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US4091736A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Incapacitating anti-personnel smallarms projectile

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1977-02-10
•
Granted: 1978-05-30
•
Expires: 1997-02-10
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Abstract

Abstract An incapacitating projectile to replace the conventional lethal bullet in the corresponding cartridges for various smallarms in general use, notably including police sidearms. In this projectile, propelled by a conventional smallarms powder charge, atmospheric air in a chamber inside the projectile -- as target impact retards the projectile body and a piston in this chamber travels forward -- is heated through compression, and further heated through friction, as the same piston travel ejects this intensely heated air upon its human or animal target, through a "pinhole" aperture in the projectile's nose. Because this arrangement incapacitates instantly by inflicting an intolerably acute localized burn, the projectile body may be of material of mass low enough to prevent or minimize the possibility of a serious penetrating or blunt-trauma wound. If the projectile body is of such low-mass material, the rapid decay of bullet energy downrange in the event of a miss obviates virtually all risk of its inflicting painful, much less lethal or serious, injury upon bystanders.

Inventors

  • 👤 William Robert Mizelle

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 20:53
CPC Classifications
F; F42; F42B; F42B12/00; F42B12/02; F42B12/36; F42B12/46; F42B12/50

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 62 words
A low-lethality projectile capable of incapacitating a living target notwithstanding the projectile's having a weight and mass light enough to make it unlikely to penetrate human or animal tissue sufficiently to cause a serious wound or a blunt trauma, and comprising means for generating intense heat in a suitable volume of air upon impact within a selected range upon an intended target.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 62 words
A low-lethality projectile capable of incapacitating a living target notwithstanding the projectile's having a weight and mass light enough to make it unlikely to penetrate human or animal tissue sufficiently to cause a serious wound or a blunt trauma, and comprising means for generating intense heat in a suitable volume of air upon impact within a selected range upon an intended target.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 40 words
The projectile of claim 1, wherein the means for generating heat in said volume of air comprises a chamber of suitable form within the projectile, and a piston slidable in said chamber, so as to compress said volume of air.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 31 words
The projectile of claim 2, wherein the leading edge or portion toward the target of the projectile has a comparatively restricted or minute orifice communicating from said chamber to the atmosphere.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 28 words
The projectile of claim 2, wherein the piston is by suitable means restrained from movement and retained in its rearmost position before and during firing and projectile flight.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 32 words
The projectile of claim 4, wherein said restraining means is overcome by the impact of the projectile upon its target, allowing said piston to travel forward in relation to the projectile body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 40 words
The projectile of claim 5, wherein said restraining means comprises a plurality of retainer plugs bearing upon an annular beveled flange around the piston, so that the retainer plugs are unseated and expelled by the "set-forward" of projectile target impact.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 42 words
The projectile of claim 2, wherein an appreciable part of the kinetic energy imparted to the projectile by being propelled from a firearm is converted by compression into heat, and transmitted by said volume of air as heat to the projectile's target.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 29 words
The projectile of claim 7, wherein the projectile's light weight and mass render the projectile unlikely to inflict appreciable injury or damage beyond a comparatively short selected distance downrange.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 36 words
The projectile of claim 2, wherein the projectile body's material, properties and dimensions are adaptable to its operation as a cartridge component in the actions of, and for firing by, various unmodified smallarms in general use.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3386381A Cited
US3417697A Cited
US3502025A Cited
GB1366039A Cited
US3866537A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1981-05-29 1981-11-28 1982-05-30 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1985-05-29 1985-11-28 1986-05-30 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1989-05-29 1989-11-28 1990-05-30 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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