GB2241772A

GB2241772A - Sabots

Info

Publication number: GB2241772A
Application number: GB9100727A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Winfried Rossman; Gisbert Bartsch
Original assignee: Rheinmetall GmbH
Current assignee: Rheinmetall Industrie AG
Priority date: 1990-03-07
Filing date: 1991-01-14
Publication date: 1991-09-11
Also published as: GB9100727D0; DE4007103A1; FR2659434A1

Abstract

A sabot for a sub-calibre projectile has an air compartment (22) with an inturned lip (24) at the front. A number of radial borings (26) are provided in the lip (24) in order to reduce the increased air resistance to which the sabot (10) is subjected as a result of the lip (24). The lip (24) avoids critical damage to the front of the sabot or the breech of a weapon during loading. <IMAGE>

Description

)- -14- 1 -]-11 1 - TITLE Sabot This invention relates to a segmental

discarding sabot for a projectile.

Segmented sabots are used for the firing of sub calibre penetrator projectiles and usually have a rear zone of diameter equal to the weapon calibre which acts as a gas pressure sealing flange with a front zone also of diameter equal to the weapon calibre and forming an air compartment. The sabot includes a longitudinal through-boring which serves to accommodate the projectile and is connected with this latter by a mechanical interlock zone. The sabot is subjected to propulsive gases when the projectile is fired and the air compartment, which is open in the direction of firing, forms after leaving the barrel of the weapon an air dam to produce a high drag force serving to detach the sabot segments from the penetrator.

It has been found that with large calibres, particularly those exceeding 100 mm, a gunner has difficulty in manually loading such a projectile with the sabot due to the high weight. In these cases, therefore, the loading and aiming are carried out automatically and semi-automatically from a loading 2 device located in a combat vehicle.

The loading operation becomes problematical, however, it it has to be effected in a moving vehicle under combat conditions. Impact against the loading device, particularly the loading tray or chute and thus on the ammunition is then unavoidable and the latter may bounce on the tray. With sabots of this type which have an air compartment with a front lip resting directly against the interior of the barrel, damage to the air compartment can be caused which adversely effects the ballistic characteristics.

An object of this invention is to provide a sabot which can be loaded and aimed under combat conditions and when the vehicle is in motion without such a high risk of damage.

According to this invention there is provided a sabot for use with a subcalibre projectile the sabot having a forwardly open air compartment with an inturned lip.

A sabot constructed according to this invention with an inturned lip or rim at the front zone of the air compartment has the advantage that, in the automatic loading process under combat conditions it is unlikely that the front edge of the air compartment will impact against a rear rim of the barrel. Due to the special shape selected for the internal lip of the air compartment the sabot and thus the projectile contained therein are introduced from the correct position.

Preferably the air compartment is cup-shaped, the peripheral region of the rim thereof forming an inwardly directed lip. The air compartment generally is then of "tulip shape".

In order to ensure that the sabot according to this invention will detach itself in a more satisfactory manner after leaving the barrel one advantageous embodiment of the invention has a number of radial through borings in the zone of the inturned lip of the air compartment.

This invention is described in more detail with reference to the drawing showing a preferred embodiment as an example.

The drawing shows a side view, partly in section, of a segmental sabot 10 according to this invention and in the drawing a first segment 12.1 and a second segment 12.2 of the sabot are shown. The direction of firing is referenced 14 by way of clarification.

The sabot 10 has a longitudinal boring 16 provided with an interlock zone to grip the penetrator accommodated in the said longitudinal boring 16. The penetrator is not shown in the drawing but is held 4 against longitudinal engagement by formations engaging the sabot segments 12.

The sabot consists essentially of a rear zone 18 connected by zone 20 with a front zone having an air compartment 22. The air compartment 22 is cup-shaped and open in the direction of firing 14. A front zone of the air compartment 22 has a rotationally symmetrical inturned front lip 24, preferably provided with a number of radial through-borings 26.

After firing, the individual sabot segments 12.1 and 12.2 of the sabot 10 detach themselves from the projectile after leaving the barrel, this being as a result of drag forces in opposition to the direction of firing 14.

The greater air resistance produced by the lip 24 of the air compartment 22, in comparison with an air compartment in which the calibre diameter is maintained to the front edge, is nevertheless reduced by the size and number of the radial through-borings 26 to such an extent that the drag forces acting on the base of the air compartment 22 enable a neat and unimpeded separation of the sabot segments 12.1 and 12.2 from the projectile to take place. In addition, the air resistance can be still further reduced by the size of the free cross sections and the number of radial borings -j z 1 1 z 26, so that the load on the connection zone 20 between the zone 18 and the air compartment 22 is likewise reduced and the said connection zone 20 may be made to a smaller diameter than in conventional sabots. A further saving of weight is thus achievable for sabots of this kind by comparison with those in use hitherto.

The sabot 10 according to this invention is usable for widely varying calibres without departure from the principle of the invention.

Needless to say, the invention is not limited to a two-flange sabot shown in the drawing and can also be applied to single-flange sabots.

The function of the sabot 10 according to the invention and the advantages thus obtainable by comparison with conventional sabots have been demonstrated in test firings.

1 k

Claims

1. A sabot for use with a sub-calibre projectile the sabot having a forwardly open air compartment with an inturned lip.

2. A sabot in accordance with Claim 1, wherein a number of borings are provided through a wall of the air compartment.

3. A sabot in accordance with Claims 1 or 2, wherein the air compartment is cup-shaped, the peripheral region of the lip thereof being inwardly directed.

4. A sabot in accordance with Claim 3, wherein said peripheral region of the lip includes a series of apertures spaced therearound.

5. A sabot in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the air compartment is of tulip-shape.

6. A sabot for use with a sub-calibre projectile substantially as described herein and exemplified by the drawing.

11 7 -

7. A sub-calibre round of ammunition including a sabot according to any preceding claim.

Published 1991 at The Patent Office. Concept House. Cardifr Road. NewpoTI. Gwent NP13 I RH. Further copies may, be obed f-Sales Branch. Unit 6. Nine Mile Point. Cnmifelinfach. C Keys. Newport. NP1 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques lid. St Marv Crav. Kent.