US2365028A

US2365028A - Cartridge belt

Info

Publication number: US2365028A
Application number: US176335A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vesely Josef
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-11-30
Filing date: 1937-11-24
Publication date: 1944-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 1961-12-12
Also published as: BE424839A; ES143954A1; DE705138C; CH205212A; FR829721A; GB495236A

Description

J. VESELY CARTRIDGE BELT Filed Nov. 24, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 12, J. LY

CARTRIDGE BELT Filed Nov. 24, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f/m/s/vrax asey Wax/4x4 1? Patented Dec. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE CARTRIDGE BELT Josef Vesely, Brunn, Czechoslovakia; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application November 24, 1937, Serial No. 176,335

In Czechoslovakia November 30, 1936 Claims.

Cartridge belts of this kind have previously had the great disadvantage of being unwieldy since the size of the members of the hinge connection was too great. When the size of the members was made too small, this resulted in the diminution of the strength of the belt, since the belt stretched lengthwise and the individual members became deformed, thus causing the cartridges not to be held securely in the belt in the correct position. The incorrect positioning of the cartridges in the belt caused stoppages and disturbances on firing, so that, in this way, the efliciency and the certainty of operation of the firearm was affected.

These disadvantages are avoided by the cartridge belt made according to the present invention by reason of the fact that the members of the belt, in addition to having the openings which enable the cartridges to be pushed out, form an uninterrupted pocket, the hinge parts being arranged directly on the pocket and forming a continuous extension of the pocket. According to a further feature of the invention, the hinge parts, which are arranged directly on the pocket for holding the cartridges, are formed by the material which is rigidly connected with the pocket and stiffens the latter.

Each of the members of the cartridge belt ac cording to the invention is not only simple in construction but is sufficiently stiffened with regard to its production so that it is strong and does not become deformed. The arrangement of the parts of the hinge connection directly on the pocket not only contributes to increase in strength but, owing to the diminution of the size of the members to the smallest possible amount, the most favorable possibility of piling up the belts is obtained.

In order that the present invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described more fully, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric View of part of a cartridge belt embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a front elevation of one of the members of the belt,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the member taken at right angles to Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 2, i

Figure 5 shows the blank from which the member is produced,

Figure 6 is a front elevation of a modified form of member, I

Figure 7 is a longitudinal section taken at right angles to Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 7,

Figure 9 is a front elevation of a further modified form of member,

Figure 10 is a longitudinal section taken at right angles to Figure 9,

Figure 11 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 10,

Figure 12 shows the blank from which the member is produced,

Figure 13 is a section taken on the line II- II of Figure 12, and

Figure 14 is a section of the blank after the formation of the hinge connection of the members and before the formation of the actual pocket. 7

Referring to the drawings, the cartridge belt consists of individual members which are provided with devices for holding the cartridges and are hingedly connected with each other by pivots.

The device for holding the cartridges forms a pocket I, Figures 1 to 5 which is made of metal, such as sheet steel, and partially surrounds the cartridge. The pocket conforms to the shape of the cartridge and forms the surface of a truncated cone or cylinder which is open on one side throughout the whole length thereof to permit a part of the breech mechanism to push the cartridge out of the belt during firing.

The pocket is provided, on one side of the opening 2, with two eyelets 3 and 3' for the hinge pivot, as shown in Figure 4, the said eyelets being arranged on the front and rear ends of the pocket and being separated from each other only by the distance a. Between the eyelets 3 and 3' there is inserted an eyelet 5 of the adjoining member when the belt is being put together and a pin 4 is passed through the eyelets, the said pin being prevented in known manner from falling out. There is thus formed a pivot by which the mem bers are hingedly connected together.

The

eyelets

3 and 3 lie close to the outer surface of the pocket since they are formed by being pressed-out of the same metal sheet as the one of which the pocket consists. The eyelet 5, on the other side, likewise lies close to the outer surface of the pocket and is formed by pressing together the strip 6 which surrounds the pocket for the width a and is rigidly connected therewith by riveting, welding or the like. The strip 6 stiifens the pocket and is, for this purpose, provided with arcuate-shaped corrugations 1 which are formed concentrically with the axis of the pocket.

The pocket is provided with means for fixing the cartridge that has been pushed therein. This means may consist of a projection 10 which engages the bead of the cartridge, as shown in Figure 3.

The member with the eyelets and the stiffening strip are produced from a piece of sheet metal such as sheet steel. The blank, from which the member is produced, is illustrated in Figure 5. It

consists of a plate I5 provided with an enclosed rectangular cut-out portion I6 of the dimensions a, b. On the sides of this cut-out portion there remain of the plate two solid rectangles l1 and ll of the dimensions b and c. The pressed-out eyelets are then separated from eacli other by the dimension a of the rectangular cut-out portion IS. The plate I5, of a length Z, continues on one side into a tongue or extension 18 of the same length Z and of a width (1. From the tongue or extension l8 there are pressed out, on the one hand, the eyelet 5 and, on the other hand, after previously rolling the plate l5 to form the pocket I, the stiffening strip 6 which embraces the pocket on the whole periphery thereof so that it engages between the eyelets 3 and 3'. Pressed out in the plate 15 is a projection l2 which forms in the pocket i the member H] for securing the cartridge. There are then pressed out in the extension I 8 parallel ribs which form the stiffening elements 1 of the strip 6.

The modified form of member illustrated in Figures 6 to 8 is adapted for the putting in of rimmed ammunition. The said member is formed in the same manner as the member for the rimless ammunition, but, instead of one projection I0, there are formed two projections I and Hi", the projection l0 being formed lower for the purpose of facilitating the pushing of the cartridge into the belt. The cartridge case engages with its edge in the depression between the projections l0 and I0" and is thus held in the belt. On the opposite end, the pocket is provided with two pressed-

out projections

22 and 22, Figures 6 and '7, which serve to hold the cartridge in a position which permits of its being introduced into the cartridge chamber easily and without disturbance.

In the further modification illustrated in Figures 9 to 14, the cartridge belt member, as shown in Figure 9, forms the pocket which, except for a longitudinal opening 24, encloses the cartridge case, the said longitudinal opening being formed for the purpose of enabling the movable breech part to push the cartridge out.

The formation of the eyelets for the hinge connection can be seen from the sheet metal blank illustrated in Figures 12 to 14. The blank consists of a plate 30 which is cut out on one side in such a manner that two right-angled cuts 3| and 3| are formed, the vertical sides of which are at a distance a from each other. On the opposite side, the plate is cut out in such a manner that a U-shape is formed in which the vertical sides are in the extension of the vertical sides of the opposite right angled cuts 3!, 3!. The width b of the sides as well as the vertical angles and the U-shape are such that they 'are suflicient for the formation of the hinge connection. The horizontal sides of the right angled cuts 3|, 3! as well as of the U-shape are likewise disposed at a distance I) from the edge.

'An eyelet 21 is formed by pressing out the material 32 between the vertical sides of the cuts 3| and 3| and eyelets 26 and 26' of the hinge connection, Figure 14, are formed from the

rectangles

33 and 33 on the two sidesof the vertical sides of the U-shape.

On the pressing of the eyelet 21 as well as of the eyelets 26 and 26', the strips 34 and 34' are displaced through the width b, which strips lie at this width above the horizontal sides of the right angled cuts 3| and 3| and beneath the horizontal side of the U-shape respectively and come in front of the

rectangular projections

36 and 36 and the rectangular projection 35, re-

spectively as shown in Figure 14. The strips 34 4 and 34' then lie in the same plane as the middle part of the plate 30, whilst the

rectangular projections

36 and 36 and the rectangular projections '35 are bent out and come on the side of the plate on which the eyelets are formed.

After rolling and pressing together the plate to form the pocket 25, the said strips 34 and 34' form the continuation of the pocket so that the latter, except for the opening 24 for the part of the breech mechanism which pushes the cartridge out of the belt, is not interrupted by any opening which might be produced by the using of the corresponding parts of the material of the plate 33 for the formation of the eyelets of the hinge connection.

The projections 36 and 36' and the projection 35 then form the outer stiffenings of the pocket, especially at the positions of the hinge connection and on the edges of the pocket at the opening 24, so that the member produced is especially strong and withstands considerable strain without becoming deformed.

The cutting of this member is simple and without waste of material. The pocket may then be provided with stiffening ribs or with means for grasping the cartridge case at the bead or at the edge as illustrated in Figures 1 to 8.

What I claim is: I

1. A cartridge belt comprising a series of individual members, each member forming a cartridge holding pocket, hinge elements on opposite sides of each member, a reinforcing element connected to each member extending about the wall of said pocket, the hinge elements on one side of said member being integral with the material of the pocket wall and spaced from one another and the hinge elements on the other side of said member being integral with the material of the reinforcing element.

2. A cartridge belt asset forth in claim v1 in which said reinforcing element is in the form of a strip of a Width equal to the distance between the hinge elements on one side of said member which are integral with the material of the pocket wall.

3. A cartridge belt as set forth in claim 1 in which said reinforcing element is in the form of a stifiening strip which surrounds the wall of said pocket and engages between the hinge ele ments formed on one side of said member integral with the material of the pocket wall.

4. A cartridge belt as set forth in claim 1 in which said pocket is formed with double walls and in which the outer wall is formed from said reinforcing element.

5. A cartridge belt as set forth in claim 1 in which said reinforcing element extends from the hinge sockets up to the opening provided in said pocket for the part of the breechmechanism which pushes the cartridge out of the belt.

6. A cartridge belt clip for automatic firearms composed of a substantially rectangular body portion of sheet metal curved to embrace a cartridge, a portion of said body being formed to provide hinge joint lugs adjacent and parallel to a straight side edge of said body portion, and a strip portion extending from the center of the other straight side edge of said body portion and folded thereagainst in a manner to strengthen and reinforce said body portion and form a hinge joint lug adjacent said second mentioned side edge of the body portion, the extremity of said strip being interengaged with and rigidly fixed and mechanically locked to said body portion.

7. A blank for forming an individual member of a cartridge belt comprising a rectangular plate having a rectangular cut out portion therein and side thereof from which a reinforcing element maybe constructed to surround the wall of a cartridge pocket formed from said plate, said extension having a width which is substantially equal to one side of the rectangular cut out portion in said plate and a length which is substantially equal to the length of said plate.

8. A blank for forming an individual member of a cartridge belt comprising a rectangular plate having a rectangular cut out portion therein and an extension on said plate extending from one side thereof from which a reinforcing element may be constructed to surround the wall of a cartridge pocket formed from said plate, one side of said rectangular cut out portion having a "an extension on said plate extending from one length which is substantially equal to the circumference of the hinge socket which is formed adjacent thereto.

9. A cartridge belt comprising individual members, each constituting a cartridge-holding pocket, hinge parts on each side of each of the individual members of the belt formed integrally therewith and means partly surrounding the wall of the cartridge-holding pocket so as to increase the thickness thereof with a consequent stiffening effect also formed integrally with each member, the pocket for holding the cartridge being made with a double wall on both sides at the positions in the vicinity of the hinge parts and between these positions, the outer wall, which serves to stifien the pocket, being formed as an integral extension of the pocket.

10; A cartridge belt comprising individual' members, each constituting a cartridge-holding pocket, hinge parts on each side of each of the individual members of the belt formed integrally therewith and means partly surrounding the wall of the cartridge-holding pocket so as to increase the thickness thereof with a consequent stiffening efiect also formed integrally with each member, said pocket having stifienings formed thereon so that they extend from the positions where the parts of the hinge connection are arranged up to the opening in the pocket for the part of the breech mechanism which pushes the cartridge out of the belt.

JOSEF vEsELY.