TRAINING CARTRIDGE

CARTOUCHE D'ENTRAINEMENT

English Abstract

A cartridge for non-lethal applications comprises a posterior portion 1 which extends axially to provide a cylindrical casing. An anterior portion comprises of a nose portion 2 with a centrally located recess 8 for receiving a projectile, and an axially extending piston 3 which is slidably engaged in the chamber defined by the cylindrical casing 1. A posterior primer 4 is located to the end of the posterior portion which is most distal to the nose portion 2. An anterior primer 5 sits just behind the recess 8 of the nose portion 2. A plastic striker is located in the chamber defined by the cylindrical casing 1 and comprises of a sealing flange portion 6 and striking nose portion 7. The striking nose portion 7 locates snugly but slidably in a second chamber provided axially within the piston 3. In use, the posterior primer 4 releases gaseous product which drives the striker 7 against the anterior primer 5 whilst simultaneously causing telescopic extension of the cartridge which in turn results in recycling of a host firearm.

French Abstract

Une cartouche pour des applications non létales comprend une partie postérieure (1) qui sétend axialement pour produire un boîtier cylindrique. Une partie antérieure comprend une partie nez (2) avec un creux situé de manière centrale (8) pour recevoir un projectile, et un piston sétendant axialement (3) qui est engagé de manière coulissante dans la chambre définie par le boîtier cylindrique (1). Une amorce postérieure (4) est située à lextrémité de la partie postérieure qui est la plus distale de la partie nez (2). Une amorce antérieure (5) repose juste derrière le creux (8) de la partie nez (2). Une butée en plastique est située dans la chambre définie par le boîtier cylindrique (1) et comprend une partie bride détanchéité (6) et une partie nez de frappe (7). La partie nez de frappe (7) est située de manière serrée, mais coulissante dans une seconde chambre fournie axialement dans le piston (3). Lors de lutilisation, lamorce postérieure (4) libère un produit gazeux qui entraîne le percuteur (7) contre lamorce antérieure (5) tout en causant simultanément une extension télescopique de la cartouche qui, à son tour, entraîne le recyclage dune arme à feu hôte.

Claims

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Claims
1. A cartridge for a firearm for use in non-lethal applications comprising:
an anterior portion and a posterior portion, together providing a
recycling mechanism including a moveable member in the form of a
piston or cylinder, slideably engaged respectively with a cylinder or a
piston;
a posterior primer located to the rear of the posterior portion for
generating gas within the cartridge, the gas generated serving in use to
propel the moveable member in a rearward direction against a breech
block of the firearm so as to recycle the firearm, wherein the anterior
portion has a gas channel there through and is provided with a nose
portion which is suitable for receiving a projectile;
an expansion chamber provided between the moveable member
and the anterior portion;
an anterior primer located in the anterior portion forward of the
gas channel; and
a percussion means slidably disposed in the gas channel which
percussion means is, in use, propelled by gas generated by the posterior
primer to strike against the anterior primer causing initiation, thereby
causing propulsion of the projectile from the nose portion, wherein the
percussion means comprises a striker composed of a plastic material, the
striker having a rear flanged portion sealably and slidably disposed in the
expansion chamber to prevent gas products generated by the posterior
primer from contacting the anterior portion.

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2. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anterior portion is
provided from plastic material.
3. The cartridge as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plastic material is
coloured consistent with a colour coding scheme for identifying a proper
application of the cartridge.
4. The cartridge as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the posterior
portion comprises steel.
5. The cartridge as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the posterior
portion comprises brass.
6. The cartridge as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the posterior
portion provides a cylinder and the anterior portion provides a piston
slideable axially in the cylinder of the posterior portion.
7. The cartridge as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising
the projectile in a recess of the nose portion of the anterior portion.
8. A combination of the cartridge as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 and
a host firearm, the host firearm being configured for firing the cartridge.

Description

CA 02749624 2011-08-17
TRAINING CARTRIDGE
This invention relates to training cartridges, most particularly to training
cartridges which recycle the host firearm by telescopic expansion of the
cartridge.
Telescopically expanding training cartridges are known, one
example is described in the applicant's own patent US 6564719 B2. A
typical cartridge of the type described in that patent comprises a posterior
portion which has a moveable member which is slideable rearwardly
towards a breech block of a host firearm. The anterior portion has a gas
passage there through and an expansion chamber is provided between
the moveable member and the anterior portion. Gas generating means for
providing gas within the cartridge are initiatable on firing of the firearm to
propel the moveable member in a rearward direction so as to recycle the
firearm. A second gas generating means is positioned forward of the gas
passage and may be initiated by any suitable reaction caused on initiation
of the posterior primer. For example, the shock or pressure wave
generated on activation of the primer may be sufficient to initiate the
second gas generating means, or alternatively, activation of the posterior
primer may activate a secondary mechanical or electrical device which
serves to initiate the second gas generating means.
In the above described prior art cartridges hot, high pressure gas from the
posterior primer enters all of the major telescopically moving parts of the
catridge. This limits the choice of materials from which any thin section
part of the cartridge assembly can be manufactured to metals which have
sufficient resistance to these temperatures and pressures. Consequently,
the anterior and posterior portions of the telescopically expanding
recycling mechanism are made almost entirely of metals.

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The present invention seeks to provide an alternative design of cartridge
which provides for the use of alternative materials in the manufacture of
the cartridge.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a cartridge for
use in non-lethal applications comprising an anterior portion and a
posterior portion, together providing a recycling mechanism including a
moveable member in the form of a piston or cylinder, slideably engaged
respectively with a cylinder or a piston, a posterior primer located to the
rear of the posterior portion for generating gas within the cartridge, the
gas generated serving in use to propel the moveable member in a
rearward direction against the breech block so as to recycle the firearm,
the anterior portion having a gas channel there through and being
provided with a nose portion which is suitable for receiving a projectile; an
expansion chamber being provided between the moveable member and
the anterior portion, an anterior primer located in the anterior portion
forward of the gas channel, a percussion means slidably disposed in the
gas channel which percussion means is, in use, propelled by gas
generated by the posterior primer to strike against the anterior primer
causing initiation, thereby to cause propulsion of a projectile from the
nose portion and characterised in that the percussion means comprises a
striker composed of a plastic material, the striker having a rear flanged
portion sealably and slidably disposed in the expansion chamber whereby
to prevent gas products generated by the posterior primer from contacting
the anterior portion.
Provision of the novel striker makes it possible to provide the anterior
portion of the recycling mechanism from a plastic or other material which
is less robust than a metal. There are considerable cost savings to be
made by the manufacturer if one of the major telescopically moving parts
can be made of plastic rather than metal. Mass production of the plastic
part is far more cost effective than production of a similar component

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from metal. Furthermore there is a consequent and beneficial weight
reduction in the cartridge which reduces costs of transport.
The plastic striker is used to seal the hot high pressure gas into the metal
case and as it moves to expand the cartridge it fires the anterior primer
before the telescopic recycling of the cartridge occurs.
The anterior primer does not produce sufficient pressure to damage the
plastic components as the release of the projectile from the nose keeps
the pressure to a low acceptable level.
A further advantage of the novel cartridge design is that no gas or debris
from the fired posterior primer is left in the host firearm or released into
the atmosphere near the shooter.
The anterior primer is desirably made from non toxic materials and
produces little or no debris.
Plastic materials used for the anterior portion can be coloured enabling
cartridges for different purposes to be colour coded.
The posterior portion is desirably comprised from a brass or steel
providing a centre of gravity of the cartridge close to its posterior end.
This facilitates efficient live round ejection.
An embodiment of the invention will now be further described with
reference to the accompanying Figure.
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal cross section of a cartridge in accordance
with the presently claimed invention.

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As can be seen from Figure 1, a cartridge comprises a posterior portion 1
which extends axially to provide a cylindrical casing. An anterior portion
comprises of a nose portion 2 with a centrally located recess 8 for
receiving a projectile, and an axially extending piston 3 which is slidably
engaged in the chamber defined by the cylindrical casing 1. A posterior
primer 4 is located to the end of the posterior portion which is most distal
to the nose portion 2. An anterior primer 5 sits just behind the recess 8
of the nose portion 2. A plastic striker is located in the chamber defined
by the cylindrical casing 1 and comprises of a sealing flange portion 6 and
striking nose portion 7. The striking nose portion 7 locates snugly but
slidably in a second chamber provided axially within the piston 3.
In use, posterior primer 4 is initiated on firing of a host firearm. Gas
product from the posterior primer 4 expands driving the cylindrical casing
in a first axial direction and the striker 6, 7 in an opposing, second axial
direction. The striking nose portion 7 strikes the anterior primer 5
producing gas product which serves, in use, to propel a projectile (not
shown) from the recess 8 in the nose portion 2. Gas product from the
posterior primer 4 is contained by the cylindrical casing 1 and sealing
flange portion 6. The piston 3 and cylinder 1 move in opposing axial
directions telescopically extending the cartridge. Within a host firearm, in
use, the base of the posterior portion 1 encounters the breech of the
firearm and recycles the firearm.
The posterior portion 1 is manufactured substantially entirely of metal,
typically brass or steel. Since the anterior portion 2, 3 is protected from
the gaseous product and debris of the posterior primer 4 by sealing flange
portion 6, it can be made substantially entirely from a plastic material
providing the benefits discussed above.
It will be appreciated that whilst the embodiment illustrates the posterior
portion 1 as a cylinder and the anterior portion 2, 3 as a piston, the

CA 02749624 2011-08-17
arrangement could readily be reversed by the skilled addressee without
the need to apply inventive thought and without departing from the scope
of the invention as claimed.

Representative Drawing