Dual caliber ammunition handling system

Claim 2

An article handling system comprising, in combination: A. a pair of conveyor chains; B. spaced sets of opposed sprockets about which said conveyor chains are engaged and trained in parallel spaced relation through a predetermined conveyor path; C. a succession of transverse article carrier elements interconnecting said conveyor chains at regularly spaced intervals along the lengths thereof, each adjacent pair of said carrier elements providing first opposed surface formations defining therebetween a first position for accepting an article of one configuration and providing second opposed surface formations defining therebetween a second position for accepting an article of a different configuration; and D. guide means stationed along said conveyor path for maintaining articles of either configuration in their accepted positions between adjacent pairs of said carrier elements during article conveyance.

Claim 3

An article handling system defined claim 1, wherein said first and second opposed surface formations are configured to accept rounds of ammunition of two different calibers, one caliber of ammunition round to be accepted in each said first position, and a different caliber of ammunition round to be accepted in each said second position.

Claim 4

The article handling system defined in claim 2, wherein said first and second opposed surface formations are configured to control the locations of the shell casings of the ammunition rounds in either of said first and second positions, whereby to accommodate conveyance of both live and spent ammunition rounds.

Claim 5

The article handling system defined in claim 2, wherein said first and second opposed surface formations are provided at different locations along the lengths of said carrier elements.

Claim 6

The article handling system defined in claim 4, wherein said first and second opposed surface formations are further configured such that the orientation of ammunition rounds in said first positions is reversed from the orientation of ammunition rounds in said second positions.

Claim 7

The article handling system defined in claim 5, wherein said carrier elements are identically molded of plastic.

Claim 8

The article handling system defined in claim 6, wherein said carrier elements have opposed ends structured for snap-fit engagement with said conveyor chains.

Claim 9

The article handling system defined in claim 2, wherein said guide means includes a plurality of guide shelves held in stacked relation, said guide shelves including round engaging surfaces for guiding ammunition round conveyance along the plural straight runs of a serpentine conveyor path extending back and forth between adjacent pairs of said guide shelves.

Claim 10

The article handling system defined in claim 8, wherein said guide shelves include opposed sidewalls on which said guide shelves support one another in stacked relation.

Claim 11

The article handling system defined in claim 9, wherein at least one corresponding sidewall of said guide shelves is formed with interlocking surface features to inhibit transverse relative movements of said guide shelves.

Claim 12

The article handling system defined in claim 9, which further includes a frame for securing said guide shelves in stacked relation.

Claim 13

The article handling system defined in claim 9, wherein said guide shelves include extensions at at least one end for rotatably mounting one of said sprocket sets.

Claim 14

The article handling system defined in claim 9, wherein each said guide shelf includes a floor joining said opposed sidewalls, said floor supporting said round engaging surfaces.

Claim 15

The article handling system defined in claim 13, wherein at least one of said opposed sidewalls of each said guide shelf is inwardly shouldered to provide an additional round engaging surface.

Claim 16

The article handling system defined in claim 14, wherein both of said opposed sidewalls of each said guide shelf are inwardly shouldered to provide respective first and second additional round engaging surfaces, said first additional round engaging surface guiding the conveyance of ammunition rounds of said one caliber and said second additional round engaging surface guiding the conveyance of ammunition rounds of said difficult caliber.

Claim 17

The article handling system defined in claim 15, wherein said floor of each said guide shelf supports separate round engaging surfaces for guiding the conveyance of ammunition rounds of said one and said different calibers, respectively.

Claim 18

The article handling system defined in claim 16, wherein each said guide shelf further includes round control surfaces disposed in opposed, spaced relation with said round engaging surfaces of an adjacently stacked guide shelf, the ammunition rounds being conveyed along straight serpentine path runs defined between said round engaging and said round control surfaces.

Claim 19

The article handling system defined in claim 17, wherein said opposed sidewalls are inwardly formed with ledges providing running surfaces for said conveyor chains.

Claim 20

The article handling system defined in claim 18, wherein said guide shelves include extensions at least one end for rotatably mounting one of said sprocket sets.

Claim 21

The article handling system defined in claim 19, wherein each said guide shelf is of an integral construction.

Claim 22

The article handling system defined in claim 17, wherein said first and second opposed surface formations are provided at different locations along the lengths of said carrier elements.

Claim 23

The article handling system defined in claim 21, wherein said first and second opposed surface formations are further configured such that the orientation of ammunition rounds in said first positions is reversed from the orientation of ammunition rounds in said second positions.

Claim 24

The article handling system defined in claim 22, wherein said carrier elements are identically molded of plastic.

Claim 25

An article handling system comprising, in combination: A. a pair of conveyor chains; B. spaced sets of opposed sprockets about which said conveyor chains are engaged and trained in parallel spaced relation through a predetermined serpentine conveyor path; C. a succession of transverse carrier elements interconnecting said conveyor chains at regularly spaced intervals along the lengths thereof, each adjacent pair of said carrier elements providing opposed surface formations defining therebetween a position for accepting an article for conveyance; and D. a plurality of guide shelves, each guide shelf including opposed sidewalls on which said guide shelves are supported one atop another in stacked relation, said guide shelves further including engaging surfaces for maintaining articles in their accepted positions and guiding article conveyance along the plural straight runs of said serpentine conveyor path back and forth between adjacent pairs of said guide shelves.

Claim 26

An article handling system comprising, in combination: A. a pair of conveyor chains; B. spaced sets of opposed sprockets about which said conveyor chains are engaged and trained in parallel spaced relation through a predetermined serpentine conveyor path; C. a succession of transverse carrier elements interconnecting said conveyor chains at regularly spaced intervals along the lengths thereof, each adjacent pair of said carrier elements providing opposed surface formations defining therebetween a position for accepting an article for conveyance; and D. a plurality of guide shelves, each guide shelf including opposed sidewalls on which said guide shelves are supported one atop another in stacked relation, said guide shelves further including engaging surfaces for maintaining articles in their accepted positions and guiding article conveyance along the plural straight runs of said serpentine conveyor path back and forth between adjacent pairs of said guide shelves.

Claim 27

The article handling system defined in claim 24, wherein said engaging surfaces are configured to maintain rounds of ammunition in said accepted positions.

Claim 28

The article handling system defined in claim 25, wherein at least one corresponding sidewall of said guide shelves is formed with interlocking surface features to inhibit transverse relative movements of said guide shelves.

Claim 29

The article handling system defined in claim 25, which further includes a frame for securing said guide shelves in stacked relation.

Claim 30

The article handling system defined in claim 25, wherein said guide shelves include extensions at at least one end for rotatably mounting one of said sprocket sets.

Claim 31

The article handling system defined in claim 25, wherein each said guide shelf includes a floor joining said opposed sidewalls, said floor supporting said engaging surfaces.

Claim 32

The article handling system defined in claim 29, wherein at least one of said opposed sidewalls of each said guide shelf is inwardly shouldered to provide an additional engaging surface.

Claim 33

The article handling system defined in claim 29, wherein each said guide shelf further includes control surfaces disposed in opposed, spaced relation with said engaging surfaces of and adjacently stacked guide shelf, the ammunition rounds being conveyed along straight serpentine path runs defined between said engaging and said control surfaces.

Claim 34

The article handling system define d in claim 31, wherein said opposed sidewalls are inwardly formed with ledges providing running surfaces for said conveyor chains.

Claim 35

The article handling system defined in claim 32, wherein said guide shelves include extensions at at least one end for rotatably mounting one of said sprocket sets.

Claim 36

The article handling system defined in claim 33, wherein each said guide shelf is of an integral construction.