GB1228785A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,228,785. Mortars; mortar projectiles. ALLIED RESEARCH ASSOCIATES Inc. 18 April, 1968 [18 April, 1967], No. 18318/68. Headings F3A and F3C. A weapon comprises a projectile 8 having a cavity which contains a propellant charge 20, a firing device, and a piston 22. An elongated member 6 extends into the cavity and urges the piston forwardly to operate the firing device, and on exploding the propellant charge the piston is urged against the elongated member to urge the projectile from the weapon and means are provided for delaying escape of the expended propellant charge in the cavity. The weapon may comprise a muzzle loaded mortar, the projectile 8 being dropped on to the enlongated member 6 such that the piston with a firing-pin 24 attached thereto is urged against a primer 26 of the propellant charge. In the flight of the projectile the piston seats against a sealing ring provided in the base of the cavity, the sealing ring comprising the means for delaying escape of the expended propellant. Since the tube 2 of the mortar has not to withstand pressure from the propellant charge it may be fabricated from a fibreglass reinforced moulded plastics material integral with a base or the tube may be of a metal, e.g. a lightweight alloy with the base either screwed or moulded thereto. The tube may be provided with a scale and pointer device for setting up the tube at an angle according to the desired range. The device also includes a level which is provided with a luminous part to aid night firing (Figs. 4, 5, not shown). Safety plugs may be secured to the base of the projectile and to the piston which allows projectiles to be stacked in the mortar tube for transportation (Fig. 6, not shown). The projectile may be formed with stabilizing fins (Fig. 3, not shown), or lands such that it can be fired from a rifled tube (Fig. 7, not shown). The piston and propellant charge may be integral with one another with the piston having a plug of burnable material such that after launching the material is burnt and the projectile is boosted in flight (Fig. 8, not shown). Further a propellant charge may be provided in an annular chamber at the base of the projectile this propellant charge being ignited by the main propellant charge through apertures communicating with the cavity during the flight of the projectile to give a boost thereto (Fig. 9, not shown). The apertures may be filled with a consumable material. The weapon may be provided with a spring-loaded firing plunger held by a pin in either an extended position such that the plunger acts as a fixed elongated member or in a retracted position to be released as from a distance by withdrawal of the pin (Fig. 7, not shown).