GB1427576A - Ammunition storage system - Google Patents

Abstract

1427576 Ammunition storage GENERAL ELECTRIC CO 9 July 1973 [12 July 1972] 32687/73 Heading F3C A first ammunition box is coupled to a second ammunition box by means on the rear wall 128 of the former and on the front wall 126 of the latter; simultaneously, parts on these walls enable automatic coupling of the ends of ammunition belts stored in the boxes. A machine gun 10, Fig. 1, is mounted in a yoke 14 with a frame 18 fixed thereto and carrying the two boxes which may be slid into place and are held by respective latch arms extending from a pivotally mounted rod. One box has pins 148, Fig. 2, which locate in notched lugs 132 of the other box; one end of the ammunition belt in the one box has a curved clip extending therefrom engaging behind a tooth 156 of a pivoted arm 152. The last round R of the belt in the other box lies in a ledge behind a groove 144 of an L-shaped bracket 138. Upon coupling of the boxes, the pivoted arm 152 is cammed by contact with the bracket 138 to free the belt end clip so that it passes through the groove 144 and snaps around the last round R of the other belt. Fig. 4. The leading end of the combined belts is fed around a roller 50, Fig. 1, into a covered flexible guide 42, the guide 42 having at its leading end, Fig. 7, a toggle mechanism, 72, 74, 94, 96, 84, 88 operated by a handle 70 and having a first groove 90 on either side and a second groove 92 on either side, each accepting a pin of a known clutch and drive device of the gun, the latter grooves trapping their respective pins by pivoted arms 102 with grooves 108 actuated simultaneously by the handle 70.