Method of making a one-piece loop for ammunition cartridge

• US 7,406,908 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: U.S. Government
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Kotefski, Stojan, Goon, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): HAYES, BRET C
• Application Number:
  US11/163,037
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 89/34, 89/350.1
• US Class Current: 89/35.01
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 39/08 Cartridge belts

Abstract

A one-piece metal cartridge loop has no welds and no overlapping parts. The cartridge loop includes a plurality of locking tabs for positioning a cartridge therein. One end of the cartridge loop includes a coupling interface and another end of the cartridge loop includes a coupling support. A method of making the non-welded cartridge loop is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of making a one-piece cartridge loop having no welds and no overlapping parts, comprising:

providing generally tubular raw material;

forming an external profile of the loop from the tubular raw material; and

forming mechanical details of the loop.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming mechanical details includes notching.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming mechanical details includes machining.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming mechanical details includes forming a plurality of locking tabs.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the plurality of locking tabs are formed by kinking.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming mechanical details includes forming a coupling support on one end of the loop and a coupling interface on another end of the loop.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the generally tubular raw material by extrusion.