US2300602A

US2300602A - Machine gun ammunition feed

Info

Publication number: US2300602A
Application number: US352880A
Authority: US
Inventors: John C Trotter; John L Jewett
Original assignee: Bell Aircraft Corp
Current assignee: Bell Aircraft Corp
Priority date: 1940-08-16
Filing date: 1940-08-16
Publication date: 1942-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 1959-11-03

Description

J. c. TROTTER El'AL V MACHINE GUN AMMUNITION FEED Fil'ed Aug. 16, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l III JohnCTrofier & JobnL Jewett INVENTORS J1. a MM ATTORNEYS Nov. 3, 1942. J. c. TROTTER ETAL MACHINE GUN AMMUNITION FEED Filed Aug. 16, 1940 -25 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2.

John Ldewefi,

/ INVENTORS Nov. 3, 1942. I

J. c. TROTTER ETAL MACHINE sun AMMUNITION FEED s Sh eets-Sheet s Filed Aug. 16, 1940 & a a fl w OWN ovw Ta CL DD mm JJ ATTORNEYS mm o. Trotter, Williamsville, and John L. rewett, Bufialo, N. Y., assignors to Bell Aircraft Corporation, Bufialo, N. Y.

Application August is, 1940, Serial No. 352,880

14 Claims. 189-33) This invention relates to automatic guns, and more particularly to devices for continuously feeding ammunition to machine guns of the flex-- ibly mounted type. Machine guns of the above described character are presently mounted upon aircraft or other vehicles in such manner as to be pivotable vertically for elevation adjustments, and pivotable horizontally for traverse adjustments; and in some cases they are also mounted for translational movements relative to their supporting devices to further facilitate training of the gun upon the target.

The ammunition container is preferably disposed as close as possible to the gun in view of space considerations within the aircraft or other supporting vehicle, and the linked cartridge belt must be unobstructed in its movement from the container into the cartridge receiving port of the gun. These objects may be obtained by mounting the ammunition container directly upon the gun carrier in such manner that the ammunition container moves with the gun unit as an integral component thereof during all adjusting movements of the gun. Thus, the directional relationship of the gun cartridge receiving port and the ammunition container outlet opening remains undisturbed and the linked cartridges may be arranged to move directly into the "gun port at the proper directional attitude thereto. However, such type of arrangement is practicable only in conjunction with use of relatively small capacity ammunition containers because of space and weight considerations. For example, an ammunition container such as is suitable for use in conjunction with,aerial guns under present day tactical conditions must have a capacity for one thousand or more rounds of ammunition, and it is impractical to mount a loaded container of such size and weight directly upon the gun in such manner as to move as a unit therewith during sighting movements of the gun. Therefore these larger capacity ammunition containers are necessarily located upon the floor or the gunners compartment or some other stationary supporting structure. Consequently, when in action. sighting adjustments of the gun continually alter the directional relationship of the ammunition container outlet-opening and the cartridge receiving port of the gun, and unless the cartridge belt is properly guided intermediately of these points it is subjected to twisting forces which tend to distort the belt in the regions oiexit from the ammunition container and entrance into the gun to such extent as to interfere with the pro- 55 facilitated,

gross of the belt in the manner necessary to proper operation of the gun.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved ammunition feed means for use in conjunction with flexibly mounted guns which will obviate the disadvantages and dimculties herein above referred to. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of automatic gun and ammunition container arrangement whereby plural gun units may be more advantageously employed. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the specification herein.

In the drawings Fig-1 is airagmentary side elevation of a machine gun and its ammunition container having an ammunition feed guide device of the invention in association therewith and showing the cartridge belt in parts diagrammatically and a cover guard portion of the device removed;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along line2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view corresponding to Fig. 1 but showing elements of the invention in different adjusted positions;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan showing elements of the invention in difl'erent adjusted positions; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan of a dual machine gun ammunition container arrangement of the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a typical aerial machine gun l0 mounted upon a carrier or recoil adaptor l2 which comprises essentially a pair of parallel 'rails hi connected by means of transverse brackets l6. The adaptor I2 is pivotally mounted upon the upper end of a supporting yoke 20 by means of pivotal connections 22 defining a substantially horizontal axis of rotation for the gun. The lower end of the yoke 20 is provided with a vertically extending shaft portion It adapted to be rotatably carried in a hearing portion of the gun supporting structure (not shown). Thus, the gun I0 is rotatable horizontally about the vertical center line of the shaft portion 24, and rotatable in vertical planes about the axis of the pivotal connections 22. It be understood that the bearing member supporting the shaft portion 24 may be either fixedly mounted upon the airplane structure or part of a movable mounting element, as for example, a slide member adapted to move relative to stationary portions of the airplane fuselage sot-hat traintarget may be further ing or the gun upon the form of a continuous belt which is initially nested in the container 30 in accordion-folded manner. The container 30 is ofsimple closed box form and is provided with a cartridge belt outlet opening 33 man upper wall portion thereof. A pair of spaced rollers 40 are mounted transversely of the container opening in such manner as to function as roller bearings engaging the cartridge belt 32 for easing itswithdrawal from the container during progress'toward the gun.

A cartridge belt guide device designated generally by the numeral is mounted upon the gun adaptor l2 by means of a bracket 43 secured to a carrier rail [4 for guiding the cartridge belt 32 into the cartridge receiving port 43 of the gun. The guide device comprises essentially a funnel portion 53 which is, adapted to receive the cartridge belt- 32 in threaded relation therethrough; the member 53 being fixed at its reduced slot-like end 52 in direct alignment with the cartridge receiving port 43 of the gun. a The funnel portion 5|! isformed at its, outer enlarged end with a flanged face portion 53; and a pluralthrough the center of rotation of the gun relative to its supporting means during vertical, adjustments of the gun for target sighting purposes.

Thus, as the gun muzzle is elevated and/or depressed the guide device 44 is adapted to adjust itself automatically in such manner as to dispose I the roller 66 in such attitude as to divide the twist imparted to the cartridge belt by reason of the .gun elevational adjustments between the portions of the cartridge belt that are disposed im-, mediately above and below the roller 55. Consequently, the belt 32 will be enabled to negotiate the twisting and turning movements necessary to enter the throat 52 in line with'the gunport 43 under different conditions of 'elevational adjustment of the win an lmprovedmanner and free from interferences such as would otherwise obstruct the proper progress of the belt. Particular attention is called to the fact that by,

reason of the axial relationship-of the rollerI 55 and the gun pivot connections 22,1as explained hereinabove, elevational adjustments of the gun I will be accompanied by readjustments in the carity of rollers 54 are rotatably mounted in a circular arrangement upon the face-53 of the member'50 by means of pins 55. A hollow frame 58 is mounted upon the member for rotation relative to the latter about an axis substantially coincident with that of the pivotal connections 22. To thisend the frame 58 is provided with an end portion of externally cylindrical form and externally grooved as at 32 so as to provide a continuous track therearound into which the rollers 54 engage in such manner as to position the frame 58 in rotatable relation adjacent the outer face 53 of the funnel member 53. A roller 66 is mounted to extend transversely of the opening through the frame 58 by means of a shaft 68. The roller 66 is arranged to function as a roller bearing support for the cartridge belt 32 when; trained therearound as illustratedin Figs. land raised annular abutments II and I2 at opposite l2. Under such conditions the finger platesli ends thereof for spaced contact-with the'cartridges 34 when disposed thereon. Enlarged flange portions 14 are arranged to extend from v the frame 53 concentric of the ends of the roller 55 for giving bearing support to the shaft 58 of the roller and for preventing lateral displacement of the belt 32 from the roller.

Thus, the roller 55 is normally disposed substantially parallel to the fixed slotted end 52 of the guide member, .and at a location substantlally spaced therefrom. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the roller 56 is so disposed vertically as tonbe adapted to support the cartridge belt in such manner that the plan view center line of that portion of the cartridge belt that isdisposed upon the top surface of'the roller is substantially in the horizontal plane passing'through the axis Thus, it will be understood that the guide device 44 comprises essentiallya fixed throatpo'rtion 52 directly in line with the cartridge'receiv ins'tport 43 of the gun, and a roller adapted to function as a roller bearing about which the cartridge belt will train during its movement toward 1 the? fixed throatportion, and that the frame membersupporting the roller device is free to rotate about an axis passing 1 substantially tridge belt attitude that will be translated inall cases into pure twist in that portion of the belt which is disposed between the roller 55 and the gun port 48, and no lateral displacement forces will be imposed thereon as a result of the rotation of the axis of the roller 66 relative to the gun port 48. A belt guide plate I5 (Fig.2), is

mounted upon the frame 58 and curved in spaced relation about the upper portion of, the roller; 55 so as to provide a cartridge belt accommodating space therebetween and to function as a guard against accidental displacement of the cartridge belt from the roller as when the airplane mountingthe gun is flying in inverted attitude. A pair of spring metal plates 16 are mounted in cantilever manner upon thefixed throat portion 52 so as to extend at opposite sides of the ear-- tridge belt 32 and into the cartridge receiving port 48 of the gun so as to guide. the belt into, the port 48 without possibility of interferences due to shifting of the gun port 43 relative to the guide throat 52 las in connection with recoil movements of the gun [0 relative to the carrier elastically deform to' provide in 1 all cases a smooth channel which is free of lateral projections for passage of the belt 32 into the gun.

1 A second cartridge belt guide device designated generallyby the numeral 83 is illustrated as being arranged adjacent the belt outlet opening 38 of the ammunition container 30 for improved guiding of the belt relative to the container out,- let opening.

of the gun and its carrier structure relativeto fixed portions of the mounting vehicle will cause the upper portion of the cartridge belt to move relative to the container outlet opening, in di-- rections having horizontal components, as viewed in the drawings,,whenever the container 30 is mounted upon a stationarysupporting structure. Consequently, the twisting and turning move- It will be understood that, gun trav ersing adjustments about the axis-of the shaft 24 and/or elevational adjustments about the axis of the pivots 22 and/or bodily movements i tridge belt 32 when threaded therethrough and rotatably mounted upon a supporting ring 84 which is pivotally mounted upon a stationary support 86 by means of a laterally extending stub shaft portion 88 for pivotal movements about an axis disposed transversely of the axis of rotation of the cuff 82 relative to the ring 84. The cuff 82 is formed with an integral cylindrical body portion 98 which is externally grooved at 82 for engagement with a plurality of rollers 94 which are circularly arranged concentrically of the axis of cufi rotation and rotatably mounted upon the supporting ring 84 by means of pins 88. The cuff 82 is flared at its open end portions to provide smoothly curving entrance and exit ports thereinto for the cartridge belt 32 so that the 7 latter may negotiatetums into and out of the cuff with maximum facility;

Thus, the cuff 82 is adapted to provide under all conditions a rounded abutment so disposed as to guide the cartridge belt adjacent the container outlet opening and of such character as to automatically adjust itself to divide the angles of twist accompanying gun sighting adjustments between portions of the cartridge belt above and below the cuff. Also, because the pin 88 fixes the cuff 82 against translational movements in horizontal directions, the cuff at all times maintains adjacent portions of the belt in proper lateral 1 relation with respect to the container belt outlet opening 38, and consequently the turning and twisting forces within the belt 32 above the cuff 82 are resolved into simple twisting forces of reduced magnitude within the belt between the cuff and the containeropening. Thus, lateral displacement and severe twisting of the belt in the region of the container outlet opening such as would otherwise obstruct proper progress of the belt from the container to the gun is avoided.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate diagrammatically the operation of the belt guide devices of the invention under different gun sighting conditions. Figure 3 corresponds to Fig. l and illustrates changes in the relative attitudes of essential elements of the device when the gun muzzle is elevated. It will be seen that the

guide devices

44 and 80 prevent lateral displacement of the car-, tridge belt portions adjacent the gun cartridge receiving port 48 and the ammunition container outlet opening 38, respectively, and simultanecusly rotate to divide the angles of twist between belt portions at either side thereof, thus eliminating severe twists in the belt at the container outlet and the gun intake port. Figure 4 illustrates in plan view operation of the devices during traverse adjustments of the gun whereby the same beneficial features of the invention are obtained as described hereinabove.

Figure 5 illustrates diagrammatically a pair of machine guns l8, each associated with its individual ammunition container 38. The guns are mounted in fixed parallel relation for simultaneous sighting and firing. The containers 30 therefor are illustrated as being arranged in laterally offset and side-by-side relation, which arrangement is quite practicable in view of the novel and improved belt guiding features of the invention as explained hereinabove. Thus, the guns 18 may be mounted in ideal .side-by-side relation and the ammunition containers therefor may be disposed under the guns on the floor of the gunners compartment in side-by-side relation instead of in end-to-end relation such as would dispose their belt outlet openings in line with the cartridge receiving ports of the guns.

Consequently, much valuable space may be conserved that would otherwise be required in the form of airplane fuselage width sufficient to accommodate the two ammunition containers in end-to-end relation.

It is of course contemplated that various changes may be made in' the structure hereinabove described and illustrated by the drawings, and that the invention is adapted to provide advantageous performance in connection with a wide variety of machine gun types and forms of installation. For instance, if preferred, the guide device 44 may be formed with a rounded stationary abutment portion of similar disposition about which the belt may slide, in lieu of the roller 86, to provide the belt guiding features hereinabove described. Also, the cartridge belt guiding cuff 82 may be mounted in proper position relative to the ammunition container outlet by means of a suitable gimbal type mount or by means of a ball and socket type mount, so as to enable the cufi 82 to rotate freely about all axes thereof but without lateral displacement from proper position relative to the ammunition container outlet port. Also, the belt guide cuff device 82 may be positioned, if desired, to either side of the container outlet opening 38 as viewed in Fig. 2, because the cartridge belt 32 will be enabled to freely turn about the adjacent roller 40 of the ammunition container and into the flared open end of the cuff 82. However, the cuff 82 will be preferably disposed in line with the ammunition container outlet opening 38 as view in Fig. 1, so that the belt will not be laterally distorted in, order to train between the container outlet opening and the cuff 82.

It will also be understood that the cartridge belt guiding means herein illustrated and described is adapted to function with equal facility in conjunction with an inverted gun and ammunition container arrangement, such as for use within a tunnel gun compartment located in the belly of an airplane fuselage. In such case the gun is disposed in the lowermost position possible, and the ammunition container is mounted thereabove. The

guide devices

44 and 88 will thereupon be positioned intermediately of the gun and the ammunition container in inverted relation with respect to the previous description and to the illustration of the drawings herein; and will thus be adapted to function efliciently regardless of the relative disposition and/or attitude of the gun and the ammunition container, and to provide the features and advantages of the invention as hereinabove described. Thus, the invention provides effective guiding of the continuously feeding cartridge belt between the ammunition container and the gun during flight at upright, inverted, or other attitude of the aircraft mounting the gun; and although only a limited number of forms of the invention have been shown and described in detail herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited but that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A cartridge belt guide device for attachment to a machine gun pivotable upon,its support about a horizontal axis comprising a throat member having a cartridge guiding end portion adapted to be fixed in registry with the cartridge receiving port of said gun, a frame member rotatably mounted upon said throat member opposite said cartridge guiding end portion thereof for rotation relative to said throat member about a horizontal axis, and a roller mounted upon said frame'member transversely thereof and adapted to engage a cartridge belt when trained thereover and threaded into said cartridge guiding end portion for guiding the progress of said belt into said gun.-

2. A cartridge belt guide device for attachment to a machine gun pivotable upon its support about a horizontal axis, comprising a throat member having a cartridge guiding end portion adapted to be fixed in registry with the cartridge receiving port of said gun, a frame member rotatably mounted upon said throat member oppositesaid cartridge guiding end portion thereof for rotation relative to said throat member about a horizontal axis, and a roller mounted upon said frame member transversely thereof and adapted to engage a cartridge belt when trained thereover and threaded into said cartridge guiding end portion for guiding the progress of said belt into said gun, said roller being so positioned upon said frame as to support the roller-delivered portion of said belt at a position substantially coincident with the line of said first mentioned horizontal axis.

3. A cartridge belt guide device for attachment to a machine gun pivotable upon its support about a horizontal axis comprising a throat member having a cartridge guiding end portion adapted to be fixed in registry with the cartridge receiving port of said gun, a frame member rotatably mounted upon said throat member opposite said cartridge guiding end portion thereof adapted to be fixed in registry with the cartridge receiving port of said gun, a frame member rotablymounted upon said throat member opposite said cartridge guiding end portion thereof for rotation relative to said throat member about an axis coincident-with an extension ofsaid first mentioned horizontal axis, and a roller mounted upon said frame member transversely thereof. and adapted to engage a cartridge belt when trained thereover and threaded into said cartridge guiding end portion forguidlngthe pro ress of said belt into said gun, said roller being so positioned upon said frame as to support the roller-delivered portion of said belt at a position substantially coincident with the line of said flrs mentioned horizontal axis.

5. In combination, a machine gun flexibly mounted upon a support and having a cartridge receiving port, an ammunition container enclosing a folded belt of cartridges for continuous feeding to said gun port, a guid device attached to said gun and having a stationary throat member in registry with said cartridge receiving port of said gun and a roller member for supporting said belt and guiding the latter and changing the direction of movement thereof during its progress toward said gun, said roller being mounted upon tion of said roller relative to said throat member about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said roller.

6. In combination, a machine gun flexibly mounted upon a support and having a cartridge receiving port, an ammunition container enclosing a folded belt of cartridges for continuous feeding to said gun port, a guide device attached to said gun and having a stationary throat member in registry with said cartridge receiving port of said gun and a roller member for supporting said belt and guiding the latter and changing the direction of movement thereof during its progress permitted to automatically adjust itself so as to support said belt relative to said container outlet opening in such manner as to avoid, acute twists and/or turns in said belt'at the point of emergence from said container outlet opening.

7. In combination, a machine gun support, a machine gun mounted upon said support for movement relative thereto in connection with recoil action, a cartridge belt guide device rigidly mounted upon said support and having a cartridge guiding end opening normally disposed in registry with the cartridge receiving port of said gun, and spring plate devices mounted in cantilever fashion at opposite sides of said cartridge guiding end opening of said guide device and extending into said cartridge receiving port and adapted to flex in response to relative movement of said gun and said support and to provide therebetween at all times a smooth passage for the cartridge-belt into said gun port.

8. In combination, a machine gun having a cartridge receiving port and slidably mounted upammunition container enclosing a folded belt of cartridges for continuous feeding to said gun port, a belt guide device fixedly mounted upon said carrier and having a throat portion in registry with said cartridge receiving port of said gun, said throat member being provided with a pair of spring guide plates mounted in cantilever fashion thereon and extending into said gun cartridge receiving port at opposite sides thereof and a roller member for supporting said belt and guiding the latter and changing the direction of movementthereof-durin'g its progress toward said gun, said roller being mounted upon said throat member by means permitting rotation of said roller relative to said throat member about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said roller, and a second guide device mounted adjacent the outlet opening of said cartridge belt container and comprising'a cufi' member adapted to slidably accommodate said cartridge belt when threaded therethrough, said cufl' member being pivotable about two transverse axes so as tobe permitted to automatically adjust itself so as to support said belt relative to said container outlet opening in such manner as to avoid acute twists said throat member by means permitting rotaand/or turns in said belt at the point of emergence from said container outlet opening.

' 9. In combination, a machine guiflexibly mounted upon a supporting structure for vertical adjustments about a horizontal pivoting mounting, said gun having a cartridge receiving port, an ammunition container adapted to enclose a folded cartridge belt for continuous feeding thereof to said gun port, a cartridge belt guide device having a stationary throat portion fixed in registry with said cartridge receiving port of said gun and a cartridge belt guiding abutment for supporting said cartridge belt and guiding the latter into changes of direction of movement thereof during progress towards said gun, said abutment being mounted upon said throat member by means adapted to permit rotation of said abutment portion relative to said throat member and about an axis coincident with an extension of the axis of said horizontal pivoting mounting, and a second cartridge belt guide device mounted adjacent the outlet opening of said cartridge belt container and comprising a cuff member 1 adapted to guide said cartridge belt when threaded therethrough, said cuff being pivotable about substantially perpendicular axes so as to be adapted to automatically adjust itself to changes in the direction of retreat of said belt from said cuff in such manner as to divide the angles of belt movement direction about said cuff member as a center.

10. A cartridge belt guide device adapted to be mounted adjacent the outlet opening of a cartridge belt container for use in association with a machine gun arranged to be flexibly mounted relative to said container and at a position substantially spaced therefrom, comprising a ring member adapted to be mounted at an edge portion thereof in pivotable relation upon a fixed support adjacent said container outlet opening for pivotingabout an axis substantially intersecting the direction of exodus of said cartridge belt from said container when moving to feed adjacent the outlet opening of said cartridge belt container and to receive a cartridge belt in threaded relation therethrough, said cuff being mounted upon said support in such manner as to said gun and having a stationary throat mem-' her in registry with said cartridge receiving port of said gun and a roller member for supporting said beltand guiding the latter and changing the direction of movement thereof during its progress toward said gun, said roller being mounted upon said throat member by means permitting rotation of said roller relative to said throat member about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said roller, and a second guide device mounted adjacent the outlet opening of said cartridge belt container and comprising a cuff member adapted to slidably accommodate said cartridge belt when threaded therethrough, said cuff member being mountedupon a fixed support for pivotal movement relative thereto about axes longitudinal and transverse with respect to the 'direction of movement of cartridges through said cuff so that said cutl automatically adjusts itself to support said belt relative to said container outlet opening in such manner as to avoid acute twists and/or turns in said belt at the point of emergence from said container outlet opening.

14. In combination, a. machine gun flexibly amounted upon a supporting structure for vertical into said gun, and a cartridge bolt guiding cuff rotatably mounted upon said ring member for rotation relative thereto about an axis disposed transversely of said first mentioned axis, said cufi' being hollowed to accommodate said belt in free-sliding relation when threaded therethrough and adapted to adjust itself to smoothly guide movement of said belt in all directions away from said container outlet opening.

11. A cartridge belt guide device adapted to be mounted adjacent the outlet opening of a cartridge belt container for use in association with a machine gun arranged to be flexibly mounted relative to said container and at a position substantially spaced therefrom, comprising a cult member adapted to be mounted in pivotable relation upon a fixed support adjacent said container outlet opening for pivoting about an axis substantially intersecting the direction of exodus of said cartridge belt from said container when moving to feed into said gun, said cuff. being hollowed to accommodate said belt in free-sliding relation when threaded therethrough and adapted to adjust itself to smoothly guide movement of said belt away from said container outlet opening.

12. A cartridge belt guide device adapted to be mounted adjacent the outlet opening of a cartridge belt container for use in association with a machine gun, including a cuff member mounted upon a stationary support in registry with and adjustments about a horizontal pivoting mounting, saidgun having a cartridge receiving port,

an ammunition container adapted to enclose a folded cartridge beltfor continuous feeding thereof to said gun port, a cartridge belt guide device having a stationary throat portion fixed in registry with said cartridge receiving port of said gun and a cartridge belt guiding abutment for supporting said cartridge belt and guiding the latter into changes of direction of movement thereof during progress towards said gun, said abutment being mounted upon said throat memberby meansadapted to permit rotation of said abutment portion relative to said throat member and about an axis coincident with an extension of the axis of said horizontal pivoting mounting, and a second cartridge belt guide device mounted adjacent the outlet opening of said cartridge belt container and comprising a cuff member adapted to guide said cartridge belt when threaded therethrough, said cuff being rotatable about axes longitudinal and transverse with respect to the direction of movement of cartridges therethrough but non-displaceable bodily so as to be adapted to automatically adjust itself to changes in the direction of retreat of said belt from said cuff in such manner as to divide the angles of belt movement direction about said cuff member as a center.

JOHN C. TRO'I'IER. JOHN L. JEWE'I'I.