US2149522A - Case and link receiver for aerial machine guns - Google Patents

Description

' Marph 7, 1939. J F, HABERUN 2,149,522

CASE AND LINK RECEIVER FOR AERIAL MACHINE GUNS 2 Sheets-Shet -1 Filed Oct. 6, 1936 Jon-"4 F: HABERLIN March 7, 1939. J. F. HABERLIN 2,149,522

CASE AND LINK RECEIVER FOR AERIAL MACHINE GUNS 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Filed Oct. 6, 1936 Fig. 2"

3mm Jenn F. HAazRLm Patented Mar. 7, 19 39 UNITED 'YST-A'T'VES cA'sn AND LINK nscmvnn FOB. AERIAL momma s GUN John F. Haberlin, Seattle, -Wash., assignor to Boeing Aircraft Company, Seattle, Wash, a

corporation of W Application October 6, 1936, Serial No. 104,198

8 Claims. (CL 89-37-5) My invention relates to devices for the collection-and disposal of cases and links as ejected from a machine gun, particularly one which is flexibly mounted and wholly enclosed, and, in conjunction with such a device, it relates also to a device for supplying ammunition in belts to such In airplanes the ammunition is normally supplied to the machine guns in belts of cartridges 10 connected by links, and as each cartridge is disv charged the case and a. link are ejected, usually through difierent openings in the gun. In a case where the machine gun is fixedly mounted it is a comparatively simple matter to provide a chute whereby the ejected links and cases may be conbe permitted to drop to the floor, for there they constitute a source of inconvenience, if not danger, to the gunner, who may step upon them and be caused to fall, or have his aim disturbed, and especially is this true in gun mounts of the type embodying an enclosure for the gun through which only its muzzle protrudes, and with which the gunner is given a wide spherical sector of fire, and where in action a considerable amount of ammunition may be fired from a given machine In such situations as the latter it has heretofore been customary to provide a chute mounted to move with the gun, terminating immediately beneath the gun in a removable sack, in which sack was received the ejected links and cases. However, such a sack could not be made sufliciently large'to take a considerable number of such cases and links, for thus it would impede the freedom of movement of the gun, andfurthermore its weight, when filled with any considerable number of such discharged links and cases, would become a con- 'slderable item. It was therefore made comparatively small, and when filled it had to be emptied to avoid backing up of the links and cases and possibly jammingthe gun. This was sometimes accomplished by the use of' slide fasteners constituting a separable'metal seam, of the type commonly termed a zipper, which when opened up permitted the emptying of the sack, but whether its emptying was accomplished in this manner or by removing it from the end of thechute, there still remained the problem of disposing of the 66 links and cases which it'contained. They could be and usually were dumped from the sack into a. larger container, but then again this larger container had to be disposed of in some manner. They could not be dumped therefrom upon the floor, for if this were to occur they might as well '5 have been permitted to drop upon the floorin the first instance, and the same reasons for avoiding this made it necessary to provide a larger container to receive them when the sack was filled. The larger container had to be careit fully disposed or it would upset, spilling the links and cases upon the floor, and it could not well be dumped overboard for the reason that in modern airplanes the gunners compartment'is completely enclosed in a turret-like shell, with-out anyaper- 1o ture convenient for the disposal of such material from a container.

'Ihus not only was the removal and disposal oi the ejected cases and links a matter of dimculty, but it also consumed considerable time, which in 99 action could not be spared, especially as the gunner was further required to remove his ammunition box, when empty or substantially so, and to replace it with a loaded ammunition box, and to feed his belt into the machine gun.

According to the present invention these dimculties are largely obviated by a construction in which, at the time of removing the empty ammunition box, there is removed, without further thought or effort on the part of the gunner, the 30 supply rack from which-it was originally taken, 5 and when'the'hew ammunition box is placed in V I operative relationship to the gun there is at the same time, and without thought or efl'orton the part .of the gunner, a receiver placed in proper relationship to the gun to receive the cases and 0 links from the gun as the new belt of ammunition is used.

My invention, therefore, comprises the novel ammunition box and associated parts, and the novel mounting and combination thereof with the 45 gun, the gun mount, and the enclosing shell as part of the aircraft structure,- all as shown in the accompanying drawings and as will be more fully described and claimed in this specification.

Inthe accompanying drawings I have'shown 50 myinvention in a typical form, and in association with a typical aircraft structure, machine gun, and mount, it being understood that the individual elements may be varied, as will be made clear hereafter.

It should be borne in mind further that while the invention is particularly designed for use upon airplanes, to meet a practical and real problem which has arisen in that field, its principles are also applicable to other types of gun mounts, as for example upon armored cars or tanks.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a typical gun and mount, parts being broken away, and showing my invention associated therewith.

Figure 2 is an elevation from the rear or breech end of the gun, showing the same arrangement, though showing only the immediately supporting part of the aircraft structure.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the ammunition box, the case and link container, and the chute, in operative relationship to each other.

Figure {l is a rear elevation of a slightly modified form of the case and link receiver.

The installation illustrated shows a machine gun 9 supported upon a shell or sphere 8, which is flexibly mounted upon the fuselage I of an aircraft in such a way as to give the gun a wide cegreeof flexibility and a substantially hemispherical field cf fire. To accomplish this a nose turret 1'0 may be mounted to rotate about a longitudinal axis A, being supported from a track II by means such as the rollers I2. This turret III has an aperture I3 receiving the spherical shell 8, whichshell is pivotally mounted, by means not shown, to pivot about a transverse axis B with relation to the turret l, for elevational movement of the gun. 'Ihe shell 8 includes framework 80, wherein is pivoted a ring 8I upon an axis represented by the trunnions 82 and indicated at C in Figure2, and about the axis of the ring 8| is rotative a ring 83, supported by the rollers 84. The ring 83 has secured to it a forwardly and somewhat downwardly inclined bow 85, from the central portion of which, between its ends, extends rearwardly a gun mount 86, suitably braced from the ring 83, upon which the gun is mounted in its intended or usual manner. It will thus be seen that the gun may be traversed by movement about the axis 0, that it may be elevated and depressed by movement about the axis B, and that it may be positioned in any desired position about the axis' A, and by rotation of the ring 83 relative to the ring 8I the gun may always be maintained upright, regardless of its rotation around the axis A. It will beobserved, too, that this construction leaves the shell 8 at one side of the gun and gun mount entirely free of structural members. There is no difficulty in inserting or withdrawing a large container from the breech end of and alongside the gun. Such a container comprises a box generally designated by the numeral I, and having a partition between its top and bottom designated by the numeral II). This divides the box into an upper chamber II, of a shape and size, at least when filled, to contain a belt of live, link-connected cartridges, and a lower chamber I2 of a size (at least when the chamber II is empty) to receive readily the same number oi. ejected links and cases as will comprise the belt within the chamber II. The upper chamber. is provided with a feed opening at I3, through which the belt of ammunition isfed, and the lower chamber I2 is provided with an opening I4, preferably located well above its bottom, for the receipt of the ejected cases and links. Because of space limitations within the shell 8the lower chamber of the box may be elongated, so that it may have suflicient capacity without increasing its depth.

The gun, adjacent its feed opening, is provided with a support 9|, with which a complemental support IS on the box I is engageable quickly and easily, and as easily disengageable. Preferably the member I9 is of inverted U shape, and the member 9| is merely a longitudinally extending bar, so that by movement of the box I lengthwise of the gun from its breech end toward its muzzle end, and'then by slight downward.

movement of the box, the box may be supported on the support SI, and be thereby fixed in operative position with relation'to the guns Iced opening. The support 9| is in effect mounted upon the gun mount, although usually carried upon the gun itself, and it is largely immaterial in what manner it is supported so long as it adequately supports the ammunition box and locates the latter properly with relation to the gun and to the chute, and, of course, the support must be of such character that it can be readily engaged and disengaged, and preferably by the simpletype of longitudinal and vertical motion described above. As a means of further supporting the box I, and particularly against side-sway, it is engaged at opposite sides by rollers 81 or other guide means supported from. the-shell8, or more specifically from the ring 83.

The gun discharges links from a link-ejection opening on the side opposite its feed opening,

and ejects cases from a case-ejection opening in its. bottom. Appropriate chutes are therefore provided, as the chute 2 and the chute 20, the

first-to receive the ejected cases and the second 35 to receive the ejected links. Both these chutes may join, and terminate at a point which, when the several elements are properly supported relative to each other, will discharge the cases and with respect to the position which will be assumed.

by every ammunition box when it is supported upon the support 9|. The gun is secured in position upon its mount 88 with its muzzle only protruding from the shell 8 through a slot 88 therein (Figure l) An ammunition box may be removed from a rack (not shown) within the fuselage I, where it may be supported by a support analogous to the member 9|, moved into the shell 8 alongside the gun, and the shell, it will be noted, is entirely unobstructed in the operative position to be assumed by the box and. to the rear thereof. Thus the box may be pushed in without dimculty, engaged with the support 9|, and when'thus supported will be fixed in operative relationship to the gun and to the chutes 2 and 20. The belt of ammunition is fedto the gun, and as it is discharged and the cases and links are ejected they fall by gravity through the respective chutes (the gun being albe of larger or of variable capacity, if'desired.

9|, the belt of ammunition is fed to the gun, and

the gun ,is immediately ready to reopen fire. The entire operation takes but a few seconds. The ammunition is kept in the chamber l2 until it is convenient to remove it, and the gun is out of action but a short time, and only such time as would 1 be required in any event to remove an empty ammunition box and to supply a full one.

To assist in preventing spilling of the cases and links from the chamber 82 I may provide a flap or door 55, as shown in Figure 4, pivotedat l6 and urged by a spring ll into a position to close the opening Hi. When the box is being mounted upon thegun the closure l may be held down against the spring ii, and when it is removedthe spring it will immediately throw the closure upward into closed position, where it will prevent accidental spilling out of the cases and links. It is held in the open position when the box is in operative relationship to a gun by engagement with a roller 8?, or by by engagement with the chute 2.

' I do not claim as my invention the ammunition box in the formof the upper chamber 8 l which is not my invention, but the essence of my invention lies in the combination with such an ammunition box of a chamber for the reception of ejected cases and links, and of a capacity to hold those cases and links which originally comprised the belt of live ammunition in the box above, the whole being so connected and supportable as to be placed in operative relationship to the gun and chutes by a simple type of movement. I

What I claim as, my invention is:

1. In combination with a machine gun for use upon an airplane or the like, and an enclosing and supporting shell for the gun, through which only its muzzle protrudes, flexibly mounted upon the airplane, an ammunition box for the supply of ammunition to the gun in link-connected belts, said box being partitioned to define an upper and a lower chamber each having an opening, the upper chamber being shaped to contain such a belt of ammunition and to feed the same through its opening direct to the gun, the lower chamber being of appropriate size to contain the same number of elected links and cases, received through its opening, complemental means carried the one by the box and the other upon the shell, quickly interengageable .and disengageable to support said box in operative relationship to the gun, and

means independent of said box and carried uponthe shell in operative relationship to the gun and to the lower opening of the box, to conduct to and discharge through the latter, into the lower chamber, the links and cases as ejected from the gun.

2. In combination with a machine gun for use upon an airplane or the like, and an enclosing and supporting shell for the gun, through which only its muzzle protrudes, flexibly mounted upon the airplane, a box for the supply of ammunition to the gun in link-connected belts, said box being partitioned to define an upper chamber having an opening and shaped to contain such a belt and to feed it, through its opening, direct to the gun, and to define-a lower chamber of a size to a receive and contain all such links and cases when ejected from the gun, and having an opening to admit the same, complemental means carried the one by the gun and other by the box, quickly interengageable by movement of the box lengthwise of the gun and then downwardly relative to the gun, to support the box in operative relationship to the gun, and disengageable by reverse movement, the shell being unobstructed in rear of the space occupied by the box in such operative position to facilitate its engagement and disengagement, and means independent of the box and carried upon the shell in operative relationship to the gun and to the lower chamber, to conduct to and discharge within the latter, through its opening, the links and cases as ejected from the gun.

3. In combination with a machine gun for use upon an airplane or the like, an enclosing shell including a revolubly mounted ring and a forwardly directed bow supported upon said ring, the shell having an aperture for the protrusion of the muzzle of the gun, a gun mount extending rearwardly from said how, between its ends,

whereon the gun is mounted, to move with the ring, a box shaped-to be received within the rin between the bow and the gun mount and gun, the shell being unobstructed within and to the rear of such'space, for ready movement of the box thereinto and therefrom, means readily interengageable between the box and gun to support the box from the gun and in operative relationship thereto, and readily disengageable, said box being partitioned todefine a first and a second chamber each having an opening, the first chambers opening registering with the feed opening of the gun when the box isheld in operative position, to feed ammunition, in a link-connected belt, directly thereto from the first chamber, and chute means independent of the'box, supported from and movable with the ring, and disposed to receive links and cases as ejected from the gun, and to conduct and deposit them,

the same to the gun, and to define a lower chamber of a size to receive all the links and cases as ejected from the gun, and originally constituting such belt, and having an opening for the reception of the links and cases, means on the box for ready engagement with complemental means to, support the box in operative position relative to the gun, and a closure for the lower opening spring-urged to closed position.

' 5. In combination with a machine gun for use upon an airplane or the like, and a flexible mount whereon said machine gun is secured, an ammunition boxsupport and a chute each fixed in position relative to and movable with the gun mount, and the chute having appropriate openings located to receive cases and links ejected from thegun, and to discharge the same, a box having means readily engageable with and disengageable from said support to flx the box definitely relative to the gun and relative to the discharge -'opening of the chute, said box being pm'titioned to define a chamber for a belt of live ammunition and a chamber for elected cases and links, and

, the support,-w1th the'ieeding opening of the gun and with the discharge opening of the chute. A I

6; In combination with a machine gun for use and movable with the gun mount, a box carry:-

. ing supporting means and readily engageable as a unit with and. disengagea-ble as a unit from said n being removable from and replaceable. a unit- 1 upon said support, and having appropriate-open,-

lnga registering, when the. box is positioned by support, independently of the gun, andhaving appropriate: openings for feeding-of live ammuni- 'tion and for the reception of ejected cases and links; and beingpartltioned to define a chamber,

from which leads the feed opening, for a belt ofllve ammunition, and a second chamber for the reception of the cases and links, the engagement of thebox-can-led supporting means with mount- :tion to-theg'un;

i JOHN F; HABERLIN. I

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