US12437179 - Modular ammunition counter

The modular ammunition counter is designed to accurately and quickly count belted or bulk ammunition rounds using a combination of sensors and an electronics assembly that tracks the direction of travel of the rounds. This device improves upon manual counting methods by providing a reliable display of the ammunition count based on detected sensor signals.

Claim 1

1. An ammunition counting device, comprising: an ammunition guide for accepting ammunition rounds; two sensors disposed along a path that the ammunition rounds travel through the ammunition guide, each sensor for producing a sensor signal upon detecting presence of an ammunition round; an electronics assembly for receiving sensor signals and producing a count signal responsive thereto, wherein a direction of travel of the ammunition rounds through the ammunition guide is responsive to a sequence of sensor signals from the two sensors such that an ammunition round passing in a first direction produces a count signal representing a count of plus one and an ammunition round passing in a second direction opposite to the first direction produces a count signal representing a count of minus one, wherein the ammunition count is responsive to the count signals; a display responsive to the electronics assembly for displaying the ammunition count; a fixture plate attached to the ammunition guide, wherein the ammunition rounds pass below the fixture plate; a pin for passing through spaced-apart pin horns affixed to an upper surface of the fixture plate proximate a first edge of the fixture plate; the fixture plate further comprising a projection extending from the upper surface proximate a second edge of the fixture plate, the projection defining an opening or slot therein, the second edge opposite the first edge; the electronics assembly further comprising a shoe disposed on a first surface thereof, the shoe for mating with the opening or slot; and the pin exerting a force on a second surface of the electronics assembly for retaining the shoe within the opening or slot, the second surface opposite the first surface. an ammunition guide for accepting ammunition rounds; two sensors disposed along a path that the ammunition rounds travel through the ammunition guide, each sensor for producing a sensor signal upon detecting presence of an ammunition round; an electronics assembly for receiving sensor signals and producing a count signal responsive thereto, wherein a direction of travel of the ammunition rounds through the ammunition guide is responsive to a sequence of sensor signals from the two sensors such that an ammunition round passing in a first direction produces a count signal representing a count of plus one and an ammunition round passing in a second direction opposite to the first direction produces a count signal representing a count of minus one, wherein the ammunition count is responsive to the count signals; a display responsive to the electronics assembly for displaying the ammunition count; a fixture plate attached to the ammunition guide, wherein the ammunition rounds pass below the fixture plate; a pin for passing through spaced-apart pin horns affixed to an upper surface of the fixture plate proximate a first edge of the fixture plate; the fixture plate further comprising a projection extending from the upper surface proximate a second edge of the fixture plate, the projection defining an opening or slot therein, the second edge opposite the first edge; the electronics assembly further comprising a shoe disposed on a first surface thereof, the shoe for mating with the opening or slot; and the pin exerting a force on a second surface of the electronics assembly for retaining the shoe within the opening or slot, the second surface opposite the first surface.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12437179

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12437179