and a ballistic wall made of ballistic blocks

The object of the invention is a ballistic block and a ballistic wall made of such blocks.

Known ballistic blocks constitute a uniform block of rubber pellets with glue, vulcanised, glued or pressed in a binding process. Such blocks are made of rubber or the mixtures of rubber, e.g. with polymers. In known solutions of the design of ballistic walls in shooting ranges, it is required to place steel elements, e.g. armoured plates, behind each wall made of solid rubber blocks, and the blocks themselves only constitute an element protecting against the ricocheting of bullets bouncing against plates. When shooting firearms at a new solid ballistic block, bullets form temporary channels and permanent channels inside it, reducing the ballistic properties of the block, therefore causing it to be used up very quickly. After being shot several times through a point, the bullets begin to come out of the solid rubber block and they hit the steel plates. When a bullet hits a steel plate, uncontrollable behaviour of the bullet occurs, including ricocheting of the bullet, bouncing of the bullet, ricocheting of the bullet towards the shooter, endangering the lives or health of humans and the safety of property. This is accompanied by delamination and breakdown of the bullet comprising compounds of lead, zinc and metal oxides, which are deposited in the form of dusts and gases on elements of the equipment of the shooting range, at the same time also being absorbed by the operators and users of the facilities. After a very short time of use, it is required to replace individual elements in their entirety (e.g. ballistic blocks), which entails the disassembly of a part of the ballistic wall and the necessity of its repeated reconstruction. Known blocks are not compatible with anti-ricochet blocks and plates. Parts of bullets captured inside a solid ballistic block prevent its use in the recycling process.

From Polish applications of utility models W.127811 and W.128054 there are known ballistic blocks which require disassembly for refilling the ballistic pellets filling the block. These blocks also require highly precise monitoring of filling with ballistic pellets (the lack of such monitoring causes a complete loss of ballistic properties of the block). The lack of tightness of joints between blocks causes the formation of temporary channels and permanent channels, through which the ballistic pellets may be released outside, which necessitates frequent refilling of the losses of ballistic pellets in the ballistic wall.

The essence of the solution according to the invention is a ballistic block in the shape of a prism comprising a front wall, a back wall, side walls and a through space intended to be filled with ballistic pellets.

Preferably, the upper and lower edges of the front wall, the back wall and the side walls are provided with cuts.

Preferably, the side walls are provided with recesses from the inner side.

Preferably, the front wall, the back wall and the side walls are finger-jointed to each other, preferably with a skew.

Preferably, the front wall, the back wall and the side walls are connected to each other by glueing, preferably by means of polyurethane glue.

Preferably, the front, back and side walls are connected to each other by means of mounting pins.

Preferably, the ballistic block constitutes a monolith lacking joints between the front, back and side walls.

Preferably, the ballistic block is provided with at least one partition wall.

Preferably, the partition wall is provided with through holes.

The essence of the solution according to the invention is also a ballistic wall made of ballistic blocks, comprising at least two layers of ballistic blocks arranged horizontally, situated one on top of the other.

Preferably, the individual horizontal layers of ballistic blocks (IB) are shifted with respect to each other.

Preferably, the ballistic wall is made of two rows of ballistic blocks shifted with respect to each other, so that the joints of individual ballistic blocks would not overlap each other. Preferably, the ballistic wall is provided with inspection plates with viewing holes.

Preferably, the ballistic wall is provided with stabilising plates placed under the first layer of blocks.

Preferably, the ballistic wall is provided with a stop plate placed behind the first row of ballistic blocks.

The solutions according to the invention are presented in the attached drawings, where:

Fig. 1 presents the ballistic block 13 in a perspective view;

Fig. 2 presents the ballistic block in a perspective view, provided with one partition wall 10;

Fig. 3 presents the ballistic block 13 in a perspective view, provided with two partition walls 10;

Fig. 4 presents the ballistic block 13 in a perspective view, provided with one

partition wall 10, made of a single block, and therefore lacking joints between the walls 1, 2, 3, 4;

Fig. 5 presents the ballistic block 13 in a general top view, provided with one

partition wall 10;

Fig. 6 presents the side wall 4 of the ballistic block 13 in a cross-section along the line A-A of fig. 5;

Fig. 7 presents the partition wall 10 of the ballistic block 13 in a perspective side view, provided with through holes 11;

Fig. 8 presents the side wall 3 of the ballistic block 13 in an embodiment provided with recesses 8 situated on the inner side;

Fig. 9 presents a cross-section through the partition wall 10 of the ballistic block 13 along the line B-B of fig.7;

Fig. 10 presents a cross-section through the side wall 3 of the ballistic block 13 along the line C-C of fig. 8;

Fig. 11 presents an inspection plate 14 in a general top view, with visible viewing holes

15;

Fig. 12 presents a lower stabilising plate 16 in a general top view; Fig. IB presents a ballistic wall 12 in an axonometric view, made as adjacent columns provided with a stop plate 17;

Fig. 14 presents the ballistic wall 12 in an axonometric view, made with an offset;

Fig. 15 presents the ballistic wall 12 in an axonometric view, made of two rows of ballistic blocks 13.

The ballistic block 13 according to the invention as in the embodiments is presented in the attached drawings. The ballistic block 13 according to the invention has the shape of a prism comprising a front wall 1, a back wall 2 and side walls 3, 4, as well as a through space 5 intended to be filled with ballistic pellets. The upper and lower edges of the front wall 1, the back wall 2 and the side walls 3, 4, are provided with cuts 6, 7, which enables stable connection of overlapping horizontal layers of ballistic blocks 13. The side walls 3, 4 can be in turn provided from their inner or outer side with recesses 8, which prevent them from being torn by flying bullets. Providing the side walls 3, 4 with recesses from both the inner and the outer side results in the joints of the side walls 3, 4 with the side walls of the neighbouring ballistic blocks 13 not being perpendicular to the surface of the front wall 1, which prevents them from being torn. In such an embodiment, the joints of the side walls 3, 4 with the side walls 3, 4 of the neighbouring ballistic blocks take on the shape of a polygonal chain, e.g. resembling a bellows or an undulating line. On the other hand, because of the existence of through spaces 5, after the assembly of ballistic blocks 13 into a ballistic wall 12, gravity columns are formed, intended for placing ballistic pellets (not shown) inside them. The walls 1, 2, 3, 4 of the ballistic block may be finger-jointed to each other 9, preferably with a skew, as well as by means of mounting pins or - additionally or exclusively - by glueing, preferably using polyurethane glue. In another variant (as presented in fig. 4), the ballistic block 13 according to the invention may be made of a single solid and constitute a monolith lacking joints between the walls 1, 2, 3, 4. In order to reinforce the structure of the block 13, and therefore stability of the ballistic wall 12, the block 13 may have one or more additional partition walls 10. The partition wall 10 can be made of a homogeneous piece of material; it can also comprise through holes 11 allowing partial movement of ballistic pellets. Similar through holes can also be included in the side walls 3, 4. The ballistic block 13 according to the invention may be made of mixtures of polymer plastics with a binder.

The ballistic blocks 13 according to the invention are used to build ballistic walls 12. The ballistic wall 12 according to the invention, as in the embodiments presented in the attached drawings, is made of ballistic blocks 13 according to the invention and it comprises at least two layers of these blocks 13 situated horizontally one on top of the other. The ballistic blocks 13 may have the shape of flat columns adjacent to each other, and in another embodiment (as presented in fig. 14), the individual horizontal layers of ballistic blocks 13 may be shifted with respect to each other, forming a wall 12 constructed with an offset. In order to provide a room made of ballistic walls 12, certain ballistic blocks 13, placed in the corners of such a room, are positioned perpendicularly to each other. The ballistic wall 12 according to the invention can be provided from the top with an inspection plate 14 with viewing holes 15 used to inspect the state of filling the through spaces 5 and to refill the ballistic pellets. In addition, the back surface of the ballistic wall 12 may be provided with additional protection in the form of a stop plate 17. In turn, in the case of a ballistic wall 12 made of two rows of ballistic blocks 13 (as presented in fig. 15), the use of a stop plate 17 is not necessary. In such a case, it is important for ballistic blocks 13 arranged in individual rows to be shifted with respect to each other, so that the joints of the blocks would not overlap each other. The double-rowed assembly of ballistic blocks 13 enables the elimination of concrete elements, masonry, plankings and steel plates, including armoured plates, from the structure of walls (bullet traps, shooting ranges, training facilities for close distance combat).

The highest layer of ballistic blocks 13 forming the upper surface of the ballistic wall 12 may be covered by the inspection plate 14 provided with viewing holes 15 used to refill the ballistic pellets. From its bottom, the ballistic wall 12 may be in turn placed on stabilising plates 16, which, similar to the inspection plates 14, reinforce its structure.

The ballistic block 13 according to the invention constitutes a useful solution for the construction of barriers stopping bullets shot from firearms, including the construction of bullet traps in open shooting ranges and in rooms intended for shooting firearms. A basic module for the construction of the ballistic wall 12, serving the function of such a barrier, constitutes a column made of ballistic blocks 13 according to the invention, seated one on top of the other. The inner through spaces 5 of the ballistic blocks form gravity channels allowing free movement of ballistic pellets in the block 13. In this manner, losses of ballistic pellets are refilled automatically (after the formation of a temporary channel by a bullet). Once the bullet has passed through, these channels are automatically refilled with ballistic pellets, moving freely due to gravity; therefore, the structure of ballistic pellets capable of capturing further bullets is restored and refilled by itself. In addition, when stopping among the pellets, the bullet compacts (compresses) the pellets along the direction of its movement, therefore increasing the density of ballistic pellets, which improves the ability of the pellets to capture the bullet (improves ballistic properties). The partition wall 10, preferably placed in the ballistic block 13, reinforces structurally and stabilises the block 13, and therefore the entire structure, with no need for reinforcing it with additional elements. The replacement of used up ballistic blocks 13 according to the invention is simple and quick, even if the replacement involves a block 13 located the lowest in the structure of the ballistic wall 12. The refilling of ballistic pellets does not require monitoring the amount of material inside each ballistic blockl3, since any losses are being refilled by themselves via the collection of pellets placed at the top of the structure. Service refilling of the pellets involves pouring the pellets through the viewing holes 15 placed at the top of the ballistic wall 12.

The universal structure of the ballistic blocks 13 enables them to be verticalised, joined as adjacent columns, and to be mounted with a shift, a so-called offset. The ballistic blocks 13 can also be arranged with a shift and perpendicularly, in which manner corners of the structure are formed. The modular design of the ballistic blockl3 according to the invention enables the formation of complete walls 12 or rooms without the risk of generating empty spaces and through spots for bullets. Due to the design of the block 13 according to the invention, the gravity channels remain unobstructed regardless of whether the assembly of the blocks 13 takes place as adjacent columns or with an offset. Due to this, after filling the blocks 13 with the ballistic pellets, they always fill the through spaces 5 of the ballistic blocks 13 , ensuring full and proper functionality in spite of multiple hits from firearms.

The design of the ballistic blockl3 according to the invention causes one side of the block 13 to serve a capturing ballistic function, with a protective ballistic function for the other one. In the case of one side being used up, the block 13 can be reused by rotating by 180 degrees and using it as a capturing ballistic wall. The ballistic blocks 13 according to the invention withstand a much larger number of hits compared to solutions known so far. It is particularly preferable to use them for capturing bullets shot from centrefire firearms, in particular of the 9 mm, 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm, .223 REM, .308, .338 calibres, as well as rimfire and smoothbore firearms.