Dual ammunition feeding system for a fire arm and method for feeding different ammunition types using a common transfer mechanism

An ammunition feed system for a fire arm having a loading device for loading munitions in a firing chamber, said feed system comprising:

• a munitions storage single container containing a first ammunition rack capable of containing a first type of munitions and a second ammunition rack capable of containing a second type of munitions, each of said first and second ammunition racks being operably connected to a two-way conveyor that supports and moves associated munitions along an associated ammunition rack;
• and
• an intermediate transfer device common to the first and second ammunition racks, said intermediate transfer device being configured to transfer a first selected munitions type of the first and second types of munitions from a selected rack of the first and second racks towards the loading device,
• wherein the intermediate transfer device includes a starwheel supported by a shaft, and the conveyor of each of the first and second racks comprises an endless chain conveyor,
• wherein each of the first and second racks comprises a vertical outer passage, a vertical inner passage parallel to the vertical outer passage, and an intermediate partition disposed between the inner and outer passages, the inner and outer passages communicating with each other at lower ends thereof and upper ends thereof along a common opening of the container,
• wherein each two-way conveyor comprises:
• at least one roller pair including an upper drive wheel and a lower drive wheel, and
• an endless chain wound around the upper and lower drive wheels, the endless chain moving in the outer and inner passages of a corresponding rack and being fitted with catches to support corresponding munitions, and
• wherein the at least one roller pair includes two roller pairs, and wherein the upper drive wheels of each two-way conveyor are supported by and integral with a first common drive shaft, and wherein the lower drive wheels of each two-way conveyor are supported by and integral with a second common shaft, and further wherein the first and second common drive shafts extend parallel to the shaft of the starwheel.

An ammunition feed system for a fire arm having a loading device for loading munitions in a firing chamber, said feed system comprising:

• a munitions storage single container containing a first ammunition rack capable of containing a first type of munitions and a second ammunition rack capable of containing a second type of munitions, each of said first and second ammunition racks being operably connected to a two-way conveyor that supports and moves associated munitions along an associated ammunition rack;
• an intermediate transfer device common to the first and second ammunition racks, said intermediate transfer device being configured to transfer a first selected munitions type of the first and second types of munitions from a selected rack of the first and second racks towards the loading device;
• and
• a controller to control the intermediate transfer device to cooperate simultaneously with a selected two-way conveyor of one of the first and second ammunition racks,
• wherein the controller comprises a drive wheel supported by and integral with a shaft of a starwheel, two drive wheels working with respective ones of the two-way conveyors via coupling devices, and a common control device to act on each of the coupling devices so as to mesh the drive wheel of the starwheel with the selected one of the drive wheels of the selected two-way conveyor.