13

dasselbe wie Fig.12 etwas später nach der Ablösung.

Various exemplary embodiments of the sabot according to the invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1

a view of a sabot projectile partially in section along line I - I in Figure 2;

Fig. 2

a section along line II - II in Figure 1 only through a sabot body with a known radial arrangement of the segment separation;

Fig.2a like Fig.2,

however with a known segment separation;

Fig. 3

a section along line III - III in Figure 1 only through a sabot body according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4

a section along line IV - IV in Figure 1 only through a sabot body according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5

the same as Figure 2 with the projectile body, but pivoted by 60 ° and without hatching, with the forces acting when the drive mirror is detached;

Fig. 6

the same as Figure 4 with the projectile body, but slightly pivoted and without hatching, with the forces acting when the sabot is detached;

Fig. 7

a longitudinal section along line VII - VII in Figure 4 with a predetermined breaking point extending over the entire length of the sabot body;

Fig. 8

a longitudinal section along line VIII - VIII in Figure 3, with a predetermined breaking point at the rear and front end of the sabot;

Fig. 9

a section along line IX - IX in Figure 1 through the sabot jacket;

Fig. 10

a section along line X - X in Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the sabot jacket according to the invention;

Fig. 11

the same as Fig.5 shortly after detachment;

Fig. 12

the same as Fig.6 shortly after detachment and

Fig. 13

the same as Fig.12 a little later after detachment.

According to FIG. 1, a sabot projectile 10 has an arrow projectile body 11 which has stabilizing wings 12 at its rear end. The tip of the arrow projectile body 11 is located in a hood 13 which is attached to a sabot 14. In the middle part, the arrow projectile body 11 has a thread 15 onto which the sabot 14 is screwed. The sabot 14 is composed of a sabot jacket 17 and a sabot body 16. The sabot jacket 17 is preferably made of plastic. Aluminum is preferably suitable for the sabot body 16. The hood 13 is also preferably made of plastic. The sabot body 16 and sabot jacket 17 are connected to one another in the usual way via a number of circumferential grooves 18 (see in particular FIGS. 7 and 8).

The structure and design of the sabot body 16 is to be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 and FIGS. 7 and 8, the sabot body 16 being shown only as an individual part for simplification or clarification, but for the mode of operation it is considered to be integrated in the sabot 14. So that the sabot 14 can become detached when the projectile is fired when it emerges from the weapon barrel muzzle, the sabot body 16 is also provided by separating surfaces 29 or slots or grooves 19 assigned predetermined breaking points 22, see FIGS. 7 and 8, divided into segments 20. According to FIG. 2a, the segment separation is carried out with separating surfaces 29 known per se. According to FIG. 2, three slots or grooves 19 are preferably provided evenly distributed over the circumference, as a result of which three segments 20 are formed. The slots or grooves 19 are widened at the outer end via shoulders 21 (see also FIGS. 5 and 6). At the inner end of the slots or grooves 19, a predetermined breaking point 22 is provided, which is described in detail below.

It has now been shown that this radial arrangement of the separating surfaces 29 or slots 19 results in problems when the sabot 14 is detached from the projectile body 11. Under the influence of the projectile swirl, in the direction of an arrow C, centrifugal forces act on the individual segments 20 of the sabot body 16 on the one hand and swirl forces on the other hand, which endeavor to rotate the individual segments about their own center of gravity S.

According to FIG. 5, a centrifugal force A acts on a single segment 20 of the sabot body 16, which attempts to detach the segment 20 from its two adjacent segments 20. A force B1 and B2, which can be of different sizes but are the same here, acts on the two predetermined breaking points 22, which connect the segment 20 to the two adjacent segments 20, depending on the distance of the center of gravity S from these predetermined breaking points 22 If the distance a of one predetermined breaking point 22 from the center of gravity S is somewhat smaller than the distance b from the other predetermined breaking point 22 from this center of gravity S, then the force B1 is somewhat greater than the force B2. The two forces B1 and B2 can be broken down into a tensile force D and a shear force E.

3 and 4, the slots or grooves 19 are not arranged in a radial plane, but at a distance d parallel to such a radial plane. This arrangement of the slots or grooves 19 and also of the separating surfaces 29 according to FIG. 2a at a distance d from a radial plane in a region that is still to be defined is considered essential to the invention, since it significantly improves the detachment of the segments 20 from the projectile body 11, as in the following to be explained in particular with reference to the preferred slots 19.

According to FIG. 6, a centrifugal force A acts on an individual segment 20 of the sabot body, which attempts to separate the segment 20 from its two adjacent segments 20. A force B1 and B2, which are very different here, thus acts on the two predetermined breaking points 22, which connect the segment 20 to the two adjacent segments 20. Since the distance a between the predetermined breaking point 22 and the center of gravity S is much smaller than the distance b between the other predetermined breaking point 22, the force B1 is considerably greater than the force B2. The two forces B1 and B2 can be broken down into a tensile force D and a shear force E. The force B1 is greatest when a = 0 or the center of gravity S and the one predetermined breaking point 22 lie in the same radial plane, which is the goal.

According to FIG. 7, the predetermined breaking point 22 extends in the axial direction over the entire length of the sabot body 16. According to FIG. 8, a predetermined breaking point 22 is only present at the front and rear end of the sabot body 16. However, one of these predetermined breaking points 22, ie at the rear end or at the front end of the sabot body 16, can also be dispensed with.

The arrangement of the slots or grooves 19 between the segments 20 of the sabot body 16 parallel to a radial plane and at the required distance has the particular advantage that the sealing of these slots or grooves 19 can be significantly improved, as a comparison of FIGS. 5 and 6 shows. This gas pressure is indicated by radial arrows G. 5, the plastic mass of the jacket 17 located in the slot 19, which is only shown in FIG. 1, is pressed against the shoulders 21. Thus, the seal is essentially guaranteed by these shoulders. In contrast, according to FIG. 6, the individual segments 20 are pressed more strongly against one another by the gas pressure G, which ensures a better seal. In particular, the effective gas pressure area is larger.

According to FIG. 9, the sabot jacket 17 is also divided into three jacket segments 26 by three radial slots or grooves 23, which are connected to one another by three predetermined breaking points 24. Each segment 26 has two cutouts 25 in order to avoid unnecessary masses.

According to FIG. 10, these slots or grooves 23 are not arranged in a radial plane, but at a distance d1 (which may be the same or different from the distance d in FIGS. 3 and 4) parallel to such a radial plane. The slots or grooves 23 of the sabot jacket 17 can coincide with the slots or grooves 19 of the sabot body 16 or be offset from one another. In the case of a sabot body 16 with slots 19 which are arranged at a distance parallel to a radial plane, either a sabot jacket 17 which has radially arranged slots 23 or slots 23 which are arranged at a distance parallel to a radial plane can be used.

The predetermined breaking point 22 shown in FIG. 7 is of equal strength over the entire length, i.e. dimensioned the same, but it can be made weaker to the front or to the rear (seen in the firing direction) in order to avoid an inclined position of the segments 20 after detachment from the projectile body 11.

3, the predetermined distance d between the slot 19 and the corresponding radial plane is smaller than the radius R of the bore provided for the projectile body 11. 4, the predetermined distance d between the slot 19 and the corresponding radial plane is somewhat larger than the radius R of the bore, e.g. around the dimension of a predetermined breaking point 22. Experiments have shown that this larger distance d is more advantageous. It is thus determined according to the invention that the distance d corresponds to at least half the amount of the radius R of the projectile body 11.

Furthermore, the separating surfaces 29 or slots or grooves 19 according to FIGS. 3 and 4 can preferably be arranged instead of parallel skew to the corresponding radial planes.

11, the individual segments 20 of the sabot body 16 fly after their detachment from the projectile body 11 in the direction of arrow V, ie tangentially to the projectile body 11 thereof. At the same time, each segment 20 begins to rotate about its center of gravity S, as indicated by the arrow W. By moving in the direction of the arrow V, the segment 20 first abuts the projectile body 11 with an edge 27 of a predetermined breaking point 22 and by rotating the segment 20 around the center of gravity S in the direction of the arrow W, the segment 20 then abuts with an edge 28 the other predetermined breaking point 22 against the Projectile body 11. This causes the projectile body 11 to be deflected from the desired path.

According to the invention, this should be avoided. How these two impacts of the sabot body segments 20 against the projectile body 11 are avoided will be explained with reference to the two figures 12 and 13.

According to FIGS. 12 and 13, the individual segments 20 of the sabot body 16 fly after they have been detached from the projectile body 11 in the direction of arrow V, i.e. tangential to the projectile body 11 thereof. At the same time, each segment 20 begins to rotate about its center of gravity S, as indicated by the arrow W. Thanks to the different arrangement of the slots 19, neither the edge 27 of one predetermined breaking point 22 nor the edge 28 of the other predetermined breaking point 22 can abut against the projectile body 11.

As already explained above, the slots 19 are arranged at a distance d parallel to the corresponding radial plane, and this distance d is chosen such that the abovementioned impacts are avoided.

The air resistance acting on a segment 20 is indicated in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 by the distances c and e. 11, the distance c is greater than the distance e, so the air resistance acts in the direction of arrow W and supports the rotation of the segment around the center of gravity S. According to FIGS. 12 and 13, the distance c is smaller than the distance e, thus the air resistance counteracts the rotation in the direction of the arrow W and reduces or prevents the risk that the edge 28 of the segment 20 hits the projectile body 11.

In summary, it can be said: as soon as the sabot body 16 leaves the pipe mouth and in three segments 20 decays, instead of the centrifugal force A according to FIGS. 5 and 6 acts a translation speed in the direction of arrow V and an angular speed in the direction of arrow W. According to FIG. 5, the translation speed in the direction of arrow V causes segment 20 with edge 27 abuts the projectile body 11 and then the rotation of the segment 20 in the direction of arrow W causes the segment 20 to abut the projectile body 11 with the edge 28.

These two impacts of the segment 20 against the projectile body 11 are avoided by the inventive arrangement of the known separating surfaces 29 or the preferably slots 19 at a distance d of at least R / 2 from a radial plane, or preferably d> R, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 can be seen. The distance d in the swirl direction is to be determined according to arrow C according to FIGS. 4 and 5 to the radial plane. Furthermore, it is advantageous to arrange the one predetermined breaking point 22, with the edge 27 generated during the break, and the center of gravity S of the segment 20 in the same radial plane or in radial planes that are at most 10 degrees apart.

Claims (13)

Ejectable sabot (14) for a sub-caliber projectile (10) for firing from a weapon barrel provided with swirl grooves, with a sabot body (16) and a sabot jacket (17), which can be subdivided into segments (20, 26) in order to detach the sabot ( 14) when the projectile (10) emerges from the pipe mouth, characterized in that separating surfaces (29) or slots or grooves (19) with predetermined breaking points (22) between the segments (20) of the sabot body (16) parallel to radial planes are arranged at a predetermined distance (d) corresponding to at least half the amount of the radius (R) of the projectile body (11). Throw-away sabot according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance (d) between the separating surfaces (29) or slots (19) and the corresponding radial planes is greater than the radius (R) of the projectile body (11). Throw-away sabot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the separating surfaces (29) or slots (19) are arranged at a distance (d) in the swirl direction (C) from the corresponding radial planes. Throw-away sabot according to claim 3, characterized in that the predetermined breaking points (22) with the edges (27) to be generated during the break and the centers of gravity (S) of the segments (20) are arranged in radial planes which are at most 10 degrees apart. Throw-away sabot according to claim 3, characterized in that the one predetermined breaking points (22) and the centers of gravity (S) are arranged in the same radial plane. Throw-away sabot according to claim 3, characterized in that the separating surfaces (29) or slots (19) are not arranged parallel, but axially skewed to corresponding radial planes. Throw-away sabot according to claim 3, with slots (23) between the segments (26) of the sabot jacket (17), characterized in that these slots (23) are also arranged parallel to radial planes at a predetermined distance (d1). Disposable sabot according to claim 7, characterized in that the slots (23) between the segments (26) of the sabot jacket (17) are offset from the separating surfaces (29) or slots (19) between the segments (20) of the sabot body (16) . Ejectable sabot according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined breaking points (22), which connect the individual segments (20) of the sabot body (16) with each other, extend over the entire length of the sabot body (16) (Fig. 7). Ejectable sabot according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined breaking points (22) are located at the front and rear ends of the sabot body (16) (Fig. 8). Ejectable sabot according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined breaking points (22) are located at the rear end of the sabot body (16) (Fig. 9). Ejectable sabot according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined breaking points (22) are located at the front end of the sabot body (16) (Fig.10). A droppable sabot according to claim 2, characterized in that the predetermined breaking points (22), which extend over the entire length of the sabot body (16), taper to the front or to the rear (as seen in the firing direction).

Images