Rheinmetall Gmbh

Karlheinz Reinelt

Wolfram Witt

Raimund Germershausen

Jochen Schmitt

Edwin Gundrum

Dietmar Mueller

A liquid propellant for use in a propellant medium combustion chamber of a gun barrel weapon. The liquid propellant is completely decomposed and its combustion velocity is adjusted to the requirements of the weapon and projectile so as to provide a preponderantly oscillation-free plateau-like gas pressure development curve. The liquid propellant consist of a monergolic or nonhypergolic liquid propellant substance which includes up to 40% by weight of additives, preferably in the form of inhibitors. As starting material there are used aliphatic compositions, preferably nitrated alcanes or nitrates of alcanes, for example, isopropylinitrate or nitromethane. As inhibitors for moderating the burning there are used alcohols, such as methylalcohol or isopropylalcohol, which are admixed to the starting material. The inhibitors and/or liquid propellant include additional additives which act as radical binders which preponderantly prevent gas pressure oscillations and effect a plateau-like gas pressure development curve.

Liquid propellant

The invention relates to a propellant charge container for receiving loose propellant charge powders. The propellant charge container consists of at least two separate telescopically mounted cylindrical parts which are mutually rotatable relative to each in the peripheral direction. The propellant charge container has a substantially cylindrical shape. The cylindrical container parts forming the container are coupled to each via their mutually overlapping regions. Each of the respective overlapping regions of the parts forming the container have at least one opening, which openings can be mutually aligned to form a filling opening. When these openings are misaligned the filling opening is closed. The overlapping regions of the cylindrical parts have one or more annular corrugations which interengage to form a firm coupling between the cylindrical parts forming the propellant charge container. Both of the end faces of the cylindrical parts forming the container have indentations for permitting a radially and axially play-free loading. The novel propellant charge container of this invention provides for significant manufacturing savings and accelerates the loading process.

Propellant charge container

The invention relates to a combustible propellant charge casing particularly useful for cartridge ammunition. In order to simplify the manufacture of ammunition and to improve its storage capacity, a propellant charge casing made from a synthetic foil is provided. The invention achieves particularly advantageous mechanical strength and stability in the propellant charge structure when the casing is formed from a shrinking foil.

Propellant charge casing

A projectile seated in a gun barrel is fired by vaporizing a liquid propellant in a loading chamber communicating with the gun barrel through a rising duct. A cluster of filling bodies occupies the entire cross-section of the duct and dips into the liquid propellant within the loading chamber, these bodies forming a multiplicity of passages in which the ignited liquid gasifies upon being driven by its own vapor pressure toward the gun barrel.

Method of and assembly for firing projectiles with controlled

A gun barrel weapon for firing a projectile by means of a liquid propellant medium. The weapon includes a coaxial first member which defines a propellant medium combustion chamber. This first member also functions as a breech or breech block. A second member defining a projectile chamber is disposed between the first member and the gun barrel. The combustion chamber is adapted to hold a liquid propellant medium and includes a neck portion of narrowed cross-section which throttingly communicates with the projectile chamber. The first member also includes a plurality of through-bores which form conduits between the projectile chambers and the combustion chamber.

Gun barrel weapon with liquid propellant charge

A nonhypergolic propellant for a barrel-type weapon is mixed with about 20% by volume of a propellant granulate which can be in the form of spheroidal powder, preferably a dibasic powder propellant, or in the form of micro-encapsulated liquid propellant which can be of the same composition as the liquid propellant in which the granulate is entrained or can be a different liquid propellant. The propellant granulate improves the combustion characteristics of the propellant and hence the reproducibility of the firing operations.

Liquid-propellant system

A propellent charge igniter for caseless cartridges of separately loaded ammunition. The igniter has an ignition chain which includes a secondary charge adjoining a main charge made up of powder pipes or tubes. The secondary charge is disposed in pierceable bag material. A booster charge is disposed in a cartridge case which is mounted in the movable breech block. A combustible projectile is mounted in the cartridge case, and is adapted to be ejected from the cartridge case by the gases generated by the booster charge to pierce the bag material and ignite the secondary charge.

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Hermannsburg, Germany

Karlheinz Reinelt