A silent mortar shell and method of using same

Abstract

This invention discloses a silent mortar shell and its usage method. The shell includes a projectile (1), a tail tube (2), a piston (3), a tail fin (4), and a main charge (5). The piston (3) is provided with a projectile belt (6), a primer (7), and a ignition tube (8). The projectile belt (6) is located outside the piston (3). The front part of the inner cavity of the tail tube (2) is provided with a bevel (9), and the rear part is provided with a tail cone (10). The surface of the bevel (9) gradually narrows from front to back, and the inner surface of the tail cone (10) gradually narrows from front to back. The projectile belt (6) is initially stuck at the bevel (9). The space between the piston (3) and the projectile (1) forms a chamber (11). The main charge (5) is located in the chamber (11). After the primer (7) is fired, it can ignite the main charge (5) through the ignition tube (8). The tail fin (4) is connected to the rear part of the tail tube (2). This invention provides starting pressure through the cooperation of the cartridge belt and the breech bore, ensuring internal ballistic performance and enabling silent, smokeless, and lightless firing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of ammunition technology, and in particular relates to a silent mortar shell and its method of use. Background Technology

[0002] A mortar is a low-pressure indirect fire weapon that can strike enemies on reverse slopes or behind bunkers using its high-arc trajectory, making it important in mountain and urban warfare. To achieve surprise and concealment in fire strikes, countries have developed "three-no" (silent, lightless, and smokeless) firing technologies based on the principle of sealed propellant gases.

[0003] According to US Patent 5668341A, a solution is known that designs a silent mortar firing system for both conventional and unconventional barrels, comprising two variations:

[0004] One method involves fixing the piston to the projectile body and controlling the starting pressure via a diaphragm. The gas acting on the piston within the basic propellant tube propels the projectile. Once the projectile has finished accelerating, the piston is locked to the basic propellant tube via a recovery pin, and the gas is contained within the projectile's tail tube and moves together with it.

[0005] Secondly, the tail tube is fixed to the projectile body. After firing, the gas first drives the warhead and tail tube to move, guided by the long rod piston. After acceleration, the stepped protrusion at the end of the piston interacts with the end of the tail tube, connecting and sealing the gas. Since it does not rely on the barrel for guidance, it can be launched from a lighter plastic barrel.

[0006] Its disadvantages are:

[0007] The piston and tailpipe are locked by a recovery pin and lack a sealing device. Under high-speed impact, there are strength and reliability issues, which may lead to gas leakage and thus affect the internal ballistic efficiency and noise reduction effect.

[0008] 2. There is relative motion between the tail fin and the projectile body. After the tail tube piston is locked, eccentricity may occur due to the reliability of the locking, which will affect the external trajectory.

[0009] Variant 2 can achieve the same range with less explosive charge, but the projectile velocity is greatly reduced because the warhead and tail rod need to drive the long rod piston together after acceleration. This may be the reason why its maximum range is only 800m.

[0010] According to Russian patent RU2151358C1, a technical solution has been identified to address some of the aforementioned problems. This solution involves a universal grenade launcher designed to eliminate muzzle flash and noise. The piston is placed in the tail tube behind the projectile, with propellant loaded at one end and a conical groove at the other end connected to the firing rod. A conical opening at the rear of the tail tube is used to capture the piston and store the propellant gases within the tail tube. By separating the piston from the firing rod, the overall mass of the projectile is reduced, effectively increasing the initial velocity. Furthermore, the absence of relative motion outside the projectile minimizes the structural impact on the external trajectory.

[0011] Its disadvantages are:

[0012] The lack of a sealing structure on the piston will cause gas leakage during the missile's flight, exposing its trajectory.

[0013] 2. The tail tube has a tapered opening on the rear bottom side, but the wall thickness is not increased accordingly, resulting in insufficient tail tube strength to ensure launch safety.

[0014] According to Russian patent RU2494337C2, a technical solution to the above problems is known, which designs a combined piston including a main body of different material strengths and a deformable outer bushing, and a sealing ring is set on the piston to further ensure the air-tight effect, and the tail cone strengthens the wall thickness to further ensure stability.

[0015] Its disadvantages are:

[0016] 1. The piston structure is complex, the propellant is ignited at the bottom, and the ignition channel is not smooth.

[0017] The piston uses a rubber ring seal, which has poor high-pressure dynamic sealing effect. After interacting with the tailpipe cone, the material is prone to failure, making it difficult to seal the gas inside the tailpipe after the projectile leaves the barrel.

[0018] 3. The tail tube and tail fin are tightly fitted. Tests have shown that the interaction between the tail tube and the piston will cause the tail tube to expand significantly, which will further cause the tail fin to crack and be damaged, or even fall off, affecting the launch performance.

[0019] The 4-piston elastic limiting device causes ignition consistency issues. Summary of the Invention

[0020] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a silent mortar shell and its method of use, which improves the ballistic performance of the silent mortar, simplifies the piston structure, ensures a sealing effect, and improves the connection between the tail tube and the tail fin, avoiding damage to the tail fin caused by the expansion of the tail tube, thereby enhancing firing safety.

[0021] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0022] A silent mortar shell includes a warhead, a tail tube, a piston, tail fins, and a main charge. The front end of the tail tube is connected to the rear end of the warhead, and the piston is located inside the tail tube.

[0023] The piston is equipped with a cartridge belt, a primer, and a ignition tube. The cartridge belt is located outside the piston. The front of the tail tube's inner cavity has a beveled bore, and the rear has a tail cone. The surface of the beveled bore gradually tapers from front to rear, and the inner surface of the tail cone also gradually tapers from front to rear.

[0024] The cartridge belt is initially locked at the bore, the space between the piston and the projectile forms a chamber, the main charge is located in the chamber, the primer can ignite the main charge through the ignition tube after firing, and the tail fin is connected to the rear of the tail tube.

[0025] Furthermore, there is a gap between the tail fin and the tailpipe.

[0026] Furthermore, the front end of the ignition tube is positioned against the rear of the warhead and connected to the front end of the piston at the rear end.

[0027] Furthermore, after the cartridge belt moves backward and passes over the bore, it can form a seal with the inner surface of the tail tube, naturally sealing the propellant gases and preventing them from leaking to the rear of the tail tube.

[0028] Furthermore, after the piston is installed into the tailpipe, the front end face of the ignition tube is located at the front part of the front end face of the tailpipe.

[0029] A method for operating a silent mortar shell includes the following steps:

[0030] Step 1: Before firing, first insert the piston into the tail tube from the front port of the tail tube, and then insert the main charge into the chamber. Next, screw the tail tube into the projectile so that the front end of the ignition tube abuts against the rear end of the projectile to limit the piston. Finally, connect the tail fin to the tail tube.

[0031] Step two: During firing, the rear of the piston rests against the end face of the firing rod, igniting the primer. The main charge is then ignited through the ignition tube, causing the chamber pressure to rise. When the chamber pressure is high enough to overcome the resistance between the cartridge band and the bore, the propellant gases propel the projectile forward. The cartridge band passes over the bore, providing internal ballistic starting pressure. When the projectile reaches the tail cone and contacts the piston, the piston is forced into the tail cone and locked at the outlet of the tail tube. The tail tube moves with the piston, thus sealing the propellant gases inside the tail tube and firing them out of the barrel with the projectile. No propellant gases are ejected from the muzzle, completing a silent, smokeless, and lightless firing.

[0032] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention include:

[0033] 1. This invention provides starting pressure through the cooperation of piston belt and tail tube bore, ensuring internal ballistic performance, and uses the ignition tube to position the piston, preventing piston movement from causing changes in the propellant chamber volume, thus improving the consistency of propellant ignition. At the same time, the belt acts as a seal, eliminating the need for a special sealing structure and simplifying the piston structure.

[0034] 2. The present invention has a gap between the tail fin and the tail tube to accommodate the expansion of the tail tube caused by the interaction between the piston and the tail cone, thereby avoiding the tail fin from cracking and improving the safety of the launch process.

[0035] In addition to the features and advantages described above, the invention also possesses other principles, features, and advantages. The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the piston section of a silent mortar shell.

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the tail fins and tail tube of a silent mortar shell.

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a silent mortar shell before it is fired.

[0039] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the firing of a silent mortar shell. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention. The implementation of this invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0041] Combination Figure 1-2A silent mortar shell includes a projectile 1, a tail tube 2, a piston 3, tail fins 4, and a main charge 5. The piston 3 is equipped with a projectile belt 6, a primer 7, and a ignition tube 8. The projectile belt 6 is located outside the piston 3. The tail tube 2 has a beveled bore 9 at the front and a tail cone 10 at the rear. The surface of the beveled bore 9 tapers from front to rear, and the inner surface of the tail cone 10 also tapers from front to rear. The projectile belt 6 is initially engaged with the beveled bore 9 of the tail tube 2. The space between the piston 3 and the projectile 1 forms a propellant chamber 11. The end of the ignition tube 8 rests against the rear of the projectile 1, preventing the piston 3 from shifting within the propellant chamber 11 and ensuring that the position of the piston 3 and the volume of the propellant chamber 11 remain constant. A gap 12 exists between the tail fins 4 and the tail tube 2. During firing, the piston 3 presses against the end face of the firing rod 13 to provide thrust for the projectile's forward motion.

[0042] The cooperation between the tail tube bore 9 and the cartridge belt 6 serves to both position the piston 3 and ensure the volume of the propellant chamber 11, as well as to provide the starting pressure for the internal ballistics and ensure the performance of the internal ballistics.

[0043] The spring band 6 of the piston 3 is also a sealing structure. After the spring band 6 is squeezed into the inner cavity of the tail tube 2, it can naturally seal the gunpowder gas and prevent the gunpowder gas from leaking to the tail of the tail tube 2, without the need to set up a special sealing structure on the piston 3.

[0044] Preferably, after the piston 3 is installed into the tail tube 2, the front end face of the ignition tube 8 is located in front of the front end face of the tail tube 2. The ignition tube 8 serves both to ignite and transmit the ignition, and to position the piston 3 in the medicine chamber 11 and prevent the piston 3 from moving around.

[0045] The tail fin 4 is connected to the tail end of the tail tube 2. The gap 12 between the tail fin 4 and the tail tube 2 after connection is used to accommodate the expansion of the tail end of the tail tube 2 caused by the interaction between the piston 3 and the tail cone 10 during launch, so as to prevent the tail fin 4 from cracking and being damaged due to the expansion of the tail tube 2.

[0046] The working method and principle of the silent mortar shell of the present invention are as follows:

[0047] Step 1, as follows Figure 3 Before firing, the piston 3 is equipped with the cartridge belt 6, the primer 7, and the ignition tube 8. First, the piston 3 is inserted into the tail tube 2, with the cartridge belt 6 secured to the bore 9 of the tail tube 2. Then, the main propellant 5 is loaded into the chamber 11. Next, the tail tube 2 is screwed into the projectile 1, so that the end of the ignition tube 8 abuts against the bottom of the projectile 1, thus limiting the piston 3. Finally, the tail fin 4 is attached to the tail tube 2.

[0048] Step two, as Figure 4 During firing, the piston 3 presses against the end face of the firing rod 13, igniting the primer 7. The main charge 5 is ignited through the ignition tube 8, increasing the pressure in the propellant chamber 11. When the pressure in the propellant chamber 11 is high enough to overcome the resistance between the cartridge band 6 and the bore 9, the propellant gases propel the projectile forward. The cartridge band 6 squeezes into and passes over the bore 9, providing the internal ballistic starting pressure. When the projectile reaches the point where the tail cone 10 of the tail tube 2 contacts the piston 3, the piston 3 body squeezes into the tail cone 10 and locks at the outlet position of the tail tube 2. The tail tube 2 drives the piston 3 to move together, thus sealing the propellant gases inside the tail tube 2 and firing them out of the barrel with the projectile. No propellant gases are ejected from the muzzle, achieving a silent, smokeless, and lightless firing.

[0049] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A silent mortar shell, comprising a warhead (1), a tail tube (2), a piston (3), tail fins (4), and a main charge (5), wherein the front end of the tail tube (2) is connected to the rear end of the warhead (1), and the piston (3) is located inside the tail tube (2), characterized in that, The piston (3) is provided with a cartridge belt (6), a primer (7), and a ignition tube (8). The cartridge belt (6) is located outside the piston (3). The front part of the inner cavity of the tail tube (2) is provided with a beveled bore (9), and the rear part is provided with a tail cone (10). The surface of the beveled bore (9) gradually tapers from front to back, and the inner surface of the tail cone (10) gradually tapers from front to back. The cartridge belt (6) is initially locked in the bore (9). The space between the piston (3) and the projectile (1) forms a chamber (11). The main charge (5) is located in the chamber (11). After the primer (7) is fired, the main charge (5) can be ignited through the ignition tube (8). The tail fin (4) is connected to the rear of the tail tube (2).

2. The silent mortar shell according to claim 1, characterized in that, There is a gap (12) between the tail fin (4) and the tail tube (2).

3. The silent mortar shell according to claim 2, characterized in that, The front end of the fire tube (8) is abutted against the rear of the warhead (1), and the rear end is connected to the front end of the piston (3).

4. The silent mortar shell according to claim 2, characterized in that, After the bullet belt (6) moves backward and passes over the bore (9), it can form a seal with the inner surface of the tail tube (2) to naturally seal the propellant gas and prevent the propellant gas from leaking to the rear of the tail tube (2).

5. The silent mortar shell according to claim 2, characterized in that, After the piston (3) is installed into the tail tube (2), the front end face of the ignition tube (8) is located in front of the front end face of the tail tube (2).

6. The method of operating a silent mortar shell according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Before firing, first insert the piston (3) into the tail tube (2) from the front port of the tail tube (2), and the bullet belt (6) is locked in the bore (9). Then, the main charge (5) is loaded into the chamber (11). Then, the tail tube (2) is screwed into the projectile (1) so that the front end of the ignition tube (8) is against the rear end of the projectile (1) to limit the piston (3). Finally, the tail fin (4) is connected to the tail tube (2). Step 2: During firing, the rear of the piston (3) rests against the end face of the firing rod (13) to ignite the primer (7). The main charge (5) is ignited through the ignition tube (8), and the pressure in the chamber (11) rises. When the pressure in the chamber (11) is high enough to overcome the resistance between the projectile band (6) and the bore (9), the propellant gas propels the projectile forward. The projectile band (6) passes over the bore (9) to provide the internal ballistic starting pressure. When the projectile moves to the point where the tail cone (10) contacts the piston (3), the piston (3) squeezes into the tail cone (10) and gets stuck at the outlet position of the tail tube (2). The tail tube (2) drives the piston (3) to move together, thereby sealing the propellant gas inside the tail tube (2) and firing it out of the barrel with the projectile. No propellant gas is ejected from the muzzle, completing a silent, smokeless, and lightless firing.

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