GB1605437A - Armour plate - Google Patents

Description

PATENT SPECIFICATION

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(21) Application No. 52703/74 (44) Complete Specification published 4 June 2003

(11)

(22) Filed 5 December 1974

(51) Int. CI7 F41H 5/04

(52) Index at acceptance

B5N N195 N196 N199 N209 N21Y N223 N225 N491 N493 N5I3 N519 N0518 N1800 N2740 F3C CP2 U1S SI 828 (72) Inventor(s) Gerhard Hopp

N20Y

N247

N595

N204 N389 N596

(19)

N205 N393 N77X

N207 N450 N770

1 605 437

(54) ARMOUR PLATE

(71) We, BLOHM & VOSS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, of 2000 Hamburg 11, Federal Republic of Germany, do herby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:

The invention concerns a compound armor for protection against projectiles, particularly armor-piercing shells and shaped charges, comprising a plurality metallic and non-metallic layers, of which at lest one is a metal armor plate, especially of steel.

10 Compound armor or multi-layer armor assemblies are know. For example, German patent specification 1113 399 describes a multi-layer armor for armored vehicles consisting of the following layers: armor plate, plastics layer, armor plate, armor plate with surface hardening.

The purpose of this type of armor is to protect the armored vehicle both against steel shells and 15 against shaped charges. Furthermore, German patent specification 1 120 939 discloses a multilayer armor plate for protection against anti-tank shells and shaped charges; this multi-layer assembly is composed of an outer deep hardened manganese high-carbon steel plate and an inner toughened armor plate with an interposed non-metallic layer to break up the jet of shaped charges. Furthermore, German patent specification 1 213 305 describes an armor plate 20 consisting of materials of different hardness. In this armor, the hard materials used are non-ductile, preferably sintered materials, together with less hard materials such as hard artificial resin with high impact strength.

Another known technique is to add to the artificial resins used materials which are impermeable 25 to high-energy radiation such as gamma rays and neutrons (German Patent Application (DAS) I 123 305).

The present invention provides compound armor for protection against projectiles such as armor-piercing shells and shaped charges, comprising metallic and non-metallic layers of which 30 at least one layer is a metal armor plate, with at least one ceramic layer in front of the metal armor plate and one or more cellular plastics layers located next to the ceramic layer(s) for shock-buffering of the ceramic layer(s). The armor may have a spaced armor configuration with one or more ceramic layers. It is also possible to provide one or more plastics layers next to the ceramic layers. The cellular plastics material is preferably a foam material.

35

Extensive destruction of the ceramic layer by enemy fire can be prevented in the preferred forms of the invention in that the ceramic layer is shock-buffered by the plastics material and the ceramic layer is subdivided into ceramic plates which are separated from one another. It is of advantage to fill the interstices between the ceramic plates partially or completely with 40 plastics material. Furthermore, the ceramic layers which are shock-buffered by the plastics material can advantageously to be arranged in the space of a spaced armor configuration.

Ballistic safety is improved by partially substituting ceramic material for steel. The best effect is obtained if, in a spaced armor arrangement with constant front plate thickness, the rear plate 45 thickness is reduced (and the ceramic plate thickness is increased) to such an extent that it just barely withstands the load applied by the projectile. It may be of advantage to replace the steel rear plate by an aluminium plate in a spaced armor arrangement, since aluminium of a thickness to giveapprox. the same weight per unit area as steel, provides about the same ballistic safety with increased buckling strength. In this way, it possible to prevent large-surface bulging or 50 fracture of the rear plate, under extraordinarily high loads.

With the metal-ceramic-compound armor arrangement of the invention, the ceramic material maybe shock-buffered to such an extent that cracking of the non-hit ceramic material caused by the ballistic shock is avoided. This means that the ceramic material is destroyed only in the immediate surrounding of the impact.

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1,605,437

2

Also, the plastics material may contain elements or compounds which have a high capture cross-section for neutrons. The ceramic or ceramic-plastics-combi-nation may consist of prefabricated elements.

5 While ceramic materials have already been used for the armor of helicopters, this type of armor can however only protect the crew against small-caliber projectiles and against shrapnel. This type of light armor cannot withstand projectiles of larger caliber.

Tests with the preferred compound armor arrangements of this invention have revealed that 10 ceramic materials in combination with metal armor plates and ceramic-plastics-combinations give good ballistic safety without substantially increased weight. Even against armor-piercing ammunition, such as AP (armor-piercing) and HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank), the preferred armor ofthis invention provided more ballistic safety than conventional single-layer or spaced armor configurations.

15

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Fig. 1 shows a cross section of armor in which plastics material is used in addition to steel and 20 ceramics;

Fig. 2 shows a cross section of a multi-layer armor; and Fig. 3 to

Fig. 5 show cross sections of spaced armor arrangements.

25

In Fig. 1, a multi-layer armor consists of an armor steel plate I and a ceramic layer 2, with a cellular plastics layer 4, located between the armor steel plate and the ceramic layer. The plastics layer 4 preferably consists of a foam material.

30 In the case of the multi-layer armor, shown in Fig. 2 alternating layers of ceramic material 2 and cellular plastics material 4 are arranged in front of the armor steel plate 1. Preferably, this plastics material is also a foam material.

Fig. 3 shows a spaced armor arrangement comprising armor steel plates i and 3. The hollow 35 space between these two armor steel plates is filled with a ceramic layer 2 and the two eellular plastics layers 4, which are placed one on each side of the ceramic layer.

I n the case of the spaced armor arrangement shown in Fig. 4, a cellular plastics layer 4 is placed between armor steel plates 1 and 3 and two ceramic layers 2 are placed one on each side of 40 the plastics layer.

In the spaced armor arrangements as shown if Fig. 3 and 4, it is of course also possible to arrange multi-layer systems of plastics and ceramics as for instance shown in Fig. 2. These spaced armor arrangements may also include air-gaps.

45

Fig. 5 shows a spaced armor design which features a highly-hardened front plate 3, preferably of steel, facing, the projectile. This front plate 3 is followed by the cellular plastics layer 4 which has a buffering effect. This plastics layer 4 preferably consists of a polyurethane foam. This plastics layer is followed by a ceramic layer consisting of several, mutually isolated ceramic 50 plates 2. The interstices between the ceramic plates include plastics webs 5,6 which also have a buffering effect and may also consist of a foam material. The ceramic layer is in turn followed by a buffering cellular plastics layer 4 which may also consist of a foam material, particularly polyurethane foam. Finally, the spaced armor arrangement shown also has a rear plate 1 which preferably consists ofaluminium or steel-aluminum.

55

The ceramic plates 2 are isolated by the buffering plastics layers and shock-buffered against the metal armor plates, i.e. in the example shown in, Fig. 5 against front plate 3 and rear plate 1. Furthermore, the ceramic plates 2 are mutually isolated by the shock-buffering plastics webs 5 and 6.

60

Therefore, in the event of a ballistic impact, the shock produced by the projectile is not transm itted to the parts of the armor adjacent to the point of impact so that destruction of these parts is largely prevented. If a projectile goes through front plate 3, only the ceramic plate 2 located directly behind the point of impact is as a rule destroyed.

65

Both the ceramic layer and the plastics layer may contain elements or compounds, or may be made up of compounds, which have a high neutron-absorption cross-section. Consequently, the armor of the invention may also provide protection against nuclear radiation such as for instance that produced by nuclear weapons.

Claims (15)

1,605,437 3 What I claim is:-

1. Compound armor for protection against projectiles, such as armor-piercing shells and shaped charges, comprising metallic and non-metallic layers of which at least one layer is a

5 metal armor plate, with at least one ceramic layer located in front of metal armor plate and one or more cellular plastics layers located next to the ceramic layer(s) for shock-buffering of the ceramic layer(s).

2. Compound armor according to claim 1 in which the plastics material is a foam material.

10

3. Compound armor according to claim 1 in which the plastics layer is arranged between the metal armor plate and the ceramic layer

4. Compound armor according to claim I in which alternating ceramic and plastics layers 15 are arranged in front the metal armor plate.

5. Compound armoraccordingto claim 1 which is designed as a spaced armor arrangement whose space is filled with two plastics layers and one ceramic layer between the plastics layers.

20

6. Compound armoraccordingtoclaim 1 which is designed as a spaced armor arrangement whose space is filled with two ceramic layers and one plastics layer between the ceramic layers.

7. Compound armor according to claim 1 in which the ceramic layer is subdivided into several ceramic plates which are separated from one another.

8. Compound armor according to claim 7 in which the interstices between the ceramic plates are partially or completely filled with plastics material.

9. Compound armor according to claim 8 in which the ceramic layer in the space of a spaced armor configuration and is between plastics layers.

10. Compound armoraccordingto claim 8 orclaim 9, in which the plastics material is foamed.

1 1. Compound armor according to claim 10 in which the foamed plastics material is a polyurethane material.

12. Compound armor according to claim 9 in which the rear plate of the spaced armor con fi gu rat i on con s i sts of a I u m i n u m.

13. Compound armor according to claim 1 in which the ceramic layer and/or plastics layer contain an element or compounds which has a high neutron-capture cross section.

14. Compound armor according to any preceding claim wherein the metal armor plate is of steel.

15. Compound armor according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of the Figures.

D. YOUNG & CO., Chartered Patent Agents, 21 New Fetter Lane, London, EC4A IDA.