Manually assisted belt fed machine gun drum assembly
View Patent ↗A cylindrical machine gun ammunition carrier drum device with hand crank and spindle, which allows operator to regulate belt-fed ammunition at a proper cyclic rate of fire and reload linked ammunition in an efficient, accelerated manner. This retract and release belt-fed ammunition method would provide proper tension and uniformity to the linked rounds, preventing the weapon from malfunctioning and improve cyclic dispersion of ammunition. This method applies to all calibers of belt-fed personal and crew-served automatic weapons. The external hand crank and internal spindle would work in unison to recover the belt if it is yanked from the cylindrical drum container prematurely. A flexible warning device ribbon connected by ammunition links would ensure all rounds are expended from within the drum when abridged from spindle to belt. Additionally, this internal warning device can be linked between belts at operator's preference.
1 . A belt fed machine gun drum comprising:
a cylindrical container including an interior and a removable lid disposed over a rear of the cylindrical container, the interior configured to house an ammunition belt;
a spindle extending centrally through the interior of the cylindrical container;
a hand crank disposed externally at the rear of the cylindrical container and in communication with the spindle such that manual winding of the hand crank winds the ammunition belt around the spindle; and
a warning ribbon comprising a flexible material having a first end opposite a second end, wherein the first end is configured to attach to one of the spindle and an ammunition cartridge on the ammunition belt, and wherein the second end is configured to attach to a trailing end of the ammunition belt.
2 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 1 , further comprising a first connector and a second connector, wherein the first connector is attached to the first end of the warning ribbon, and wherein the second connector is attached to the second end of the warning ribbon.
3 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 2 , wherein the first connector is a link.
4 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 2 , wherein the second connector is a link configured to attach to a last ammunition cartridge at the trailing end of the ammunition belt.
5 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 1 , wherein the spindle is contoured to a size equal to a caliber of ammunition on the ammunition belt.
6 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 1 , wherein the hand crank is coupled to the lid.
7 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 6 , wherein the lid includes an opening for receiving a first end of the spindle, coupling the first end of the spindle to the hand crank.
8 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 1 , wherein the hand crank is a hand crank wheel.
9 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 8 , wherein the hand crank wheel includes contoured grips.
10 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 1 , wherein the spindle comprises a spiraled, interlocking core.
11 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 1 , wherein a front of the cylindrical container includes an opening, wherein a second end of the spindle is configured to insert through the opening, and wherein a fastener secures the second end of the spindle to the cylindrical container.
12 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 1 , wherein the warning ribbon is constructed from a canvas material.
13 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 1 , wherein the warning ribbon is constructed from an aluminum material.
14 . A belt fed machine gun drum comprising;
a cylindrical container including an interior and a removable lid disposed over a rear of the cylindrical container, the interior configured to house an ammunition belt;
a spindle including a first end opposite a second end, the first end inserted through an opening in the removable lid, the spindle extending centrally through the interior of the cylindrical container, and the second end inserted through an opening in a front of the cylindrical container;
a fastener coupling the second end of the spindle to the cylindrical container;
a hand crank coupled to the removable lid at the rear of the cylindrical container and coupled to the first end of the spindle such that manual winding of the hand crank winds the ammunition belt around the spindle; and
a warning ribbon comprising a flexible material having a first end opposite a second end, wherein the first end is configured to attach to one of the spindle and an ammunition cartridge on the ammunition belt, and wherein the second end is configured to attach to a trailing end of the ammunition belt.
15 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 14 , wherein the hand crank is a hand crank wheel.
16 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 15 , wherein the hand crank wheel includes contoured grips.
17 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 14 , wherein the spindle comprises a spiraled, interlocking core.
18 . A belt fed machine gun drum comprising;
a cylindrical container including an interior and a removable lid disposed over a rear of the cylindrical container, the interior configured to house an ammunition belt;
a spindle extending centrally through the interior of the cylindrical container;
a hand crank disposed externally at the rear of the cylindrical container and in communication with the spindle such that manual winding of the hand crank winds the ammunition belt around the spindle; and
a warning ribbon comprising a flexible material having a first end opposite a second end, wherein the first end includes a first link configured to attach to one of the spindle and an ammunition cartridge on the ammunition belt, and wherein the second end includes a second link configured to attach to a trailing end of the ammunition belt.
19 . The belt fed machine gun drum of claim 18 , wherein the second link attaches to a last ammunition cartridge at the trailing end of the ammunition belt.