Link chute ejection adapter

• US 8,151,683 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2009
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Dick, Glen, Buechler, James, Holzmeyer, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US12/568,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20100319521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 89/331.4, 89/331.6, 89/332, 89/332.5
• US Class Current: 89/33.14
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/56 Movable guiding means F41A9/55 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/60 Empty-cartridge-case or belt-link collectors or catchers F41A9/81 takes precedence

Abstract

A link chute ejection adapter for conveying spent links of an ammunition belt from the receiver chamber of a machine gun to a link chute.

Claims

1. A link chute ejection adapter for a weapon discharging rounds from an ammunition belt, the link chute ejection adapter comprising:

a base having an upper surface, a lower surface, a proximal end, and a distal end;

a cover positioned above the base;

a first side wall rigidly coupled to the base and the cover, the first side wall including a proximal end configured to be removably received within a receiver chamber of the weapon;

a second side wall positioned in spaced relation to the first side wall and rigidly coupled to the base and the cover, the second side wall including a proximal end configured to be removably received within the receiver chamber of the weapon;

an ejection chamber defined by the base, the cover, the first side wall, and the second side wall, the ejection chamber extending in an axial direction generally along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end, the proximal end coupled to the receiver chamber of the weapon and the distal end configured to be coupled to an ejection chute;

a casing stop supported by the proximal end of the first side wall for locating a casing of the ammunition belt; and

a bullet stop supported by the proximal end of the second side wall for locating a bullet of the ammunition belt, the bullet stop including a finger extending axially outwardly away from the ejection chamber and transversely outwardly away from an outer surface of the second side wall.

2. The link chute ejection adapter of claim 1, wherein the second side wall further includes an inner surface angled relative to the first side wall to guide spent links of the ammunition belt from the receiver chamber in a direction from the proximal end toward the distal end of the ejection chamber.

3. The link chute ejection adapter of claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the second side wall further comprises an upwardly extending protrusion configured to be engaged by the receiver lid of the weapon.

4. The link chute ejection adapter of claim 1, wherein the bullet stop is integral with the second side wall.

5. The link chute ejection adapter of claim 1, further comprising a chute coupler supported at the distal ends of the first and second side walls and configured to couple with an ejection chute.

6. The link chute ejection adapter of claim 1, further comprising a mounting boss extending downwardly from the base and including an opening for receiving a pin for securing to the weapon.

7. The link chute ejection adapter of claim 6, further comprising a first mounting tab extending downwardly from the first side wall and including an opening, and a second mounting tab extending downwardly from the second side wall and including an opening, the openings of the first and second mounting tabs aligned with the opening of the mounting boss for receiving the pin.

8. The link chute ejection adapter of claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the upper surface of the base defines a tongue that is received within the receiver chamber of the weapon and is substantially flush with a floor of the receiver chamber of the weapon.

9. The link chute ejection adapter of claim 1, wherein the cover is spaced no more than 0.050 inches from a feed slide assembly of the weapon.

10. A link chute ejection adapter for a weapon configured to discharge rounds of ammunition from an ammunition belt in which the rounds of ammunition are connected by links, the link chute ejection adapter comprising:

a base including a proximal end and a distal end, the base further including a tongue supported at the proximal end for mating with a floor of a receiver chamber of the weapon, and a mounting boss extending downwardly from the tongue and having an opening configured to receive a pin for securing the link chute ejection adapter to the weapon;

a cover positioned above the base;

a first side wall coupled to the base and the cover, the first side wall including a proximal end configured to be removably received within a receiver chamber of the weapon;

a second side wall positioned in spaced relation to the first side wall and coupled to the base and the cover, the second side wall including a proximal end configured to be removably received within the receiver chamber of the weapon;

a link chute coupler supported at the distal end of the base and configured to couple a link chute to the link chute ejection adapter;

a casing stop supported by the proximal end of the first side wall for locating a casing of the round; and

a bullet stop supported by the proximal end of the second side wall for locating a bullet of the round, the bullet stop including a finger extending axially outwardly away from the receiver chamber of the weapon and transversely outwardly away from an outer surface of the second side wall.

11. The link chute ejection adapter of claim 10, wherein the bullet stop is integral with the second side wall.

12. A weapon system comprising:

an ammunition belt including a plurality of rounds interconnected by a plurality of links, wherein each of the plurality of rounds includes a bullet and a casing;

a weapon including a receiver for receiving a round of the ammunition belt, the receiver having a receiver floor, a movable lid, and a feed slide assembly for pulling the ammunition belt across the receiver floor;

a link chute ejection adapter including a base, a cover, a first side wall having a proximal end and a distal end, a second side wall having a proximal end and a distal end, and a chute coupler supported proximate the distal end of the first side wall and the second side wall;

wherein the base includes a mounting boss for coupling the link chute ejection adapter to the weapon, and a tongue having an upper surface and abutting a side edge of the receiver floor such that the upper surface is substantially flush with the receiver floor;

a link chute coupled to the chute coupler of the link chute ejection adapter;

a casing stop supported by the proximal end of the first side wall for locating a casing of the round; and

a bullet stop supported by the proximal end of the second side wall for locating a bullet of the round.

13. The weapon system of claim 12, wherein the bullet stop includes a finger extending axially outwardly and transversely outwardly away from the second side wall.

14. A method of ejecting spent links from a weapon system, the method including the steps of:

aligning a link ejection chute adapter to a receiver of a weapon such that a tongue at the proximal end of the link chute ejection adapter is substantially flush with a receiving floor of the receiver;

coupling the link chute ejection adapter to the receiver;

coupling a link chute to a distal end of the link ejection chute adapter;

drawing an ammunition belt into a receiver chamber of the weapon, the ammunition belt including rounds of ammunition connected by links, each of the rounds including a bullet and a casing;

locating a casing of the ammunition when the round is drawn into the receiver chamber of the weapon by a casing stop member supported at a proximal end of a first side wall of the link ejection chute adapter;

locating a bullet of the ammunition when the round is drawn into the receiver chamber of the weapon by a bullet stop member supported at the proximal end of a second side wall of the link ejection chute adapter;

expelling the bullet from the casing, wherein the bullet is expelled from the casing by activation of a firing mechanism of the weapon;

ejecting the casing from the receiver chamber, wherein the casing is ejected downwardly from the weapon following the expelling of the bullet from the casing;

ejecting the link from the receiver chamber, wherein the link is ejected laterally from the receiver chamber; and

guiding the link into the link ejection chute adapter.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of guiding the link from the receiver chamber into the link ejection chute adapter by the second side wall which includes an inner surface angled relative to the first side wall.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of coupling the link chute ejection adapter to the receiver comprises passing a pin through a mounting boss extending downwardly from the tongue.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a protrusion extends upwardly from the link chute ejection adapter and is configured to be engaged by a movable lid of the weapon.