US3078765A

US3078765A - Cartridge belt link with removable loop closing cover

Info

Publication number: US3078765A
Application number: US62059A
Authority: US
Inventors: James F Falcone; Hammer Alexander
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-10-11
Filing date: 1960-10-11
Publication date: 1963-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 1980-02-26

Description

Feb. 26, 1963 J. F. FALCONE ET AI. 3,

CARTRIDGE BELT LINK WITH REMOVABLE LOOP CLOSING COVER Filed Oct. 11, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

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CARTRIDGE BELT LINK WITH REMOVABLE LOOP CLOSING COVER Filed Oct. 11, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wwmmw INVENTOR. JumEEFFUln UTlE Alexun [[EETHU'IITITIET United States The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to cartridge belt links and more particularly to links which permit the cartridges to be side stripped therefrom yet have the retention strength of those links of closed loop types.

In order to eliminate the displacement of rounds in the retaining links of a cartridge belt during transfer to the feeding mechanism of'a firearm it is necessary to provide the retaining loops of the links with sufficient gripping force to withstand the accelerative forces produced by the non-uniform intermittent movement of the belt. With links of open look types which permit the cartridges to be side stripped therefrom, the gripping force may be so excessive, to serve its purpose, that the cases of the cartridges are indented when installed into and/or pulled sideways through the open loops or the gun may be stopped from lack of sufficient torque to strip the rounds from the links.

It is estimated that closed loop links, wherein the rounds are completely circled by a loop, are about three times as strong as the open type links and therefore the force with which the rounds have to be gripped in such links need not be so great as in those of open loop types. The most advantageous way of stripping cartridges from cartridge links is sideways which is, of course, impossible with the closed loop links.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cartridge belt link which has the stripping advantages of open loop links and the retaining strength of links with closed loops.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a link wherein the free ends of the open loop are joined by a removable cover which completes the encirclement of the retained round and forms a closed loop, with the cover being removable to open the loop for side stripping after the link is under the control of the feeding mechanism of the gun.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a cartridge belt link which is simple in construction and positive in its functions.

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 drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a firearm feeding mechanism with the cartridge belt composed of the links of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken along line 2-2 o FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the link.

Shown in the figures is a cartridge belt 12 for supplying cartridges 14 to a firearm feeding mechanism 16, the cartridge belt being composed of a plurality of cartridge retaining links 18 which are flexibly joined by connectors 20.

Each of the links 18 includes a retaining member 22 and a cover 24. Retaining member 22 is generally of the same design as conventional open type links and is atent ice formed from a single piece of spring steel. A pair of arms 25 extend from a bridge portion 26 of retaining member 22 to form an open front loop 28 which partially encircles case 30 of cartridge 14 at the shoulder of the case. A pair of ribs 32 extend from bridge portion 26 to form an open rear loop 34 which partially encircles case 30 adjacent the base thereof. The arcuate extent of arms 25 and ribs 32 is slightly more than to hold a cartridge 14 within retaining member 22 and the arms and ribs are formed so as to be spread slightly apart when a cartridge is pressed laterally into and from the retaining member and to resiliently clamp a cartridge with sufficient force to be retained in link 18 during transfer therein to feeding mechanism 16. Bridge portion 26 is provided on opposite sides, between front loop 28 and rear loop 34, with arcuate hooks 36 each being adapted for engaging a connector 20.

Ribs 32 are flared longitudinally towards the free ends thereat to increase the area of contact between the ribs and the cartridge 14 engaged thereby. The free ends of the ribs 32 are bent outwardly to form laterally extending flanges 38 and the sides of cover 24 are folded back towards each other to form channels 40 for slidingly receiving the flanges so that the cover may be slidingly installed on and removed from retaining member 22. Cover 24 is arched so as to complete the encirclement of a cartridge 14 held by retaining member 22 and the flanges 38 and channels 40 are formed so that when ribs 32 are spread by the insertion of a cartridge 14 therebetween flanges 38 and channels 40 are in firm contact so that the ribs are prevented from spreading further apart to decrease the force with which the retained cartridge is gripped. Thus, the force with which retaining member 22 need hold cartridge 14 is considerably less than that which would have been required without the additional cooperation of cover 24, thereby reducing the danger of indenting case 30 or stopping the gun when the cartridge is stripped from the retaining member.

A tab 42 is formed in cover 24 so as to press downwardly against cartridge 14 held by retaining member 24 when the cover is installed thereon and the forwardly projecting end of the cover is creased, as noted at 43, to also press resiliently against the retained cartridge to frictionally secure the cover to the retaining member.

A follower 44 extends upwardly from cover 24 for engagement with a cam 46 which is disposed in feeding mechanism 16 to slidingly remove the cover from retaining member 22 for separate ejection from the feeding mechanism as link 18 is moved thereinto and is under the control thereof. With cover 24 removed, cartridge 14 is free to be stripped sideways from retaining member 22 as with all conventional side-stripping links of open loop types.

From the foregoing it is clearly apparent that there is provided herein a cartridge retaining link which has the advantages of both the open loop and closed loop types and which is simple and rugged in construction and positive in its functions.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

We claim:

1. In combination, a cartridge link, means for flexibly joining a plurality of said links to form a cartridge belt, and a feeding mechanism for progressively advancing said cartridge belt, said link comprising a retaining member provided with an open cartridge retaining loop having a pair of free ends, a cover slidingly mounted on the free ends of said loop for closing said loop around a cartridge retained therein, and a cam follower extending from said cover, and said'fee'ding mechanism including cam means disposed for engagement by said cam follower as said cartridge beltis advanced .into said feeding mechanism for removingsaid cover from said retaining member.

i2."The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said cover is provided with means engageable with the cartridgeassociated therewith for'frictionally restraining displacement'of said cover respective to said retaining member.

3. A cartridge belt link comprising a retaining member with an open cartridge retaining loop formed to retain a cartridge therein so as to" be strippable sideways from the'link, a pair of laterally'spaced free ends on said loop, a cover, a flange on each of said free ends, and a channel? formed along each side of said cover so as to 'slidin'glyreceive. the respective'one of said flanges whereby said cover is sliding'ly removable from said retaining member with a vtranslational movement parallel to the main axis of the cartridge retained in said loop.

4. A cartridge belt link comprising a'retainingmember provided with an open'cartridgeretaining loop having a pair of tfreeltends said loop being formed to retain a cartridge therein so as to be strippable sidewaysf-rom'the Ili'nkga' cover, means for removably'mounting said cover on said pair of free ends to complete said looparound theicartridge and soas to be 'slidingly' removable there- "from, 'said means including a-pair of fianges formed in :said'pair'of free ends-and channelsiformed along the sides of said cover for sliding engagement with said flanges, and -means--disposedon'- said cover for cooperation with external cam means for effecting the removal of said cover.

5. A cartridge belt link comprising a retaining membervprovided withan opencartridge retaining loop having a pair of free ends, said loop beingrormed to retain a cartridgethereinso as to be strippable sidewaysfrorn the link, a cover, meansfor removably mounting said cover on said p air of free-ends to complete sai'd loop around thecartridge;andso as-to beslidingly removable therefrom, said means including a pair .of flanges formed on said-pa-irrof-freeends and channelsnformed along ,the sides of said cover for sliding engagement with said flanges, said flanges and said channels being formed so posed on said-cover for cooperationwith externalcam means'for efiecting the removal of saidcover,

References'Cited in the file of this patent TE TATE PATE T

Claims

3. A CARTRIDGE BELT LINK COMPRISING A RETAINING MEMBER WITH AN OPEN CARTRIDGE RETAINING LOOP FORMED TO RETAIN A CARTRIDGE THEREIN SO AS TO BE STRIPPABLE SIDEWAYS FROM THE LINK, A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED FREE ENDS ON SAID LOOP, A COVER, A FLANGE ON EACH OF SAID FREE ENDS, AND A CHANNEL FORMED ALONG EACH SIDE OF SAID COVER SO AS TO SLIDINGLY RECEIVE THE RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID FLANGES WHEREBY SAID COVER IS SLIDINGLY REMOVABLE FROM SAID RETAINING MEMBER WITH A TRANSLATIONAL MOVEMENT PARALLEL TO THE MAIN AXIS OF THE CARTRIDGE RETAINED IN SAID LOOP.