GB2188128A - Ejection cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

A cartridge comprises a closed container having an end 19 through which material is ejected upon activation of the cartridge, a series of charge elements 3 which upon activation of the cartridge are perforable to provide said ejection of material, a spine 5 with projecting side arms 9, and a plate 17 for pushing the charge elements toward the ejection end 19 whereby the charge elements are perforated by the projection arms 9. The spine 5 is constituted by interlockable portions 7 which are pushed together by the plate 17. The elements 3 may be ignited by the perforation and ejection to produce smoke. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ejection cartridge The present invention relates to cartridges for the ejection of material, such asincendiaryorsmoke producing material, into the adjacent atmosphere.

According to the present invention there is provided a cartridge for ejecting material into the adjacent atmosphere comprising a closed container having an ejection end through which material may be ejected upon activation of the cartridge, a series of charge elements in the containerwhich upon activation ofthe cartridge are perforableto provide an ejection of material from the said elements through the ejection end, a spine extending along the container, a series of side arms projecting from the spine between the charge elements and means for pushing the series of charge elements toward the ejection end whereby the charge elements are perforated by the projection arms and material is ejected through the ejection end.

The charge elements maywhollyorpartiallycom- prise the material to be ejected. Alternatively, or in addition, the material to be ejected may be material obtained by the action of perforation of the charge elements and ejection from the cartridge.

The charge elements may comprise material which is burnt to form a required smoke and which may be ignited readily by the action of perforation and ejection. Thus, the cartridge may be an incendiary and/or smoke producing cartridge. In this case, the charge elements may comprise pellets comprising phosphorus, especially red phosphorus.

The spine may pass through the charge elements.

The elements may be mounted and stacked on the spine with the side arms between adjacent elements.

The spine may comprise a series of interlockable portions from which one or more ofthe said side arms project, the portions being arranged, prior to activation, so as not to be fully interlocked by virtue ofthe separation of side arms provided by the charge elements. Upon activation, the spine is thereby compressed causing the side arms to pierce the charge elements as the separation between the side arms is reduced by the compressive action.

The spine may comprise cylinder portions each having an axially disposed projection at one end and a complementary axially disposed aperture at the other end allowing adjacent elements to be interlockable. The side arms may comprise cylindrical rods having a diameterwhich is small compared with that of the spine, e.g. Mess than half the diameter of the spine. Each cylinder of the spine may have at least three, preferably at least four, side arms projecting substantially perpendicularto its axis. The side arms projecting from each cylinder of the spine may be located at positions which are level with one another relative to the axis of the spine. Such arms may pro jest from positions which are equidistantly spaced around the spine.

Where the spine comprises cylinder portions each having a projection and an aperture at opposite ends the projection and aperture may be such that the side arms of adjacent cylinder units are offset at an angle to one another as observed along the spine axis. For example, the projection and the aperture may be of square cross-section, the corners of the square of the projection being offset at 45" relative to the corners of the aperture on the same cylinder unit, whereby the side arms of adjacent cylinder units are offset at 45" relative to one another.

According to the present invention in another aspect a breaker unit for use in a cartridge according to the first mentioned aspect of the invention comprises a cylinder unit having side arms, a projection at one end and an aperture atthe other end the projection and aperture being such that a series of the cylinder units are interlockable to form a spine with the side arms of adjacent cylinder units being offset relative to one another.

The spine and the side arms may be made of are silient material, e.g. a plastics material. For example, the spine and the side arms may be made of polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide or polyethylene.

The cartridge according to the present invention may be housed in a projectile, which may be a mortar-fired or gun-fired projectile or a projectile launched byfreefallfrom an aircraft, e.g. helicopter or a cluster bomb. For example, the cartridge may be housed in a fin-stabilised mortar-fired projectile which may have a conventional projectile shape. The body of such a projectile may for example be made of aluminium our a high strength aluminium alloy.

The container of the cartridge according to the present invention may be a thin case made of a metal, comprising aluminium. The means for pushing the charge elements, which operates upon activation of the cartridge, may comprise a piston or plate arranged to be rammed toward the ejection end ofthe container by the forces provided by the detonation of an adjacent explosive charge such as gun powder.

Detonation may be provided by a known fuze which may be operated by a known effect, e.g. a proximity, impactortime delay effect.

The charge elements may be pellets of a red phosphorus-containing composition having a biscuit-like constitution. Such pellets may be readily perforated, ignited and ejected by the explosive ejection impulses produced upon activation of the cat ridge.They are broken intosegmentswhichareejec- ted burning from the cartridge. These segments can continue to burn for up to several minutes after ejec tion and thus provide convenient heat sources which may serve as an infra-red decoy screen as well as a visual smoke screen to protect an adjacent structure, e.g. a ship.

The charge elements may comprise a known biscuit-like composition formed by pressing at 1 to 10, e.g. Stonnes, e.g. a composition comprising 95% by weight red phosphorus and 5% by weight butyryl rubber.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa cross-sectional side elevation of part of a cartridge embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of a pellet breaker unit incorporated in the cartridge shown in Figure 1.

As shown in Figure 1 a cartridge body 1 made of aluminium alloy contains a stack of hollow red phosphorus pellets 3 which are mounted on a spine 5 passing along the axis ofthe pellets. The spine 5 is formed by a series of interlockable cylinders 7 each having four equispaced arms 9 as shown in Figure 2, each cylinder7 and its arms forming a breaker unit.

The cylinders 7 are interlockable by a projection 11 of square cross-section and a complementary square recess 13 provided at the respective axial ends of each cylinder7. The squares ofthe projection 11 and of the recess 13 on each cylinder 7 are offset at an angle of 45" relative to one another so that the arms 9 from adjacent cylinders 7 are set atan angle of 45 to one another as observed along the axis of the spine 5.

When the pellets 3 and spine 5 are loaded as a charge inside the body 1 the cylinders7 are notfully interlocked. A clearance spacing 15 equal to the thickness of the arms 9 exists betweenadjacentsur- faces perpendicularto the axis of the spine 5. Upon activation ofthe cartridge a gunpowder charge (not shown) is exploded causing a plate 17 to be pushed in a directionXtoward the end ofthe body labelled 19 in Figure 1. This action causes the cylinders 7 of the spine to be pushed together by initial reaction of the body 1 at its end 19 with a consequential perforation ofthe pellets 3 by the arms 9. The pellets are thereby broken into smaller segments. The impulse provided by the plate 17 causes the segments to be ejected through the end 19 into the surrounding atmosphere. As red phosphorus is readily ignited the friction generated by breaking and ejecting the pellets 3 causes the ejected red phosphorus pellets to burn and this combustion continues after the segments have been ejected from the body 1 thereby providing a source of heat and smoke in the region of the surrounding atmosphere.

Claims (9)

1. A cartridge for ejecting material intotheadjacent atmosphere comprising a closed container having an ejection end through which material may be ejected upon activation of the cartridge, a series of charge elements in the container which upon activation ofthe cartridge are perforable to provide an ejection of material from the said elements through the ejection end, a spine extending along the container, a series of side arms projecting from the spine between the charge elements and means for pushing the series of charge elements toward the ejection end whereby the charge elements are perforated by the projection arms and material is ejected through the ejection end.

2. Acartridgeasclaimed in claim 1 andwherein the charge elements comprise material which may be readily ignited and burnt to form a required smoke.

3. A cartridge as claimed in claim 2 and wherein the charge elements comprise red phosphorus.

4. A cartridge as claimed in claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3 in which the spine passes through the charge elementswhich are mounted and stacked onthe spine with the side arms between adjacent elements.

5. A cartridge as claimed in claim 4 and wherein the spine comprises a series of interlockable portions each having one or more side arms projecting therefrom between adjacent charge elements.

6. A cartridge as claimed in claim5 and wherein the interlockable portions comprise cylinder portions having an axially disposed projection at one end and an axially disposed aperture at the other end.

7. Acartridgeasclaimed inclaim6andwherein the projection and aperture are such that the side arms of adjacent cylinder portions are offset at an angle relative to one another.

8. A cartridge as claimed in any one preceding claim and wherein the means for pushing comprises a plate.

9. A cartridge as claimed in any one of the pre- ceding claims and wherein the cartridge is housed in afin stabilised mortar-fired projectile.