US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Michael E Ellis

Deepak Kapoor

Tony F Zahrah

Roderick Rowland

Steven C Lawver

Rao Yalamanchili

John E Brough

Sergio Torrejon

James Grzybek

Michael V Bruno

Joshua McGowan

A method for preparing a composite projectile body with preformed fragments precisely embedded within the walls of the projectile body. The process utilizes a combination of additive manufacturing and advanced powder metallurgy fabrication techniques. Specifically a skeletal structure or prefabricated cage body is filled with preformed fragments. The cage structure may be situated on a mandrel or tool inside a container. The container is filled with metal powder, degassed under vacuum, and sealed. The canister is then subjected to heat and pressure to consolidate the powder to full density. The canister is then removed and the compacted billet product is further machined to obtain a desired projectile body.

Method of manufacturing composite projectile body embedded with preformed fragments

Process for making a fragmentation warhead using hot isostatic pressing where tungsten spheres, powdered steel, and interlock features on a mandrel are consolidated in a matrix. Then in the finished part, the front fragmentation cap, rear and interior geometries are machined, resulting in a finished warhead with an enhanced performance fragmentation cap integrally bonded to it.

Method for making a composite fragmentation cap that is integrally formed onto a projectile body

A cartridge containing an environmentally friendly percussion primer employing a primer explosive mixture, packed under the paper disc and anvil; the mixture being a metastable interstitial composite (MIC) and a high explosive; and a second mass of high explosive, packed within the primer cup above the anvil&#x2014;which mass of high explosive is ignited by the detonation of the MIC and high explosive mixture&#x2014;thereby adding to the detonation to create a combined, enhanced pressure and temperature wave to more quickly initiate the booster pellet and propellant, to fire the bullet within the subject action time limit&#x2014;even under extreme cold ambient conditions.

Environmentally friendly percussion primer

Growing community of inventors

Lake Hopatcong, NJ, United States of America

Michael E Ellis