Patent ID: 12222179

Reference will now be made in detail to optional embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawing and in the description referring to the same or like parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention.

To facilitate the understanding of the embodiments described herein, a number of terms are defined below. The terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present invention. Terms such as “a,” “an,” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but rather include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the invention, but their usage does not delimit the invention, except as set forth in the claims.

As described herein, an upright position is considered to be the position of apparatus components while in proper operation or in a natural resting position as described herein. As used herein an upright position of the electrically driven rotary machine gun100is when fully assembled with the barrel assembly103(i.e., rotor assembly) ready to fire (or firing) in a generally horizontal orientation. Vertical, horizontal, above, below, side, top, bottom and other orientation terms are described with respect to this upright position during operation unless otherwise specified. The term “when” is used to specify orientation for relative positions of components, not as a temporal limitation of the claims or apparatus described and claimed herein unless otherwise specified. The terms “above”, “below”, “over”, and “under” mean “having an elevation or vertical height greater or lesser than” and are not intended to imply that one object or component is directly over or under another object or component.

The phrase “in one embodiment,” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without operator input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

Referring now toFIGS.1-10, according to one embodiment of the invention, a machine gun100includes a barrel assembly, a modular delinker300, a main drive motor107, and the gun control unit113. The barrel assembly103is configured to receive ammunition cartridges, fire the ammunition cartridges, and a check spent casings from the ammunition cartridges. The main drive motor107is configured to drive the barrel assembly103in the modular delinker300when the gun100is assembled in firing. The gun control unit113is configured to provide power to the main drive motor107when the gun100is assembled and firing. In one embodiment, the gun100also includes a booster motor111, a sleeve112, and a clutch solenoid109. The booster motor111is configured to receive power from the power supply105via the gun control unit113when the gun100is firing. The booster motor111sends linked ammunition from the ammunition canister106to the delinker300when the gun100is firing. Sleeve112is configured to convey the linked ammunition from the booster motor111to the delinker300when the gun100is assembled in firing. The delinker300is driven by the drive motor107via the clutch solenoid109while the gun100is assembled and firing. In one embodiment, the nose305extends longitudinally forward of the main body301when the delinker300is assembled with the nose305engaging the main body301.

In one embodiment, the modular delinker300includes a main body301, a paddlewheel303, and a nose305. The main body301is configured to receive linked ammunition cartridges in separate and ammunition cartridge from the linked ammunition cartridges when the delinker300is operating. The main body301extends along a longitudinal axis307. The forward direction of the longitudinal axis307is toward a muzzle of the gun100when the delinker300is assembled on the gun100, and a rear direction of the longitudinal axis307is opposite the forward direction of the longitudinal axis307. The paddlewheel303is configured to receive the ammunition cartridge from the main body301and provide the ammunition cartridge to the barrel assembly103of the gun100when the delinker300is operating. The nose305is configured to releasably engage the main body301to retain the paddlewheel303longitudinally within the main body301when the delinker300is assembled.

In one embodiment, the main body301includes a paddlewheel housing311configured to at least partially surround the paddlewheel303when the delinker300is assembled. The nose305releasably engages the paddlewheel housing311via a twist lock. In one embodiment, the twist lock is a series of interlocking lugs on the nose305and paddlewheel housing311. In one embodiment, the interlocking lugs include main body lugs321spaced about an exterior surface325of the paddlewheel housing311at a forward end326of the paddlewheel housing311. The interlocking lugs also include nose lugs322spaced about an interior surface327of the nose305at a rear end328of the nose305. In one embodiment, the delinker300further includes a spring-loaded detent ball309and a detent330. The detent ball309is in the nose305, and the detent330is in the forward end326of the paddlewheel housing311. The detent ball309is received in the detent330to maintain the nose305in a predetermined position with respect to the main body301during assembly of the delinker300and attachment of the delinker300to the barrel assembly103.

In one embodiment, the paddlewheel303includes a front paddlewheel501in the rear paddlewheel503. The nose305includes a nose shaft306extending along the longitudinal axis307when the delinker is assembled. The front paddlewheel501is retained on the nose shaft306such that when the nose305is disengaged from the main body301and removed from the paddlewheel housing311, the front paddlewheel501is removed from the main body301. In one embodiment, the paddlewheel303further includes an eccentric cam505. The eccentric camp of 05 is also retained on the nose shaft306rearward of the front paddlewheel501. The eccentric cam505is configured to direct a front of the ammunition cartridge forward and outward from the longitudinal axis307of the main body301into the front paddlewheel501as the ammunition cartridge moves through the delinker300to the barrel assembly103.

In one embodiment, the delinker300further includes a driven shaft601extending through the rear paddlewheel503into the front paddlewheel501when the delinker300is assembled. The driven shaft601rotates the rear paddlewheel503when the delinker300is assembled and operating (e.g., when the gun100is firing). The rear paddlewheel503and the driven shaft601are configured to interlock with one another when the rear paddlewheel503is properly clocked to the driven shaft601and the delinker300is assembled. In one embodiment, the rear paddlewheel503is pinned to the driven shaft601such that the rear paddlewheel503is retained on the driven shaft601when the nose305is disengaged and removed from the main body301. Pin holes603through the rear paddlewheel503and driven shaft601can be seen, for example, inFIG.6. In one embodiment, the rear paddlewheel503and the driven shaft601include a complementary key602and keyway504that interlock with one another when the delinker300is assembled. In one embodiment, the front paddlewheel501and rear paddlewheel503are configured to interlock with one another when the front paddlewheel501is properly clocked to the rear paddlewheel503such that the rear paddlewheel503rotates the front paddlewheel501when the delinker300is assembled and operating. The front paddlewheel501and rear paddlewheel503include complementary keys and key ways to interlock with one another when the delinker300is assembled.

In one embodiment, the front paddlewheel501is a first front paddlewheel501having a first ammunition cartridge type (e.g., 7.62×51 mm) and the delinker are 300 includes a second nose306including a second front paddlewheel502having a second ammunition cartridge type (e.g., 6.8×51 mm). The first ammunition cartridge type is different from the second ammunition cartridge type. The delinker300is compatible with the first ammunition type when the first nose305is engaging the main body301and the delinker300is assembled. The delinker300is compatible with the second ammunition type when the first nose305is disengaged and removed from the main body301and the second nose306engages the main body301and the delinker300is thus assembled.

In one embodiment, the main body301of the delinker300includes a mid plate701, the paddlewheel housing311, a round positioner703, a feed chute adapter705, a rear plate707, and a camming section709. The paddlewheel housing311is attached to the mid plate701when the delinker300is assembled. The round positioner703is attached to the mid plate701when the delinker300assembled. The rear plate707is attached to the round positioner703when the delinker300is assembled. The camming section709is attached to the rear plate707when the delinker300is assembled. The feed chute adapter705is attached to the round positioner703when the delinker is assembled. Alternatively, the feed chute adapter705may be connected to any combination of the mid plate701, the rear plate707, and the round positioner703. In this way, any damaged parts of the delinker300main body301may be replaced without replacing the entire modular delinker300, and access to the internal parts of the main body301(e.g., the paddle wheel303, drive gear, cams and palls is possible with simple tools (e.g., a hex key).

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

It will be understood that the particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention may be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.

All of the compositions and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein may be made and/or executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of the embodiments included herein, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful MODULAR DELINKER FOR MACHINE GUN it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.