Inventors:
Ronald E. Brown - Danville CA
Mark E. Majerus - Middletown DE
Assignee:
Tracor Aerospace, Inc. - Austin TX
International Classification:
F42B 102
Abstract:
In a shaped-charge device, the liner is so shaped that bulges are formed in the jet without causing the jet to deviate from the central axis. The shaped-charge device includes a case defining an axisymmetrical forwardly-opening cavity uniformly disposed about a central axis; an axisymmetrical, homogeneous-material, liner of variable thickness defining a forwardly-opening cavity having a closed apex, with the cavity being uniformly disposed within the casing about the central axis; and explosive material symmetrically disposed between the casing and the liner. The liner is so shaped that in response to the explosive material being detonated to thereby explode, the liner is progressively collapsed inward by the exploding material to be formed into a fluid jet of the homogeneous liner material that is forwardly expelled at a varying velocity from the casing along the central axis, with the forward portion of the jet being squeezed from the apex of the collapsing liner. The rate of change of liner thickness with respect to liner axial position varies such that, after the formation of the forward portion of the jet, the velocity of the jet-forming material at at least one intermediate position within the jet varies so as to cause the material to bunch up to form a symmetrical bulge at each intermediate position within the jet, but not such that the velocity of the jet-forming material increases at any such intermediate position while the material is bunching up, thereby inhibiting the material from so bunching up as to cause the jet to deviate from the central axis.