US2368076A

US2368076A - Cartridge belt filling machine

Info

Publication number: US2368076A
Application number: US418991A
Authority: US
Inventors: John H Woodberry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1941-11-13
Filing date: 1941-11-13
Publication date: 1945-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1962-01-23

Description

Jan. 23, 1945. J WOODBERRY 2,368,076

CARTRIDGE BELT FILLING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1941 Bil/OW FiH 4c I John Wuudberry MOT/MW Patented Jan. 23, 1945 CARTRIDGE BELT FILLING MACHINE John- H.-Woodb erry, United States Army, Metuchen', N. J. a

' Application November 13, 19 11, Serial No. 418,991

'(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757

'9 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon;

This invention relates to a machine for loading cartridge belts, and in particular to an element which facilitates opening-a belt for insertion of a cartridge. The novel element in its preferred form comprises a pivoted member with an oscillating or shuttle action actuated by the normal motions of belt and cartridge respectively in theloading operation.

In the known types of belt loaders, as shown for instance in U. S. Patent No. 660,244, a pair of needles is employed to initi'atethe separation of the sides of a cartridge belt preparatory to insertion of the cartridge. Considerable difiiculty hasbeen experienced with the operation of needles. They break and get out of adjustment. As a result, the present machines operate very unsatisfactorily. Considerable time is lost by operators, and skilled mechanics have to supervise the operations in order to keep the needles properly adjusted.

It is therefore an object of the invention to produce a belt opener for a loading machine which shall be sturdy of construction as well as positive in action and which will obviate the use of needles for belt opening purposes.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a conventional belt loading machine with the novel belt opener or shuttle in place.

Figure 2 is a view in perspectiveof the shuttle.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the shuttle, and

Figure 4 is a front View of the shuttle.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, there is shown in Figure '1 a belt-loading machine of known construction having a bed plate I, and a swinging arm 2' carrying a star wheel 3 with troughs 4 to back up the cartridge pockets 5 in the belt. A magazine 6 holds the cartridges 1 and a pusher member I advances the cartridges into the belt when the' handle 9 is turned. -Another star wheel similar to 3 is located beneath the belt to cooperate with wheel at H between the'bed'plate I and jutting arm l2 fixed to the bed plate; In the form shown by way of example the shuttle has two disk faces l3 and It separated by a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the belt to be loaded when the latter is empty and collapsed. The faces I3, it are joined only by a small bridge of material 8 surrounding the pivot hole l5 and by the finger or blade I6. The latter has a forward edge l7 generally axe-like in shape, a broadening rounded inner edge L8 and a-flat outer edge I9 0n the general line of the periphery of the disks. A rounded channel 20 is formed in the outer edge if! and at the forward edge of this channel is a somewhatdeeper indentation 2|. The

edge ll is shown as midway between the faces l3, it but may have other intermediate posi-' The functions of the various features of struc- I ture embodied in the shuttle-are best described by following a cycle of operations in the beltloading machine. Figure 1 shows the position of the various units with a particular cartridge 21 in position for its first advance toward the belt pocket 5 under the urging of the pusher member 1 As the cartridge advances, the indentation 21 receives the bullet point .and gives it a final guarantee of alignment in. the direction of the belt pocket 5. The shuttle, which issimply sus-- pended at H for free oscillation, is .urged in a counterclockwise .sense- .by the advancing cartridge 21. The axe-like edge I! which enters between the collapsedxsides .of the belt pocket 5 accurately because .of the fixed relation the edge l1! bears to the disks I3, 14 guiding the belt, commences the opening of the pocket and" guides the bullet point within. Continued rotation of the shuttle thereafter removes the indentation 2 from the path ofthe advancing'bulletpoint, the side of the bullet being at this stage accommodated in rounded channel '20. As is well known in machines of this type, the cartridge is advanced into-the belt in two stages-only the marrow, forward portion beinginserted in the first i6 and the cartridge can be accomodated at this stage.

When pusher member I has advanced to the limit of its motion, the lower star Wheel (not shown) advances the belt and the pocket 5 car ries with it the finger IS in a clockwise direction and ejects it. The finger l6 then comes to rest when the indentation 2| contacts the succeeding cartridge which is already in position for the stroke of the pusher.

The stop 26 has no function during the loading process, but is merely provided to guarantee that the shuttle finger IE will not accidentally progress so far in a counterclockwise direction when no belt is in the machine that its edge I? will not be engaged by an incoming belt for positioning under the cartridge tip. As a practical matter, no stop is necessary for restraining the shuttle in its clockwise motion, this function being performed by the awaiting cartridge, there being, in

general, no break in the continuity of the sup-ply of cartridges from the magazine. However, an additional stop for the shuttle slightly beyond the position of its engagement with the bullet point may be provided.

The

recesses

22 and 23 are provided to furnish clearance for the edge of th cartridge belt as the finger I6 is inserted into the pocket 5.

I claim:

1. In a machine for loading cartridges in the spaced pockets of a two-ply belt said machine having a cartridge loading station, means intermittently feeding said belt past said station serially positioning said pockets to receive a cartridge, means delivering cartridges to said sta- ,1

tion and means for advancing and inserting cartridges singly into said pockets, the combination of a belt opening device comprising a pocket opening finger pivoted on the cartridge receiving side of said belt for rotation into and out of a belt pocket in cartridge receiving position, means on said finger for engagement with a cartridge being advanced by said advancing means to rotate said finger in pocket opening direction and a second means on said finger for engagement with;

said belt being fed by said belt feeding means to rotate said finger in the opposite direction.

2. In a machine for loading cartridges in the spaced pockets of a two-ply belt, said machine having a cartridge loading station, means intermittently feeding said belt past said station serially positioning said pockets to receive a cartridge, means delivering cartridges to said station and means for advancing and inserting cartridges singly into said pockets,- the combination of a belt opening device comprising a pocket opening finger pivoted on the cartridge receiving side of said belt for rotation in the plane of said belt into and out of a belt pocket in cartridge receiving position, and means on said finger for engagement with a cartridge being advanced by said advancing means to rotate said finger in pocket opening direction and a second means on said finger for engagement with said belt being fed by said belt feeding means to rotate said finger in the opposite direction.

3. In a machine for loading cartridges in the spaced pockets of a two-ply belt, said machine having a cartridge loading station, means intermittently feeding said belt past said station serially positioning said pocket to receive a cartridge, means delivering cartridges to said station and means for advancing and inserting cartridges singly into said pockets, the combination of a belt' opening device comprising a pocket opening finger pivoted on the cartridge receiving side of 'said belt for rotation into and out of a belt pocket in cartridge receiving position, said finger having a generally arcuate body portion terminating in an axe-like pocket entering edge, said body broadening in the direction of said entering edge, means on said finger for engagement with a cartridge being advanced by said advancing means to rotate said finger in pocket opening direction and a second means on said finger for engagement with said belt being fed by said belt feeding means to rotate said finger in the opposite direction.

4. .In a machine as defined in claim 3, the combination of a belt opening device as defined in claim 3 in which said means "on said pocket opening finger for engagement with a cartridge being advanced comprises a rounded channel on the face of said finger adjacent the cartridges being advanced.

deeper indentation at the end of said channel ad- .l'acent said pocket entering edge.

6. In a machine for loading cartridges in the spaced pockets of a two-ply belt, said machine having a cartridge loading station, means intermittently feeding said belt past said station serially positioning said pockets to receive a cartridge, means delivering cartridges to said station and means for advancingand inserting cartridges singly into said pockets, the combination of a belt opening device comprising a pocket opening finger pivoted on the cartridge receiving side of said belt for rotation into and out of a belt pocket in cartridge receiving position, a pair of spaced plate members guidingly embracing said belt and carried by said finger, means on said finger for enagement with a cartridge being advanced by said advancing means to rotate said finger in pocket opening direction and a second means on said finger for engagement with said belt being fed by said belt feeding means to rotate said finger in the opposite direction.

In a machine for loading cartridges in the spaced pockets of a two-ply belt, said machine having acartridge loading station, means intermittently feeding said belt past said station serially positioning said pockets to receivea cartridge, means delivering cartridges to said station and means for advancing and inserting cartridges singly into said pockets, the combination of a belt opening device comprising a pocket opening finger pivoted on the cartridge receiving side of said belt for rotation into and out of a belt pocket in cartridge receiving position, a pair of spaced plate members guidingly embracing said belt, means on said finger for engagement with a cartridge being advanced by said advancing means to rotate said finger in pocket opening direction and a second means on said finger for engagement With said belt being fed by said belt feeding means to rotate said finger in the opposite direction.

8. In a machine for loading cartridges in the spaced Pockets of a two-ply belt, said machine having a cartridge loading station, means intermittently feeding said belt past said station serially positioning said pockets to receivea cartridge, means delivering cartridges to said statridges singly into said pockets, the combination.

of a belt opening device comprising a pocket opening finger pivoted on the cartridge receiving side of said belt for rotation in the plane of said belt into and out of a belt pocket in cartridge receiving position, and means on said finger for engagement with a cartridge being advanced by said advancing means to rotate said finger in pocket opening direction, a second means on said finger 10 for engagement with said belt being fed by said belt feeding means to rotate said finger in the opposite direction, a stop member carried by said finger and means carried by said machine engageable with said stop member to prevent said finger from returning in said opposite direction beyond the line of advancement of said cartridges.

9. In a machine as defined in claim 6, a combi nation of a belt opening device as defined in claim a 6 in which one of said plate members is provided with a stop member and means carried by said machine engageable with said stop member to prevent said finger from returning in'said opposite direction beyond the line of advancement of said cartridges.-

J'OI-IN H. WOODBERRY.