Patents Assigned to Esco Electronics Company
  • Patent number: 5782157
    Abstract: A storage and feed mechanism (10) stores ammunition (A) for a weapon (W) and facilitates feeding the ammunition to the weapon during firing. A magazine (12) comprises a storage chamber located adjacent the weapon and capable of storing a plurality of rounds of the ammunition. Individual rounds of ammunition are linked together on an ammunition belt (B) which carries the rounds to the weapon during firing. An ammunition feed (32) includes an inlet chute (33a) positioned above the magazine and allowing linked rounds of ammunition to be vertically extracted from the magazine thereby preventing tip-over and similar problems. The feed further includes a fixed fan section (32a) comprising a rigid chute through which the belt of ammunition is drawn. A sprocket drive (62) includes an appropriate gear (64) which engages the ammunition belt to draw the linked ammunition from the magazine up through the chute to the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Esco Electronics Company
    Inventors: Thomas W. Ellington, Edward V. Carter