Caseless ammunition cartridge

Claim 2

A caseless ammunition cartridge comprising in combination: a central cylindrical support tube of propellant material having a forward and a rearward end; a projectile seated in and projecting from said forward end; ignition means of molded propellant material attached to said rearward end in coaxial relation to said tube as a base for said cartridge; a plurality of circular propellant discs stacked on said base and along and around said support tube in concentric relation thereto; and a neck ring of molded propellant material concentric with and around the forward end of said tube and seated on and against said stacked discs as a retaining means therefor.

Claim 3

A caseless ammunition cartridge as defined in claim 1, wherein said ignition means includes a round primer cup fitting into the support tube to join therewith and having a flat base end containing a primer element.

Claim 4

A caseless ammunition cartridge as defined in claim 2, wherein said primer cup includes a shoulder arranged and constructed to provide a seat for the support tube and said stacked propellant discs.

Claim 5

A caseless ammunition cartridge as defined in claim 2, wherein the neck ring and the primer cup are of a single-base propellant, and wherein the support tube and the propellant discs are constructed of a double-base propellant in sheet form.

Claim 6

A caseless ammunition cartridge comprising in combination: a central cylindrical support tube of sheet propellant material of the double-base type providing internal strengthening means for said cartridge and having a forward and a rearward end; a projectile seated in and projecting from the forward end of the tube; a round primer cup of molded single-base propellant material seated in and attached to said rearward end in coaxial relation to said tube as a base for said cartridge; a predetermined number of circular discs of sheet propellant material of the double-base type stacked on said base and along said support tube in concentric relation thereto to determine the projectile velocity upon firing; and an annular neck ring of molded single-base propellant material concentric with and around the forward end of said tube and seated on and against said stacked discs as a retaining means therefor.

Claim 7

A caseless ammunition cartridge comprising in combination: a central cylindrical support tube of sheet propellant material of the double-base type providing internal strengthening means for said cartridge and having a forward and a rearward end; a projectile seated in and projecting from the forward end of the tube; a round primer cup of molded single-base propellant material seated in and attached to said rearward end in coaxial relation to said tube as a base for said cartridge; a predetermined number of circular discs of sheet propellant material of the double-base type stacked on said base and along said support tube in concentric relation thereto to determine the projectile velocity upon firing; and an annular neck ring of molded single-base propellant material concentric with and around the forward end of said tube and seated on and against said stacked discs as a retaining means therefor.

Claim 8

A caseless ammunition cartridge as defined in claim 5, wherein the material of the propellant discs and of the support tube is a compound of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine, and wherein the material of the primer cup and of the neck ring is a mixture of nitrocellulose and a binder.

Claim 9

A caseless ammunition cartridge comprising in combination: a central cylindrical support tube of double-base sheet propellant material in wrapped layers; said support tube having a forward and a rearward end and providing an open tubular strengthening means for said cartridge along the axis thereof; a projectile seated in and projecting from said forward end with a tight press fit therein; ignition means of molded single-base propellant material including a round disclike primer cup of the diameter of the cartridge and larger in diameter than said support tube attached to said rearward end in coaxial relation to said tube as a base for said cartridge; a plurality of circular propellant discs of uniform thickness and of the same outside diameter as the primer cup stacked on said base against said shoulder and along and around said support tube in concentric relation thereto; said discs being of the same double-base sheet propellant material as the support tube and providing the main firing energy for said cartridge; a neck ring of molded single-base propellant material concentric with and around the forward end of said tube and seated on and against said stacked discs as a retaining means therefor; and said ring being of the same outside diameter as the primer cup and the stacked discs and providing therewith a unitary cylindrical cartridge body of uniform diameter for fitting a firing chamber.

Claim 10

A caseless ammunition cartridge comprising in combination: a central cylindrical support tube of double-base sheet propellant material in wrapped layers; said support tube having a forward and a rearward end and providing an open tubular strengthening means for said cartridge along the axis thereof; a projectile seated in and projecting from said forward end with a tight press fit therein; ignition means of molded single-base propellant material including a round disclike primer cup of the diameter of the cartridge and larger in diameter than said support tube attached to said rearward end in coaxial relation to said tube as a base for said cartridge; a plurality of circular propellant discs of uniform thickness and of the same outside diameter as the primer cup stacked on said base against said shoulder and along and around said support tube in concentric relation thereto; said discs being of the same double-base sheet propellant material as the support tube and providing the main firing energy for said cartridge; a neck ring of molded single-base propellant material concentric with and around the forward end of said tube and seated on and against said stacked discs as a retaining means therefor; and said ring being of the same outside diameter as the primer cup and the stacked discs and providing therewith a unitary cylindrical cartridge body of uniform diameter for fitting a firing chamber.

Claim 11

A caseless ammunition cartridge comprising in combination: a central cylindrical support tube of laminated construction comprising a plurality of layers of propellant material providing internal strengthening means for said cartridge and having a forward and a rearward end; a projectile seated in and projecting from the forward end of the tube; a round primer cup of molded propellant material seated in and attached to said rearward end in coaxial relation to said tube as a base for said cartridge and having an annular shoulder against which said tube is seated; a predetermined number of circular propellant disc charges stacked on said base against said shoulder and along and around said support tube in concentric relation thereto to determine the projectile velocity upon firing; said support tube and disc charges being of like sheet propellant material of the double-base type; an annular neck ring of molded propellant material concentric with and around the forward end of said tube and seated on and against said stacked disc charges as a retaining means therefor; and said molded primer cup and neck ring being of the same single-base propellant material with different grain size.

Claim 12

A caseless ammunition cartridge comprising in combination: a central cylindrical support tube of laminated construction comprising a plurality of layers of propellant material providing internal strengthening means for said cartridge and having a forward and a rearward end; a projectile seated in and projecting from the forward end of the tube; a round primer cup of molded propellant material seated in and attached to said rearward end in coaxial relation to said tube as a base for said cartridge and having an annular shoulder against which said tube is seated; a predetermined number of circular propellant disc charges stacked on said base against said shoulder and along and around said support tube in concentric relation thereto to determine the projectile velocity upon firing; said support tube and disc charges being of like sheet propellant material of the double-base type; an annular neck ring of molded propellant material concentric with and around the forward end of said tube and seated on and against said stacked disc charges as a retaining means therefor; and said molded primer cup and neck ring being of the same single-base propellant material with different grain size.

Claim 13

A caseless ammunition cartridge as defined in claim 6, wherein the support tube and primer cup base with the stack of disc charges and neck ring are joined in concentric relation to provide a body for said cartridge of unitary construction and uniform outside diameter to fit a firing chamber, and wherein the laminated support tube is open between the projectile and the primer base to provide a combustion space in rear of said projectile.