Velocity enhancing projectile sabot

Abstract

A cartridge for a kinetic energy projectile, where the projectile has a deter of less than a gun bore diameter and the projectile is saboted in order to support and guide the projectile along the gun bore. The sabot 42 has a closing disk 48 which radially extends from the projectile or penetrator 41 to the internal diameter of the gun bore. The closing disk is positioned on the penetrator at a location spaced from an open end 14 of a cartridge case 49. A shell 13 extends from the closing disk to the open end 14 of the cartridge case. The shell 13 is positioned adjacent the internal diameter of the gun bore, and the shell 13 along with the sabot defines a sabot volume. The sabot volume along with the volume defined by the cartridge case is filled with propellant.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cartridge for propelling a saboted projectile from a gun bore, the cartridge comprising: a cartridge case having a base end and an opened end, said cartridge case defining a cartridge volume;   a penetrator used as the projectile, said penetrator having a cartridge portion positioned in said cartridge case and a bore portion extending out of said opened end of said cartridge case, a diameter of said bore portion of said penetrator being less than an inside diameter of the gun bore;   a sabot attached to said penetrator and positioned between said penetrator and the gun bore, a first end of said sabot being positioned adjacent said bore portion of said penetrator and having a closing disk radially extending in all directions to the inside diameter of the gun bore, said sabot including obturation band means for providing a sealing connection between said first end of said sabot and the inside of the gun bore, said sabot also including a plurality of longitudinal ribs radially extending from said penetrator to the inside diameter of the gun bore;   a shell positioned adjacent the inside diameter of the gun bore and axially extending from said open end of said cartridge to said closing disk, said shell and said sabot defining a sabot volume;   propellant means positioned in said cartridge volume and said sabot volume, and for propelling said sabot and said penetrator along said gun bore.   
     
     
       2. A cartridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said plurality of longitudinal ribs are substantially evenly spaced along a circumference of said penetrator.   
     
     
       3. A cartridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said plurality of longitudinal ribs contains three (3) longitudinal ribs.   
     
     
       4. A cartridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said closing disk defines a scoop means for separating said sabot from said penetrator when said sabot and said penetrator exit the gun bore.   
     
     
       5. A cartridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said propellant means provides said propelling through combustion;   said shell is combustible.   
     
     
       6. A cartridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said shell is rigidly attached to said closing disk, and said shell and said closing disk travel along the gun bore together.   
     
     
       7. A cartridge in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: a cartridge ring means for connecting said sabot to said cartridge case during loading of the cartridge and for separating said sabot from said cartridge case during propelling of the sabot along the gun bore.   
     
     
       8. A cartridge in accordance with claim 7, wherein: said cartridge ring means connects said opened end of said cartridge to said plurality of longitudinal ribs.   
     
     
       9. A cartridge in accordance with claim 7, wherein: said cartridge ring means has a bore-riding surface.   
     
     
       10. A cartridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said obturation band means has an external diameter less than the internal diameter of the gun bore, said obturation band means also expands during propelling of said sabot along the gun bore.   
     
     
       11. A cartridge in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said plurality of longitudinal ribs extend axially from said closing disk to said opened end of said cartridge case.