US3074344A

US3074344A - Shotgun shell having a divided charge adapted to explode in bursts

Info

Publication number: US3074344A
Application number: US9580A
Authority: US
Inventors: Devaux Raymond Henri Pierre
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-02-24
Filing date: 1960-02-18
Publication date: 1963-01-22
Anticipated expiration: 1980-01-22
Also published as: BE587648A; CH365007A; ES255998A1; FR76423E; GB922291A; FR1226603A

Description

Jan. 22, 1963 R H. P. DEVAUX 3,074,344

SHOTGUN SHELL HAVING A DIVIDED CHARGE ADAPTED TO EXPLODE IN BURSTS Filed Feb. 18, 1960 3 SheetsSheet 1 IN VE NTOR R. If. I? fiemu X a BY ATTORNEYS P. DEVAUX 3,074,344

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. H. SHOTGUN SHELL HAVING A DIVIDED CHARGE III:

ADAPTED TO EXPLODE IN BURSTS Jan. 22, 1963 Filed Feb. 18

INVENTOR H. E Dew/aux ATTORNEY WWW; I

1953 R. H. P. DEVAUX 3,074,344

SHOTGUN SHELL HAVING A DIVIDED CHARGE ADAPTED TO EXPLODE IN BURSTS Filed Feb. 18, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet :5

I k v "in-nun Illa/1110111 INVENTOR R H F. Devaux WWW ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 22, 1963 3,074,344 HGTGUN SHELL HAVING A DlVlDEl) CHARGE ADAPEED T EXPLODE IN EURSTS Raymond Henri Pierre Devaux, 46 rue tie l iennes, Paris, France Filed Feb. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 2580 Qlaims priority, application France Feb. 24, 1959 16 Claims. (Cl. 1024Z) It is known that when a shotgun shell is fired the charge of shot diverges, at a range of 35 meters, for example, in a cone of dispersion which leaves its marks on a fixed target in a circle from 6G-75 centimeters in diameter depending upon the physical characterl tics of the weapon, with a cispersion of shot over this surface such that five or six of them are positioned within a circle having an area of about 0.5 dm. which substantially corresponds to the vital area or" the silhousette of a small game animal.

It is also recognized that at this distance the charge approaches the target in an approximately vertical plane and that in a 12 gauge shell this charge of 34 grams cornprises about 380 No. 7 shot or 500 No. 8 shot, so that only or 6 of these shot usefully reach the target. Th' diameter of the circle of the cone of dispersion being at most 75 car, this distance corresponds to that of the maximum transverse distance Within which a moving game animal may be hit.

it is also known that the most mediocre aiming at a fixed tar et, easily places all his shot a circle 20 cm. in diameter at 35 meters, so that in hunting it the game animal were still a spread of pellets slightly greater than this diameter, close to the target, would be quite sufficient. "L is would permit a reduction in the caliber of the weapon and consequently the cost of the ammunition.

But the difficulty with such a weapon resides in the fact that it must be fired not at the place where the moving game is at the moment the shot is fired, at the point where the game will be when the shot arrives. The hunter can easily see the general direction 0 ing followed by the target, but he must estimate very rapidly the distance which the game will travel d ing the time it will take the shot to reach it, and this estimate must take into account the speed of the game, the length of time the shot will be in the air, the speed and direction of the wind, and the speed of action of the hunter, not to mention the composition and humidity of the cartridges, so that such an estimate is too risky, even for the best hunters. For this reason, large caliber Weapons are used so as to increase the chances of hitting the target. This simple solution necessarily results in a substantial increase in the cost of the ammunition and makes it necessary for the hunter to carry a heavy weapon.

It is also known that in order to modify the grouping of the shot of these weapons one may employ grills, cylinders called concentrators, and castings of various materials to limit their dispersion, and crossbar or a mixture of shot to increase their dispersion. These known artifices give only uncertain and irregular re sults. They produce either too great a concentration of shot, which ball up, or an irregular dispersion there of which multiplies the number of shots yielding large hollow zones void of shot.

There are cartridges having casings provided with helical in rior ribs which impart a rotary movement to the charge in order to improve the grouping of the pellets and thus avoid hollow spots, but these cartridge cases stick to the walls of the firing chamber so well that after firing they can be extracted only with difiiculty, thus practically prohibiting their use.

The purpose of the present invention is to remedy all these inconveniences, While materially increasing the cha ces of hitting the target by means of a better utilization and distribution of the charge, which automatically approaches the target in several successive planes instead of in a single plane, by utilizing successive bursts dividing the total projectile charge. The pellets of the charge which has been divided in this manner are to tated to insure the pro er dispersion and the entire divided charge is proiected during a time which corresponds to the travel of the game animal, over a transverse distance three or four times larger than the distance corresponding to the spread of a conventional cartridge of the types heretofore known. in other words, the same charge, other conditions being equal, becomes three or four times more deadly.

The invention thus permits the use of Weapons of a smaller caliber, which are consequently relatively light, while improving the chances that an average hunter will sin home game.

The object of the present invention is to provide a shotgun cartridge or the like characterized by the fact that it comprises a charge of shot divided into a succession of individual charges which are separate or automatically separable under the influence of inertia after firing, the heaviest individual charge being closest to the open end of the cartridge and the weight of the other individual charges progressively decreasing toward its head.

The cartridge constituting the invention may moreover otter the following features, singly or in combination:

Each individual charge of shot is enclosed in an individual container, the containers of the var ous individual charges being superposed in the cartridge above the wadding.

The container for the individual charge of shot comprises exterior helical ribs and interior radial ribs, the first serving to rotate the container before the departure of the shot and the second imparting rotation to the pellets or shot composing the charge.

The individual charges are made of shot of the same size but the diameter of shot in successive individual charges decreases from charge to charge as the wadding is approached.

'lhe containers for each individual charge are scored to facilitate liberation of that individual charge by rupturing the container after it has travelled a certain distanee from the muzzle of the weapon utilizing the cartridge.

The projectile charge consists of a ball provided with a plurality of weakened transverse sections which serve as cleavage planes and with external helical ribs which are formed to exert different torques on diiterent sections which facilitate the division of the charge along those planes as it leaves the muzzle.

The projectile charge is enclosed in a single accordion pleated container, the pleats being circular and transverse, and provided with scorings which delimit the individual projectile charges, this single container being also provided with exterior helical ribs and in some cases with interior radial vanes as well as weakening scorings about its cylindrical periphery.

Another object of the invention is to provide a charged cartridge ready for use and characterized by the fact that its casing consists of a substantially cylindrical plastic container of the type hereinbefore described, provided with circular inwardly projecting folds which limit the individual charges of shot to weights successively increasing from the wadding to the end of the cartridge, this container being assembled to the head so as to be expelled at the same time as the wadding in the barrel of the weapon firing the cartridge.

In an advantageous embodiment of the charged cartridge aovgaaa according to the invention,.the.body of the cartridge head is also made of a plastic material reinforced at its butt end by a metallic jacket which holds the detonator, and the casing containing theprojectile charge is closed at its free end by a thin Wall attached thereto in any suitable way, for example by crimping, adhesive connection, or high frequency welding,.the casing being attached in a like manner to the cartridge head containing the detonator.

The charged cartridge according to the invention has theadvantage of being usable in a weapon of corresponding caliber, regardless of the length of the chamber provided for the cartridge in that weapon.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container which constitutes the casing is impervious but is thinner along lines designed to facilitate its rupture for the production of bursts.

Other characteristics of the invention and other advantages resulting therefrom will be apparent from a reading of the following description of several embodiments of the invention, the possible applications of which are not, of course, limited to the specific examples described.

Thedescription should be read in conjunction with the accompanying schematic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II of FIG. 2 showing a single individual charge in position in its container and adapted for incorporation into a cartridge according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line II--II of FIG. 1 of the same individual projectile charge;

FIG. 3 is an axial cross-section of a cartridge according to the invention comprising individual projectile charges of the type shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the containers holding a single individual charge of the type used in the cartridge of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an axial cross-section of a cartridge according to the invention but slightly different from that shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an axial cross-section of a cartridge containing segmental balls according to the invention;

FIG. 7 is an axial cross-section taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 8, .showing a single cylindrical container for holding the partial projectile charges of a cartridge according to the invention;

FIG. 8 is an exterior view of the cylindrical container of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an axial cross-section of a cartridge comprisprising a single cylindrical casing of the type shown on FIGS. 7 and 8 for the partial projectile charges;

FIG. 10 is an axial cross-section through the cartridge ofFIG. 9, in the barrel of a shotgun, just after percussion;

FIG. 11 is an axial cross-section through the cartridge of FIG. 10 just after it has left .the muzzle of the shotgun; and

FIG. 12 is a longitudinal view, partly in cross-section, of'a charged cartridge embodying the invention.

The container 1 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 4), which holds an individualcharge of shot 2, all of the same size, has the general shape of a cylindrical box with a rounder (or alternatively flat)'bottorn, open at the end opposite this bottom to permit the introduction of shot 2'. The latter are retainedby a disk 3 held in by the bent-over edges of theropen end of the container 1. This container may be made of any suitable material, preferably one which is flexible and elastic, and especiallyof a suitable plastic material. The container 1 carries internally projecting radial vanes'4 which are integral therewith, and exterior helicalribs '5 which are also integral to its cylindrical wall. The cylindrical wall of the container 1 is provided with orifices 6 which defineweakened lines facilitating rupture or tearing as a consequence of the centrifugal force to which the charge of shot 2 may be subjected, as willbe' hereinafter explained.

FIG. 3 shows acartridgeiaccording to the invention which comprises 4 containers 1 for individual projectile charges formed from small shot. These charges 8, 9, 10 and 11 are each made up of the same number of shot, but the size of the shot increases; from charge 8 to charge 11. The cartridge 7 is'clo'sed' by a crimped-in disk '13. The containers 1 are each provided with a small axial orifice 28 in their bottoms.

When the cartridge 7 is utilized in a weapon of corre-- sponding caliber, the containers 1 holding their respective projectile charges are .forced out by the gases generated by explosion of the explosive charge of the cartridge. These containers 1 are also subjected to a torque which results from the friction between their ribs 5 and the internal walls of the barrel so that these containers develop a gyratory movement. At a certain distance from the muzzle of the weapon this gyratory movement causes the successive detachment of the containers 1 as a come quence of the centrifugal force acting on the charge of shot in each container. It is this successive liberation of the individual charges of shot which results in the firing in bursts which it is the object of the invention to attain.

The cartridge 12 shown on FIG. 5 is analogous to that of FIG. 3, but the individual charges of shot are contained in three superposed unsealed cups 13, which contain charges of

shot

14, 15 and 16 of successively increasing size and weight. The end of the cartridge 12 is closed by means of a crimped-in disk 17. The cups 13 each carry a winged axial bar 19 which is integral with the cups and helical ribs 20 on their cylindrical peripheries. The bottoms of the cups 13 are provided with small orifices 39 which constitute weak spots facilitating rupture. The cartridge 12 works in essentially the same way as the cartridge 7.

The cartridge 21 shown on FIG. 6 is a cartridge containing a three-part ball, comprising an end part 22 which is the heaviest, a middle part 23 which is lighter, and an inner part 24 which is the lightest. These three parts are separated by

necks

25 and 26 which are scored to facilitate cleavage. Each of

parts

22 and 23 is provided with helical ribs 41 and 27 respectively, the function of which is also to impart a gyratory motion to the ball in order to cause two successive breakings of the ball into sections at a certain distance from the muzzle of a firearm firing the cartridge 21.

The container 29 shown on FIGS. 7 and 8 has a gen= erally cylindrical form and is made in one piece. The body of the container 29 is provided with circular folds or necks 39 with cleavage lines 31. This body is provided with external helical ribs 32 and internal radial vanes 33. A Wadding plug 34 is fixed in any suitable manner to the container 29, by simple adhesion, for example.

The circular folds are spaced by distances which define sections having the heights a, b, c and d which decrease from the open end of this container 29 toward the wadding plug 34.

FIG. 9 shows the container 29 in place in a cartridge 35 with its charge of shot 36, the powder charge being designated by reference numeral 37. Before it is inserted and sealed into the cartridge 35 with its charge of shot, the necks 30 are coated with a special grease having, for example, a silicone base. Reference numeral 42 indicates a closure disk for the end of the cartridge.

It should be noted that the successive sections of heights a, b, c and d in the container 29 have helical ribs inclined in opposite directions.

FIG. 10 shows the state of the cartridge 35 immediately after firing. The force exerted against the container 29 by the explosive gases has axially compressed it, so as to close the folds 31 The grease contained in these folds is then forced out to the periphery, thus facilitating the sliding of the container 29 and its charge out of the cartridge case and through the barrel C of the weapon.

The friction to which the helicalribs 32. is subjected drives the sections a, b, c and d of the container 29 in.

opposite directions and thus brings about the separation of these sections, each of which is scored along lines 38 to facilitate opening of these sections, as shown in FIG. 11, and the release of their charge of shot at a certain distance from the muzzle of the weapon. The shot are consequently projected in bursts, the individual charges contained in each section of the container being nevertheless connected (as shown in FIG. 11) by reason of the presence of an axial orifice 44 in the bottom of each section. The arrows on PEG. 11 show the opposite directions of rotation followed by successive sections of the container 29 with their charges of shot.

it should be noted that the container 29 has the advantage of automatically permitting the use of conventional charging machines and shot of the same size, which is not so in the case of the cartridges 7 and 12 hereinbefore described (FIGS. 3 and The charged cartridge 43 shown on FIG. 12 comprises a breech closure 44 made of a plastic material, reinforced by means of an annular metallic jacket 45, crimped at its outer periphery over an external circular rib on the breech closure 4d, and around its inner edge over a washer 46, which may be made of cardboard for example, and rests on the bottom of the breech closure 44. The jacket 45' provides a seal for the percussion cap 59.

Reference numeral 47 designates the charge of powder and 48 the wadding which rests on an inner shoulder 49 of the cartridge head.

The casing used in conventional cartridges is in this instance replaced by a plastic container 50, similar to the container 2? described in connection with FIGS. 7-9. However, the container 50, which is generally cylindrical in shape, comprises only three

sections

51, 52 and 53, defined by

necks

54, 55 and 56, the height of which increases with their distance from the wadding 48.

The container 50 comprises a thin curved bottom 57 which may be integral with it or attached to it in any conventional manner. This container is provided with a charge of shot 58 before being crimped onto the head 4-4 by the rim 6d encircling the orifice in the head, and sealed in any suitable known manner. The container 50 is ikewise moisture-proof and imperforate, which eliminates any possibility that moisture will reach the interior of the charged cartridge 43. The

sections

51, 52, 53 have

helical ribs

61, 6?. and 63, alternately inclined in opposite directions.

Sections

51, 52 and 53 also have lines of reduced

thickness

64, 65 and 66 inclined in the same direction as the ribs and positioned therebetween. The bottoms of the

necks

54, 55 and 56 are likewise provided with circu lar lines of reduced thickness which facilitate the separation of

sections

51, 52 and 53 when the cartridge is fired, just as the

lines

64, 65 and 66 facilitate opening of the sections after they have left the barrel of the weapon and at a certain distance from its mouth.

Before firing the cartridge 43 it is helpful to provide its

necks

54, 55 and 56 with a special grease. This is desirable not only in order to keep the barrel of the gun in good shape but, as has already been mentioned, it also results in an increase in the initial speed of the projectile charge at the mouth of the barrel of the weapon fired.

The invention may also take the form of a charged cartridge of the type shown in FiG. 12, in which the sections have no external helical ribs, for the special case in which this cartridge is designed to be fired from a weapon provided with a rifled barrel.

it will of course be understood that a man skilled in the art may modify the cartridges described as to details without thereby departing from the substance of the invention.

it is evident, for example, that if the present invention is applied to a weapon having a rifled barrel, it is pos sible to use containers (for the individual projectile charges) which have no external helical ribs. It is sufficient for such containers to be provided with one or 6 more suitably thickened parts serving as rifiing hands to cooperate with the riding of the barrel.

What I claim is:

1. A cartridge comprising an outer casing having a breech closure, a sole explosive charge located within the breech end of said casing, a projectile charge divided into a plurality of distinct individual charges positioned end to end in axial alignment with said breech closure and explosive charge, container means in said casing within which said projectile charge is enclosed, said container being separable as a unit from said casing so as to be projected whole therefrom upon explosion of said explosive charge, and means for imparting a different rotational force to each individual projectile charge while said container means is in flight so as to cause a separation of said individual projectile charges from each other at a suitable distance from the mouth of the weapon from which said cartridge is fired.

2.. A cartridge comprising an outer casing having a breech closure, an explosive charge within the breech end of said casing, and a plurality of individual cylindrical projectile charges in alignment with its head, each of s id projectile charges consisting of shot of the same size enclosed in an individual container separable as a unit from said casing so as to be projected whole therefrom upon explosion of said explosive charge provided with weakened areas to facilitate its rupture after the container has left said casing, said containers being provided with external helical ribs, the size of the shot in each individual projectile charge, and the weight of said projectile charges decreasing successively from one projectile charge to the next as they approach the breech closure of the cartridge.

3. A cartridge as claimed in claim 2 in which the container for each individual projectile charge is provided With inner radial vanes.

4. A cartridge comprising an outer casing having a breech closure, an explosive charge, wadding, and a charge of shot divided into a plurality of individual projectile charges enclosed in a single substantially cylindrical container superimposed on the wadding and separable as a unit from said casing so as to be projected whole therefrom upon explosion of said explosive charge, said container being divided into sections encircling said individual projectile charges by means of inwardly projecting circular pleats which separate said individual charges, said container sections being provided with external helical ribs, those of said ribs on adjacent sections sloping in opposite directions, and the weight of said individual grojectile charges decreasing as they approach the wad- 5. A cartridge as claimed in claim 4 in which the said container is provided with weakened areas which facilitate the separation of said individual section from each other and additional weakened areas which facilitate the release of the shot within each section after the cartridge has been fired, said container being likewise provided with radial vanes within each section.

6. A cartridge as claimed in claim 4 in which the said circular pleats embrace a supply of a silicone base grease.

7. A thin, generally cylindrical container for the shot in a cartridge casing, said container being provided with inwardly projecting circular pleats which divide the container transversely into sections which decrease in length toward the head of the cartridge, each section being provided with an external helical rib which slants in a direction opposite to that of the ribs on the adjacent sections, said ribs having uniform radial dimensions, and the walls of said container being provided with weakened areas which facilitate tearing of the container.

8. A cartridge of the type comprising an elongated outer casing having a breech closure, an explosive charge within the breech end of said outer casing, and a projectile charge Wtihin said outer casing forward of said explosive charge, characterized by the fact that said projectile charge is divided into a'plurality of distinct individual longitudinally aligned charges which differ in mass and are enclosed within inner container means separable from said outer casing so as to be projected whole from said outer casing when said explosive charge is exploded, said inner container means being provided with a plurality of helically extending outwardly projecting ribs, the ribs on those portions of said inner container means which encircle adjacent individual charges sloping in opposite directions to facilitate separation of said individual charges from each other at a suitable distance from the mouth of the weapon from which said cartridge is tired.

9. A cartridge as claimed in claim 8 in which said individual projectile charges are enclosed in separate containers assembled to be projected together from said casing and made of a flexible, elastic material provided with perforations between said helical ribs which serve to weaken the containers in their perforated areas so as to facilitate rupture.

10. A cartridge as claimed in claim 9 in which said containers are also provided with inwardly projecting radial ribs.

11. A cartridge as claimed in claim 10 in which the size of the shot in each individual projectile charge is greater than that in any adjacent charge nearer the breech end of the cartridge.

12. A cartridge as claimed in claim 8 in which the diifcrent individual projectile charges are positioned in separate cups, open at the end away from the breech end of the cartridge and provided at the other end with a dome shaped bottom which'is perforated to facilitate rupture, said cups are provided with winged axial bars projecting inwardly from their bottoms, and the weight of each individual projectile charge and the size of the shot in each individual projectile charge is greater than that in any adjacent charge nearer the breech end of the cartridge.

13. A cartridge as claimed in claim 8 in which said individual projectile charges are'positioned within a single elongated container which is provided with transverse necks delimiting said individual projectile charges, said container being weakened around said necks to facilitate rupture thereat, the weight of shot in each individual projectile charge being'greater than that in any adjacent charge nearer the breech end of the cartridge.

14. A cartridge as claimedin claim '8 in which said individual projectile charges are positioned within a single elongated container provided with transverse necks which delimit the individual projectile charges and are perforated to facilitate rupture, saidcontainer being provided with radial vanes which project into-each individual projectile charge and additionall 'perforated between said ribs, the-weight of each. individual projectile charge being greater than that in any adjacent charge nearer the breech end of the cartridge, said necks and outer casing defining aplurality of annular recesses which are filled with a silicone base grease.

15. A cartridge as claimed in claim 8 in which said breech closure is a plastic cap, said individual charges are enclosed in a single container of plastic material held at its base in said cap the breech end of said cap being covered'bya metallic jacket, said envelope being divided into three sections-the length of each section being greater than that of any adjacent section nearer said cap, said sections being separated-by necks provided with weakened lines facilitating rupture, and each section being provided with helical weakened lines between said helical ribs.

16. A cartridge comprising an outer casing having a breech closure, an explosive charge within the breech end of said casing, and a plurality of individual cylindrical projectile charges-positioned end to end'in axial alignment with said breech closure, each of said projectile charges consisting of shot enclosed in an individual container separable as a unit from said casing so as to be projected whole therefrom upon explosion of said explosive charge, said containers being provided with external helical ribs, those of said ribs on adjacent containers sloping inopposite directions, the weight of the shot in the individualprojectile charges decreasing successivelyas they approach the-breech end of the cartridge.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 151,327 Weldon May 26, 1874 395,897 'Hartley Jan. 8, 1889 694,896 Scott Mar. 4, 1902 1,066,525 Pedersen July 8, 1913 2,759,420 Schultz Aug. 21, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 54,020 Germany 'Feb. 7, 1890 72,702 Germany Jan. 2, 1892 108,507 Germany Feb. 13, 1900 270,647 Iager 2 Feb. 20, 1914 562,499 France Sept. 6, 1923 1,183,228 France Jan. 26, 1959

Claims

1. A CARTRIDGE COMPRISING AN OUTER CASING HAVING A BREECH CLOSURE, A SOLE EXPLOSIVE CHARGE LOCATED WITHIN THE BREECH END OF SAID CASING, A PROJECTILE CHARGE DIVIDED INTO A PLURALITY OF DISTINCT INDIVIDUAL CHARGES POSITIONED END TO END IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID BREECH CLOSURE AND EXPLOSIVE CHARGE, CONTAINER MEANS IN SAID CASING WITHIN WHICH SAID PROJECTILE CHARGE IS ENCLOSED, SAID CONTAINER MEANS BEING SEPARABLE AS A UNIT FROM SAID CASING SO AS TO BE PROJECTED WHOLE THEREFROM UPON EXPLOSION OF SAID EXPLOSIVE CHARGE, AND MEANS FOR IMPARTING A DIFFERENT ROTATIONAL FORCE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL PROJECTILE CHARGE WHILE SAID CONTAINER MEANS IS IN FLIGHT SO AS TO CAUSE A SEPARATION OF SAID INDIVIDUAL PROJECTILE CHARGES FROM EACH OTHER AT A SUITABLE DISTANCE FROM THE MOUTH OF THE WEAPON FROM WHICH SAID CARTRIDGE IS FIRED.