Article using shape-memory alloy to improve and/or control the speed of recovery

Claim 1

A sabot comprising: a plurality of body sections, said sections forming a cylinder having first and second ends, said sections pivotal with respect to each other at said first end of said cylinder in order to move the sections radially away from each other at said second end of the cylinder; a ring of shape-memory alloy surrounding said sections near said first end of said cylinder, said shape-memory alloy having a martensitic state and an austenitic state, said ring being dimensionally deformed and radially expanded to surround said sections while said shape-memory alloy is in its martensitic state, a change from its martensitic state to its austenitic state recovering said ring to its non-deformed dimension due to the shape-memory effect exhibited by said alloy to pivot and to separate said sections; thermal enhancement means in operative thermal contact with said ring, said thermal enhancement means comprising a material containing voids, collapse of said voids generating heat; and a pusher-plate in contact with said thermal enhancement means, said pusher-plate movable upon acceleration of the sabot, enabling said pusher-plate to crush the thermal enhancement means causing recovery of the ring and separation of the sections.