Feeder/delinker for gatling gun

Abstract

A feeder/delinker for a gatling gun is disclosed. The feeder/delinker comprises a housing having a drive gear rotationally coupled to a ring of gatling gun barrels extending therethrough, A push rod guide with a plurality of push rods slidably received therein is mounted within the housing. The push rods correspond to and are oriented parallel to the gatling gun barrels. The push rod guide is rotationally coupled to the drive gear and a shaft which extends through the push rod guide. The plurality of push rods slide forwardly and backwardly within the push rod guide. A drive subassembly is mounted forwardly of the push rod guide and defines a plurality of cartridge receiving channels corresponding to and aligned with the plurality of push rods. A stripper subassembly is mounted forwardly of the drive subassembly on the shaft and defines a plurality of stripper channels corresponding to and aligned with the plurality of push rods. Each of the plurality of stripper channels is adapted to receive and prevent longitudinal movement of a cartridge link. An exhaust port is provided for expelling cartridge links. A linked cartridge from a belt of cartridges is positioned in one of the drive subassembly channels and the corresponding stripper subassembly channel is urged longitudinally forwardly by the corresponding push rod. The stripper subassembly retains the cartridge link thereby stripping the cartridge from the link, the links being expelled via the exhaust port. A feeder sprocket receives cartridges from the stripper subassembly while an end plate having two parallel guide walls adapted to engage the shoulder of a cartridge guides the cartridge in the feeder sprocket to the gatling gun. A pair of the hatch doors is mounted on the housing and allows the user access to the interior of the housing.