US2340284A - Ammunition - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 1, 1944. STEVENSON 2,340,284

AMMUNITION Filed June -7, 1940 Ill 111;

W 1 imam ill-WW2 IQLWS I 11192111: u-r- Thoma-5 Stevenson.

' Att c: rue 5 Patented Feb. 1, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AMMUNITION Thomas Stevenson, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application June '7, 1940, Serial No. 339,321

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 3 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me or" any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to ammunition and more particularly it has reference to a method of and an arrangement for protecting the primer composition from the volatile materials in a propellent charge.

Modern smokeless powder used as propellants in ammunition contain various volatile substances and the particular efiect they have on the priming composition will depend on the ingredients of the composition. For example, if the primer is of the potassium chlorate type containing in addition lead sulfocyanide and trinitrotoluene and the propellent charge is a double base powder containing nitroglycerine, the primer will gradually become desensitized by the nitroglycerine vapor.

Although the chemical reactions which occur are not thoroughly understood in all cases, it is an established fact that certain volatiles from propellent powders will act deleteriously on certain priming compositions. Some of the other volatiles commonly found in propellent powder are dinitrotoluene, diphenylamine, ethyl alcohol, ethyl ether, acetone and water.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a sealing disk between the priming composition and the propellent charge and to conveniently assemble it by employing the primer cup as a punch.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figs. 1 to 4 are fragmentary longitudinal sectional views showing the steps in assembling a primer to a cartridge case and cutting out the sealing disk.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference there is shown a portion of a cartridge case 5 having a recess 6 and a flash passage 7 which leads from the recess to the interior of the case in which the propellent charge is carried.

The primer is of conventional type and comprises a cup 8 containing in its closed end a priming composition 9 covered by a sealing disk H]. An anvil l I inserted in the cup is formed with the usual vents l2 and its base l3 protrudes partly beyond the rim of the cup in a well known manner.

A strip M of a sealing material which may for example be a synthetic plastic, impregnated paper or textile, or metal foil is placed over the outer face of the cartridge case and spans the recess 6 as seen in Fig. 1. When the primer, which is to serve as a punch during its insertion into the recess, approaches the mouth of the recess, the projecting portion of the base of anvil engages the strip of sealing material and exerts a downward pressure which stretches the material of the strip as indicated in Fig. 2, and 01T- sets a circular disk portion [5 within the mouth or" the cup. The cup 8 is now in position to enter the recess and its outer rim cooperates with the rim of the recess to shear the sealing material. The punched out disk is then forced into the recess as seen in Fig. 3 and when the primer is fully home the disk is held on the floor of the recess and effectively closes the flash passage I. The distortion of the material during the punching operation provides an outwardly or rearwardly turned marginal portion which snugly fits the side Wall of the recess and covers the joint between the cup and the anvil.

I claim:

1. The method of sealing the flash passage in a primer recess of a cartridge case which comprises interposing a strip of sealing material over the mouth of the recess, simultaneously compressin and stretching the material at the mouth of the recess on a peripheral line of slightly less diameter than that of the recess to a degree short of rupturing the material, then shearing the material at the rim of the recess and advancing the sheared disk to the bottom of the recess, whereby a sealing disk with upturned periphery is produced.

2. The method of sealing the vents of ammunition primers having a cup and anvil and adapted to be inserted into a cavity in an ammunition case provided with a flash opening, comprising interposing a sheet of sealing material between the primer cup and anvil, and said cavity, advancing the anvil against the sheet throughout an area of less diameter than the cavity to depress the material into the cavity and simultaneously advancing the primer cup to shear the material at the rim of said cavity, whereby a sealing disk with upturned periphery is produced, and further advancing the cup, anvil and disk to the bottom of the ammunition case cavity, to seal the anvil vents and flash opening in said cavity.

3. The method of sealing the vents of ammunition primers having a cup and anvil and adapted to be inserted into a cavity in an ammunition case provided with a flash opening, comprising placing the anvil in the cup with a portion thereof extending below the bottom of the cup, interposing a sheet of sealing material between the primer cup and anvil, and said cavity, advancing the anvil against the sheet throughout an area of less diameter than said cavity to depress the material into the cavity, and simultaneously advancing the primer cup to shear the material at the rim of the cavity whereby a sealing disk with upturned periphery is produced, and further advancing the cup, anvil and disk, to the bottom of the ammunition case cavity to seal the anvil vents and flash opening in said cavity.

THOMAS STEVENSON.

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