US2856850A - Shaped charge - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 21, 1958 J. H. CHURCH ET AL 2,356,850

I SHAPED CHARGE Filed March 22. 1954 INVENTOR-S J1: seph H- Bhyrczh Eraora J- Kessenic h United States Patent SHAPED CHARGE Joseph Church, Austin, Minn., and Gregory J. Kessenich, Madison, Wis., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application March 22, 1954, Serial No. 417,981

5 Claims. (Cl. 102----24) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described in the'specification and claims may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This. invention relating to shaped charges, is a continuation-in-part of our application Serial No. 158,047 filed April 25, 1950, now abandoned.

The principal object of our invention is to provide a shaped charge with a cavity form which will enhance the directive effect of the cavity upon the forces of detonation which are focused therethrough than heretofore known in the art.

Other and important objects will be apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description when considered with the appended-drawing in which:

The. single view discloses a vertical sectional view through a shaped charge provided with one form of cavity in accordance with our invention.

We have for convenience chosen to illustrate our present invention in connection with a shaped charge generally indicated at which is confined within and fits a casing externally configured about a central longitudinal axis of symmetry 11 so as to provide a lower truncated conical section 12 and integral upwardly projecting cylindrical section 13.

As shown, the charge 10 is shaped to define a conical surface 15 symmetrical of axis 11 and having its base circumference or circle coincident with the smaller circumference of a frusto-conical section 12 also symmetrical of axis 11. This frusto-conical surface may be considered to haveformed in its surface adjacent its larger circumference, first and second annular channels each shown as V-shaped in cross section. Thus the cross section of the first channel is defined by a first pair of sides 15a and 15b and the cross section of the second channel is defined by sides 15c and 15d both having an apex angle substantially equal to the apex angle of frustoconical surface 15. The bisectors 17 of the angles formed between the respective pairs of sides, intersects axis 11 at points forwardly of the open face of the shaped charge. As shown the surfaces generated by sides 15a and 150 are parallel as are those generated by sides 15b and 15d. It is thus seen that the entire shaped cavity is a generally rearwardly convergent surface of revolution coaxial and symmetrical about axis 11, with the surfaces 15d, 15c and 15a, 15b paired to form secondary shaped cavities 16 symmetrical about minor axes 17 and with the force of explosion directed inwardly in a manner to cause the effect of the secondary cavities 16 to augment the blast efiect produced by the primary cavity 14.

The charge 10 as shown may bedetonated through boosters 18, 19 by detonator 20 in difierentially timed relation so as to cause the detonation waves from sections 12 and 13 of the charge 10 to reach the cavities 14, 16 substantially simultaneously or in preselected order. As shown in the drawings the annular booster 19 is substantially U-shaped in cross section and is embedded in-the charge 10 adjacent the forward end thereof so thatits legs are directed inwardly of the charge and in axial alignment with the axes 17-17 for the purpose of producing detonation waves in alinement with each of the apices of secondary cavities 16.

As indicated the detonator 20 is provided with a component detonator 21 adapted to detonate the annular booster 19 throughout its length simultaneously and with a depending booster component 22 adapted to detonate the booster 18. Action of detonator 20 is initiated by the initiator 23 and the time sequence of detonating the detonable explosives 24 in detonator components 21, 22 by the ratio of fuse powder 25 to detonable explosive in each of the detonator components.

As we have merely shown charge 10 as having the :external figuration disclosed for purposes of illustration we do not intend thereby to be limited to such external configuration but contemplate configurations of any appropriate geometric form.

Likewise we have shown primary cavity 14 of generally rearwardly converging conical form merely for purposes of illustration and contemplate secondary cavities 16 as being of any appropriate symmetric cross sectional form arranged in any appropriate symmetrical disposition about axis 11 to accomplish our stated principal object. As the symmetric forms appropriate for use in shaping cavities 14, 16 are so numerous and well known in the art of shaped charges we do not considerit .necessary to specifically enumerate and/or disclose them in the drawings to make it clear to those skilled in the art that all such shapes may be utilized in cavities 14, 16.

The cavities 14, 16 may be lined with complemental liners 26, 27 made of any metallic or non-metallic material appropriate for such use. The liners 26, 27 may be made integrally or as components either secured or unattached to each other and will be made of such thickness as is called for by the purpose to be served. In interpreting the claims, the forward direction is from top to bottom, along axis 11, as the parts are viewed upon the figure of the drawing.

We claim:

1. In a demolition unit, a frusto-conical portion of sheet material united at its end of smaller diameter with a tubular neck portion of equal diameter, to form a casing, said portions having a common axis of symmetry, a solid charge of explosive fitting said casing, the face of said charge opening through the larger end of said frusto-conical portion and having a cavity therein symmetrical about said axis and defined by a forwardlyopening conical surface of first apex angle merging at its base into a frusto-conical surface of second apex angle greater than said first angle, both said surfaces being symmetrical about said common axis, a first booster in detonating relation with the explosive in the rearward end of said neck portion, a second annular booster extending about said frusto-conical portion in detonating relation with the explosive charge therein and coaxial of said axis, a single detonator operatively associated with both said boosters and symmetrical of said axis rearwardly of said first booster, said detonator including shaped charges adapted for simultaneously directing flame onto both said boosters to initiate the same.

2. The demolition unit of claim 1, said detonator including concentric first and second radially spaced hemispherical elements of lesser and greater radii respectively, and symmetrical about said axis to define a hemispherical shell between them and a tubular element fixed with said first hemispherical surface and extending radially thereof forwardly along said common axis to a point adjacent said first booster, a unitary explosive priming charge filling said shell and tubular element and Patented Oct. 21, 1958 shaped to direct an initiating flame onto said first and second boosters, respectively. I

3. In a demolition unit, a frusto-conical portion of sheet material unitedat .its end of smaller diameter with I I5 having a frusto-conicalportion integral at the end of I I smallest diameter with a cylindrical neck portion, a

a tubular neck portion of equal diameter, said portions having a -common axis ofsymmetry and jointly forminga-casing, a solid charge of explosive fitting within said casing, the face of said charge opening throughthe' I larger end .of said xfrusto-conical portion and having a cavity therein symmetrical about said axis anddefin'ed by a forwardly-opening conical surface of first apex angle I having its base circumferencecoincident with the smaller circumference of a frusto-conical-surface having a larger apex angle than said conical surface, said frusto-conical surface having first and second channels of uniform cross section in planesradial of said .axis, a firstboo'ster I fixed in detonating relationwith said'explosive charge at the rearward. end of said tubular portion, a second annular booster fixed in detonating relation with said charge I adjacent the bottoms of saidchannels, asingle detonator operatively associated with both said boosters positioned symmetricallyof said common. axis .and initiable' to I simultaneously project flame into both said boosters toi initiate the same. I I I I I '4; The demolition unit. of claim 3, said detonator ineluding concentric first and second radiallyp'spaced hemispherical, elements of lesser and greater radii, re-

its exposed surfaces shaped to direct :flame onto said first and second boosters, respectively, and means carpriming charge. I I 5. .In a shaped charge demolition unit, a main charge cav-ity. in said. frusto-conical portion at the end of largest diameter, saidsca'vity' and cylidrical portion being I symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of said frusto-= conicalportion, a first booster charge overlying the rear- I Ward end of said neck. portion, a second annular boosteroverlying a portion of said frusto-conical charge adja- I I cent said cavity, a single detonator operatively associatedwith both said boosters and symmetrical about said axis 15 rearwardlyof said first booster, said detonatorinclud-' I ing. shaped. charges adapted and arranged to direct a .jet of flame onto said first booster and an annular jet of flame onto said second booster. I I l i i I 1 References Cited in the file' of'this patent. UNITED STATES PATENTS I I FOREIGN PATENTS 1,043,041 I OTHER-REFERENCES Sukharevsky: Techuica i Snabschenie, vol. 170; pages" I I I l3-.-1.8 (1925). Library of Congress, call'No. U4.V884,

wesen May 1914, page 184.

3. No: 6, pages 563482 (1948); I

- Ze-itschrift fur das .Gesam'te Schie ssun d Sprengstofi Birkhofi et. al.: Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 19,

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