Side stripping mechanism for linked ammunition

Claim 1

A LINK STRIPPING MECHANISM FOR THE FEEDER OF A HIGHRATE-OF-FIRE GUN HAVING A BELT PULLING SPROCKET FOR PULLING THE AMMUNITION BELT, AND WHEREIN THE AMMUNITION BELT IS FORMED BY AMMUNITION ROUNDS LINKED TOGETHER BY LINKS HAVING DOUBLE-LOOP FORWARD END PORTIONS CLIPPED TO A PRECEDING ROUND AND A SINGLE-LOOP REARWARD CENTER PORTION CLIPPED TO A FOLLOWING ROUND, SAID DOUBLE-LOOP AND SINGLE-LOOP PORTIONS BEING CONNECTED BY A PAIR OF SPACEDAPART INTERCONNECTING PORTIONS, SAID LINK STRIPPING MECHANISM COMPRISING: A STRIPPING SPROCKET MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOVE SAID AMMUNITION BELT AND HAVING ELONGATED RADIAL TEETH THE TIP PORTIONS OF WHICH ARE OF SUFFICIENT WIDTH TO ENGAGE SAID PAIR OF INTERCONNECTING PORTIONS OF A LINK AND TO IMPOSE AN OUTWARD THRUST THEREON AS SAID STRIPPING SPROCKET ROTATES, AND A SUPPORT SPOOL MOUNTED BELOW SAID AMMUNITION BELT DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE SAID STRIPPING SPROCKET FOR RECEIVING COMPONENTS OF FORCE IMPOSED BY THE TEETH OF SAID STRIPPING SPROCKET, SAID SPOOL HAVING LARGE-DIAMETER FLANGES DISPOSED TO ENGAGE THE ROUND AT SPACED POINTS OUTSIDE THE LINK CLIPPED THERETO AND TO SUPPORT THE ROUND AGAINST THE THRUST IMPOSED BY SAID SPROCKET TEETH, SAID SPOOL HAVING SMALLERDIAMETER HUB PORTIONS DISPOSED OT BE ENGAGED BY THE DOUBLE-LOOP FORWARD PORTIONS OF A PARTIALLY STRIPPED LINK AND TO RECEIVE A PORTION OF THE THRUST IMPOSED BY THE SPROCKET TOOTH DURING THE TIME THAT THE SINGLE-LOOP REARWARD PORTION OF THE LINK IS BEING FORCED FROM THE SUCCEEDING ROUND, ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID LAST-NAMED THRUST BEING RECEIVED BY THE LARGE-DIAMETER FLANGES OF SAID SPOOL SUPPORTING THE SUCCEEDING ROUND, SAID SUCCEEDING ROUND BY THIS TIME HAVING COME INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FLANGES OF SAID SPOOL.