Ammunition with Device for Holding the Pyrotechnic Charge of the Ammunition

Abstract

Ammunition comprises, along a longitudinal axis, a fuse in the form of a tip, an ammunition body and a skirt, the ammunition body of cylindrical form with axis of revolution merged with the longitudinal axis, having, between a front end and a rear end, a circular cylindrical wall delimiting a loading compartment containing a pyrotechnic charge, the ammunition body being sealed at its front end by the fuse and at its rear end by the skirt attached to the ammunition body. The ammunition body includes, in the loading compartment, between its two ends, a central core having n fins each comprising at least one edge, in the axis of revolution, attached to the skirt, n being greater than or equal to 1, to separate the pyrotechnic charge into at least two portions on either side of a given fin Ei. Applications are to cannon or mortar type ammunition.

1 . Ammunition comprising, along a longitudinal axis XX′, a fuse in the form of a tip, an ammunition body and a skirt, the ammunition body, of cylindrical form with axis of revolution AA′ merged with the longitudinal axis XX′, having, between a front end and a rear end, a circular cylindrical wall delimiting a loading compartment containing a pyrotechnic charge, the ammunition body being sealed at its front end by the fuse and at its rear end by the skirt attached to the ammunition body, the ammunition body including, in the loading compartment between its two ends, a central core having n fins E 1 , E 2 , . . . Ei, . . . En each comprising at least one edge, in the axis of revolution AA′, attached to the skirt, i being the rank of the fin, n being greater than or equal to 1, to separate the pyrotechnic charge into at least two portions on either side of the fin Ei. 
     
     
         2 . The ammunition as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising, between the fuse and the ammunition body, a booster for igniting the pyrotechnic charge, the booster of circular cylindrical form having an external booster portion linking the ammunition body and the fuse and a booster body inside the ammunition body. 
     
     
         3 . The ammunition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the circular cylindrical wall of the ammunition body comprises an outer surface of external diameter Dpe and an inner surface of internal diameter Dpi forming the loading compartment containing the central core and the pyrotechnic charge. 
     
     
         4 . The ammunition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the skirt of cylindrical form of axis of revolution CC′ ends, on the side of the ammunition body, with a skirt wall of circular form in a plane P 2  perpendicular to the axis of the skirt, the skirt having as many grooves R 1 , R 2 , . . . Ri, . . . Rn as the central core has fins, the grooves opening onto the skirt wall and ending in the skirt with a bottom in a plane P 3  perpendicular to the longitudinal axis XX′ of the ammunition, the n fins E 1 , E 2 , . . . Ei, . . . En of the central core comprising, on the side of the rear end of the ammunition body, rear fin ends ending, in a plane P 6  perpendicular to the axis AA′ of the central core, with fin edges, a rear fin end of the fin Ei of rank i being inserted into the respective groove Ri of the same rank i of the skirt, the fin edges being in contact with the bottoms of the grooves so as to render the central core attached in rotation and in translation to the skirt and, consequently, to the ammunition body, the link of the fins with the skirt being of tenon/mortise type, the tenons being the rear portions of the fins and the mortises being the grooves R 1 , R 2 , . . . Ri, Rn in the skirt. 
     
     
         5 . The ammunition as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein a rigid link of the fins with the skirt is produced, either by gluing the rear fin ends in the n grooves R 1 , R 2 , . . . Ri, . . . Rn in the case of a link of “tenon/mortise” type, or by screwing, or by welding on the edge of the fins, the latter solution being able to be exempted from a link of tenon/mortise type. 
     
     
         6 . The ammunition as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the n fins E 1 , E 2 , . . . Ei, . . . En comprise, on the side of the front end of the ammunition body, front fin portions inscribed in a cylindrical surface of diameter equal to the diameter D 1  of a circular cylindrical surface portion of the inner surface of said front end of the ammunition body to produce a link of the central core with said ammunition body, of centering link type. 
     
     
         7 . The ammunition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, a skirt-central core assembly being produced in a single piece, the skirt of axis of revolution CC′ comprises, on the side of the ammunition body, the central core having n fins E 1 , E 2 , . . . Ei, . . . En attached to the skirt, at least by their edges in the axis of revolution CC′, the skirt with the central core being screwed onto the rear end of the ammunition body to seal said ammunition body, the front portions of the fins being free of contact with the wall of the ammunition body to produce a mounting of the central core in the ammunition body of “overhang” type. 
     
     
         8 . The ammunition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, an ammunition body-skirt-central core assembly being produced in a single piece, the ammunition body comprises a cylindrical wall of axis of revolution AA′ merged with the longitudinal axis XX′ of the ammunition, on the side of the front end of the ammunition body, the circular opening for the booster and, on the side of the rear end of the ammunition body, a rear body portion forming a skirt, the ammunition body comprising, in the axis AA′, the n fins E 1 , E 2 , . . . Ei, . . . En attached together, on the one hand, by their edges in the axis of revolution AA′ of the ammunition body and, on the other hand, by other edges of the fins, of the wall of said ammunition body and of the skirt, the fins forming, with the skirt and the circular wall, cells for the pyrotechnic charge. 
     
     
         9 . The ammunition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, an ammunition body-central core assembly being produced in a single piece, the ammunition body comprises a cylindrical wall of axis of revolution AA′ merged with the axis XX′ of the ammunition and a central core attached to said cylindrical wall, the cylindrical wall comprising, on the side of the front end of the ammunition body, the circular opening for the booster and, on the side of the rear end of the ammunition body, a rear opening sealed by a skirt, the fins E 1 , E 2 , . . . Ei, . . . En of the central core being attached, on one side, by their edges in the axis AA′ of the ammunition body and by other edges, parallel to the axis AA′ of the ammunition body, of the cylindrical wall of the ammunition body, the fins forming, with the skirt and the cylindrical wall, cells for the pyrotechnic charge. 
     
     
         10 . The ammunition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the loading compartment comprises a common loading area followed by a compartmented area, the common loading area being delimited by the booster, the ammunition body wall and by the plane formed by the front end portions of fins of the central core, the compartmented area being delimited by the ammunition body wall and the skirt, the fins E 1 , E 2 , . . . Ei, . . . En forming, with the ammunition body wall, cells for the pyrotechnic charge of the ammunition. 
     
     
         11 . The ammunition as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the n fins forming the central core are preferentially distributed regularly around the axis of revolution AA′ of the ammunition body to form identical cells intended to contain the pyrotechnic charge. 
     
     
         12 . The ammunition as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the central core comprises, in the coupling axis of the edges of the fins, a passage over at least a portion of the length of the central core for the introduction of a pyrotechnic tube igniter. 
     
     
         13 . The ammunition as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the wall of the passage, formed by the edges of the n fins E 1 , E 2 , . . . Ei, . . . En comprises orifices perpendicular to the axis of the passage enabling the pyrotechnic tube igniter, through these orifices, to laterally ignite, along said axis CC′, the pyrotechnic charge of the ammunition.