BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to projectiles and, more particularly, a bullet designed to increase stopping power.

Full metal jacketed bullets have a core substantially encased in a shell or â€œjacket,â€ for advantageous purposes, such as hard-target efficacy, higher muzzle velocity and the like. However, there are some disadvantages to jacketing a bullet. For instance, whereas hollow point and soft-tipped bullets are designed to expand upon impact, metal jacketed bullets have a very limited capacity to expand. This generally makes the bullet pierce and completely pass through a soft target (soft tissue animals), resulting in a small cavity, often leading to less severe wounding, and possibly failing to disable the target.

Specifically, current designs of full metal jacketed bullet have high energy and will often pass through the object without imparting the full energy of the bullet upon the soft tissue, thus limiting the stopping power necessary to incapacitate the object. Solid projectiles have similar deficiencies.

This over-penetration of the soft target by the full metal jacketed bullets and solid projectiles does not impart enough energy into the soft tissue, often leaving a small cylindrical channel upon exiting the body of soft tissue. As a result, the lack of a large cavity and small exit wound limits the bullet's stopping power.

As can be seen, there is a need for a full metal jacket or solid projectile designed to increase stopping power by imparting greater energy into the soft tissue than currently designed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a projectile formed from a suitable material for maximizing ballistic stopping power includes: a core that is symmetrical about its longitudinal axis, said core forming a novel shape having a generally cylindrical body portion; a nose portion; and a shoulder portion disposed along a circumference of the nose portion, wherein the shoulder portion is dimensioned and adapted to provide a predetermined angle of incidence.

In another aspect of the present invention, a full metal jacket formed from a suitable material for maximizing ballistic stopping power includes a jacket that is symmetrical about its longitudinal axis, said jacket forming a novel shape having a generally cylindrical body portion; a nose portion defined by six concaved lines symmetrical about the longitudinal axis, forming: a shoulder portion dimensioned and adapted to provide a predetermined angle of incidence; an ogive portion interconnecting the body portion and the shoulder portion; a penetrator portion; a neck portion interconnecting the penetrator portion and the ogive portion; and a boat tail portion interconnecting the nose portion and the body portion, wherein the nose portion and the boat tail portion are dimensioned and adapted to dispose a center of gravity of the jacket near the midpoint of the body portion.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a section cutaway view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 2, illustrating a center of gravity;

FIG. 5 is a side section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, demonstrating an exemplary state of flight;

FIG. 6 is a side section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, demonstrating an exemplary state of impact/tumble;

FIG. 7 is a side section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, demonstrating an exemplary state of yaw/tumble;

FIG. 8 is a side section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, demonstrating an exemplary state of yaw/tumble;

FIG. 9 is a side section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, demonstrating an exemplary state of yaw/tumble;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the prior art;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of the prior art demonstrating an exemplary angle of incidence;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, demonstrating an exemplary angle of incidence;

FIG. 13 is a view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, demonstrating two shock waves from impact; and

FIG. 14 is a view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, demonstrating two shock waves from impact.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a projectile designed to increase stopping power by imparting greater energy into a target. The projectile may provide a body portion interconnecting a tail portion and a nose portion. The nose portion may be defined as six concave lines symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis of the projectile. The six concave lines define the nose portion as it extends from a distal penetrator portion, to a neck portion, to a shoulder portion, and then to an ogive portion, wherein the ogive portion transitions into the body portion. The nose portion may be dimensioned and adapted to dispose the center of gravity of the projective near a midpoint of the body portion. The shoulder portion may be dimensioned and adapted so that when the penetrator portion penetrates a medium of the target, the medium contacts the shoulder portion at a sufficient angle of incidence to urge the resultant force to produce rotation about the center of gravity, facilitating rapid tumbling of the projectile.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 14, the present invention embodies a projectile 10 designed to increase stopping power by imparting greater energy into a medium 40, such as soft tissue, that it penetrates. The projectile 10 may be any projectile having a core 14. The core 14 may be made of material of suitable strength, such as metal, metallic alloys, plasticized materials and the like. For example, the projectile 10 can be defined as a solid bullet, one piece of metal or metal alloy, wherein such unitary construction facilitates an easier and more cost-effective manufacturing process. In certain embodiments, the projectile 10 may provide a jacket 12 substantially encasing the core 14. The jacket 12 may be formed from a solid, alloyed, and/or composite material of sufficient strength.

The projectile 10 has a generally cylindrical body portion 18 interconnecting a boat tail portion 20 and a nose portion. The form of the nose portion may be defined as six concave lines symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis of the projectile 10. The concave lines define the nose portion as it extends from a distal penetrator portion 22, to a neck portion 24, to a shoulder portion 26, and then to an ogive portion 16, wherein the ogive portion 16 transitions into the body portion 18. The forms of the projectile, including the nose portion, may be formed into the core 14 of a unitary, â€œsolid bullet,â€ or may be formed into the jacket 12 of a jacketed bullet.

The present invention utilizes the form and shape of the projectile 10 design to dispose the center of gravity 30 near the mid-point of the body portion 18. In certain embodiments, the proportional size and shape of the ogive portion 16, the shoulder portion 26, and the neck portion 24 relative to the body portion 18 shifts the center of gravity 30 toward the midpoint of the body portion 18, while not requiring multiple materials for the core 14.

The form of the shoulder portion 26 may be dimensioned and adapted so that when the penetrator portion 22 penetrates the medium 40, the medium 40 contacts the shoulder portion 22 at a predetermined angle of incidence, as illustrated in FIG. 12. The overall projectile 10 design produces a tumbling effect earlier, produced by the resultant forces urged by the predetermined angle of incidence, when compared to conventional bullet designs 54, when the projectile 10 hits its target.

Conventional bullet designs 54, such as full metal-jacketed and solid bullets for rifles are generally 3 to 5 calibers long. If they hit a soft medium 40 while in stable flight, they cause a wound channel that can be divided into three clearly-distinguishable sections. The first section consists of a straight entry channel, known as the narrow channel. At its narrowest point, the diameter of this channel generally corresponds to approximately 1.5 to 2.5 times the caliber of the bullet. The more blunt the bullet and the higher the energy, the wider the narrow channel at its narrowest point. The narrow channel is created as follows: When a bullet enters a soft target medium 40, extremely high pressure is created at the tip, owing to the high density of the medium 40 which, from the bullet's point of view, is flowing towards it, see FIG. 10, â€œthe flow 54.â€ The viscosity and inertia of the medium 40 cause the flow 54 to break away from the surface of the conventional bullet at an early stage, which means that only a small part of the conventional bullet's tip is in contact with the medium 40 and hence exposed to this pressure, as illustrated in FIG. 10. Moreover, because of the conventional form, a large percentage of the conventional bullet's surface is not in contact with the medium 40 and is hence subjected to virtually no forces traverse to its longitudinal axis, as illustrated in FIG. 11. At this point, inertia forces predominate, and friction can be essentially ignored.

In the present invention, as the projectile 10 enters a soft target medium 40, penetrator portion 22 first, again extremely high pressure is created at the tip owing to the high density of the medium 40 which, from the point of view of the projectile 10, is flowing towards it. And likewise the viscosity and inertia of the medium 40 causes the flow 52 to break away from the surface until, however, the flow 52 reaches the present invention's novel shoulder portion 26. The form and shape of the shoulder portion 26 urges the medium 40 and so pressure force against the shoulder portion 26, as a novel flow 50 breaks off on an approximately 45 degree angle from the surface of the projectile 10, as illustrated in FIG. 12. This novel flow 50 starts a second shockwave 60 in the soft tissue, as illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14. The resultant pressure force tends to produce rotation in the form of an overturning moment.

Overturning moments cause bullets to yaw/tumble, as illustrated in FIG. 6 through 9. The overturning moment depends mainly on the angle of incidence at the point of impact. If the conventional bullet 54 is in a sufficiently stable flight, the angle of incidence is small and the overturning moment is hence smaller than the stabilizing gyrostatic moment. A bullet, which acts like a gyroscope, executes a precession movement under the influence of this overturning moment. However, as the bullet's velocity decreases, more of its surface comes in contact with the medium 40 increases which leads to an increase in force transverse to the longitudinal axis and hence to an increase in the overturning moment applied. This, in turn, increases the angle of incidence, causing the overturning moment to increase still further. This positive feedback rapidly causes the bullet/projectile to yaw/tumble.

Therefore, the length of the narrow channel hence depends on the angle of incidence at the point of impact, on gyroscopic stability and on the form of the nose portion. The shape/form of the shoulder portion 26 may be dimensioned and adapted to provide a sufficient angle of incidence of the projectile 10 so as to facilitate a rapid tumbling when in contact with the medium 40 by urging the resulting pressure force, or the product thereof, to be applied traverse to its longitudinal axis more rapidly then a conventional bullet 54.

Because the bullet rotates about its centre of gravity, the base of the bullet (or the tip, if the bullet rotates in the opposite direction) is forced into the medium 40 at a high speed. The resultant force caused by the shoulder portion 22 is applied a lever-arm's distance from the centre of gravity 30, producing a torque. This torque or overturning moment is measured by the product of the resultant force into its lever armâ€”the distance from the resultant force (shoulder portion 26) and the center of gravity 30. Since the form and shape of the nose portion disposes the center of gravity 30 near the midpoint of the body portion 18â€”the lever arm is elongatedâ€”hastening an overturning moment sufficient to facilitate rapid tumbling of the projectile.

The tumbling effect, where the projectile 10 pitches through the soft target (medium 40), as illustrated in FIGS. 5 through 9, causes a larger wound cavity and exit wound as compared to conventional bullets 54. The tumbling effect transfers more of the kinetic energy of the projectile 10 to the soft target. Moreover, the present invention's designed shape creates two additional shockwaves in the target, creating a larger temporary cavity, as illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14. The kinetic energy and penetration of the projectile is transferred into the target, not through it. As a result, the projectile 10 could be used in hostage situations so that the projectile 10 does not over-penetrate the target, continuing through a nearby wall, injuring innocent by-standers.

A method of making the present invention may include the following. Using a specially made bullet dies and manufacturing process (not shown), configured to the aforementioned design shape, the projectile 10 is pressed with sufficient force into the die. Upon release of the force, the new projectile 10 drops out. The projectile or projectile 10 may be used with any caliber weapon or size of bullet.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.