Clutch-lock for externally powered firearm feeding mechanism

Claim 1

A MACHINE GUN FOR FIRING CARTRIDGES DELIVERED THERETO IN A CARTRIDGE BELT, SAID MACHINE GUN INCLUDING A RECEIVER; AN OPERATING MECHANISM; AN ELECTRIC MOTOR; A TRANSMISSION FOR TRANSMITTING THE TORQUE OF SAID MOTOR TO SAID OPERATING MECHANISM; A FEEDING MECHANISM INCLUDING A SPROCKET DEVICE WITH A PLURALITY OF TEETH ENGAGEABLE WITH THE CARTRIDGES IN THE CARTRIDGE BELT FOR MOVEMENT THEREOF, A STRIPPER FOR REMOVING THE CARTRIDGES FROM THE CARTRIDGE BELT ONTO A FEED TRAY WHILE BEING MOVED BY SAID SPROCKET DEVICE AND A FEED PAWL FOR SUCCESSIVELY MOVING THE STRIPPED CARTRIDGES ALONG THE FEED TRAY TO A FIRING POSITION; A DRIVE SHAFT DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID TRANSMISSION AND SAID SPROCKET DEVICE FOR TRANSMITTING THE TORQUE OF SAID MOTOR THERETO; A CLUTCH ARRANGED IN SAID DRIVE SHAFT TO PROVIDE RELEASABLE ENGAGEMENT OF SAID SPROCKET DEVICE WITH SAID TRANSMISSION; MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID CLUTCH TO A DISENGAGED POSITION FOR RELEASING SAID SPROCKET DEVICE FROM SAID TRANSMISSION WHEN SAID MOTOR IS DE-ENERGIZED AND TO AN ENGAGED POSITION FOR CONNECTING SAID SPROCKET DEVICE TO SAID TRANSMISSION WHEN SAID MOTOR IS ENERGIZED; A LOCK COOPERATING WITH SAID CLUTCH FOR LOCKING SAID SPROCKET DEVICE AGAINST ROTATION WHEN SAID CLUTCH IS ACTUATED TO THE DISENGAGED POSITION AND FOR UNLOCKING SAID SPROCKET DEVICE WHEN SAID CLUTCH IS ACTUATED TO THE ENGAGED POSITION; SAID CLUTCH INCLUDING A DRIVE MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID TRANSMISSION FOR ROTATION THEREBY WITHOUT ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT RELATIVE THERETO AND FOR LONGITUDINAL DISPLACEMENT RELATIVE THERETO BETWEEN AN ENGAGED AND A DISENGAGED POSITION, A DRIVEN MEMBER INTEGRAL WITH SAID SPROCKET DEVICE AND MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID LOCK WITH SAID DRIVE MEMBER FOR ACTUATION THEREBY TO LOCKED AND UNLOCKED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID SPROCKET DEVICE; SAID SPROCKET DEVICE, SAID FEED PAWL, SAID STRIPPER AND THE FIRING POSITION BEING SO LOCATED RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER THAT TWO STRIPPED CARTRIDGES ARE DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SPROCKET DEVICE AND SAID FIRING POSITION DURING OPERATION OF SAID MACHINE GUN; SAID DRIVEN MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF NOTCHES EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF SAID TEETH IN SAID SPROCKET DEVICE, SAID SPROCKET DEVICE BEING DISPOSED IN A LOCKED POSITION IN RESPONSE TO SAID LOCK ENGAGING ONE OF SAID DRIVEN MEMBER NOTCHES AND WHEREIN ONE OF SAID TEETH BLOCKS DISPLACEMENT OF ONE OF THE TWO STRIPPED CARTRIDGES INTO POSITION FOR ENGAGEMENT BY SAID FEED PAWL AND THE OTHER ONE OF THE TWO STRIPPED CARTRIDGES IS FREE TO BE DELIVERED TO THE FIRING POSITION BY SAID FEED PAWL AND FIRED DURING CONTINUED OPERATION OF SAID OPERATING MECHANISM AFTER SAID FEEDING MECHANISM IS LOCKED AGAINST DISPLACEMENT; SAID DRIVEN MEMBER INCLUDING A SHAFT EXTENDING INTEGRALLY FROM SAID SPROCKET DEVICE, A PIN PLATE COAXIALLY FORMED ON THE FREE END OF SAID SHAFT AND A PLURALITY OF PINS EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF TEETH IN SAID SPROCKET SYMMETRICALLY MOUNTED IN SAID PIN PLATE FOR EXTENSION THEREFROM; AND SAID DRIVE MEMBER INCLUDING A CLUTCH PLATE IN COAXIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID DRIVEN MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF APERTURES IN SAID CLUTCH PLATE EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF SAID PINS, SAID APERTURES BEING ARRANGED TO RECEIVE SAID PINS WHEN SAID DRIVE MEMBER IS ACTUATED TO THE ENGAGED POSITION; SAID PINS HAVING SUCH A LENGTH THAT SAID PINS ARE FREE OF SAID APERTURES WHEN SAID DRIVE MEMBER IS IN THE DISENGAGED POSITION; AND A PLURALITY OF ARCUATE RAMPS RESPECTIVELY LEADING INTO A RELATED ONE OF SAID APERTURES FROM A FACE OF SAID CLUTCH PLATE FACING SAID PIN PLATE, SAID RAMPS BEING ARRANGED FOR RESPECTIVE CONTACT BY SAID PINS WHEN SAID DRIVE MEMBER IS ACTUATED TO THE ENGAGED POSITION TO EASE SAID PINS INTO SAID APERTURES AND SAID DRIVE MEMBER INTO THE ENGAGED POSITION.