Cartridge feed magazine assembly with self-contained follower spring

Claim 2

A cartridge feed arrangement for successively advancing each of a plurality of cartridges packaged in an original shipping container directly into a small arms weapon into position to be subsequently chambered therein, comprising, an adapter open at both ends thereof and releasably secured within the weapon to depend therefrom for the upward insertion therein of the shipping container loaded with cartridges, a guide plate fixed at the upper end thereof to an interior sidewall of said adapter to extend downwardly in spaced parallel relation thereto for vertical passage through the inserted cartridge container, a follower slidably disposed in the container for supporting the cartridges thereon, a cartridge lifter releasably secured to the depending end of said guide plate for pivotal movement into and out of lifting engagement with said follower, and a negator spring extending from said adapter into fixed attachment with said cartridge lifter for normally biasing said lifter into vertical engagement with the depending end of said guide plate until said lifter is manually pivoted inwardly toward the depending open end of said adapter whereupon the bias of said spring is shifted to actuate said lifter upwardly in said guide plate for imparting corresponding feeding movement to said follower and the cartridges supported thereon.

Claim 3

The cartridge feed arrangement of claim 1 wherein said negator spring comprises, a coiled end secured to the exterior of said adapter, a first portion extending from said coiled end into said adapter and upwardly along the exterior of the container, and a second portion extending downwardly through the interior of the container and along said guide plate into fixed attachment with said cartridge lifter.

Claim 4

The cartridge feed arrangement of claim 1 including, means for adjusting the tension of said negator spring to a level at least equal to the weight of the container and a full load of cartridges therein, and means for optionally releasing the tension of said spring during those periods in which the weapon need not be maintained in a ready-to-use status.

Claim 5

The cartridge feed arrangement of claim 1 wherein the lower end of said guide plate is provided with a V-shaped rib and wherein said cartridge lifter is provided with a corresponding V-shaped groove for mating engagement with said guide plate rib in response to the vertical bias of said negator spring.

Claim 6

The cartridge feed arrangement of claim 1 wherein said guide plate includes a central opening therethrough defining a pair of vertical dove-tailed channels spaced to slidably receive the opposite ends of said cartridge lifter during the upward movement imparted thereto by said negator spring.

Claim 7

The cartridge feed arrangement of claim 1 including, a pair of spaced feed lips at the upper end of said adapter for halting the upward movement imparteD to the cartridges, and stop surfaces at the upper end of the container for halting the upward movement of said cartridge follower in the absence of any cartridges thereon.

Claim 8

In an arrangement for serially feeding a staggered double column of cartridges into a small arms weapon directly from a rectangular container in which the cartriges are originally packaged for shipment, the combination of, an adapter open at both ends thereof and releasably secured within the weapon to depend therefrom for the upward insertion of a preloaded cartridge container, a guide plate having an outwardly turned upper end fixed to the interior sidewall of said adapter and a rectangular body extending downwardly from said outwardly turned upper end in spaced parallel relation to the interior sidewall of said adapter to terminate therebelow in a V-shaped rib, said plate also having a rectangular slot centrally therethrough defining a pair of oppositely spaced vertical channels, a follower slidably disposed in the container for supporting the cartridges thereon, a cartridge lifter having a V-shaped groove along one edge thereof for releasable mating engagement with said rib on said guide plate when said cartridge lifter is in vertical alignment therewith, and a negator spring having one end thereof secured to the exterior of said adapter for passage into the interior thereof upwardly over the top of one sidewall of the cartridge container and downwardly along said central slot in said guide plate into fixed attachment with said cartridge lifter whereby the bias of said spring normally retains said lifter in releasable vertical engagement with said guide plate until said lifter is manually pivoted inwardly toward the depending open end of said adapter whereupon the bias of said spring is shifted to continue the pivotal movement of said lifter out of engagement with said guide plate rib and into sliding engagement with said vertical channels in said guide plate to impart upward feeding movement to said follower and the cartridges thereon.

Claim 9

In an arrangement for serially feeding a staggered double column of cartridges into a small arms weapon directly from a rectangular container in which the cartriges are originally packaged for shipment, the combination of, an adapter open at both ends thereof and releasably secured within the weapon to depend therefrom for the upward insertion of a preloaded cartridge container, a guide plate having an outwardly turned upper end fixed to the interior sidewall of said adapter and a rectangular body extending downwardly from said outwardly turned upper end in spaced parallel relation to the interior sidewall of said adapter to terminate therebelow in a V-shaped rib, said plate also having a rectangular slot centrally therethrough defining a pair of oppositely spaced vertical channels, a follower slidably disposed in the container for supporting the cartridges thereon, a cartridge lifter having a V-shaped groove along one edge thereof for releasable mating engagement with said rib on said guide plate when said cartridge lifter is in vertical alignment therewith, and a negator spring having one end thereof secured to the exterior of said adapter for passage into the interior thereof upwardly over the top of one sidewall of the cartridge container and downwardly along said central slot in said guide plate into fixed attachment with said cartridge lifter whereby the bias of said spring normally retains said lifter in releasable vertical engagement with said guide plate until said lifter is manually pivoted inwardly toward the depending open end of said adapter whereupon the bias of said spring is shifted to continue the pivotal movement of said lifter out of engagement with said guide plate rib and into sliding engagement with said vertical channels in said guide plate to impart upward feeding movement to said follower and the cartridges thereon.

Claim 10

The cartridge feeding arrangement of claim 7 wherein said vertical channels in said guide plate are formed with an outer rectangular surface and an adjacent inwardly sloped surface cooperating to provide a dovetail configuration, and wherein said cartridge lifter comprises, a triangular body of isosceles configuration, a guide portion extending centrally and outwardly from the base side of said body to terminate in a right-angle projection of rectangular cross-section, a first pair of bevel surfaces on said guide portion at the opposite upper corners thereof remote from said right-angle projection, said bevel surfaces oriented for slidable mating contact with said inwardly sloped surfaces of said dovetail channels in said guide plate when said cartridge lifter is in vertical engagement therewith, and a second pair of bevel surfaces on the opposite vertical sides of said guide portion oriented for respective slidable mating contact with said inwardly sloped surfaces of said dovetail channels in said guide plate when said cartridge lifter is provided at right angles thereto into lifting engagement with said follower.

Claim 11

The cartridge feeding arrangement of claim 8 wherein one sidewall of said adapter is centrally bulged outwardly from the point of entry of said spring to provide clearance for the portion thereof extending upwardly adjacent the exterior sidewall of the cartridge container, said guide plate includes a fixed rod above said rectangular slot therein for supporting said spring to permit the downward passage thereof along said slot, and said cartridge lifter is provided with a transverse opening through said guide portion thereof for passage of the downwardly extending portion of said spring into fixed engagement with the outwardly facing sidewall of said triangular body.

Claim 12

The cartridge feeding arrangement of claim 7 wherein the end of said negator spring secured to the exterior Of said adapter is arranged to wind into a plurality of nested coils as the cartridge lifter rides upwardly in said vertical channels in said guide plate, and wherein said adapter is provided with an outwardly extending compartment for housing said coiled end of said spring, said compartment including a pawl and ratchet combination for retaining said spring at a predetermined tension.

Claim 13

The cartridge feeding arrangement of claim 7 wherein the opposite sidewalls of said cartridge lifter are convergingly tapered and wherein one of the sloped wall surfaces of said V-shaped groove is horizontally slabbed to form a locating surface for contacting the inwardly facing side of said guide plate during the pivotal movement imparted to said cartridge lifter to thereby position the upper tapered sidewall thereof in flush contact with the underside of said follower.

Claim 14

The cartridge feeding arrangement of claim 7 wherein said vertical channels in said guide plate are formed by rectangular surfaces intersecting at right angles, said surface parallel to the sidewalls of said guide plate terminating in a rectangular pocket at the lower end thereof, and wherein said cartridge lifter comprises a triangular body of isosceles configuration having a guide portion projecting outwardly and centrally from the base side thereof to terminate in a cylindrical configuration adapted to be partially received in said pockets when said cartridge lifter is in vertical engagement with said V-shaped rib on said guide plate, each of said pockets having an arcuate upper wall for guiding said cylindrical configuration into said vertical channels in said guide plate during the pivotal movement imparted to said cartridge lifter.

Claim 15

The cartridge feeding arrangement of claim 7 wherein the cartridge container comprises, a rectangular box having a removable cover, a slidable insert disposed between one interior sidewall of said box and the cartridges adjacent thereto in position to be replaced by said guide plate in said adapter during the upward insertion of said box therein, and a pair of overlapping triangular sections disposed at the bottom of said box to define an open passage for said cartridge lifter during the upward movement imparted thereto by said negator spring.