US2470475A - Ammunition box - Google Patents

Description

C. T. DIAPER AMMUNITION Box May 17, 1949.

Filed Sept. 17, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 17, '1949 AMMUNITION BOX Cecil Thomas Diaper, Bristol, England, assignor to The Bristol Aeroplane Company Limited, Bristol, England,.a British company Application September 17, 1945, Serial No. 616,833 In Great Britain September 27, 1944 1 Claim.

This invention concerns improvements in or relating to ammunition boxes which are adapted for use in association'with machine guns.

The invention relates to ammunition boxes of the kind which are adapted to receive ammunitionk in the form of a belt that is stored in the box in super'posed layers. When ammunition in the form of a plurality of rounds is secured together by a series of clips to form a belt, the clips enable the belt to have a longitudinal flexibility and in certain cases a lateral flexibility also. The former enables the belt of ammunition to be folded backwards and forwards along the length of the ammunition box in the superposed layers referred to. The lateral flexibility enables the belt to be twisted along its length so that the edges thereof generally describe a helical path.

When the lateral flexibility of a belt reaches a certain value it is found that the ammunition in the box has a tendency to become displaced from the layers in which it has been stored and owing to the diameter of the projectile being less than that of the cartridge-case, the rounds become interlocked. As a consequence it is common to find that it is impossible to withdraw the ammunition belt from the box and the machine gun therefore stops. Y

An object of the present invention is to provide an ammunition box which will ensure that with ammunition belts of considerable lateral flexibility the belt is maintained in the superposed layers as stored.

According to the present invention an ammunition box of the kind hereinbefore set forth comprises means which in one ,position is capable of supporting one or more layers of the ammunition belt along at least one edge thereof, said means being displaceable from said supporting position to facilitate the withdrawal ofthe ammunition belt located beneath the layers thereof which said means supports. The displacement of the supporting means is preferably effected by the withdrawal of the layers beneath it.

Said means may comprise a shelf hingeably secured to a wall of the ammunition box, said shelf being adapted to project from said wall to support the rounds of ammunition and being adapted to be folded against said wall by the withdrawal of the layers of ammunition belt located beneath said shelf` It is preferred that a plurality of shelves be provided one above the other on said wall, each such shelf being adapted to support two layers of the ammunition belt.

A specic embodiment of the present invention now follows by way of example, the embodiment being described with reference to the accompanying drawing whereof z Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ammunition box, ya portion beingbroken away to show the interior arrangement, and

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figurel 1.

The ammunition box which is generally indicated by the reference numeral 5 is of a size to accommodate a considerable vnumber of layers of an ammunition belt 6 by folding the latter backwards and forwards along the length of the arnmunition box. The box shown in Figure 1 is adapted to provide accommodation for twelve such layers of the ammunition belt. For the sake of clarity, the ammunition belt t is not shown in detail in Figure l-the upper `portion of the belt is diagrammatically represented whilst the l-ower portion of the belt is represented by a chain dotted line 6a, this being the line upon which the centres of the rounds of ammunition are disposed. The belt 6 is withdrawn at the top oi the box .which is provided with a hinged lid I to permit access to the interior thereof for the purpose yof loading it with the ammunition belt and for inspection of the ammunition already therein. The ammunition on leaving the box passes through 'a channel formed by a hood 8 which is attached to the side walls of the box. The hood 8 houses an antifricton roller 9 over which the ammunition belt is drawn as it leaves the box.

In storing the ammunition in the box as described the rounds of ammunition l) are disposed transversely to the length of the box so that the bases Illa thereof lie adjacent the side wall II of the box and the projectiles Ib lie adjacent the side wall I2 .of the box. It has been found that if the lateral flexibility of the ammunition belt is considerable, the projectiles of the upper layers of ammunition belt in a box have a tendency to enter between the projectiles in the lower layers and as a consequence the belt becomes jammed and cannot be withdrawn from the ammunition box.

To prevent this occurring the invention provides a plurality of hinged shelves (generally indicated by the reference numeral I3) on the inner face of the side wall I2. Each hinged shelf I3 comprises an attachment flap I4 which is riveted or otherwise secured as at I5 to the wall I2, a folding flap I6 which is capable of being moved from a position in which it lies at against the side wall I2 to a position in which it projects inwardly from the latter at right-angles thereto and a hinge joint I1 which connects the aps I4 and I6 together. Each shelf is adapted to supportl two layers of the ammunition belt the arrangement being that the projectiles of the lower layer associated with each shelf rests upon the latter while the upper layer rests upon the lower-layer: It hasbeen foundthat with this arrangementlthe weightof a singlellayerroffa-m-r` munition is insufficient to press the projectiles thereof between the projectiles of the lower layer:l so as to produce jamming of the ammunition as above described.

It is desirable that whentl1efolding.ap I6i of each shelf I3 is foldedagainst thefsidef wall- I2 the latter should possess a substantiallyzsnfmotlrlA ,y

surface. To this end the wallu I2.is ,formed with a plurality of recesses I8 each of 'which isadapted to receive the hinge joint I'I of a shelf'I3L' As is shown in Figure 2 when the ap I6 is folded `upl wardly so as to lie at: against the side wall I2 obstruction is placed in.they path ,of the ammunitionvbelt as it isrwithdrawnfrom the ammufnition box 5.

Prior; tof-storing the ammunition belt in the box -fthe flap'IE ofeach shelfL I3 is moved upwardly so that it lies fiat against the` side wall I2Ifasidescribedt. A layer` of, ammunition belt is then placed along the bottom of the box 5; and theebelt' is Vfolded overand another layer placed thereonAseeFigure 41) The'ap; I6 ofy the-lowest shel-tlisthen` moveddownwardly so that it projectsefrom the wallfIZ of. the box f(Figure 2) and another two-*layers Aof: ammunition are placed in thebox; irma.4 similar mannerto that described. Theftammunitiorr belt is stored in this fashion until theebox isfullwhereupon the topmost layer of;.the beltiis passed through the hood 8-. over the roller-9, to the exit from the box.` Thelidfl isfthen placed. in position and the` box is ready forfuse. In,.order tov enable the ammunition belt timbau folded around the end of each alternate shelf .the flapA I6 ofthe shelves stops shorta little way from the end of the box as shown in Figure 1.

Irnuses the two .layers of theA belt which are supported by the: topmost shelf are `rst withdrawn'. Thereafter` Vthe layer-next beneathsaid shelf iszwithdrawn fromy the box vand: during: this operation the projectilesI will engagev with the under-surface of the ap IIiA of the .topmost shelf Itand asta consequence said-.apwill be folded upwardly against the. wall I2. Asshown- -in Fig-` ures 1 and 2 theaps I6 of the twoupper shelves h`a,.vebeenlfoldedv against the wall I2 bythe amnrunition` belt as. it has been withdrawn from the.box.` When the `ammunition belt is further withdrawn so4 that the belt extendsfrom the hood rtothefupper layer which restsupon the second shelf from--thebottom of `.the=boxthe projectiles wlllhbe,` brought into engagement with the under face-pf the flap. I6 of the central shelf in the ammunition box. The. flap of this shelfVA will' be folded against the wall l2 with further removal of the ammunition belt from the box. It is clear, therefore, that each shelf is similarly treated by the layer of the belt immediately beneath it and that the flaps I 6 are folded in succession against the wall I2 commencing with the topmost ap. In this way tha aps I 61ying; aboveethe' ammunition. yet to be. used formslnoibarrier tolthe withdrawal thereof.

It is arranged that the folding naps are readily capable of being moved upwardly against the wall I2 by the withdrawal of the ammunition belt as described, but that i the frictional engagement of .thezfiap `at `the hinge joint I1 is such as to render.iirimpossible-v for the flaps to fall downwardly into the proj ecting, position once it has been folded against-the.sidewall'of the box. The hinge construction for the shelves is such that the latter areuprevented by a stop from moving downwardly beyond the position at .which they project in a normal` direction` fromA `the ,wall .I 2;

Inl. the construction` of ammuntion`- boxp de.. scribed above. the: folding `flaps I5 vprojectsirom the wall l2nby, arelatively small. amount, being sufficient to ensnare` that the projectiles -willf engage` therewith.r In certain. circumstances it be foundanadvantage to,provide for the flapsf to extend from thefwall` I 2 .byI aconsiderable l amount Orr-even to extend from thewall.V I 2. almost .tothe wall` II ofthe ammunition` box. Furthermore, althoughthefshelves., |31 have, been provided, in the, construction described tof `support only the projectiles of the ammunition belt, shelves may alsobe-providedon thewall I I ofthe box t.sup, porty theY base of the ammunition .rounds..

I claim;

An ammunition box` for belted..` ammunition comprising` a casing to receive the ammunition belt in.,sup erposed. layers, a plurality of `shelves spacedwone above the other within the. casing, hinge meanssecuring each, shelf Ito the wallof the casingftowardswhichthe projectiles point and.

extending along said wall', and means to prevent movement of .each shelf in adireotion such that it supports.. one uor more layers of belt .whilst per-v mitting freedom for the shelf to be .displaced in the opposite direction by the withdrawing ammu'- nition belt to a position against `saidwall;f

CECIL THOMASDIAPER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are oil-recordl inthe le o? thisfpatent:

UNITED "STATES PATENTS Number Name` Date 4 659,659. GrarlandV Oct.` 16, 19,00 807,790` Taylor Dec; 19, 1905 2,110,160 Larsson` Mar.` 8, 1938 2,382,715; Hertel Aug..14, 1945

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