Rheinmetall Gmbh

Etat Francais

L'etat Francais, Represente Par Le Delegue General Pour L'armement

Firma Rheinmetall Gmbh

Etat Francais Represente Par Le Deleuge General Pour L'armement

L'etat Francais Represente Par Le Delegue General Pour L'armement Bureau

Peter Wallow

Bernhard Bisping

Hans W Luther

Klaus Gersbach

Walter Simon

Rudolf Romer

Karl W Bethmann

Patrick Montier

Pierre A Moreau

Jurgen Bocker

Jean-Claude Sauvestre

Jean C Sauvestre

Juergen Boecker

Horst Fritsch

Reinhart Fuchs

Wilfried Becker

Heinz-Josef Kruse

Udo Sabranski

Ulrich Theis

Michael Schwenzer

Reinhard Synofzik

Jurgen Boecker

Klaus D Pahnke

Klaus Gerbach

Hermann Jansen

Yves Millet

Bernahrd Bisping

A projectile has a main body having a smooth end region, an intermediate sleeve over the smooth end region, a guide mechanism sleeve and guide fins. In one embodiment, the intermediate sleeve has an internal surface and an external thread, the intermediate sleeve being soldered at the internal surface to the smooth end region of the main body. The guide mechanism sleeve has an internal thread screwed with the internal thread onto the external thread of the intermediate sleeve at a tail region of the projectile. The guide fins are fixed to the guide mechanism sleeve. In a second embodiment, the projectile includes a longitudinally extending main body having an end region conically tapered toward a front end of the projectile, and a conically tapered intermediate sleeve having longitudinally extending slots, regions of the intermediate sleeve between the slots being radially elastic. The intermediate sleeve is fitted over the tapered end region of the main body so as to clamp the tapered end region. The guide mechanism sleeve which fixes the guide fins at a tail region of the projectile, has a conically tapered inner wall region lying frictionally locked against an outer surface of the intermediate sleeve.

Projectile equipped with guide fins

An improved inertial projectile arrangement including a subcaliber projectile penetrator which is composed of a prepenetrator portion with a nose point and a main penetrator portion. The penetrator has a large length/diameter ratio and a high density. A sabot, composed of at least two segments, encompasses a part of the prepenetrator portion. The periphery of the encompassed prepenetrator and the sabot being joined to each other by form-locking means. The sabot segments separate from the penetrator upon exiting from the muzzle of the gun barrel from which the projectile is fired. The form-locking means are at least partially formed of irregularities or unevenesses on the periphery of the encompassed prepenetrator portion and the interior periphery of the sabot. A plurality of fracture zones and a transfer frusto-conical portion are disposed on the prepenetrator. The fracture zones achieve an intended breakup of the prepenetrator upon impact. A predetermined number of the fracture zones form part of the form-locking means. The frusto-conical transfer portion adjoins the fracture zone most distant from the nose point of the prepenetrator at one of its ends and the main penetrator portion at the other of its ends.

Inertial projectile having a breakable pre-penetrator

A propelling cage sabot is provided with longitudinal slits and its front region is provided with centering holding elements which are oriented inwardly toward the projectile while its rear region has a centering face associated with the projectile. A rear opening in the propelling cage sabot is provided with an internal thread to accommodate a screw-in element which at its front serves as a seat for a tail surface of the projectile. Compressible band-shaped elements disposed around the circumferential region of the propelling cage sabot may be provided. Conical surfaces of the propelling cage sabot facilitate insertion of the arrangement at a cadence customary in automatic equipment, with any possibly occurring insertion shock not resulting in relative axial movement of the projectile with respect to the propelling cage sabot due to a frontal holding region and the centering surface. Under the influence of the air streaming in from the front, the parts of the propelling cage sabot formed by the above-mentioned longitudinal slits and held together in the frontal region by the band-shaped element are pivoted away from the projectile and tear apart the band-shaped element, thereby releasing the projectile from the propelling cage for further unimpeded flight.

Propelling cage projectile arrangement

A subcaliber projectile has a small-diameter projectile body extending along and centered on an axis, having a radially outwardly directed outer surface, and adapted to move in a predetermined axial back-to-front direction, and a sabot formed of a plurality of similar segments annularly surrounding at least a portion of the body, the segments forming an inner surface generally on the outer surface of the body and having an extreme front end and an extreme rear end. This projectile is formed on one of these surfaces at the extreme rear end of the sabot with a radially projecting ridge of generally semicircular shape having a center of curvature. The other of the surfaces is formed at the extreme rear end of each segment of the sabot with a radially open recess complementary to and receiving the ridge. In addition the segments are pivotal about the center of curvature without the ridge leaving the recess from a position with the respective inner surface lying on the outer projectile-body surface and a position with the inner surface projecting at an angle away therefrom.

Subcaliber projectile with pivotally separable drive cage

An improved armor-piercing inertial penetrator projectile having a prepenetrator which has a substantially uniform flight diameter D, over substantially its entire length. A prepenetrator assembly is formed by a plurality of elements which are adapted to interact with the material of the corresponding target upon inpact so as to form an effective surface which has a diameter larger by a predetermined amount than the flight diameter D of the prepenetrator.

Armor-piercing projectile

There is disclosed a kinetic energy type projectile having an armor piercing head which is intended to penetrate multi-shell targets, and even sharply angled targets. The piercing head is provided with favorably discriminated shearing regions which are axially spaced apart by distances corresponding to the thicknesses of the shells which are to be pierced by the piercing head. The shearing regions are provided by external or internal localized transverse weakenings e.g. grooves, or heat treatments by electronic bombardment, applied to the external surface of the piercing head and/or in a central bore in the piercing head. Additionally, the localized weakenings may be provided by bound collars on the piercing head. The shearing regions are progressively stronger in a direction from the front of the piercing head so that they will shear consecutively as the head pierces successive shells of a multi-shell target.

Piercing projectile with a weakened head

A subcaliber projectile intended for arrow stabilization has its guide assembly set so that the projectile spins around its longitudinal axis and is constructed so that it is unbalanced with respect to its longitudinal axis such that the spinning reaches a critical number of revolutions at a given time during the trajectory of the projectile and the resulting resonance causes destruction of the projectile.

Limited range, arrow stabilized subcaliber projectile for a tubular

A sabot arrangement is produced in accordance with an improved manufacturing method. The sabot arrangement includes a rotational symmetrical sabot body having a central axial bore and radial separating grooves or slots. The radial grooves or slots divide the sabot body into a plurality of equal segments. These slots nearly sever the sabot body into separate segments, so that a material bridge remains near a forward edge and a material bridge remains near a rear edge of the sabot body, which material bridges function as fracture zones.

Process for manufacturing a sabot arrangement for a sub-caliber

An improved inertial armor-piercing penetrator projectile wherein the axial length of the projectile is a relatively large multiple of its diameter. The projectile includes a pre-penetrator and a main penetrator with a nose and a tail. The forward portion of the main penetrator is operatively connected to the tail of the pre-penetrator. The pre-penetrator comprises a plurality of partial cores which are axially arranged one behind the other and are operatively connected to each other at mutual coupling regions so as to form a stack. The stack of partial cores includes centering and/or fixing means which may take various forms and can be selectively exchanged. The cover and the centering and/or fixing means are adapted to achieve a predetermined fracturing or separation upon the application of a predetermined load. Thus, the centering and/or fixing means include a weakened portion where the fracturing or separation occurs. The construction and arrangement of the partial cores is such that each partial core differs from the adjacent partial core with respect to dimensions and/or material so that a front partial core will sufficiently disintegrate upon impact prior to the next following partial core reaching the target.

Inertial penetrator projectile

A projectile, e.g. a subcaliber projectile to be fired from the barrel of a weapon, comprises an elongated main body having a central bore and forming a projectile of the inertial or impact type, the bore receiving a caliber or subcaliber auxiliary projectile and an appropriate charge so that a proximity fuse on the main projectile body can fire the auxiliary projectile body in an armor breaking fashion to facilitate penetration by the main body of the armored vehicle. Both projectiles are of the impact or inertial type in which their kinetic energy enables them to pierce the armor.

Armor breaking projectile

Sabot arrangement for a sub-caliber projectile

An improved subcaliber fin-stabilized penetrator projectile of an equal diameter along its whole cylindrical length which is made of a high density, ductile, heavy metal. The herein described penetrator has a steel ballistic hood coaxially mounted on the front end thereof and a plurality of frontal cores mounted one behind the other in an axial direction behind said ballistic hood, and a main penetrator core arranged behind the frontal cores. Detachably connected to said ballistic hood and extending from said hood to the frontal region of the main penetrator core is a cylindrical casing of heavy metal having a smooth external surface and an outer diameter which is equal to the outer diameter of the main penetrator core. The plurality of frontal cores are partially mounted in said cylindrical casing, and partially in said ballistic hood. The main penetrator core of the projectile has a cylindrical front end extension of smaller diameter with which the casing is rigidly attached, a transition piece and a frustoconical stem. The frontal cores are equal in diameter and have an axially centered bore and a recess, and have rear faces and front faces. The ballistic hood is detachably mounted and holds a plurality of said frontal cores together against one another inside said casing in a play-free manner, with the frontal cores inner surfaces snugly fitted against the outside surface of the stem, and said cores outer surfaces snugly fitted against the inner surface of the said casing.

Subcaliber, armor piercing penetrator projectile

An improved armor-piercing inertial penetrator projectile having a prepenetrator which has a substantially uniform flight diameter D, over substantially its entire length. A prepenetrator assembly is formed by a plurality of elements which are adapted to interact with the material of the corresponding target upon impact so as to form an effective surface which has a diameter larger by a predetermined amount than the flight diameter D of the prepenetrator.

Armor-piercing inertial projectile

The target-effective mass of cartridged ammunition is increased while maintaining a predetermined cartridge length. A projectile body has a projectile tail portion extending rearwardly on which a fin or wing-stabilization arrangement is mounted. This tail portion extends rearwardly towards the immediate vicinity of the propellant charge casing bottom. A projection extends rearwardly past the wing or fin-stabilization guide arrangement. This projection includes a massive portion which separates at firing from the propellant charge casing bottom. The rear portion of the projectile body is surrounded by a sheathing of combustible material forming the ignition element which sheathing extends from the cartridge case bottom up to at least the middle of the propellant charge casing and has a longitudinal extent l.sub.2. The massive projection permits, during the combustion of the propellant charge up to separation the build up of a high gas pressure, whereby in particular a loose powder propellant charge is ignited by the ignition element for a short period of time in a uniform and reproducible manner. Thus, without increasing the length of the cartridge an increase of the target-effective mass and an increase of the projectile length is achieved with an accompanying penetration capacity increase by improving the relationship of the projectile length l.sub.1 to the projectile diameter d.sub.1.

Growing community of inventors

Dusseldorf, Germany

Peter Wallow