Extensible ammunition conveyor

A extensible conveyor for cylindrical articles comprising, in combination:

• A. a first longitudinally elongated conveyor section having first and second ends;
• B. a second longitudinally elongated conveyor section having third and fourth ends, said first and second conveyor sections mounted for relative telescopic movement with a portion of said second end of said first conveyor section and a portion of said third end of said second conveyor section in telescoped relation;
• C. a first pair of first and second sprockets mounted in transversely spaced relation to said first conveyor section adjacent said first end;
• D. a second pair of first and second sprockets mounted in transversely spaced relation to said first conveyor section adjacent said second end,
• 1) said first sprockets of said first and second pairs being in longitudinal alignment, and
• 2) said second sprockets of said first and second pairs being in longitudinal alignment;
• E. a third pair of first and second sprockets mounted in transversely spaced relation to said second conveyor section adjacent said third end;
• F. a fourth pair of first and second sprockets mounted in transversely spaced relation to said second conveyor section adjacent said fourth end,
• 1) said first sprockets of said third and fourth pairs being in longitudinal alignment,
• 2) said second sprockets of said third and fourth pairs being in longitudinal alignment,
• 3) said first sprockets of said first and second pairs being transversely offset relative to said first sprockets of said third and fourth pairs, and
• 4) said second sprockets of said first and second pairs being transversely offset relative to said second sprockets of said third and fourth pairs;
• G. a first endless article-conveying chain trained about said first sprockets of said first, second, third and fourth pairs, said first chain including a first article-conveying upper run extending longitudinally between said first sprockets of said first and second paris, a second article-conveying upper run extending longitudinally between said first sprockets of said third and fourth pairs, a first lower run extending transversely between said first sprockets of said second and third pairs, a second lower run extending transversely between said first sprockets of said first and fourth pairs, and transversely lapping run portions of said first and second upper runs extending along the longitudinal separation between said first sprockets of said second and third pairs;
• H. a second endless article-conveying chain trained about said second sprockets of said first, second third and fourth pairs, said second chain including a third article-conveying upper run extending longitudinally between said second sprockets of said first and second pairs, a fourth article-conveying upper run extending longitudinally between said second sprockets of said third and fourth pairs, a first lower run extending transversely between said second sprockets of said second and third pairs, a second lower run extending transversely between said second sprockets of said first and fourth pairs, and transversely lapping run portions of said third and fourth upper runs extending along the longitudinal separation between said second sprockets of said second and third pairs, said first and second upper runs of said first chain and said third and fourth upper runs of said second chain generally lie in respective common planes, said first and second sprockets of each said first, second, third and fourth pair being mounted in angular relation, whereby said upper runs of said first and second chains define an effectively V-shaped open trough for transversely confining the cylindrical articles during longitudinal conveyance thereof;
• and
• I. means for driving one of the said first sprockets and one of said second sprockets in synchronism.