Manufacturing process to produce programmed terminal performance projectiles
View Patent ↗The present invention in some aspects is directed to small arms ammunition and programmed upset characteristics thereof imparted to them using lasers. More particularly, the invention relates to ammunition and methods of making ammunition having predetermined patterns of engraving and/or cutting or hardening and/or annealing imparted into the forward portion using a programming laser system adapted for treating projectiles to effect predetermined and consistent upset configurations. Lasers may be used in forming steps of the bullet core to provide petaling or other performance objectives before or after jacketing or without jacketing.
1. A method of forming a jacketed bullet having an ogival front end portion, comprising the steps of:
a) providing and drawing a sheet metal blank into a cup shaped jacket blank, the cup shaped jacket blank having a first end portion being closed, a second end portion being open and a wall, wherein the sheet metal blank is made from a material suitable for use as cartridge bullet jackets;
b) providing a core having a first end and a second end;
c) forming the core in the cup shaped jacket blank against said first end portion by swaging or molding the core directly into the cup shaped jacket blank;
d) providing a scanning laser system capable of finely annealing and/or hardening specific patterns in the sheet metal blank material; and
e) laser annealing and/or laser hardening a portion of the cup shaped jacket blank at the first end portion with a laser beam emitted from the scanning laser system in a shape of a predetermined pattern,
the cup shaped jacket blank forming a jacket of the jacketed bullet, wherein the first end portion forms at least a portion of the ogival front end portion, such that at least a portion of the ogival front end portion includes a pattern of laser annealed and/or laser hardened material consistent with the predetermined pattern.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step e) comprises laser annealing the portion of the cup shaped jacket blank at the first end portion with the laser beam emitted from the scanning laser system in the shape of the predetermined pattern, the laser annealing being performed without apparent removal of jacket blank material.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein step e) comprises laser hardening the portion of the cup shaped jacket blank at the first end portion with the laser beam emitted from the scanning laser system in the shape of the predetermined pattern, the laser hardening being performed without apparent removal of jacket blank material.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein step e) comprises directing the laser beam onto a surface of the cup shaped jacket blank in the shape of the predetermined pattern at sufficiently high power densities to cause an incandescent reaction above the cup shaped jacket blank melting temperature with the cup shaped jacket blank; and limiting the incandescent reaction at a given area of the cup shaped jacket blank surface to a sufficiently short period of time to prevent any substantial melting.
5. The method of claim 3 , including the additional step of quenching the portion of cup shaped jacket blank.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
forcing the first end portion of the cup shaped jacket blank containing the core against the first end portion of the cup shaped jacket blank into a concave cavity of a forming tool to deform the first end portion of the cup shaped jacket blank into the ogival front end portion of the bullet, the forcing step being performed before or after the laser annealing and/or laser hardening.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of crimping a second end portion of the cup shaped jacket blank over the core to lock it in place and ensure that the core remains inserted within the first end portion of the cup shaped jacket blank.
8. The method of claim 1 , the sheet metal blank being made of steel.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein step e) comprises laser annealing the portion of the cup shaped jacket blank at the first end portion with the laser beam emitted from the scanning laser system in the shape of the predetermined pattern, such that the at least a portion of the ogival front end portion includes a pattern of laser annealed material, wherein at least a portion of the material of the pattern of laser annealed material is ductile material.
10. The method of claim 9 , the ductile material comprises a thickness of the jacket extending inward from an outer surface of the jacket.
11. The method of claim 10 , the ductile material forming a plurality of axial lines within the jacket material.
12. The method of claim 10 , the ductile material forming an insular shape in the jacket material, encompassing a forward most portion of the ogival front end portion.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein step e) comprises laser hardening the portion of the cup shaped jacket blank at the first end portion with the laser beam emitted from the scanning laser system in the shape of the predetermined pattern, such that the at least a portion of the ogival front end portion includes a pattern of laser hardened material, wherein at least a portion of the material of the pattern of laser hardened material is brittle material.
14. The method of claim 13 , the hardened material comprises a thickness of the jacket extending inward from an outer surface of the jacket.
15. The method of claim 14 , the hardened material forming a plurality of axial lines within the jacket material.
16. The method of claim 14 , the hardened material forming an insular shape in the jacket material, encompassing a forward most portion of the ogival front end portion.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pattern of laser annealed and/or laser hardened material is not legible indicia.