US3596557A - Positioning device for correcting mislinked ammunition - Google Patents

Positioning device for correcting mislinked ammunition Download PDF

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Publication number
US3596557A
US3596557A US695145A US3596557DA US3596557A US 3596557 A US3596557 A US 3596557A US 695145 A US695145 A US 695145A US 3596557D A US3596557D A US 3596557DA US 3596557 A US3596557 A US 3596557A
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Prior art keywords
round
clip
rounds
succeeding
bullet
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Expired - Lifetime
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US695145A
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English (en)
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Robert W Henshaw
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General Electric Co
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General Electric Co
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
    • F41A9/00—Feeding or loading of ammunition; Magazines; Guiding means for the extracting of cartridges
    • F41A9/29—Feeding of belted ammunition
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41A—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS COMMON TO BOTH SMALLARMS AND ORDNANCE, e.g. CANNONS; MOUNTINGS FOR SMALLARMS OR ORDNANCE
    • F41A9/00—Feeding or loading of ammunition; Magazines; Guiding means for the extracting of cartridges
    • F41A9/54—Cartridge guides, stops or positioners, e.g. for cartridge extraction
    • F41A9/58—Cartridge stops; Cartridge positioners

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A device for correctly positioning mislinked ammunition in a linked ammunition belt, including, a toothed wheel supported from an open-ended housing through which the belt passes, wherein the wheel teeth engage the bullet ends of individual rounds for automatically realigning said mislinked rounds with respect to the other rounds in the belt.
  • This invention relates primarily to ammunition feed mechanisms for a variety of high rate of fire weapons including machine guns using cartridge ammunition in linked belt form.
  • Conventional ammunition feed systems for belt fed automatic or semiautomatic firearms include an arrangement whereby a plurality of links are pivotally hinged together, to form the belt, each link containing an individual round of ammunition which is transported by the belt for removal at the gun in a stripping or loading operation.
  • machine gun ammunition conveyor systems employing disintegrating belts comprising individual link elements include means for stripping the elements from the ammunition.
  • end stripping of the link is accomplished by holding the link while the ammunition round or cartridge is pushed out of the link in the axial direction.
  • an improved side stripping mechanism has recently been employed, such a mechanism being disclosed in the U.S. patent of common assignment 3,333,506, entitled Side Stripping Mechanism For Linked Ammunition" issued to Henshaw et al.
  • a more specific object of the subject invention is to provide a device for correctly positioning the longitudinal axes of individual rounds relative to the longitudinal axis of a linked belt containing the rounds prior to delivery of the ammunition to a delinking mechanism, such as a gun feeder or ammunition storage drum.
  • SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 7 In a disclosed embodiment of the invention for use with belted ammunition l provide means to correctly position rounds in the belt including, an open-ended housing defining a passage through which the linked rounds pass in a manner such that the respective bullet and primer ends of the rounds are in close opposition to the housing side walls, and a camming wheel mounted adjacent one of said side walls and rotatable about a center fixed with respect to the side walls.
  • Theccamming, or relinking wheel has a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth on its periphery which extend through an opening 'in one of the sidewalls and into the path of the bullet ends of rounds moving through the housing.
  • Adjacent divergent camming surfaces on the wheel teeth define a null area therebetween which locates the bullet end engaged thereby, as the wheel is revolved, to correctly align the longitudinal axis of the round, with respect to preceding and succeeding and succeeding rounds in said belt, equi-laterally of the longitudinal axis of the belt.
  • FIG. 11 is a pictorial schematic of an automatic gun and feed system incorporating the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view, partially broken away and partially in cross section illustrating the relative positions of mislinked and correctly linked rounds in the system, and the relinking wheel of my invention
  • FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
  • FIGS. 4a, 4b, and 4c illustrate schematically the manner in which a round mislinked forwardly of its normal position is relinked
  • FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c are similar schematic illustrations of a round being relinked, after having been mislinked on a rearward location.
  • FIG. 11 is a typical high rate of fire automatic machine gun of the Gatling-gun variety.
  • Such weapons currently in the military arsenal have very high rates of fire up to and exceeding 6,000 shots per minute (s.p.m.).
  • the gun forming no part of the present invention, which will work equally as well in any other type of semiautomatic or fully automatic weapon system utilizing belted ammunition, is more specifically described in detail in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,849,921 to Otto.
  • the gun comprises a plurality of barrels 12 mounted on a rotor 14 for rotation about a common gun axis.
  • the rotor is rotatably supported in a housing 16 to which is attached a feeder mechanism of a conventional type, located generally on the housing at 18.
  • the feeder mechanism is connected to an ammunition storage device or container 20 by means of a flexible chute 22 typical of a known variety useful in such a weapon system, such as that shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,351,370 to Schaaff.
  • a flexible chute 22 typical of a known variety useful in such a weapon system, such as that shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,351,370 to Schaaff.
  • the device of the present invention indicated generally at 24.
  • the typical belted ammunition system comprises individual cartridges or rounds R held together by a plurality of metal links 26.
  • the link shown is a known type of link and forms no part of the present invention.
  • Each link consists of essentially C-shaped loops 26a and 26b which are coaxial about a first common axis.
  • the third loop 36c has a second axis, so that both axes are parallel to each other with the double loops being spaced apart, as shown, and the space between loops 26a and 26b being adapted to receive a single central loop 260. It will thus be understood that the area on either side of a single center loop 26c of one link receives the spaced apart double loops 26a and 26b of an adjoining link.
  • the housing is generally rectangular in shape having a pair of spaced apart top and bottom walls 31 and 32, respectively, supported by a pair of sidewalls 33 and 34, also respectively.
  • the aforementioned walls form an open ended, boxlike structure.
  • the box may actually be formed of two pieces, as shown, wherein the top piece has a pair of flanges 31a and 31b at either extremity thereof which overlap and project vertically over the end walls.
  • the housing therefore, surrounds a passage 36 adapted to receive the belt of linked ammunition, previously described and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • the primary feature of the "mislink" correcting device of my invention is a toothed relinking wheel, indicated generally at 40.
  • the wheel comprises teeth, one of which is indicated at 4], equally spaced about the periphery of the wheel, a central bore 42, and an axle 44.
  • the axle is supported by upper and lower pad means 46 and 48 respectively, attached to or integral with the housing.
  • bearing means 50 to permit free movement of the wheel which is idling, i.e., self-powered by movement of the ammunition belt through the housing passage 36.
  • the axle or shaft 44 of the relinking wheel 40 is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the passage through which the ammunition belt moves when entrained in the housing.
  • wheel 40 projects inwardly of the housing passage, through an opening 51, whereby the teeth may be contacted by the rounds as hereinafter described in detail.
  • Another feature of my invention, particularly suited to handle an occurrence ofa plurality of mislinked rounds in one area of the belt is a pair of idler sprockets, indicated generally at 52 and 54, respectively.
  • the idler sprockets are supported on a shaft 56 having reduced end portions at 56a and 56b at either extremity of the shaft.
  • the end portions 56:: and 5612 are adapted to be received in slots 60 and 61 in the respective housing sidewalls 33 and 34, which slots are then essentially closed off by the overlapping top wall flanges 31a and 31b, respectively, for ease of disassembly.
  • the idler wheels may be maintained axially of the housing by spacers 62-62 on shaft 56. It will also be noted that the idler wheels project out through a pair of identical 64 openings laterally spaced in the top wall 31 of the housing.
  • step or sidewall which slidingly supports the base or primer ends of the moving rounds R, is described hereinafter in detail.
  • a pad indicated generally at 72 in FIG. 3 which functions a positioning or leveling device. As seen in the drawing the bullet ends of the rounds R have a smaller diameter than the cartridge base or primer ends. Therefore means 72 are desirable to maintain the longitudinal axis of the round or cartridge essentially parallel to the housing bottom wall 32.
  • the middle cartridge or round R is mislinked forwardly of the longitudinal belt axis.
  • the relinking wheel 40 is so shaped and positioned that it will rotate when acted upon by the bullet end of the individual rounds moving through the housing passage 36.
  • the bullet nose of the round first engages the tooth indicated at 41a as the round passes from the step portion to a position immediately over the surface of the end wall.
  • the bullet nose is resting along a side or lateral camming surface 80 of tooth 41a.
  • null point 41c when null point 41c has moved into a position whereby its inside surface of wall 34 of the housing (at the right in the drawing) is at a minimum the bullet or projectile point will have been captured between the adjacent camming surfaces of teeth 41a and 41b as shown in FIG. 40.
  • the middle cartridge R will essentially be positioned on a line with the adjacent rounds as the belt moves on out of passage 36 and free of the housing.
  • FIGS. Sa-Sc If, on the other hand, as shown in FIGS. Sa-Sc, a cartridge or round R is mislinked rearward it will be in contact with the step wall indicated at 70. This will cause the middle cartridge R" in the drawing, however, which is properly linked or connected to the mislinked cartridge R, to protrude forward beyond the mislinked cartridge, as shown in FIG. 5a.
  • the protruding cartridge will contact relinking wheel tooth 41a and, while it is in the correct position with repect to the belt axis, subsequent rotation will result in a camming action on this cartridge, as shown in FIG. 5b.
  • the camming action of surfaces 80, 81 being operative on the correctly positioned round R which has been cause to protrude slightly in the belt causes the link on the mislinked round R to slide back along the case.
  • the relinking wheel 40 has performed a similar function as it did in the case ofa round mislinked in the forward direction, but has instead, been operating on the cartridge or round immediately adjacent and ahead of the cartridge or round which is actually mislinked rearwardly.
  • step or platform 70 on the sidewall 34 is to take up the looseness existing due to the differences between the width of the double loops 26a, 26b and the width of the single loop 26c in the next adjacent or preceding link connected thereto by insertion of the round.
  • the two idler or sprocket wheels 52, 54 are mounted on shaft 56, the axis of which is perpendicular but does not intersect with the centerline 74 of the relinking wheel shaft 44.
  • These sprockets by engagement of their teeth 52a, 54a, respectively, with the main body cartridge case portion of the rounds R, counteract the tipping component or motion of the round, if any, caused by the camming action or force of the relinking wheel as it operates to adjust or correctly position a mislinked round.
  • the idler sprockets eliminate or minimize any overturning or yawing movement which might otherwise be present in the belt during operation of the relinking wheel thereon.
  • the sprocket wheels are freely rotating on shaft 56, revolving as the belt is pulled through the housing passage and, thus, need not be separately actuated or powered.
  • Other obvious uses for the device include checking for mislinked rounds prior to loading the ammunition boxes. It could also be used as a portable device to check belts before they are used for test firing or actual combat purposes.
  • An ammunition handling system including: an ammunition belt comprising:
  • each clip having two distal spaced-apart, open loop, portions disposed on and coaxial with a respective round, and a medial, open loop portion disposed on and coaxial with the next adjacent round between the respective distal loop portions of the next adjacent clip;
  • platform means disposed in said passageway means adjacent said primer ends of said rounds, and adapted to limit longitudinal movement of each round in the primer end direction
  • said medial loop portion of said preceding clip has a longitudinal width which is narrower by a given length than the longitudinal width of this space between the distal loop portions of said succeeding clip, thereby permitting longitudinal play between said clips equal to said given length; and said platform means includes a first portion, relatively upstream along said path of travel of said rounds, and a second portion, relatively downstream, said portions having a longitudinal step therebetween equal to said given length; whereby when said bullet end of said preceding round engages said camming means, said primer end thereof is adjacent said second portion of said platform means, and said primer end of said next succeeding round abuts said first portion of said platform means.
  • said means providing camming surfaces is a star wheel. 4.
  • a system according to claim 3 wherein: when said preceding round is longitudinally misaligned with the bullet end too close to said star wheel, said star wheel moves said round towards said second portion of said platform means, initially moving the medial loop of said preceding clip into abutment with the stationary succeeding clip, and subsequently moving the preceding round with respect to the now stationary preceding clip.
  • said star wheel moves the preceding round towards said second portion of said platform means, initially moving the media] loop of said preceding clip into abutment with the succeeding clip, and subsequently moving the succeeding clip with respect to the stationary succeeding round.
  • a system according to claim 3 further including a pair of sprocket wheels, journaled on an axis parallel to the longitudinal axes of said rounds, and adapted to sequentially engage each round as it is respectively engaged by said star wheel to constrain said round to longitudinal movement along a path parallel to the longitudinal axis of the next succeeding round.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Portable Nailing Machines And Staplers (AREA)
  • Automatic Assembly (AREA)
US695145A 1968-01-02 1968-01-02 Positioning device for correcting mislinked ammunition Expired - Lifetime US3596557A (en)

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US69514568A 1968-01-02 1968-01-02

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CH (1) CH482164A (en))
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Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20030177896A1 (en) * 2000-08-30 2003-09-25 Sylvain Dionne Firearm conversion kit
KR101000030B1 (ko) 2008-12-18 2010-12-09 재단법인 국방기술품질원 송탄링크 얼라이너
US8028826B1 (en) * 2010-01-29 2011-10-04 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Storage system for 25mm IM cartridges
US20120000351A1 (en) * 2010-07-02 2012-01-05 Magpul Industries Corp. Linkage for Rimmed Ammunition

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2396264A1 (fr) * 1977-06-30 1979-01-26 France Etat Dispositif d'alimentation pour armes automatiques a grands debattements en rotation

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2180741A (en) * 1938-06-09 1939-11-21 Lisov John Magazine for firearms
GB793371A (en) * 1955-04-19 1958-04-16 Lea Francis Cars Ltd Improved winch, for a "dispenser" for belt-carried ammunition

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2180741A (en) * 1938-06-09 1939-11-21 Lisov John Magazine for firearms
GB793371A (en) * 1955-04-19 1958-04-16 Lea Francis Cars Ltd Improved winch, for a "dispenser" for belt-carried ammunition

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20030177896A1 (en) * 2000-08-30 2003-09-25 Sylvain Dionne Firearm conversion kit
US6715396B2 (en) * 2000-08-30 2004-04-06 Snc Technologies Inc. Firearm conversion kit
KR101000030B1 (ko) 2008-12-18 2010-12-09 재단법인 국방기술품질원 송탄링크 얼라이너
US8028826B1 (en) * 2010-01-29 2011-10-04 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Storage system for 25mm IM cartridges
US20120000351A1 (en) * 2010-07-02 2012-01-05 Magpul Industries Corp. Linkage for Rimmed Ammunition
US8342072B2 (en) * 2010-07-02 2013-01-01 Magpul Industries Corp. Linkage for rimmed ammunition

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DE1900073A1 (de) 1969-08-28
BE726395A (en)) 1969-06-16
CH482164A (de) 1969-11-30
FR1600611A (en)) 1970-07-27

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