US3926697A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Solid block of propellant with a plurality of propulsion stages and methods of manufacture
Assignee: Societe Nationale des Poudres et Explosifs
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Filing: 1969-10-15
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Granted: 1975-12-16
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Expires: 1989-10-15
Abstract
Abstract A solid propellant block comprises several successive powder layers, whose principal ingredient is nitrocellulose, burning in sequence and having planar, cylindrical or other contact surfaces, the layers being sealed to one another at the contact surfaces by gelatinization of the nitrocellulose by nitroglycerine, a polyalcohol nitrate or an explosive oil base molding solvent, which is another ingredient of at least one of the powder layers.
Inventors
- 👤 Jean Jacques Humbert
- 👤 Jean Pierre Francis Thomas
- 👤 Gerard Yvan Brut
- 👤 Jean Marie Joseph Elie Gounou
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 07:43
CPC Classifications
C; C06; C06B; C06B45/00; C06B45/12; F; F02; F02K; F02K9/00; F02K9/08; F02K9/10; F02K9/12; F02K9/24
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
202 words
A METHOD OF PRODUCING A SOLIDPROPELLANT BLOCK COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUCCESSIVE CONCENTRIC ADJACENT LAYERS OF DIFFERENT COMPOSITIONS ADAPTED TO BURN IN SEQUENCE TO PROVIDE SUCCESSIVE STAGES OF LIFT, EACH LAYER BEING BONDED TO ADJACENT LAYERS BY GELATINIZED NITROCELLULOSE, WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A PLURALITY OF CONTACTING ADJACENT LAYERS OF DIFFERENT COMPOSITIONS IN A MOLD, EACH LAYER CONSISTING OF A PROPELLANT COMPOSITION COMPRISING NITROCELLULOSE AS THE PRINCIPAL INGREDIENT, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ADJACENT LAYERS CONSISTING OF GRANULES OF A BASE POWDER OF A PROPELLANT COMPOSITION THE PRINCIPAL INGREDIENT THEREOF BEING NITROCELLULOSE, INTRODUCING A MOLDING AGENT COMPRISING NITROGLYCERINE OR A POLYALCOHOL NITRATE AS THE PRINCIPAL INGREDIENT, UNDER VACUUM INTO AT LEST SAID LAYER CONSISTING OF SAID BASE POWDER TO CAUSE AT FIRST FLOW OF SAID NITROGLYCERINE OR SAID POLYALCOHOL NITRATE INTO THE INTERSTICES BETWEEN THE GRANULES OF SAID BASE POWDER AND HEATING IN THE MOLD AT A TEMPERATURE AND FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE MOLDING OF SAID BASE POWDER IN SITU AND GELATINIZATION OF THE NITROCELLULOSE OF SAID BASE POWDER AND AT THE CONTACT SURFACE OF THE ADJACENT LAYERS THEREOF, WHEREBY SAID LAYER FORMED FROM SAID BASE POWDER IS SEALED TO ITS ADJACENT LAYERS BY MEANS OF SAID GELATINIZED NITROCELLULOSE.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
202 words
A METHOD OF PRODUCING A SOLIDPROPELLANT BLOCK COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUCCESSIVE CONCENTRIC ADJACENT LAYERS OF DIFFERENT COMPOSITIONS ADAPTED TO BURN IN SEQUENCE TO PROVIDE SUCCESSIVE STAGES OF LIFT, EACH LAYER BEING BONDED TO ADJACENT LAYERS BY GELATINIZED NITROCELLULOSE, WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A PLURALITY OF CONTACTING ADJACENT LAYERS OF DIFFERENT COMPOSITIONS IN A MOLD, EACH LAYER CONSISTING OF A PROPELLANT COMPOSITION COMPRISING NITROCELLULOSE AS THE PRINCIPAL INGREDIENT, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ADJACENT LAYERS CONSISTING OF GRANULES OF A BASE POWDER OF A PROPELLANT COMPOSITION THE PRINCIPAL INGREDIENT THEREOF BEING NITROCELLULOSE, INTRODUCING A MOLDING AGENT COMPRISING NITROGLYCERINE OR A POLYALCOHOL NITRATE AS THE PRINCIPAL INGREDIENT, UNDER VACUUM INTO AT LEST SAID LAYER CONSISTING OF SAID BASE POWDER TO CAUSE AT FIRST FLOW OF SAID NITROGLYCERINE OR SAID POLYALCOHOL NITRATE INTO THE INTERSTICES BETWEEN THE GRANULES OF SAID BASE POWDER AND HEATING IN THE MOLD AT A TEMPERATURE AND FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE MOLDING OF SAID BASE POWDER IN SITU AND GELATINIZATION OF THE NITROCELLULOSE OF SAID BASE POWDER AND AT THE CONTACT SURFACE OF THE ADJACENT LAYERS THEREOF, WHEREBY SAID LAYER FORMED FROM SAID BASE POWDER IS SEALED TO ITS ADJACENT LAYERS BY MEANS OF SAID GELATINIZED NITROCELLULOSE.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said contact surface is planar.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said contact surface is cylindrical.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein heating is carried out at 45*C for 24 hours foLlowed by heating at 65*C for 96 hours.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein one of said adjacent layers is a double base cast powder and the other is an extruded double base powder.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
89 words
A method of producing a propellant block in accordance with claim 1 wherein a plurality of adjacent layers are molded in situ from dissimilar base powders and said adjacent layers are formed by placing a separating partition in the mold to form separate chambers for said adjacent layers, pouring the base powder composition of each layer into the respective chambers, removing the partition while leaving the contact surface between the adjacent layers undisturbed, introducing said molding agent under vacuum and thereafter heating the layers to effect gelatinization and sealing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method of producing a propellant block in accordance with claim 5 wherein said molding agent is introduced simultaneously into all said layers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
116 words
A method of producing a propellant block according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the adjacent layers is a preformed block, which comprises introducing said preformed block into a mold, the preformed block being of such size that vacant regions remain in the mold, introducing a different composition the principal component of which is nitrocellulose in granular form into the vacant regions of the mold, to form said adjacent layer, with said pre-formed block serving as a form for a chamber for said adjacent layer, whereafter introducing a molding agent for said adjacent layer into said mold and heating the entire mass to effect the gelatinization of nitrocellulose and sealing at the contact surfaces.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method according to claim 8 wherein heating is carried out at 45*C for 24 hours followed by heating at 65*C for 30 hours to achieve partial gelatinization of said preformed layer and in the final step heating is carried out at 45*C for 24 hours followed by heating at 65*C for 96 hours.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 8 wherein said preformed block is a composition containing said molding agent.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method of producing the block of claim 8 wherein a plurality of said blocks are pre-formed and placed in said mold.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the molding agent comprises 72-78% nitroglycerine, 21-27% triacetin and 0.5-1% stabilizer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
11 words
A solid block of propellant prepared by the method of claim
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
12 words
A solid block of propellant prepared by the method of claim 6.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
A solid block of propellant prepared by the method of claim 8.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-12-15 | 1979-06-16 | 1979-12-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-15 | 1983-06-16 | 1983-12-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-15 | 1987-06-16 | 1987-12-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |