LIGHTWEIGHT AMMUNITION BELT LINK

Abstract

There is provided an ammunition belt link comprising, a sprung wire, said sprung wire arranged to form a first receiving portion suitable for retaining a first ammunition cartridge, a second receiving portion suitable for retaining a second ammunition cartridge, a spacer between said first receiving and second receiving portions; and an ammunition cartridge locator aide, said aide locates in an ejector groove of a received cartridge.

Claims

1. A wire ammunition belt link comprising: a sprung wire, said sprung wire arranged to form a first receiving portion suitable for retaining a first ammunition cartridge, a second receiving portion suitable for retaining a second ammunition cartridge, a spacer between said first and second receiving portions; and an ammunition cartridge locator aide configured to locate in an ejector groove of a received cartridge.

2. The wire ammunition belt link of claim 1, wherein the sprung wire is made from sprung mild steel.

3. The wire ammunition belt link of claim 1, wherein the sprung wire comprises a flange, said flange arranged lengthways along the axis of the received ammunition cartridge.

4. The wire ammunition belt link of claim 1, wherein the wire ammunition belt link is a ‘push through’ cartridge feed design.

5. The wire ammunition belt link of claim 1, wherein the wire ammunition belt link contains only a unitary continuous piece of sprung wire formed into said wire ammunition belt link.

6. The wire ammunition belt link of claim 1, wherein the sprung wire is the range of from 0.25 mm to 1 mm in diameter.

7. The wire ammunition belt link of claim 1, wherein the first and second receiving portions are each a circular re-entrant loop of wire.

8. The wire ammunition belt link of claim 6, wherein the first and second receiving portions each have a diameter that is in the range of from 4% to 5% smaller than a diameter of the received ammunition cartridge.

9. The wire ammunition belt link of claim 1, comprising first and second ammunition cartridges located in the respective first and second receiving portions, wherein respective centre points of the first and second ammunition cartridges are spaced apart by the spacer, so as to allow for engagement with a belt fed ammunition system.

10. The wire ammunition belt link of claim 1 wherein the sprung wire is coated by a protective layer.

11. The wire ammunition belt link of claim 1 wherein: the first and second receiving portions comprise a first arm and a second arm, each of the first arm and the second arm comprising a first partial receiving portion for the first cartridge and a second partial receiving portion for the second cartridge; and the first arm and second arm are joined by a linkage, and the respective first and second partial receiving portions are joined by a spacer.

12. The wire ammunition belt link of claim 11, wherein the first and second arms are offset from each other.

13. A method of manufacturing a wire ammunition belt link, the method comprising bending a continuous length of sprung wire by a wire forming machine to create the wire ammunition belt link, said wire ammunition belt link including a sprung wire, said sprung wire arranged to form first and second receiving portions, a spacer, and ammunition cartridge locator aide, the first receiving portion suitable for retaining a first ammunition cartridge, the second receiving portion suitable for retaining a second ammunition cartridge, the spacer between said first and second receiving portions, and the ammunition cartridge locator aide configured to locate in an ejector groove of a received cartridge.

14. A wire ammunition belt suitable for a belt fed ammunition system, the wire ammunition belt comprising: first and second wire ammunition belt links according to claim 1; wherein the first ammunition cartridge is located in the first receiving portion of the first wire ammunition belt link and the second ammunition cartridge is located in the second receiving portion of the first wire ammunition belt link; and wherein the second ammunition cartridge is further located in the first receiving portion of the second wire ammunition belt link.

15. The wire ammunition belt of claim 14, wherein the sprung wires of the first and second wire ammunition belt links are made from sprung mild steel.

16. The wire ammunition belt of claim 14, wherein the sprung wires each comprise a flange, said flange arranged lengthways along the axis of the received ammunition cartridge.

17. The wire ammunition belt of claim 14, wherein the first and second wire ammunition belt links each contain only a unitary continuous piece of sprung wire formed into said respective wire ammunition belt link.

18. The wire ammunition belt of claim 14, wherein the sprung wires of the first and second wire ammunition belt links are coated by a protective layer.

19. The wire ammunition belt of claim 14, wherein for each of the first and second wire ammunition belt links: the respective first and second receiving portions comprise a first arm and a second arm, each of the first arm and the second arm comprising a first partial receiving portion for the first cartridge and a second partial receiving portion for the second cartridge; and the respective first arm and second arm are joined by a linkage, and the respective first and second partial receiving portions are joined by a spacer.

20. The wire ammunition belt of claim 19, wherein for each of the first and second wire ammunition belt links, the first and second arms are offset from each other.

Description

[0045] Several arrangements of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings of which;

[0046] FIGS. 1a and 1b show a wire ammunition belt link.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows an alternative arrangement with ammunition cartridges loaded therein.

[0048] FIGS. 3a & 3b show a wire ammunition belt loaded with ammunition cartridges.

[0049] Turning to FIG. 1a, there is provided a wire ammunition belt link 100 comprising, a sprung wire 101, said sprung wire arranged to form, a first receiving portion 102 suitable for retaining a first ammunition cartridge (not shown), a second receiving portion 103 suitable for retaining a second ammunition cartridge (not shown) and, a spacer 104 between said first receiving and second receiving portions.

[0050] In the present arrangement, the sprung wire 101 is made from a unitary i.e. continuous piece, of sprung wire formed into said belt link. The sprung wire is made from 0.8 mm diameter mild steel.

[0051] The first and second receiving portions (102, 103) retain the first and second ammunition cartridge (not shown—see FIG. 2) by way of a ‘push fit’ engagement such that there is interference between the ammunition cartridge and the belt link. In the present arrangement, the first and second receiving portions (102, 103) are circular in nature with a re-entrant curvature around the ammunition cartridge.

[0052] In the present arrangement, the first receiving portion 102 comprises, a first arm 105, said first arm comprising a first partial receiving portion 106 for the 20 first ammunition cartridge and a second arm 107 comprising a first partial receiving portion 108 for the first ammunition cartridge.

[0053] The second receiving 103 portion comprises, the first arm 105, said first arm comprising a second partial receiving portion 109 for the second ammunition cartridge and a second arm 107, comprising a second partial receiving portion 110 for the second ammunition cartridge.

[0054] The first arm and second arm of the first and second receiving portions are joined by a linkage 111 at the ends of the first and second arms such that it is a continuous unitary sprung wire, said linkage made of the same material of the first and second arm.

[0055] The provision of a spacer 104 allows separation between the centre points of the first ammunition cartridge and second ammunition cartridge, when fitted within the ammunition belt link, to allow engagement with a belt fed ammunition system. In the present arrangement, the spacer 104 is formed from the same unitary piece of wire as that of the first retaining portion 102, second retaining portion 103 and the link 111. The spacer 104 may be any shape, in this arrangement a single re-entrant bend/loop which provides spacing between the centre points of the neighbouring ammunition cartridge when loaded into the wire ammunition belt link.

[0056] In the present arrangement, there is provided two flanges 113. Said flanges are positioned length ways along the axial length of the ammunition cartridge located at the distil ends of the first and second arms. In the present arrangement, one of the flanges is an ammunition cartridge locator aide 112, said aid locates in the ejector groove of a received ammunition cartridge to enable the wire ammunition belt link to be accurately located axially along the ammunition cartridge such that when joined in a belt i.e. when joined as a plurality of belt links, the cartridges align at their headstamps.

[0057] Two ammunition cartridges may be linked by just one arm 105, with first receiving portions and second receiving portions containing only the first partial receiving portion 106 for the first ammunition cartridge and the second receiving portion containing only the second partial receiving portion 109 for the second ammunition cartridge. However the use of two or more arms (105, 107) provides rigidity and improves retention of the ammunition cartridge in the receiving portion

[0058] Turning to FIG. 1b shows the same arrangement as 1a, from a front view, and shows the first and second receiving portions (102, 103) are offset from each other by distances (X) and (Y). In this arrangement the offset is provided by the spacer 104.

[0059] The maximum offset between the first arm and second arm, i.e. the difference between distance (X) and (Y) is 2 mm. In the present arrangement, the offset between (X) is narrower than (Y) although it may be appreciated that the offset (X) may be larger than (Y) in alternative arrangements.

[0060] Turning to FIG. 2, there is provided a wire ammunition belt link 200 comprising, a continuous sprung wire 201, said sprung wire arranged to form, a first receiving portion 202 suitable for retaining a first ammunition cartridge 208, a second receiving portion 203 suitable for retaining a second ammunition cartridge 209 and, a spacer 204 between said first receiving and second receiving portions.

[0061] In the present arrangement, the sprung wire is made from a unitary piece of sprung wire formed into said belt link.

[0062] The first and second receiving portions retain the first and second ammunition cartridge 208, 209 by way of a ‘push fit’ engagement such that there is interference between the cartridge case and the sprung wire 201 that forms, the first and second circular receiving portion 202, 203 are circular in nature extending 280 degrees around the ammunition cartridge. [0063] In the present arrangement, the first and second receiving portions are offset from each other. The first arm and second arm of the first and second receiving portions are joined by a linkage 205 at the ends of the first and second arms such that it is a continuous unitary sprung wire, said linkage is made of the same continuous piece of wire as the first and second arm.

[0064] The provision of a spacer 204, allows separation between the centre points of the first ammunition cartridge and second ammunition cartridge, denoted by length X (FIG. 1b), when fitted within the ammunition belt link, to allow the correct spacing and hence engagement with the loading system of a belt fed ammunition system. In the present arrangement, the spacer 204 is formed from a unitary piece of wire the same as that of the first and second retaining portion in the shape of a coil such that the sprung wire has been rotated through at least 360 degrees.

[0065] In the present arrangement, there are provided two flanges 210. Said flanges are positioned length ways along the axial length of the ammunition cartridge. In the present arrangement, one of the flanges comprises an ammunition cartridge locator aide 206, said aid locates in the ejector groove 207 of a received first ammunition cartridge 208 to enable the wire ammunition belt link to be accurately located axially along the ammunition cartridge such that when joined in a link, the cartridges align.

[0066] Turning to FIGS. 3a & 3b, there is provided a wire ammunition belt 300 suitable for a belt fed ammunition system, the wire ammunition belt comprising, a first wire ammunition belt link 301 and a second wire ammunition belt link 302, wherein a first ammunition cartridge 303 is located in a first receiving portion 304 and a second ammunition cartridge 305 is located in a second receiving portion 306 of the first wire ammunition belt link, and, the second ammunition cartridge is further co-located in a first receiving portion 307 of the second wire ammunition belt link to create a continuous wire ammunition belt.

[0067] Although a few preferred arrangements have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

[0068] Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0069] All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

[0070] Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[0071] The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing arrangement(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.