US3707915A — Wad assembly for shotgun shell

Claim 1

Independent Claim 350 words

A wad assembly for use in a shotgun shell case, comprising an outer part to be received in said case and forming at a first end of said part a piston for receiving the force of a powder charge and providing a gas seal with said case, said outer part forming also a tubular sleeve which is integral with said piston and projects axially therefrom toward the second end of said part and to an open end of the sleeve for lining said case and receiving at least a portion of a shot charge, said sleeve having slits extending along its side wall from said open end of the sleeve toward said piston to divide at least a portion of the sleeve into a plurality of fingers adapted to spread outwardly on firing, said piston forming a wall extending across an inner end of said sleeve, and an inner part insertible axially into said sleeve through said open end thereof in a direction toward said piston and operable to transmit axial forces from said piston to said shot charge, said piston being constructed to block movement of said inner part into said sleeve in the opposite direction from said first end of said outer part, said inner part forming a second wall disposed across said sleeve at a location spaced from said wall of the piston for transmitting forces to said shot charge, said inner part forming at least one post integral with and projecting from said second wall toward said piston and constructed to bend to a changed condition upon exertion of said axial forces but to yieldingly resist said bending in a relation cushioning the transmission of said forces, said outer part forming a first detent shoulder, and said inner part forming a coacting second detent shoulder adapted to be forced past said first shoulder upon said insertion of said inner part axially through said open end of the sleeve toward said piston and to then retain said inner part against reverse movement in a direction away from said piston and out said open end of the sleeve.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 350 words

A wad assembly for use in a shotgun shell case, comprising an outer part to be received in said case and forming at a first end of said part a piston for receiving the force of a powder charge and providing a gas seal with said case, said outer part forming also a tubular sleeve which is integral with said piston and projects axially therefrom toward the second end of said part and to an open end of the sleeve for lining said case and receiving at least a portion of a shot charge, said sleeve having slits extending along its side wall from said open end of the sleeve toward said piston to divide at least a portion of the sleeve into a plurality of fingers adapted to spread outwardly on firing, said piston forming a wall extending across an inner end of said sleeve, and an inner part insertible axially into said sleeve through said open end thereof in a direction toward said piston and operable to transmit axial forces from said piston to said shot charge, said piston being constructed to block movement of said inner part into said sleeve in the opposite direction from said first end of said outer part, said inner part forming a second wall disposed across said sleeve at a location spaced from said wall of the piston for transmitting forces to said shot charge, said inner part forming at least one post integral with and projecting from said second wall toward said piston and constructed to bend to a changed condition upon exertion of said axial forces but to yieldingly resist said bending in a relation cushioning the transmission of said forces, said outer part forming a first detent shoulder, and said inner part forming a coacting second detent shoulder adapted to be forced past said first shoulder upon said insertion of said inner part axially through said open end of the sleeve toward said piston and to then retain said inner part against reverse movement in a direction away from said piston and out said open end of the sleeve.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 35 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 1, in which said slits formed in said sleeve terminate short of said first detent shoulder, said sleeve being circularly continuous at the location of said first shoulder.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 17 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 1, in which both of said shoulders are essentially annular.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 62 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 1, in which said inner part includes a plurality of said posts projecting generally axially inwardly from said second wall, and a connecting structure integral with said posts and connecting together their axially inner ends and located near said piston, said posts being bendable at locations axially between said second wall and said connecting structure.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 61 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 1, in which there are a plurality of said posts extending generally axially near said sleeve and having axially inner end portions connected together and portions intermediate the opposite ends of said posts which are bendable radially inwardly away from the sleeve and generally toward one another by the force of said powder charge.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 57 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 1, in which said first detent shoulder is formed in said outer part at a location near said wall formed by the piston, and said second detent shoulder is formed on said inner part at essentially the axially inner end of said post near said wall formed by the piston.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 40 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 1, in which said inner part forms a third wall at the axially inner end of said post generally parallel to said second wall and receivable adjacent said wall formed by the piston.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 57 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 1, in which said inner part forms a third wall at the axially inner end of said post generally parallel to said second wall and receivable adjacent said wall formed by the piston, said second detent shoulder being formed on said inner part at the periphery of said third wall.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 133 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 1, in which said inner part forms a plurality of said posts projecting generally axially inwardly from said second wall, and carrying at axially inner ends of said posts a third wall extending generally parallel to said second wall and receivable adjacent said wall formed by the piston, said posts being connected at opposite ends to said second and third walls near their peripheries and having portions longitudinally intermediate said ends which are deformable radially inwardly and generally toward one another by said force of the powder charge, said first detent shoulder being formed within a circularly continuous portion of said sleeve axially beyond the inner extremities of said slits in the sleeve, said second detent shoulder being formed on the periphery of said third wall.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 38 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 9, in which said longitudinally intermediate portions of said posts are deflectible generally toward one another to positions overlapping one another but offset laterally to avoid interferring contact with one another.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 340 words

A wad assembly for use in a shotgun shell case, comprising an outer part to be received in said case and forming at a first end of said part a piston for receiving the force of a powder charge and providing a gas seal with said case, said outer part forming also a tubular sleeve which is integral with said piston and projects axially therefrom toward the second end of said part and to an open end of the sleeve for lining said case and receiving at least a portion of a shot charge, said sleeve having slits extending along its side wall from said open end of the sleeve toward said piston to divide at least a portion of the sleeve into a plurality of fingers adapted to spread outwardly on firing, said piston forming a wall extending across an inner end of said sleeve, and an inner part insertible axially into said sleeve through said open end thereof in a direction toward said piston and operable to transmit axial forces from said piston to said shot charge, said wall of the piston being constructed and positioned to block movement of said inner part into said sleeve in the opposite direction from said first end of said outer part, said inner part forming a second wall disposed across said sleeve at a location spaced from said wall of the piston, a plurality of posts formed integrally with said second wall and projecting therefrom in a generally axially inward direction toward said piston, and a connecting structure formed integrally with said posts at the axially inner ends thereof and connecting said inner ends of the posts together at a location adjacent said wall formed by the piston, said posts having portions axially intermediate said second wall and said connecting structure and axially intermediate the opposite ends of said posts and which are constructed to bend to a changed condition upon exertion of said axial forces but to yieldingly resist said bending in a relation cushioning the transmission of said forces.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 340 words

A wad assembly for use in a shotgun shell case, comprising an outer part to be received in said case and forming at a first end of said part a piston for receiving the force of a powder charge and providing a gas seal with said case, said outer part forming also a tubular sleeve which is integral with said piston and projects axially therefrom toward the second end of said part and to an open end of the sleeve for lining said case and receiving at least a portion of a shot charge, said sleeve having slits extending along its side wall from said open end of the sleeve toward said piston to divide at least a portion of the sleeve into a plurality of fingers adapted to spread outwardly on firing, said piston forming a wall extending across an inner end of said sleeve, and an inner part insertible axially into said sleeve through said open end thereof in a direction toward said piston and operable to transmit axial forces from said piston to said shot charge, said wall of the piston being constructed and positioned to block movement of said inner part into said sleeve in the opposite direction from said first end of said outer part, said inner part forming a second wall disposed across said sleeve at a location spaced from said wall of the piston, a plurality of posts formed integrally with said second wall and projecting therefrom in a generally axially inward direction toward said piston, and a connecting structure formed integrally with said posts at the axially inner ends thereof and connecting said inner ends of the posts together at a location adjacent said wall formed by the piston, said posts having portions axially intermediate said second wall and said connecting structure and axially intermediate the opposite ends of said posts and which are constructed to bend to a changed condition upon exertion of said axial forces but to yieldingly resist said bending in a relation cushioning the transmission of said forces.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 51 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 9, in which said connecting structure is a third wall spaced from and generally parallel to said second wall and positioned adjacent said piston, said second and third walls being circular and of a diameter corresponding approximately to the internal diameter of said sleeve.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 50 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 11, in which said posts have their ends connected to said second wall and said structure at locations near said sleeve, said intermediate portions of the posts being bendable generally radially inwardly away from the sleeve by the force of said powder charge.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 334 words

A wad assembly for use in a shotgun shell case, comprising an outer part to be received in said case and forming at a first end of said part a piston for receiving the force of a powder charge and providing a gas seal with said case, said outer part forming also a tubular sleeve which is integral with said piston and projEcts axially therefrom toward the second end of said part and to an open end of the sleeve for lining said case and receiving at least a portion of a shot charge, said sleeve having slits extending along its side wall from said open end of the sleeve toward said piston to divide at least a portion of the sleeve into a plurality of fingers adapted to spread outwardly on firing, said piston forming a wall extending across an inner end of said sleeve, and an inner part insertible axially into said sleeve through said open end thereof in a direction toward said piston and operable to transmit axial forces from said piston to said shot charge, said inner part forming a second wall disposed across said sleeve at a location spaced from said wall of the piston for transmitting forces to said shot charge, said inner part forming a plurality of posts integral with and projecting from said second wall toward said piston and constructed to bend to changed conditions upon exertion of said axial forces but to yieldingly resist said bending in a relation cushioning the transmission of said forces, said posts including two posts which are located at opposite sides of an axially extending plane located therebetween and which have portions intermediate the ends of the two posts which are bendable generally toward one another and toward said plane to positions at which they both intersect said plane and overlap one another in the direction of their flexure but are offset laterally within said plane with respect to one another in a relation avoiding substantial interference with one another.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 334 words

A wad assembly for use in a shotgun shell case, comprising an outer part to be received in said case and forming at a first end of said part a piston for receiving the force of a powder charge and providing a gas seal with said case, said outer part forming also a tubular sleeve which is integral with said piston and projEcts axially therefrom toward the second end of said part and to an open end of the sleeve for lining said case and receiving at least a portion of a shot charge, said sleeve having slits extending along its side wall from said open end of the sleeve toward said piston to divide at least a portion of the sleeve into a plurality of fingers adapted to spread outwardly on firing, said piston forming a wall extending across an inner end of said sleeve, and an inner part insertible axially into said sleeve through said open end thereof in a direction toward said piston and operable to transmit axial forces from said piston to said shot charge, said inner part forming a second wall disposed across said sleeve at a location spaced from said wall of the piston for transmitting forces to said shot charge, said inner part forming a plurality of posts integral with and projecting from said second wall toward said piston and constructed to bend to changed conditions upon exertion of said axial forces but to yieldingly resist said bending in a relation cushioning the transmission of said forces, said posts including two posts which are located at opposite sides of an axially extending plane located therebetween and which have portions intermediate the ends of the two posts which are bendable generally toward one another and toward said plane to positions at which they both intersect said plane and overlap one another in the direction of their flexure but are offset laterally within said plane with respect to one another in a relation avoiding substantial interference with one another.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 52 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 14, in which there are two pairs of said posts at opposite sides respectively of said plane and bendable toward the plane to positions at which both pairs intersect the plane and overlap one another but are offset laterally to avoid interference with one another.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 28 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 15, in which the posts of one of said pairs intersect said plane laterally between the posts of the other pair.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 55 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 15, in which the posts of one of said pairs intersect said plane laterally between the posts of the other pair, said posts of said other pair being constructed to flare relatively apart as they bend, in a relation to receive the posts of said one pair therebetween.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 43 words

A wad assembly as recited in claim 15, in which the posts of one of said pairs intersect said plane laterally between the posts of the other pair, there being a strap extending laterally between and interconnecting said posts of said one pair.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-01-02	1976-07-03	1977-01-02	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-01-02	1980-07-03	1981-01-02	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-01-02	1984-07-03	1985-01-02	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Wad assembly for shotgun shell

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