GB2105825A

GB2105825A - Explosive charges

Info

Publication number: GB2105825A
Application number: GB07925115A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dr Walter Trinks
Original assignee: FRITZ WERNER IND AUSRUESTUNG
Current assignee: FRITZ WERNER IND AUSRUESTUNG
Priority date: 1978-07-22
Filing date: 1979-07-19
Publication date: 1983-03-30
Also published as: FR2506923A1; GB2105825B; DE2832246A1; DE2832246C2; FR2506923B1

Abstract

An explosive charge for missiles for attacking armoured targets, comprises at least two plates 101, 111 clad on their rear sides each with a layer of explosive 12, 13 and adapted to be fixed in an operational attitude in which they are contiguous to each other and form an angle of less than 180 DEG , and an igniter adapted to ignite the layer of explosive of two plates simultaneously. The plates are preferably interconnected by a hinge device which enables the plates to be swung open into the operational attitude from an attitude in which they are disposed substantially parallel to each other, the hinge device being mounted on a propulsion-unit chamber which supports a device which causes the plates to swing open at a preset distance from the surface of the target. The plates may be curved substantially cylindrically and the thickness thereof preferably diminishes from the mutually- proximate edges in the outward direction. The layers of explosive preferably overlap the edges of the plates, each layer may contain explosive zones with different detonation velocities for directing the detonation waves. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Explosive charge The invention relates to an explosive charge for missiles for attacking armoured targets.

For the purpose of attacking armoured targets, it is known to use hollow charges which consist of an explosive body with a tapered recess. In the recess there is a tapered metal insert which, on detonation of the hollow charge, produces a weli-focused hollow-charge yet which consists of very fast but small particles. The high penetration effect of hollow-charge projectiles has its origin in the intense concentration of the hollow-charge jet. This concentration can be disrupted with modern armouring, so that hollow-charge projectiles can be rendered innocuous with appropriate preventative measures.

For the purpose of attacking armoured targets there are moreover known inertia projectiles the penetrability of which is of course less but which act upon the target with a greater mass.

The object of the invention is to provide an explosive charge of the kind initially mentioned, which combines in like manner the advantages of hollow charges and inertia projectiles and the effects of which are not to be eliminated with the conventional defence measures.

In order to achieve this object, provision is made in accordance with the invention for at least two plates clad on their rear sides each with a layer of explosive to be fixable in an operational attitude in which they are continguous to each other and form an angle of less than 1800 and for an igniter igniting the explosives of the two plates simultaneously.

Smooth metal plates can be accelerated to speeds of about 2000 m/s by explosive coatings on one of the flat sides. The direction of flight extends in so doing certainly almost in the direction of the surface normal of the plate, that is in a direction in which the plate cannot develop any piercing effect. The difficulty consistent with the direction of flight of a plate accelerated in this way does not extend parallel to the plate surface, but almost at right angles to the latter, is eliminated in accordance with the invention by using two plates which are disposed symmetrically to the intended direction of flight at an angle inclined somewhat less than 90" to the latter.On detonation of the layers of explosive on the rear sides of the plates, there occurs, analogous to the projectile development of smooth tapered hollow charges, a welding of the two plates to form a singie plate which travels in the direction of the axis of symmetry of the plate arrangement like an overlong projectile with high velocity. The plates may, when expedient, be in the form of smooth bars, which on detonation of the layers of explosive taking place, close against each other and travel on to the target like an overlong inertia projectile shot out of a gun.

The plates or smooth bars may interconnect, in an advantageous development of the invention, by a hinge device which enables the plates to be swung open from an attitude in which they are disposed substantially parallel to each other, into the operational attitude. This simplifies the mounting of the explosive charge on a warhead of the customary calibre. The plates may be unfolded on the warhead in the manner of an umbrella, before the detonation takes place. Moreover there may be provided a device which causes the plates to swing open automatically at a present distance from the surface of the target.

An explosive charge may also contain a plurality of pairs of plates the individual plates of which are mutually opposed and are arranged in the manner of the ribs of an umbrella. On simultaneous detonation of the layers of explosive of all of the plates, there originates a well-focused formation with large mass in the direction of the axis of symmetry. Use is preferably made of elongate bar-shaped plates.

The explosive charge may be mounted either in front of the propulsion-unit chamber or along the outside of the propulsion-unit chamber. With already-existing propulsion units, which enable the mounting of the explosive charge, the plates or plain bars may have a length of about 75 cm to 1 m.

The plates or plain bars have a particularly advantageous shape with regard to the acceleration along with the welding, when they are slightly curved towards each other. The curvature may, for example, be cylindrical. It is moreover desirable to have the thickness of the plates decrease outwardly from the mutually adjacent edges.

In order to favour the satisfactory welding of the plates, the latter may carry a layer of compressible material on the side thereof remote from the layer of explosive. This layer does not prevent the plates striking against each other with considerable force, but prevents one plate from sliding relative to the other.

To the same end the plates may have on the side remote from the layer of explosive textured surfaces, for example serrated surfaces.

The outer surface of the layer of explosive may be provided through a thin sheet with a barrier with regard both to the mechanical protection and to a satisfactory outcome of the detonation. In order to avoid losses at the plate edge, it is further advantageous if the explosive layers overlap the edges of the plates.

In certain circumstances, by using two explosives with different detonation velocities, it is practical to arrange the acceleration action more advantageously by creating a so-called "drawing wave".

In order to preclude the possibility that interference is caused to the overlong projectile produced by a change in direction being forced thereupon during the penetration, it is further proposed to subdivide the plates or plain bars into sections placed loosely side-by-side and to join the sections again by a relatively loose connection. There is then obtained, instead of a single continuous bar projectile, a series of short inertia projectiles in which any interference caused to an individual inertia projectile is not transmitted to the other inertia projectiles.

It can moreover be achieved, by suitable choice of the explosive coating, that in this series of small inertia projectiles each subsequent one is a little slower than the one preceding, when the layer of explosive on the sections of each plate decreases by a small amount from section to section.

Some embodiments of the invention will be described in what follows with reference to the figures.

Figure 1 shows schematically a first specific embodiment of the explosive charge with two flat smooth bars in the operational attitude.

Figure 2 shows a second specific embodiment of the explosive charge with two curved smooth bars the thickness of which diminishes in the outward direction.

Figure 3 shows a third exemplified embodiment with shaped bar surfaces.

Figure 4 shows a fourth exemplified embodiment in which the bars and the layers of explosive are subdivided, and Figure 5 shows schematically the mounting of the explosive charge on a propulsion-unit chamber.

The explosive charge represented in Figure 1 consists of two plates in the form of plain bars 10, 11, which are of metal and are head-on to one another.

The rear sides of the plates 10, 11 are coated with a layer 12, 13, respectively, of explosive. The layers of explosive overlap the edges of the plates.

The plates 10,11 form an angle of less than 180 .

At the detonation, the layes 12, 13 of explosive are ignited at the position 14 at which the adjacent front ends of the plates are head-on to one another.

Owing to the outwardly-progressing detonation of the layers 12, 13 of explosive, the plates 10, 11 are accelerated each almost at a right angle to the plane of the plate. In so doing, they strike against each other and are welded with one another along the median plane 15.

In that way there is formed an overlong projectile which travels at high speed along the axis 15 of symmetry.

In the embodiment represented in Figure 2, the bar-shaped plates 101, 111 are curved slightly cylindrically and the thickness thereof decreases in each case towards the edge. The bars 101 and 111 also carry on their rear sides a layer 12, 13 of explosive.

The behaviour of this explosive charge at the detonation is similar to that of the explosive charge according to Figure 1.

In the embodiment represented in Figure 3, the plates 102 and 112 are textured at 16, 17 on the forwardly directed surfaces, for example are formed with teeth, corrugations, waves or the like. These texturings lead to the encouragement of the welding of the plates continuously pressed against one another owing to the detonation.

There is represented in Figure 4 an embodiment in which the plates 103 and 104 likewise comprise plain bars which, however, are subdivided into individual longitudinal sections 18, 20. These longitudinal sections 18, 19, 20 are loosely joined together. At the detonation of the layer of explosive the longitudinal sections 18 situated inside are continuously pressed against each other and are welded together. Inde pendentlyofthis,the middle longitudinal sections 19 are also welded together and, in turn independently of this, finally the outer longitudinal sections 20. In that way there result with the present embodiment three inertia projectiles independent of one another, which strike the same point of the target one after another at brief intervals.The subdivision of the plates has the advantage that irregularities at the time of the detonation do not affect the action of the entire explosive charge, but only of the pertaining pair of longitudinal sections. In order that the individual pairs of longitudinal sections unite separatelyfrom one another, the layers 12,13 of explosive, which are likewise subdivided in conformity with the longitudinal sections 18, 19,20, decrease continuously, so that in the succession of individual inertia projectiles, each one following another is always a little slower than the one preceding.

In Figure 5 there is represented schematically the mounting of the explosive charge, generally denoted 21, at the forward end of a propulsion-unit chamber 22. The two plates 10, 11 of the explosive charge 21 are interconnected by a hinge device 23, so that they can be situated face to face at a small angle. The hinge device 23 opens up automatically shortly before the target is reached, the plates 10,11 opening out from one another in conformity with Figure 1 and occupying the operational attitude.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Explosive charge for missiles for attacking armoured targets, characterised in that at least two plates(10,11;101,111;102,112;103,113)cladon their rear sides each with a layer of explosive can be fixed in an operational attitude in which they are contiguous to each other and form an angle of less than 180 , and in that an igniter igniting the layers of explosive of the two plates simultaneously is provided. 2. Explosive charge according to claim 1, char acterised in that the plates (10,11) are interconnected by a hinge device (23) which enables the plates to be swung open from an attitude in which they are disposed substantially parallel to each other, into the operational attitude. 3. Explosive charge according to claim 2, characterised in that the hinge device (23) is mounted on a propulsion-unit chamber (22) which supports a device which causes the plates (10, 11) to swing open at a preset distance from the surface of the target. 4. Explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the plates (101, 111) are curved substantially cylindrically. 5. Explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the thickness of the plates (101,111) diminishes from the mutuallyproximate edges in the outward direction. 6. Explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the plates carry a layer of compressible material on the side thereof remote from the layer of explosive. 7. Explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the plates (102, 112) have textured surfaces (16, 17) on the sides thereof remote from the layers of explosive, for example serrated surfaces. 8. Explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the outer surface of the layer of explosive is provided with a barrier. 9. Explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the layers (12, 13) of explosive overlap the edges of the plates. 10. Explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the layer of explosive contains explosive zones with different detonation velocities for directing the detonation waves. 11. Explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the plates (103, 113) consist of sections (18, 19,20) placed loosely side-by-side. 12. Explosive charge according to claim 11,charge acterised in that the thickness of the layer (12, 13) on the sections (18, 19,20) of each plate differs by a small amount from section to section. New claims or amendments to claims filed on 21 Sept81 (Claims 1-10), 6July81 (claims 11-14) Superseded claims 1 to 12 New or amended claims 1 to 14 CLAIMS

1. An explosive charge for missiles for attacking armoured targets, comprising at least two plates each clad on one face thereof with a layer of explosive and interconnected by a hinge device which enables the plates to be swung from a folded-together attitude with the layers of explosive remote from one another, into an outspread attitude wherein they form with one another an angle of less than 180 , the hinge device being adapted to open up to spread the plates shortly before a target is reached with simultaneous detonation by an igniter of the layers of explosive at the then adjacent ends of the layers.

2. An explosive charge according to claim 1, in which the plates are curved substantially cylindrically.

3. An explosive charge according to claim 1 or 2, in which the thickness of the plates diminishes from the mutually-proximate edges in the outward direction.

4. An explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the plates carry a layer of compressible material on the side thereof remote from the layer of explosive.

5. An explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the plates have textured surfaces on the sides thereof remote from the layers of explosive, for example serrated surfaces.

6. An explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the outer surface of each layer of explosive is provided with a barrier

7. An explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the layers of explosive overlap the edges of the plates.

8. An explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which each layer of explosive contains explosive zones with different detonation velocities for directing the detonation waves.

9. An explosive charge according to any one of claims 1 to 8, in which the plates consist of sections placed loosely side-by-side.

10. An explosive charge according to claim 9, in which the thickness of the layer on the sections of each plate differs by a small amount from section to section.

11. An explosive charge for missiles for attacking armoured targets, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing.

12. An explosive charge for missiles for attacking armoured targets, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing.

13. An explosive charge for missiles for attacking armoured targets, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing.

14. An explosive charge for missiles for attacking armouredtargets, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawing.