US12292252 - Feeder door and method of use

The patent describes a spring-loaded feeder door for a machine gun that allows for easy access to the feeder’s interior for cartridge positioning. It features a retainer lever that can be manually deployed to hold the cartridge in place while the feeder door is open.

Claim 1

1. A feeder door of a feeder of a machine gun, the feeder including a feeder housing and the feeder door spring-loaded and pivotally coupled via a pivotal coupling to the feeder housing between at least an open position and a closed position, the feeder door comprising: a base including a slot; a retainer lever; a pivotal coupling independent of the feeder door and feeder housing pivotal coupling configured to spring-load and pivotally couple the retainer lever to the feeder housing between at least a stowed position with the retainer lever retracted in the slot of the base of the feeder door and a deployed position with the deployable portion extending outwardly from the slot of the base feeder door, wherein: in the feeder door open position and the retainer lever stowed position, where an interior of feeder is accessed so a user can position a cartridge, the retainer lever is spring-loaded, urged towards and retracted in the slot of the base of the feeder door, and in the feeder door open position and the retainer lever deployed position, the retainer lever is moved manually by a user outwardly from the slot of the base feeder door, overcoming the spring-load, and manually urged against the cartridge, holding the cartridge in place. a base including a slot; a retainer lever; a pivotal coupling independent of the feeder door and feeder housing pivotal coupling configured to spring-load and pivotally couple the retainer lever to the feeder housing between at least a stowed position with the retainer lever retracted in the slot of the base of the feeder door and a deployed position with the deployable portion extending outwardly from the slot of the base feeder door, wherein: in the feeder door open position and the retainer lever stowed position, where an interior of feeder is accessed so a user can position a cartridge, the retainer lever is spring-loaded, urged towards and retracted in the slot of the base of the feeder door, and in the feeder door open position and the retainer lever deployed position, the retainer lever is moved manually by a user outwardly from the slot of the base feeder door, overcoming the spring-load, and manually urged against the cartridge, holding the cartridge in place.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12292252

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12292252