US3763741A

US3763741A - Cartridge feeding and loading device for light weapons

Info

Publication number: US3763741A
Application number: US00251247A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Rieke
Original assignee: Rheinstahl AG
Current assignee: Rheinstahl AG
Priority date: 1971-05-07
Filing date: 1972-05-08
Publication date: 1973-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 1990-10-09
Also published as: DE2122780B2; CH535932A; DE2122780C3; SE374197B; DE2122780A1; GB1336284A

Abstract

A cartridge feeding and loading device for light weapons, in which the cartridges withdrawn from a cartridge belt are adapted to be moved by means of a stepwise driven follower in a stationary longitudinally extending conveyor passage and are by means of an intermittently movable pusher transferable from the conveyor passage into a corresponding bore of a rotatable disc which latter is rotatable into an angular position which corresponds to the elevational position of the weapon and thereby of the weapon magazine. In this last mentioned position of the transfer disc the pusher transfers the cartridge from the transfer disc into the magazine.

Description

[ Uet.9,1l973 CARTREDGE FEEDING AND LOADING DIEVTCE FOR LKGHT WEAPONS Inventor: Wilheim Rieke, Bremen, Germany Assignee: Rheinstahl Aktiengesellschaft, Essen,

Germany Filed: May 8, 1972 Appl. No.: 251,247

Foreign Application Priority Data May 7, 1971 Germany P 21 22 780.5

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Aldrin 89/33 A Primary ExaminerStephen C. Bentley Attorney-Walter Becker [57] ABSTRACT A cartridge feeding and loading device for light weapons, in which the cartridges withdrawn from a cartridge belt are adapted to be moved by means of a stepwise driven follower in a stationary longitudinally extending conveyor passage and are by means of an intermittently movable pusher transferable from the conveyor passage into a corresponding bore of a rotatable disc which latter is rotatable into an angular position which corresponds to the elevational position of the weapon and thereby of the weapon magazine. ln this last mentioned position of the transfer disc the pusher transfers the cartridge from the transfer disc into the magazine.

9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Ill/l1 /l I) l III iT :T""" a ii li ff? /4' c i Q SHEET 2 BF 2 PATENTED BET 1975 F IG CARTRIDGE FEEDING AND LOADING DEVICE IFGR LIGHT WEAPONS The present invention relates to a cartridge feeding and loading device for light weapons with a conveying passage extending from the magazine and having its upper end provided with a rotatable disc with a passage for the cartridges.

With light weapons, as a rule, the cartridges stored in belts are stepwise by means of a conveying device actuated by the shooting proper, fed from the magazine to the loading device, and by the latter are pushed out of the ammunition belt and introduced into the cartridge chamber of the barrel. The guiding of the cartridges, however, requires an additional device by means of which the cartridges, prior to the loading operation, are moved into a position which corresponds to the respective angle of elevation of the weapon.

It is known for belted cartridge feeding to provide a conveying passage and to make the same two-sectional in such a way that it comprises a stationary and a tiltable passage. The tiltable passage is connected to the weapon so that it can follow the tilting movement of the weapon about the axis of elevation. The belted cartridges are within the conveying passages guided over deviating or deflecting rollers and guiding rollers and are conveyed by means of the trunnion or gudgeon to the weapon. Such an arrangement is disclosed, for instance, in German Offenlegungsschrift Pat. 1,800,330.

From German Offenlegungsschrift Pat. 1,453,812 there has also become known an arrangement according to which a stationary and a tiltable conveying passage are connected to each other by a housing which has two rotors provided with teeth which engage the cartridge belt and assure a proper position of the cartridge belt prior to its entry into a feeder mounted on the barrel.

These known devices, however, require a relatively large space because the cartridge belts in the individual belt links permit only a slight movability and because, for guiding the cartridges in the direction of the axis of the barrel bore, circular paths are required.

Inasmuch as the space available for withdrawing the belt cartridges from the magazine and for loading of the weapon is generally rather limited, it has been suggested, as connecting element for the two conveying passages, to employ a rotatable perforated disc through which the belted cartridges are passed and deflected.

However, experience has shown that such a device is suitable only for a limited angle of elevation of the weapon because with increasing deflection of the cartridge belt a higher resistance against movement is encountered and, consequently, the employment of this design is excluded with greater angles of elevation of the weapon as it occurs, for instance, when using the weapon for fighting low flying airplanes.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention so to design a device of the above described general character that it can be used without cartridge belt and at any desired angular position of the barrel while requiring little space and being ready for use at any time independent of its respective intended position of use.

This object and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents a vertical section through a device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 represents a rotatable perforated disc as seen from the cartridge feeding device for use in connection with the device of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a section through a portion of the driving device for use in connection with the device of the invention, the driving device including a motor and gear segment drives.

FIG. 4 shows a crank drive for the follower in the conveying passage followed by a crank drive for the rotatable perforated disc as seen from the drive motor while only those parts are shown which are essential for the invention.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the crank drive according to FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a crank drive for the cartridge pusher likewise as seen from the drive motor.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the crank drive of FIG. 6.

The cartridge feeding and loading device for light weapons according to the invention is characterized primarily in that the cartridges withdrawn from the belt are adapted to be moved by means of a stepwise driven deflectable follower in the stationary feeding passage and are also adapted from this stationary feeding passage individually by an intermittently movable pusher to be pushed into the rotatable perforated disc, which disc changes the position of the cartridges from the position in which they were introduced into an angular position corresponding to the respective elevated position of the barrel, whereupon the cartridges are by means of the pusher pressed into a lateral opening of the cartridge chamber. Thereupon the perforated disc, the pusher, and the follower are returned to their loading and starting position for a new cycle while devices are provided for a separate drive.

According to a further development of the invention, the conveying passage has locking elements adapted to deflect in transporting direction, and has its upper end arranged on a housing extending in transverse direction and provided for the pusher.

According to a still further feature of the invention, the rotatable perforated disc is located between the conveying passage and the weapon and is coaxial with the trunnion or gudgeon of the weapon while being adapted independently of the movement of elevation of the weapon to be moved in an antifriction bearing. In this connection it is expedient that the rotatable perfo' rated disc has an opening which corresponds approximately to the dimensions of the cartridge while on that side of the opening which faces the conveying passage, at the longitudinal sides of the opening, there are pro vided supports located opposite to each other which have diametrically oppositely located recesses. In these recesses springs are provided which in pairs hold the cartridge yieldably therebetween by means of a correspondingly curved section. A pair of springs engages a recess in the cartridge so that the latter is secured against a longitudinal movement.

Preferably the rotatable perforated disc has a stationary abutment which in its loading position is in alignment with a likewise stationary abutment, and at the same angular position of the barrel is in alignment with an abutment located, for instance, on the cartridge chamber.

Preferably as separate drive there is provided a motor with gear segment transmission while for conveying the stepwise movements limited by two end positions and alternating in their direction crank drives with connecting rods are employed.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the device shown therein comprises a stationary conveying passage ll having one end connected to a non-illustrated cartridge magazine and having its other end connected to the slide or pusher housing 2. In the conveying passage 1 there is provided a deflectable follower 3 which is driven stepwise and which during the feeding operation catches behind the cartridges 4 withdrawn from the belt and arranged in spaced relationship one behind the other. In order to make sure that, when the follower 3 is lifted off the cartridges 4, the latter cannot fall back into the magazine, the conveying or feeding passage 1 is provided with locking members adapted to deflect in transporting direction. The housing 2 which is connected to the upper end of the conveying passage 1 extends transverse thereto and comprises a slide or pusher S which is adapted to feed the cartridges 4 individually from the conveying passage 1 into the perforated disc 6 which follows the passage 1 in conveying direction. To this end, the pusher 5 is provided with a supporting member which is bowl-shaped and corresponds to one half of the length of the cartridge. The rotatable perforated disc 6 is coaxial with the trunnion or gudgeon for the elevational movement of the weapon 8 and rests in an antifriction bearing 9 which is located between the conveying passage 1 and the weapon 8. The perforated disc 6 is movable independently of the elevational movement of the weapon 8 and has an opening 10 which corresponds approximately to the dimensions of the cartridge 4. At both longitudinal sides of the opening 110 and pointing toward the passage ll there are provided supports 11, 111' which are located opposite to each other and which during the transport of the cartridge 4 from the conveying passage 1 to the perforated disc 6 serve as guiding means for the cartridge. In these supporting means there are provided diametrically oppositely located recesses 112, 112 and T3, 13' in which springs 14, 14' and T5, 15' are connected. These springs are arranged in pairs which hold the cartridge 41 therebetween in corresponding depressions. In order to prevent the cartridge, for instance when rotating the perforated disc 6, from being displaced in axial direction, two oppositely located

springs

14, 14 forming a pair engage a recess or groove 116a of the cartridge 4. After the cartridge 4 is pushed into the rotatable perforated disc 6 and has been grasped by the springs 14, H4 and l5, 15', the pusher 5 is retracted by an amount equalling the diameter of the cartridge, and the perforated disc is by means of a drive to be described later turned until the car tridge 4 located in the disc 6 occupies an angular position which corresponds to the axis of the barrel bore as it is indicated, for instance, in FIG. 2 by dot-dash lines. The rotatable disc 6 has a stationary abutment 16 which in the loading position for the disc is in alignment with a non-illustrated likewise stationary abutment and, when the disc 6 is in the same angular position as the barrel, is in alignment with an abutment 18 arranged, for instance, on the cartridge chamber 117 of the weapon 8. As soon as the abutment 16 of the rotatable perforated disc 6 engages the abutment 18 of the weapon 8 so that the cartridge 4 in the disc 6 occupies an angular position corresponding to the axis of the barrel bore, the pusher 5 is again advanced forwardly and presses the cartridge 4 out of the holding springs 14, H4 and 115, 115' through the opening 10 in the disc 6 and further through a lateral opening 19 into the cartridge chamber 117 of the weapon 8. Subsequently, the disc 6 is turned back into the loading position, the pusher 5 is moved back to its starting position, and the follower 3 is lowered so that a new cycle of the cartridge feeding and loading opeartion can start.

After the general design of the cartridge feeding and loading device and its position with regard to the weapon has been explained, there will now be described the device for driving or operating the same. The drive is effected by a motor 20 which is independent of the shooting action. The motor 20 comprises an output shaft 2E having arranged thereon a gear segment drive 22 for the pusher 5 in housing 2 and also having arranged thereon a gear segment drive 23 for the rotatable perforated disc 6. The transmission 23 has associated therewith an additional gear 24 for the follower 3 in the conveying passage ii. The

transmissions

22, 23 primarily comprise a

control gear

25, 26 with tooth gaps and also comprise gears 24:, 27, 28,

holding discs

29, 30, 31,

cranks

32, 33, 34 and connecting

rods

35, 36, 37. The connecting rod 35 is linked to a twoarm stationary but pivotally journalled lever 38 the other lever arm of which is rotatable about a fixed pivot (not shown) and is connected to the pusher 5. The connecting rod 36 linked to the crank 33 and connected to the rotatable disc 6 forms a telescopic rod and is under continuous spring pressure. The stroke is designed for a pivot angle of When the elevational angle of the weapon is less than 90, the abutment 18 of the cartridge chamber 117 permits in cooperation with the abutment 16 of disc 6 only a corresponding rotation of disc 6, and the spring in the telescopic rod is compressed. During one revolution of the outputshaft 21 of motor 20 seven conveying steps are carried out:

Step 1: Tilting of the crank 34 by 90 and transporting the cartridge 4 in the conveying passage 1 by the follower 3.

Step 2: Tilting of the crank 32 by 60 and transporting of the cartridge 4 from the conveying passage 1 into the disc 6 by means of the pusher 5.

Step 3: Tilting of the crank 33 by 90 and simultaneous rotation of the disc 6 until the cartridge 4 occupies a position parallel to the barrel bore axis of weapon 8.

At the same time the crank 34 tilts the follower 3 in passage 1 downwardly.

Steps 4 and 5: Tilting of the crank 32 by four times 60 and simultaneous conveying of the cartridge from disc 6 into the cartridge chamber 117 of the weapon 8 and rearward movement of pusher 5 to the disc 6.

Step 6: Tilting of the crank 33 by 90 and rotation of disc 6 to its loading position.

Step 7: Tilting of the crank 32 by 60 and return of pusher 5 to its starting position.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A cartridge feeding and loading device for light weapons, which includes: longitudinally extending stationary conveying means having one end adapted to be connected to a supply of cartridges for successively receiving therefrom cartridges one behind the other, a

rotatable transfer disc having its axis of rotation located near the other end of said longitudinally extending conveying means with said axis of rotation extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extension of said conveying means, said transfer disc having receiving passage means extending along a diameter of said disc for temporarily receiving a cartridge, said stationary conveying means having a transverse passage therethrough arranged in substantial alignment with said receiving passage means in a first position of said disc, a weapon comprising a cartridge chamber connected to said weapon and journalled as part of said weapon so as to be pivotable about an axis arranged in axial alignment with the axis of rotation of said transfer disc, said disc also being pivotable from said first position to a second position by an angle corresponding to the respective angle of elevation of the barrel of said weapon, and longitudinally extending pusher means extending in axial alignment with said transverse passage and operable to extend into and through said transverse passage for transferring one cartridge at a time from said conveying means into said receiving passage means when said disc is in said first position, said pusher means also being operable after rotation of said disc to said second position to push the respective cartridge in said receiving passage means from the latter into said cartridge chamber of said weapon.

2. A device according to claim 1, which includes motor driven control means operatively connected to said transfer disc and said conveying means and said pusher means respectively for automatically resetting them at the end of a cycle.

3. A device according to claim 1, which includes housing means for guiding said pusher means, and in which said conveying means includes casing means connected to said housing means and also includes locking means for temporarily holding the cartridges in said conveying means in their respective positions, said locking means being movable in the conveying direction of said conveying means.

4. A device according to claim 1, in which said rotatable transfer disc is located between said conveying means and said weapon and has its axis of rotation in axial alignment with the pivot axis of said weapon, antifriction bearing means being provided for rotatably supporting said transfer disc for rotation of said transfer disc independently of the elevational pivoting movement of the barrel of said weapon 5. A device according to claim l, in which said receiving passage means is of approximately rectangular cross sectional to accomodate the respective cartridge for said weapon, and in which pairs of spring means are arranged opposite to each other and associated with said receiving passage means for yieldably holding a cartridge inserted into said receiving passage means while preventing said last mentioned cartridge from moving in its axial direction.

6. A device according to claim 5, in which said spring means are operable to engage groove means on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of a cartridge in said receiving passage means.

7. A device according to claim 1, in which said trans fer disc includes control abutment means and said weapon includes first abutment means for engagement with said control abutment means when said transfer disc occupies said second position, said device also including second abutment means for engagement by said control abutment means when said transfer disc occupies said first position.

8. A device according to claim 7, in which said first abutment means is firmly connected to the cartridge chamber of the weapon.

9. A device according to claim 1, which includes driving means comprising motor means and gear seg ment transmission means drivingly connected to said motor means for actuating said conveying means and said transfer disc and said pusher means.

Claims

1. A cartridge feeding and loading device for light weapons, which includes: longitudinally extending stationary conveying means having one end adapted to be connected to a supply of cartridges for successively receiving therefrom cartridges one behind the other, a rotatable transfer disc having its axis of rotation located near the other end of said longitudinally extending conveying means with said axis of rotation extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extension of said conveying means, said transfer disc having receiving passage means extending along a diameter of said disc for temporarily receiving a cartridge, said stationary conveying means having a transverse passage therethrough arranged in substantial alignment with said receiving passage means in a first position of said disc, a weapon comprising a cartridge chamber connected to said weapon and journalled as part of said weapon so as to be pivotable about an axis arranged in axial alignment with the axis of rotation of said transfer disc, said disc also being pivotable from said first position to a second position by an angle corresponding to the respective angle of elevation of the barrel of said weapon, and longitudinally extending pusher means extending in axial alignment with said transverse passage and operable to extend into and through said trAnsverse passage for transferring one cartridge at a time from said conveying means into said receiving passage means when said disc is in said first position, said pusher means also being operable after rotation of said disc to said second position to push the respective cartridge in said receiving passage means from the latter into said cartridge chamber of said weapon.

4. A device according to claim 1, in which said rotatable transfer disc is located between said conveying means and said weapon and has its axis of rotation in axial alignment with the pivot axis of said weapon, anti-friction bearing means being provided for rotatably supporting said transfer disc for rotation of said transfer disc independently of the elevational pivoting movement of the barrel of said weapon.

5. A device according to claim 1, in which said receiving passage means is of approximately rectangular cross sectional to accomodate the respective cartridge for said weapon, and in which pairs of spring means are arranged opposite to each other and associated with said receiving passage means for yieldably holding a cartridge inserted into said receiving passage means while preventing said last mentioned cartridge from moving in its axial direction.

7. A device according to claim 1, in which said transfer disc includes control abutment means and said weapon includes first abutment means for engagement with said control abutment means when said transfer disc occupies said second position, said device also including second abutment means for engagement by said control abutment means when said transfer disc occupies said first position.

9. A device according to claim 1, which includes driving means comprising motor means and gear segment transmission means drivingly connected to said motor means for actuating said conveying means and said transfer disc and said pusher means.