US3812784A

US3812784A - One piece wad column and shot cup

Info

Publication number: US3812784A
Application number: US00218231A
Authority: US
Inventors: G Herter
Original assignee: HERTER Inc S
Current assignee: HERTER Inc S; HERTER S INC US
Priority date: 1972-01-17
Filing date: 1972-01-17
Publication date: 1974-05-28
Anticipated expiration: 1991-05-28

Abstract

A one piece shot cup and gas sealing wad column for a shotshell wherein the shot cup is supported upon a transverse disc and has a partially spherically rounded bottom, the cup sidewalls having slits extending into the rounded bottom, and the cup having bridging strips traversing the slits adjacent the bottom of the cup.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Herter 1*May 28, 1974 ONE PIECE WAD COLUMN AND SHOT CUP [75] lnventor: George L. Herter, Waseca, Minn.

[73] Assignee: Herters, Inc., Waseca, Minn.

[ 1 Notice: The portion of the term of this patent subsequent to Mar. 27, 1990, has been disclaimed.

[22] Filed: Jan. 17, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.: 218,231

[52] US. Cl. 102/95, 102/42 C [51] Int. Cl. F42b 7/08 [58] Field of Search 102/42 C, 95

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,074,344 l/l963 Devaux 102/42 C 3,234,877 2/l966 Herter l02/42 C 3,279,375 l0/l966 Herter 3,568,603 3/197] Vartanian 3,669,023 6/1972 Moehlmann 3,722,420 3/1973 Herter l02/42 C Primary Examiner-R0bert F. Stahl Attorney, Agent, or FirmWilliamson, Bains & Moore [57] ABSTRACT A one piece shot cup and gas sealing wad column for a shotshell wherein the shot cup is supported upon a transverse disc and has a partially spherically rounded bottom, the cup sidewalls having slits extending into the rounded bottom, and the cup having bridging strips traversing the slits adjacent the bottom of the cup.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures ONE PIECE WAD COLUMN AND SHOT CUP BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The one piece shot cup and gas sealing wad column has longitudinal slits in the peripheral wall of the shot cup, thereby defining elongate wall segments between each pair of slits. These wall segments confine the shot in the case and, after firing the shotshell, in the barrel, and prevent deformation of the shot by abrading on the gun barrel wall. When the shot cup and shot exit the barrel muzzle, the rapidly moving wall segments of the cup will catch the air and flare out to cause the shot cup and wad column to rapidly decelerate and separate from the cluster of shot. As a result the shot remains in a tight cluster and stringing out of the shot is prevented.

It is desirable to get the shot cup away from the cluster or column of shot cleanly and quickly without disturbing the shot column as soon as possible after exiting the muzzle. Although the entire length of the wall segments should flare out to the side of the wad column to stop the wad column and prevent it from going down range too far, it is not essential that the whole length of all of the wall segments be flared out to the side immediately for the purpose of decelerating the shot cup and wad column sufficiently to release the shot cluster. The very flexible forward ends of the cup wall segments should be permitted to flare out instantly after exiting the barrel muzzle to cleanly separate the cup and wad column from the shot cluster; but it is very important to prevent any yawing or tilting of the cup and gas sealing wad column because this type of deflection may cause the shot cluster to string out. Accordingly, the lower portions of the shot cup wall segments of the present invention are held together by a bridging strip traversing the slit at a position upwardly from the lower end of the slit and the lower end of the shot cup. This bridging strip momentarily holds the cup wall segments together as they tend to flare out and then, after a brief moment, these bridging strips rupture so as to allow the wall segments to flare out to their entire length and effect the stopping action of a shot cup and wad column. The spreading of the wall segments is impeded so that only the tip ends of the wall segments flare initially and effectively separate the cup and wad column from the shot cluster and prevent any immediate yawing or tilting of the wad column to prevent disturbing the shot cluster. When the initial separation of the cup and wad column from the cluster occurs, the bridging strips rupture to allow full flaring of the wall segments and rapid deceleration of the cup and wad column to minimize its travel.

The shot cup of the present invention has a rounded bottom portion which is supported on a central post,

and a disc, lying transverse to the post and formed integrally thereof and integrally of the cup underlies the bottom of the cup to provide a temporary support for the rounded bottom of the cup at the extreme outer periphery thereof as the firing of the shotshell occurs and rapid acceleration of the wad column and the initial setback of the shot cluster occur. The longitudinal slits between the wall segments extend downwardly and partially through the curved lower portion of the cup and, as a result, these slits have a tendency to spread or widen at the moment of firing the shotshell. The bridging strips which traverse the slits tend to hold the slits together at the lower portion of the shotshell and prevent any of the shot from protruding through the slits and abrading against the barrel wall.

Furthermore, as these bridging strips are preventing the slits between the wall segments from unnecessarily widening, the plastic material in the bridging strips is worked slightly and some orientation of the plastic occurs as a result so as to strengthen the plastic for the purpose of holding the wall segments together instantaneously after exiting the barrel muzzle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation view, partly broken away, of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a transverse section view taken at 22 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the shot cup and wad column after being fired from a shotshell and after exiting the barrel muzzle to release the cluster of shot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION One form of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and is described herein. The one piece shot cup and gas sealing wad column is indicated in general by numeral 10 and is formed integrally and in one piece as by molding of a resiliently yieldable and readily deformable plastic material such as polyethylene. The cupportion 11 is disposed forwardly of the wad column portion 12 which is oriented forwardly of the gas sealing cup 13. The one piece cup and wad column 10 is positioned in a shotshell case so that the powder seal cup 13 overlies the powder charge in the shotshell, and the cup portion 11 will contain the shot charge. The forward end of the cup 11 will extend into close proximity with the front closure of the shotshell case so as to confine substantially the entire shot charge in the case.

The cup 11 has a rounded bottom 14, and a sidewall 15 which has a plurality of elongate slits 16 formed therein so as to define in the sidewall 15, a plurality of elongate and slightly spaced wall segments 15.1, 15.2, 15.3 and 15.4. These slits 16 are substantially closed when the cup and wad column 10 is confined within the shotshell case so that none of the shot will be able to pass through the slits l6 and engage the inside wall of the gun barrel. The relaxed shape of the wall segments is substantially as shown in FIG. 1 wherein the wall segments are flared slightly toward the open end of the cup 1 1. When the one piece cup and wad column 10 is confined in a shotshell case, the segments of the wall 15 lie flush against and parallel to the substantially cylindrical shotshell case.

The bottom portion 17 of the cup 11 is rounded to have a partially spherical shape, and the lower end portions of the wall segments 15.1 15.4 are curved both inwardly and circumferentially to define this bottom portion 17 of the cup. The cup 1 l rests upon a substantially flat disc 18 which forms a part of the wad column 12. The disc 18 is formed integrally and in one piece with the cup 11 and the cup 11 joins the disc 18 near the central area of the disc. The marginal portions of the disc 18 are spaced from the cup 11, but do tend to give support to the cup at the instant of firing of the shotshell, and as the wall segments 15.1 15.4 are deformed due to' the rapid acceleration of the wad column and the inertia of the shot charge within the cup 11 which combine to tend to deform the lower portions of the wall segments 15.1 15.4 and cause these wall segments to bear downwardly or rearwardly against substantially the entire upper face of the disc 18.

It will be noted that the slits 16 in the cup sidewall 15 extend down into the curved lower portion 17 of the cup.

The adjacent wall segments 15.1 15.4 are interconnected across the slits 16 by a plurality of bridging strips 19 which are molded integrally of the adjacent wall segments. The bridging strips 19 are slightly yieldable and deformable when subjected to tension forces by the adjacent wall segments, but the bridging strips 19 are also readily rupturable so as to permit the wall segments 15.1 15.4 to flare outwardly to the maximum extent, somewhat as illustrated in FIG. 3 as to cause the one piece cup and wad column 10 to rapidly decelerate and be prevented from traveling excessively down range with the shot after exiting the muzzle of the gun barrel.

The wad column also includes a central post structure l9 and a second stabilizing disc 20 which will guide along the wall of the shotshell case and along the gun barrel to prevent collapsing or bending or bowing of the post 19. The powder seal cup 13 has a skirt 21 which will flare slightly outwardly and seal tightly against the peripheral wall of the shotshell case and against the wall of the barrel as the unit 10 is ejected with the shot charge upon firing the shotshell in a shotgun.

in the use of the one piece cup and wad column 10, the sealing cup 13 will overlie the powder charge in the shotshell case, and the cup 11 will confine the shot charge in the case. When the shotshell is fired by detonating the primer which ignites the powder charge, the sealing cup 13 is impelled forwardly under great force against the inertia of the shot charge confined in the cup and the closure of the shotshell. The closure, such as a star crimp, of the shotshell will immediately open and the sidewall 15 of the shot cup 11 is immediately deformed as the shot charge confined therein is set into motion. The lower portions of the wall segments 15.1 15.4 will effectively set back against the disc 18, and of course this set-back tends to stretch the bridging strips 19. The width of slits 16 remains sufficiently small as to prevent escape or protrusion of any shot pellets through the slits 16 against the barrel wall and, as a result, none of the shot pellets will be abraded by the movement of the shot charge and unit 10 along the gun barrel.

The powder charge will continue to burn at least until the shot charge and the unit 10 exits the muzzle of the barrel, whereupon the natural resiliency of the wall segments 15.1 15.4 which have, until this instant of emergence from the barrel muzzle, been confined into a substantially cylindrical shape, together with the pressure exerted thereagainst by the shot charge being rapidly accelerated in the gun barrel, cooperatively causes the wall segments 15.1 15.4 to flare at their forward ends. Because of this flaring of the forward ends of the wall segments, they will be caught in the extremely turbulent sheer layer of air between the very rapidly moving shot charge and the stationary air spaced slightly transversely therefrom. The result is that the one piece cup and wad column 10 is immediately slowed sufficiently to release the cup 11 from the shot charge C, somewhat in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3. This release of the shot charge C from the cup 11 occurs before there can be any yawing or tilting of the wad column 12 and sealing base 13, and, as a result, there is no distortion of the highly compact shot charge C. After the release of the shot charge C has already occurred, the wall segments 15.1 15.4 flare outwardly and apply additional tension to the bridging strips 19 which have heretofore held the wall segments together, and the bridging strips 19 will rupture and permit the wall segments to flare to their maximum extent as illustrated in FIG. 3. As a result, the one piece cup and wad column 10 will be rapidly decelerated and will not travel down range more than a minimum extent.

it will be seen that l have provided a new and novel one piece shot cup and wad column wherein the shot cup wall is formed of a plurality of adjacent wall segments which have a natural flared set, but which are confined to define a generally cylindrical cup in the shotshell case and gun barrel during travel of the one piece cup and wad column and shot charge along the barrel; the wall segments are interconnected by bridging strips which restrain the wall segments against instantaneous full flare upon emergence from the muzzle of the gun barrel but permit the forward ends of the wall segments to flare immediately and release the shot charge from the cup and wall segments, after which the bridging strips between the wall segments will rupture under influence of the flaring wall segments so that the wall segments are permitted to flare to their fullest extent to rapidly decelerate the one piece shot cup and wad column and prevent it from traveling excessively down range.

What is claimed is:

1. A one piece shot cup and wad column for a shotshell, comprising:

a yieldable plastic shot cup to be inserted into the case of a shotshell to hold the shot charge, the cup having a bottom portion which is spheroidally rounded, and the cup having a plurality of longitudinally extending slits through the sidewall of the cup extending through substantially the entirelength of the cup from the open end thereof to and along the rounded bottom portion of the cup, the bottom ends of said slits thereby being arcuate in longitudinal extent, and said slits dividing the cup sidewall into a plurality of elongate and flexible wall segments having inwardly curved lower ends and flexible outer ends to flare outwardly to decelerate the cup upon exiting the barrel muzzle with a shot charge and to thereby immediately separate from the shot charge, and the cup having a plurality of bridging strips each disposed adjacent the bottom of the cup and extending across a respective slit intermediate its ends with open portions of each slit extending longitudinally of the cup on both sides of each bridging strip towards both the open end and the rounded bottom end of the cup, and interconnecting only the adjacent curved lower ends of the wall segments along a relatively short, limited portion of their lengths to retain the same against immediate full flaring of the shot cup from a gun barrel upon emergence and producing a delay in such full flaring until the shot charge has been released by the flaring forward ends of the wall segments, and

means defining a sealing base, and a wad column between said base and the bottom of the cup.

2. The one piece shot cup and wad column according to claim 1 and said wad column including a disc extending transversely thereof and underlying the rounded bottom of the cup in immediate, supporting juxtaposition thereto and having a diameter exceeding the diameter of the adjacent rounded bottom of the cup to thereby support the rounded lower ends of the wall segments during set-back upon initial firing of the shotshell and rapid acceleration of the one piece shot cup and wad column together with the shot charge.

3. A one piece shot cup and wad column for a shotshell, comprising:

a yieldable plastic shot cup to be inserted into the case of a shotshell to hold the shot charge, the cup having a plurality of longitudinally extending slits through the sidewall of the cup and extending through substantially the entire length of the cup from the open end to the bottom of the cup and dividing the cup sidewall into a plurality of elongate and flexible wall segments, said cup having a rounded, spheroidal bottom end and said wall segments flaring upwardly and outwardly from the junction points of their bottom ends with said rounded bottom end of said cup in a natural, outwardly flaring set, and said wall segments being flexible inwardly to cooperatively define a substantially cylindrical cup sidewall within the shotshell case to confine the shot charge therein, said wall segments resiliently moving toward the flared set immediately upon exiting the muzzle of the gun barrel with the shot charge to release the shot charge and immediately be caught in the extremely turbulent sheer layer of air between the rapidly moving shot charge and the stationary atmospheric air adjacent thereto to be immediately flared outwardly to cause deceleration, the cup having a plurality of bridging strips each disposed adjacent the bottom of the cup and extending across a respective slit intermediate its ends with open portions of each slit extending longitudinally of the cup on both sides of each bridging strip towards both the open end and the rounded bottom end of the cup, and each of the strips interconnecting the adjacent edges of the wall segments to retain the same against immediate full flaring and producing a delay in such full flaring subsequent to exiting the barrel muzzle, and

means defining a sealing base, and a wad column between the base and cup.

Claims

1. A one piece shot cup and wad column for a shotshell, comprising: a yieldable plastic shot cup to be inserted into the case of a shotshell to hold the shot charge, the cup having a bottom portion which is spheroidally rounded, and the cup having a plurality of longitudinally extending slits through the sidewall of the cup extending through substantially the entire length of the cup from the open end thereof to and along the rounded bottom portion of the cup, the bottom ends of said slits thereby being arcuate in longitudinal extent, and said slits dividing the cup sidewall into a plurality of elongate and flexible wall segments having inwardly curved lower ends and flexible outer ends to flare outwardly to decelerate the cup upon exiting the barrel muzzle with a shot charge and to thereby immediately separate from the shot charge, and the cup having a plurality of bridging strips each disposed adjacent the bottom of the cup and extending across a respective slit intermediate its ends with open portions of each slit extending longitudinally of the cup on both sides of each bridging strip towards both the open end and the rounded bottom end of the cup, and interconnecting only the adjacent curved lower ends of the wall segments along a relatively short, limited portion of their lengths to retain the same against immediate full flaring of the shot cup from a gun barrel upon emergence and producing a delay in such full flaring until the shot charge has been released by the flaring forward ends of the wall segments, and means defining a sealing base, and a wad column between said base and the bottom of the cup.

3. A one piece shot cup and wad column for a shotshell, comprising: a yieldable plastic shot cup to be inserted into the case of a shotshell to hold the shot charge, the cup having a plurality of longitudinally extending slits through the sidewall of the cup and extending through substantially the entire length of the cup from the open end to the bottom of the cup and dividing the cup sidewall into a plurality of elongate and flexible wall segments, said cup having a rounded, spheroidal bottom end and said wall segments flaring upwardly and outwardly from the junction points of their bottom ends with said rounded bottom end of said cup in a natural, outwardly flaring set, and said wall segments being flexible inwardly to cooperatively define a substantially cylindrical cup sidewall within the shotshell case to confine the shot charge therein, said wall segments resiliently moving toward the flared set immediately upon exiting the muzzle of the gun barrel with the shot charge to release the shot charge and immediately be caught in the extremely turbulent sheer layer of air beTween the rapidly moving shot charge and the stationary atmospheric air adjacent thereto to be immediately flared outwardly to cause deceleration, the cup having a plurality of bridging strips each disposed adjacent the bottom of the cup and extending across a respective slit intermediate its ends with open portions of each slit extending longitudinally of the cup on both sides of each bridging strip towards both the open end and the rounded bottom end of the cup, and each of the strips interconnecting the adjacent edges of the wall segments to retain the same against immediate full flaring and producing a delay in such full flaring subsequent to exiting the barrel muzzle, and means defining a sealing base, and a wad column between the base and cup.