GB2337577A

GB2337577A - Stick of gunpowder

Info

Publication number: GB2337577A
Application number: GB9911493A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Axel Pfersmann; Rainer Himmert
Original assignee: Diehl Stiftung and Co KG
Current assignee: Diehl Stiftung and Co KG
Priority date: 1998-05-20
Filing date: 1999-05-19
Publication date: 1999-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 2019-05-19
Also published as: FR2778979B1; GB9911493D0; GB2337577B; FR2778979A1; DE19823667B4; DE19823667A1

Abstract

A residue-free and quick burning stick of gunpowder for ignition boosters of propellant charges has a large combustion surface by reason of uniformly thick cross-sections of a base 4 and of arms 5 provided on the base, so that perforation of the stick of gunpowder is not necessary.

Description

1 1 STICK OF GUNPOWDER 2337577 The invention relates to a stick of

gunpowder for propellant charges and for ignition boosters for propellant charges for projectiles such as artillery projectiles.

In the case of the ignition booster according to DE-A 196 04 655, the problem arises that the end faces of the transversely slotted sticks of gunpowder can stick together when coated with ignition lacquer. On firing, this leads to incomplete burning and powder residues in the barrel. To avoid this effect, the portion of the charge in the ignition booster is caulked in a special procedure according to DE-A 196 04 656.

Instead of the previously used hexahedral stick of gunpowder, it is the object of the invention to provide a stick of gunpowder which bums without leaving a residue.

The invention achieves this object by providing a stick of gunpowder having a cross-section comprising a base and at least two arms projecting at an angle from the base, the thickness of the base and of the arms as well as all the cross-sections of the stick of gunpowder being equal.

The arms may be made hook-shaped by extensions thereof which are spaced from one another. Preferably, in this case, the cross-section of the stick 20 of gunpowder is approximately trapezoidal.

In another example, the arms may be at a distance from one another 2 and have approximately wedge-shaped intermediate spaces. In this case the stick is preferably W-shaped in cross-section.

The length of the arms is approximately 5 to 15% shorter than the base. The said thickness may correspond approximately to the hole spacing of 5 a known, perforated stick of gunpowder.

The base is preferably concavely curved in conformity with an ignition tube or is at least supported by an ignition tube at two points.

Preferably, the outer arms have an external angle of 60 to 80' to a tangent of the ignition tube, and between adjacent sticks of gunpowder on the ignition tube there is a space which corresponds to approximately 1.6 to 1.3 of the thickness.

Working examples of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows an ignition booster with a four-armed stick of gunpowder, FIGURE 2 shows an ignition booster with trapezoidal sticks of gunpowder, and FIGURE 3 shows an ignition booster with W-shaped sticks of gunpowder.

According to FIGURE 1, a number of sticks of gunpowder 1 each consists of a base 4 and four arins 5 projecting at an angle from the base 4. The thickness 6 of the base 4 and the thickness 6 of the arms 5 are the same and correspond to the hole spacing of a known, hexahedral stick of gunpowder, not 3 shown.

The base 4 is concavely curved in conformity with an ignition tube 21, the sticks of gunpowder 1 extending around and being firmly attached to the ignition tube 2 1.

The outermost arms 5 have an extemal angle 8 of 70' to the tangent 7 of the ignition tube 21. The innermost arms 30, 42 form between themselves and with the outermost arms intermediate spaces 15 of approximately the same size.

FIGURE 2 shows a number of sticks of gunpowder 24 with a trapezoidal cross-section 25. The arms 26 of each stick have at their ends hookshaped extensions 27 which are at a distance 28 from one another.

According to FIGURE 3, a number of sticks of gunpowder 41, each taking the form of a W, have three arms 42 and accordingly two wedge- shaped intermediate spaces 15.

In each of the examples shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 the sticks of gunpowder are arranged around and attached to an ignition tube 2 1.

In all of the examples shown in the drawings the distance between each adjacent two gunpowder sticks 1, 24, 41 is marked 22.

In the case of the sticks of gunpowder 1, 24, 41 according to the invention, a transverse slotting in accordance with the specified prior art with

4 caulking of the transverse slots is not necessary, since there are no critical points at all, such as holes in the sticks of gunpowder 1, 24, 4 1.

A further advantage is the clearly smaller quantity of propellant charge in the ignition booster 2, 20, 40 enclosing the sticks of gunpowder. As a result of this, the division into three weight categories as previously carried out can be dispensed with. This was previously necessary to compensate for the permissible variations in the total weight of propellant-charge powder in the finished module. The total weight of propellant-charge powder is added up from the bulk charge in the propellant-charge module, which is not shown, and from the portion of propellant charge corresponding to the sticks of gunpowder 1, 24, 41 of the ignition booster 2, 20, 40.

The large surfaces of the sticks of gunpowder 1, 24, 41, which allow a fast ignition of the propellant-charge module, are also advantageous.

Claims

1 A stick of gunpowder for propellant charges and for ignition boosters for propellant charges for projectiles, such as artillery projectiles, characterised in that the cross-section of the stick of gunpowder comprises a base and at least two arms projecting at an angle from the base, the thickness of the base and of the arms as well as all the crosssections of the stick of gunpowder being equal.

A stick of gunpowder according to Claim 1, characterised in that the arms are made hook-shaped by extensions thereof, and the extensions are spaced from one another.

3. A stick of gunpowder according to Claim 2, characterised in that the cross-section of the stick of gunpowder is approximately trapezoidal.

4. A stick of gunpowder according to Claim 1, characterised in that the arms are at a distance from one another and have approximately wedgeshaped intermediate spaces, for example the stick is W-shaped in cross section.

5. A Stick of gunpowder according to Claim 1, characterised in that the length of the arms is approximately 5 to 15% shorter than the base.

6. A Stick of gunpowder according to Claim 1, characterised in that the said thickness corresponds approximately to the hole spacing of a known, perforated stick of gunpowder.

6 A stick of gunpowder for an ignition booster, characterised in that the base is concavely curved in conformity with an ignition tube or is at least supported by an ignition tube at two points.

8. A stick of gunpowder according to Claim 7, characterised in that the outer arms have an external angle of 60 to 80' to a tangent of the ignition tube.

9. A stick of gunpowder according to Claim 7, characterised in that between adjacent sticks of gunpowder on the ignition tube there is a space which corresponds to approximately 1/6 to 1/3 of the thickness.

10. A stick of gunpowder substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURE 1, 2 or 3 of the accompanying drawings.

11. An ignition booster substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURE 1, 2 or 3 of the accompanying drawings.