Supply device for a portable firearm by means of cartridge belts or by means of rifle magazines using the same ammunition

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The present invention pertains to the modern portable firearms which are normally conditioned to be supplied by cartridge belts. More particularly, the invention is concerned with such arms, such as machine guns, provided with a rotary locking mechanism for instance in a subsidiary part of the barrel, whereby the unlocking is effected by a gas tapping. A piston which is integral with the slide is pushed towards the rear by the gas pressure, while a gradient on the slide which engages a tenon of the bolt performs the unlocking and makes the extraction and the ejection of the shell possible. After the rearward stroke, a recuperator spring, compressed by the piston, sends the parts back towards the front. At this moment, the supply system which is contained in the cover has advanced the belt, so that there is now a cartridge on the track, ready to be fed. The bolt which slides in its rails, which are fixed in the casing, then pushes the cartridge by means of a tenon into the breech.

It shall be noted that modern machine guns, due to their light weight and handling facility, are liable to be used in military units in which the individual arms fire similar ammunition to that used in the supply by means of cartridge belts.

This ammunition being fed by magazines, it is of interest for a machine gun, after having exhausted its supply of belts, to be able to continue to operate while being supplied, for instance, by a rifle magazine.

Over the above the interest offered by the double supply device, it is also important that, despite the more elaborate equipment, the aiming system of the weapon need not be altered.

These various conditions according to the invention are fulfilled due to the fact that, starting from a modern machine gun, the weapon has a side opening for access to a magazine, the opening being extended by a sleeve which can serve the purpose of a guide for aforesaid magazine, aforesaid sleeve being provided with a flap, hingedly attached to aforesaid magazine guide, so as to be able to close said sleeve and serve as a guide for the cartridge belt.

Complementarily, the shaping of the bolt has been altered so as to present two pressure tenons, one for loading from cartridge belts and the other for the loading from magazines.

These novel elements have the possibility of being built in various shapes and in variable relative locations.

Merely as a non-limiting example, a form of embodiment is described hereinafter in greater detail, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 schematically shows a perspective view of a weapon supplied by cartridge belts;

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, the same weapon being however supplied by a magazine;

FIG. 3 is a side view, to a larger scale, of the weapon according to FIGS. 1 and 2, but without a supply device;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of that part of FIG. 3 indicated by F4;

FIG. 5 shows a section according to line V--V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5, the bolt being in the supply phase by means of cartridge belts;

FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6, the weapon being shown as supplied by a magazine;

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7, illustrating the alternate loading when using a magazine;

FIG. 9 is a view in the direction of arrow F9 in FIG. 4, more particularly showing the locking ring of the barel; and

FIG. 10 shows a section according to line X--X in FIG. 9.

In this form of embodiment, we start off with a modern machine gun 1 of the type which is conditioned to be fed by a cartridge belt. In the present case, the means which permit that sort of supply subsist and are consequently characteristic of the known machine guns. The cartridges 2 are forwarded in the usual manner towards the loading device and are pushed on, one at a time, by tenon 3 of bolt 4.

According to the invention, an opening 5 has in this case been provided in the left hand side of casing 6 of the weapon. This opening 5 is extended by a sleeve 7 which is intended to serve as a magazine guide. At the entrance to sleeve 7, an approximately L shaped flap 8 is hingedly attached. Branch 8' of aforesaid flap has a tooth 9 and the flap is urged toward closed position by an elastic element 10. In this case, bolt 4 is provided with an extra tenon 11.

In the position illustrated in FIG. 6, sleeve 7 is closed by branch 8' of flap 8, the second branch 8" of the flap being directed towards the belt, so as to form a guide facilitating the regular forwarding of the successive rounds aligned on the belt.

In the magazine feed position, it will be sufficient to insert a normal rifle magazine 12 into sleeve 7, whereby flap 8 is automatically pushed back. The magazine will be held in place by aforementioned tooth 9 which registers with a corresponding opening 13 in magazine 2.

It will be seen that bolt 4 and the arrangement of guide rails 14-15 have been altered so as to assure the normal and successive action upon the cartridges.

It is quite obvious, that during the loading movements of the cartridges, the supply system contained in cover 16 continues to operate in idleness.

A main characteristic further consists in the fact that the magazine is placed laterally and not vertically on cover 16. This arrangement permits the sighting line to remain unaltered and considerably simplifies the fitting of aiming accessories such as telescopic sights, a reflex collimator, a light amplifier or others.

It must further be noted, that the closing flap 8 of the magazine guide has a double function. It is first used to close opening 5 in casing 6 so as to assure a better sealing of the weapon, and it further serves as stop for the magazine when inserted into aforesaid sleeve 7.

A further remarkable fact is the possibility of passing instantaneously, either to belt feed or to magazine feed.

In order to limit the angular movement of said flap 8, branch 8" of the latter is provided with a tenon 17 which normally, and in the closed position of aforesaid flap 8, comes into contact with the corresponding part of sleeve 7.

The invention is concerned with the device itself, as well as with all weapons equipped with such a device, such as machine guns, rifles and suchlike.

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