Abstract: An endless ammunition conveyor includes a set of laterally moveable carriers and a set of laterally fixed carriers arranged in alternating relation with the moveable carriers. Incident with conveyor movement, the moveable carriers are cammed between laterally offset positions relative to the fixed carriers for respective round exchanges with a pair of ammunition storage bays and interleaved, longitudinally aligned positions with the fixed carriers for round exchanges with a gun-feeding transfer unit. Concurrently, the pitch between adjacent fixed and moveable carriers is changed between a maximum pitch at the gun end of the conveyor and a minimum pitch at the bay end of the conveyor.

Abstract: An ammunition feeding system includes an endless, ladder-type conveyor trained throughout the interior of a magazine in a serpentine formation consisting of a plurality of straight line sections and interconnecting turnaround sections. The conveyor includes a succession of carriers which are adapted to assume a closed, ammunition round retention condition while in the straight line sections and to automatically open while in the turnaround sections to effect round handoffs to any transfer station located thereat for live round-spent round exchanges with respect to the carriers as they transit the turnaround section. Guides are positioned at the other turnaround sections to preclude round handoffs by the opened carriers.

Abstract: An ammunition sorting system where rounds are fed randomly in either a first or a second orientation includes a process for orientating all of the rounds into the second orientation.

Abstract: Ammunition sorting system including a plurality of storage hoppers each adapted to releasably store a different type of ammunition, and a conveyor system including in sequence a plurality of rungs, each rung having two alternative dispositions, one wherein the rung provides a pocket in the conveyor adapted to receive therein a round of ammunition from a hopper, the other wherein said rung precludes entry of a round into such pocket, and cams and followers for controlling the disposition of each rung as it passes each of the storage hoppers.

Abstract: The device is for use with an ammunition storage drum for a modern multi-barrel high rate-of-fire machine gun (i.e., "Gatling" type gun) system, in which unfired ammunition rounds are transported from the drum to the gun, and the cases of the spent ammunition are returned from the gun to the drum. When two generally, oppositely positioned spent ammunition sensors within the drum simultaneously detect spent ammunition in the drum, a signal is sent to the gun control unit in time to cut off power. The device prevents spent ammunition from being chambered in the gun, and as a result also permits higher rates-of-fire by the gun.