EP0297280B1 - Magazine with an unbelted cartridge feeding system - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Magazine (2) having a loading opening (160) and an unbelted feeding system which, for manual loading with cartridges (12) through the loading opening (160) and for their automatic feeding into a firearm, has a cartridge accommodation device (6), which is movable manually in loading direction (Z) and automatically in the feeding direction (B) opposite to said loading direction, and a tensioning device (50, 56), which is in active engagement with said cartridge accommodation device and can be pretensioned in the feeding direction (Z) ; characterized by a first blocking means (170, 172) for automatic blocking of the feeding system during the loading phase in feeding direction (Z).

Description

The invention relates to a magazine with a filling opening and a beltless feed system according to the preamble of claim 1.

The feed system essentially consists of a cartridge receiving device and a tensioning device that is in active engagement with it. The cartridge receiving device can be moved in two directions, namely in a feed direction and a filling direction opposite to this. During the shooting phase, the feed system automatically and sequentially feeds the cartridges in the feed direction to a firearm. For this purpose, the tensioning device is pretensioned in the feed direction and its active engagement with the cartridge receiving device. In contrast, during the filling phase, the cartridge receiving device can be moved manually in the filling direction by means of a handle. The cartridges can be arranged through the filling opening one after the other on the cartridge receiving device. Because of the active engagement of the cartridge receptacle with the tensioning device, the tensioning device is thereby simultaneously biased in the feed direction.

Such a magazine has already been developed by the applicant. In this magazine, the cartridge receiving device is realized by an endless chain. The chain here essentially consists of two endless chain strands which are guided parallel to one another and which in turn are connected to one another by cross bars. The distance between the cross bars is adjusted to the diameter of the cartridge cases. This transport chain is guided in a meandering magazine channel and wraps around a sector of the tensioning device. The tensioning device essentially consists of a drum, which in turn is automatically rotated by a spring drive in a rotating device corresponding to the feed direction.

When the transport chain moves in the feed direction, the magazine cartridges are guided in the direction of a feed channel. Upstream of the feed channel is an inclined plane, which lifts the cartridges out of the transport chain and transports them into the feed channel. At the output end of the feed channel, the foremost cartridge is held by magazine lips and removed from the gun in the axial direction by the gun. When all magazine-sharp cartridges have been removed from the magazine, a dummy cartridge firmly connected to the transport chain runs against the magazine lips. The magazine should then be reloaded at the latest.

To load the known magazine, the transport chain is moved in the filling direction opposite to the feed direction. Cartridges fed into the chute-like filling opening reach the magazine channel underneath and come to rest between two cross bars of the transport chain.

The cartridges are usually fed into the hopper with one hand; moving the transport chain in the direction of filling with the other. The filling shaft can also comprise two mutually parallel shaft sections, so that two parallel rows of cartridges are in line for transfer to the transport chain.

Compared to a magazine with a cartridge belt, the generic magazine has the advantage of a higher packing density due to the beltless feed system. In addition, it offers the cartridges better protection against external influences. In addition, there is greater freedom of movement for the shooter, as this is not impaired by hanging cartridge belts. Finally, the equipment of a machine gun, e.g. a machine gun or a submachine gun, with such a magazine to save weight compared to equipping with a cartridge belt of the same number of cartridges.

From US-A 2 489 428 a magazine for machine guns according to the preamble of claim 1 is known, in which when a cartridge gap occurs in the filling direction, a locking pawl rotates into this gap and prevents further movement of the transport chains.

Magazines of this type generally have the serious disadvantage that there is no readiness to fire during the filling phase because the magazine has to be removed to fill the weapon.

The invention is concerned with the task of making available a magazine of the type mentioned at the outset, which is characterized by simple operability while maintaining as far as possible its previous advantages.

This object is achieved by the magazine mentioned in claim 1, ie by a first blocking means for automatically blocking the feed system during the filling phase in the feed direction.

In this way, it is advantageously avoided that a distance between the filling and supply opening has to be overcome each time anew when the cartridge receiving device is manually turned back. The filling time is reduced significantly.

In an advantageous embodiment of the magazine according to the invention, a second blocking means is provided for blocking in the filling direction when a cartridge gap occurs in the cartridge receiving device.

This blocking device, which is only active during the filling phase, and has the first and second blocking means has the advantage that the handle for manually moving the cartridge receiving device in the filling direction and for simultaneously tensioning the clamping device can be released at any time during the filling phase, without the cartridges then automatically moving in the feed direction be moved to the magazine output opening. A (brief) release of this handle may be necessary during filling if the cartridge holder has to be moved by such a large distance by hand that this can be done with an egg ner hand position is no longer possible and therefore the hand position must be changed in between. The need to let go of the handle when changing the hand position arises in particular when only one hand is available, for example when cartridges are inserted into the filling shaft with the other hand.

The blocking device also has the advantage that a possible cartridge gap can still be detected in the area of the filling opening. A cartridge gap can e.g. occur when cartridges jam in the filling shaft and / or the transport chain moves faster than cartridges can be fed.

The blocking device preferably has a first blocking means for blocking in the feed direction and a second blocking means independent of it for blocking in the filling direction. The mutual independence of the two blocking agents creates greater operational reliability of the same, since possible disruptions of one agent do not necessarily have an effect on the other.

To inactivate the two blocking agents during the shooting phase, a locking device brings and keeps the first blocking agent out of blocking engagement. Likewise, the second blocking means is coupled to the feed system in such a way that a movement of the feed system in the feed direction brings or holds the second blocking means out of blocking engagement.

The aforementioned couplings of the two blocking means with the locking device on the one hand and the feed system on the other hand ensure in a simple manner that the feed system is not blocked during the shooting phase. It should be remembered that the locking device is regularly closed during the shooting phase.

The described coupling of the second blocking means to the feed system also enables the former to be brought out of a blocking position - taken up as a result of a cartridge gap - safely and without unnecessary additional movement. The cartridge gap only has to be moved back under the fill opening in the feed direction. It is therefore only necessary to carry out the movement of the feed system that would have been necessary to fill the cartridge gap anyway. All in all, a complete filling of the magazine is made considerably easier without special attention from the shooter.

A mechanical locking engagement of the two blocking means with the feed system, including the cartridges stored therein, is particularly preferred. A mechanical lockout intervention proves to be particularly fail-safe in harsh combat conditions. In this case, the first blocking means preferably engages on a magazine cartridge; the second blocking means, on the other hand, on an element of the cartridge receiving device, for example on one of the cross bars mentioned.

Filling the cartridge receptacle after the blocking intervention has been made easier by such an arrangement and design of the blocking means, the next to the cartridge space coming from the location of the blocking intervention in the feed direction always being located exactly below the filling opening.

Further preferred embodiments of the invention and the associated advantages result from the following description of specific exemplary embodiments together with the accompanying drawing.

• Fig. 1 eine Seitenansicht, teilweise aufgebrochen, eines Ausführungsbeispieles eines Magazins, bei dem gerade Patronen von Hand nachgefüllt werden;
• Fig. 2 eine Teilansicht des in Fig. 1 links oben liegenden Magazinbereiches, bei dem ein erstes Blockiermittel eine Bewegung der Patronen-Aufnahmevorrichtung in Zuführrichtung blockiert;
• Fig. 3 eine der Fig. 2 entsprechende Teilansicht, bei der ein zweites Blockiermittel eine Bewegung der Patronen-Aufnahmevorrichtung in Füllrichtung blockiert;
• Fig. 4 eine der Fig. 3 entsprechende Teilansicht, bei der eine weitere Patrone von Hand eingefüllt worden und dabei eine Lücke entstanden ist;
• Fig. 5 eine Teilansicht, wobei die Füllöffnung durch die Schliessvorrichtung geschlossen und somit die Inaktivierung der Blockiermittel in Zuführrichtung gewährleistet ist.

The drawing shows:

• Figure 1 is a side view, partially broken away, of an embodiment of a magazine in which cartridges are being refilled by hand.
• FIG. 2 shows a partial view of the magazine area located at the top left in FIG. 1, in which a first blocking means blocks a movement of the cartridge receiving device in the feed direction;
• 3 shows a partial view corresponding to FIG. 2, in which a second blocking means blocks movement of the cartridge receiving device in the filling direction;
• FIG. 4 is a partial view corresponding to FIG. 3, in which a further cartridge has been filled in by hand and a gap has formed in the process;
• Fig. 5 is a partial view, wherein the filling opening is closed by the closing device and thus the inactivation of the blocking means is ensured in the feed direction.

The magazine 2 has a housing 4 which essentially has the shape of a rectangle with rounded corners. A cartridge receiving device in the form of an endless chain 6 is guided in the longitudinal direction in the housing 4. The chain 6 has transverse bars 10 running transversely to its longitudinal direction, which are articulated with chain links, not shown. The clear distance between the cross bars 10 is just so large that a cartridge 12 has space between them.

In Figure 5, the magazine is filled and a cartridge 12-1 lies against the magazine lips 16. This has left the area between the cross bars 10 of the chain 6. The cartridge 12-2 immediately following it is led out of this area by a deflection surface 18 and only touches one of the cross bars 10. In the area of the deflection surface 18, a channel 20 is provided which allows the cross bars 10 to pass through.

The chain 6 of the embodiment can accommodate 150 cartridges 12. In addition, about six blank cartridges are captively connected to the chain 6. When the chain 6 moves in the feed direction 7, these dummy cartridges ensure that the last cartridge 12 comes into contact with the magazine lips 16. The first dummy cartridge in the feed direction Z thus takes the position of the cartridge 12-2 shown in FIG. 5 and is movably and captively connected to the one cross bar 10.

After the last cartridge 12-1 has been closed, the captive nature of the dummy cartridge with the chain 6 prevents the cartridge from advancing in the feed channel 15. The cartridge designed only for the cross bars 10 Channel 20 forms a stop for the blank cartridge, whereby the movement of the chain 6 in the feed direction 7 is locked. The last blind cartridge in the feed direction Z ensures that the drop lever 180 does not assume its operative position and thus movement of the chain 6 in the filling direction B can be initiated immediately. If the filling state is finally reached when the magazine is filled, the first dummy cartridge in the filling direction B runs against an abutment in the magazine and thus locks the movement in the filling direction of the chain. The endless chain 6 runs through the interior of the housing 4 in a meandering way and is guided by guide grooves in the two magazine walls 35 running parallel to the drawing plane of the figures. The chain links, not shown, engage in these guide grooves. Guide ribs 29 also serve to guide the cartridges in magazine 2.

In a preferred embodiment, a roller-shaped drive wheel 32 with correspondingly designed teeth 33 engages in the cross bars 10 of the chain 6. The drive wheel 32 is acted upon by a helically wound band spring 50 with a torque acting in the feed direction Z. Preloading the spring 50 ensures that the cartridge 12 is pressed against the magazine lips 16 via the chain 6 and the blank cartridges. The rotary knob 56 is non-rotatably connected to the drive wheel 32 and arranged coaxially outside of the housing 4. It serves the shooter as a handle for moving the chain 6 when filling the magazine.

In the area of the upper side of the magazine 2 (FIG. 1) at a short distance to the left of the dispensing opening 14 there is a shaft-shaped filling opening 160 for introducing the cartridges 12 into the magazine 2. The filling opening 160 can be closed by a cover 164 which is pivotably mounted in the direction of the arrow C. . 1 to 4, this cover 164 is in its open position. In this position, the shooter can manually insert individual cartridges 12 into the filling opening 160, from where they enter the magazine 2 as a result of gravity. In Fig. 5 the lid is in its closed position. In this position, the cover 164 engages in a limit force locking mechanism 163 and is held securely there. The end face 165 of a projection 166 protruding from the inner surface 167 of the cover 164 forms a supplement to the guideway for the magazine cartridges 12.

Blocking means are arranged in the area of the filling opening 160, which together form a blocking device.

The first blocking means has a spring-loaded, two-armed lever 170, which is pivotably supported to a limited extent about an axis 171 running at right angles to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 2. The axis 171 is arranged on the side of the filling opening 160 pointing in the feed direction Z. The lever 170 has an approximately sawtooth-shaped first lever arm 174 and a second lever arm 178. A coil spring 172 engages on the underside of the second lever arm 178. The coil spring 172 biases the lever 170 in a counterclockwise direction of rotation. As a result, the first lever arm 174 located on the left of the axis 171 in FIG. 2 strives to fall into the path of the cartridges 12 and to block its further movement in the feed direction Z with a stop face 176 provided on the end face.

If the shooter closes the lid 164 of the filling opening 160 (FIG. 5) after the magazine has been filled, the free end of the underside of the lid 167 meets a protruding nose 175 of the second lever arm 178 of the two-armed lever 170. As a result, the two-armed lever 170 becomes clockwise so far , ie pivoted against the restoring force of the coil spring 172, that its first lever arm 174 is pivoted completely out of the movement path of the cartridges 12. When the lid 164 is closed, the first blocking means is ineffective.

The longitudinal surface 177 of the first lever arm 174 facing the chain 6 is shaped in the manner of an inclined plane or a convexly curved surface. As a result, the first lever arm 174 is pivoted upward against the restoring force of the coil spring 172 during a chain movement in the filling direction B of cartridges 12 mounted on the chain 6 and then slides on these cartridges 12.

The first blocking means therefore always allows movement of the chain 6 - with or without cartridges 12 - in the filling direction B, but blocks a movement in the feed direction Z during the filling phase, that is to say with the lid 164 open. The shooter can therefore easily move the during the filling phase Turn the rotary knob 56 counterclockwise with one hand, thereby moving the chain 6 in the filling direction B, simultaneously feeding cartridges 12 with the other hand over the filling opening 160 of the chain 6 and, after a rotary movement, grasping the rotary knob 56 with one hand in order to continue rotating it can.

If no further cartridges 12 are supplied during the filling phase, or if there are major pauses between the insertion of individual cartridges 12 into the filling opening 160 and the shooter moves the chain 6 too quickly in the filling direction B, the second blocking agent comes into engagement with the chain 6. This intervention prevents a further chain movement in the filling direction B.

The second blocking means has a lever arm 180 designed as a drop lever, the pivot axis 181 of which is arranged above the chain 6, in the filling direction B, behind the filling opening 160. If the space between two crossbars 10 arrives in the area below the drop lever 180 without passing a cartridge when it passes through the filling opening 160, it falls into the path of the crossbars 10 and thus locks the chain 6 in the filling direction B. The lever arm 180 is for this purpose only pivotally arranged to a limited extent and thus forms a stop for the running cross bar 10 (FIG. 3).

When the chain 6 is blocked, the space between two cross bars is located under the filling opening 160, so that a further cartridge can be inserted into the chain and a cartridge gap 13 is thus created. Inserting more cartridges into the ket te 6 requires filling this cartridge gap 13. For this purpose, the empty space 13 must be guided under the filling opening 160. This is done by releasing the rotary knob 56: the chain moves by the driving force of the spring 50 in the feed direction Z, whereby the drop lever on its longitudinal surface 182, which is convexly curved in the exemplary embodiment, is pivoted out of its locked position by the last cartridge which has been completely magazine.

This cartridge now runs against a surface 176 on the lever arm 174 of the first blocking device, the length of the lever arm being designed such that when the chain is blocked, the cartridge gap 13 is guided exactly below the filling opening 160. If a cartridge gap 13 occurs during loading, the chain 6 can only move back and forth within a distance corresponding to the cartridge gap 13.

After filling the cartridge gap 13, the shooter can move the chain 6 again in the filling direction B and refill additional cartridges 12. The second blocking means thus causes cartridge gaps 13 to be automatically recognized and corrected immediately.

Claims (15)

1. Magazine (2) having a loading opening (160) and an unbelted feeding system which, for manual loading with cartridges (12) through the loading opening (160) and for their automatic feeding into a firearm, has a cartridge accommodation device (6), which is movable manually in loading direction (Z) and automatically in the feeding direction (B) opposite to said loading direction, and a tensioning device (50, 56), which is in active engagement with said cartridge accommodation device and can be pretensioned in the feeding direction (Z); characterized by a first blocking means (170, 172) for automatic blocking of the feeding system during the loading phase in feeding direction (Z).

2. Magazine according to Claim 1, characterized by a second blocking means (180) for blocking in loading direction (B) when a cartridge gap occurs in the cartridge accommodation device (6).

3. Magazine according to Claim 2 having a closing device (164) for the loading opening (160), characterized in that the first blocking means (170, 172) is taken or held out of blocking engagement by the closing device (164) in closing position.

4. Magazine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second blocking means (180) is brought or held out of blocking engagement by movement of the feeding system in feeding direction (Z).

5. Magazine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and/or second blocking means (170, 172, 180) is/are designed in the region of the loading opening (160) for a mechanical shutting engagement with the feeding system, including the cartridges (12).

6. Magazine according to Claim 5, characterized in that the first blocking means (170, 172) is designed and arranged for a shutting engagement with the cartridges (12) in the magazine and the second blocking means (180) is designed and arranged for a shutting engagement with elements (10) of the cartridge accommodation device (6).

7. Magazine according to Claim 6, characterized in that the first and/or second blocking means (170, 172, 180) is/are arranged and designed in such a way that, in the case of its/their shutting engagement, the cartridge place which is next in feeding direction (Z) after the location of the shutting engagement comes to rest below the loading opening (160).

8. Magazine according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the first blocking means (170, 172) has a first lever arm (174) and a tension spring (172) which swivels the lever arm (174) into the movement path of the cartridges in the magazine (2), the first lever arm (174) being constructed at its free end in the manner of a sawtooth in such a way that it has a stop surface (176), acting as an abutment, for a cartridge (12) in the magazine moving in feeding directs; (Z) and a sloping plane (177), acting as a sliding surface, or convexly curved surface for the cartridges (12) in the magazine moving in loading direction (B).

9. Magazine according to Claims 2 and 8, characterized in that the closing device (164), provided for the loading opening (160) in closing position holds the first lever arm (174) against the force of the tensioning spring (172) outside the movement path of the cartridges (12) in the magazine.

10. Magazine according to Claims 8 and 9, characterized in that

a) the first blocking means (170, 172) has, in addition to the first lever arm (174) a second lever arm (178) connected to said first lever arm,

b) both lever arms (174, 178) point away in opposite directions from a common axis (171) of rotation,

c) the axis (171) of rotation is arranged on the side of the loading opening (160) lying in feeding direction (Z),

d) the tensioning spring (172) acts on the second lever arm (178) in the form of a helical spring and

e) the closing device (164), in the form of a hinged lid in its closing position, presses the second lever arm (178) against the helical spring.

11. Magazine according to one of Claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the second blocking means (180) is a lever arm which can be swivelled into the cartridge gap (13) and can only be swivelled out of said cartridge gap in feeding direction (Z).

12. Magazine according to Claim 11, characterized in that the lever arm (180) is a drop lever arranged above the cartridges (12) in the magazine.

13. Magazine according to Claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the lever arm (180) is constructed and arranged in such a way that it is swivelled out of a cartridge gap (13) by the cartridge (12), which is next in feeding direction (Z), and slides onto the cartridges (12) in the region of the loading opening (160).

14. Magazine according to Claim 13, characterized in that the surface (182), sliding on the cartridges (12), of the lever arm (180) is curved essentially convexly.

15. Magazine according to one of Claim 11 to 14, characterized in that the swivel axis (181) of the lever arm (180) is arranged on the side lying in loading direction (B) of the loading opening (160).

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