Minigun with improved feeder sprocket and shaft

An improved delinking feeder for receiving a belt of linked cartridges, separating the cartridges from the belt, and feeding the separated cartridges to a firing mechanism of a multi-barrel machine gun for firing, the delinking feeder comprising:

• a stripper sleeve and a feeder sprocket mounted to a rotatable shaft;
• wherein the feeder sprocket includes:
• a body having an axial hole adapted for mounting the feeder sprocket to the rotatable shaft;
• and
• a plurality of slots wherein each of the plurality of slots includes an inner end configured to receive a cartridge and extends outwardly along a length from the inner end to an open end at an outer edge of the feeder sprocket body;
• wherein each of the plurality of slots includes a curved portion having opposing, substantially parallel sides that are curved along at least a portion of the slot length;
• and
• wherein the shaft is configured to rotate in a direction of rotation during firing and the curved portion of each of the plurality of slots curves in a direction opposing the direction of rotation.

A Gatling-type multi-barrel machine gun comprising:

• a barrel assembly including a plurality of circumferentially mounted gun barrels;
• a motor adapted to rotate the barrel assembly;
• and
• a delinking feeder for receiving a belt of linked cartridges, separating the linked cartridges from the belt, and feeding the separated cartridges to a firing mechanism;
• wherein the delinking feeder includes a rotatable shaft coupled to the motor and adapted to hold a stripper sleeve and a feeder sprocket;
• wherein the feeder sprocket includes a body adapted for mounting to the rotatable shaft and having a plurality of curved slots;
• wherein each of the plurality of curved slots includes an inner end for receiving a cartridge and extends outwardly along a slot length from the inner end to an open end at an outer edge of the feeder sprocket body;
• wherein each of the plurality of slots includes a portion having opposing, substantially parallel sides disposed along a curve;
• and
• wherein the shaft rotates in a direction of rotation during firing of the machine gun and the curve of each of the plurality of slots is in a direction opposing the direction of rotation.