1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ammunition cartridge storing and loading tools for firearms magazines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many contemporary ammunition box designs that are configured to sterily store and also load ammunition cartridges into firearms magazines do not have the ability to store and load more than one row of cartridges. Designs that do allow for the storage and loading of multiple rows of cartridges often require a large number of moving components to facilitate the alignment and urging of successive rows of cartridges into a magazine. Unfortunately, history has revealed time and time again that apparatuses with a large number of moving parts often have reduced reliability in outdoor environments.
At the moment, there exists no prior art design of ammunition storage and loading apparatuses that can align successive rows of ammunition cartridges for urging into a magazine without the utilization of a large number of moving components.
In light of the limitations of existing ammunition storage and loading apparatuses, it is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that can store multiple rows of ammunition cartridges and successively align each row of stored cartridges for urging into a firearms magazine using a significantly reduced number of moving components.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for storing and loading multiple rows of ammunition cartridges comprises an elongated rectangular box having a proximal long end, a distal long end and an adjacent side that lies between the proximal and distal long ends. The rectangular box comprises a linear channel that runs within the rectangular box, initiating at the proximal long end and running to the distal long end. The proximal long end, distal long end and adjacent side comprise a cartridge dispensing opening, rod entry opening and cartridge entry opening, respectively, all of which lead into the linear channel.
The rectangular box comprises cartridge slots that are recessed into the rectangular box through topside openings on the adjacent side. These cartridge slots are convergent with the linear channel and are configured to receive and host ammunition cartridges via the topside openings. Each cartridge slot extends a partition wall, which segregates the extending cartridge slot from an adjacent cartridge slot. In one embodiment, each cartridge slot extends a partition wall from a portion of the cartridge slot that lies of farthest distance from the dispensing opening. In one embodiment, partition walls are angled in such a manner as to guide cartridges hosted within cartridge slots into the linear channel. In one embodiment, the cartridge slots are arranged in two independent single file rows whose lengths run parallel with that of the linear channel. In this same embodiment, these two independent rows of cartridge slots are tangent with the linear channel on two opposing sides of the linear channel. Also in this same embodiment, partition walls on both rows of cartridge slots are offset from linear alignment with one another. In one embodiment, partition walls on one row of cartridge slots are offset from lateral alignment with partition walls of the opposing row of cartridge slots. Cartridge slots are recessed into the rectangular box in such a manner as to leave a height of space, within the linear channel, between the bottom of the cartridge slot recesses, defined as slot floors, and a linear channel interior wall that lies farthest from the adjacent side, defined as the channel floor. Each slot floor defines a slope located on the common edge shared by each slot floor and the height of space within the linear channel. The cartridge slots comprise obstruction walls that are tangent with the linear channel and run from each cartridge slot's partition wall towards the dispensing opening until within a gap of distance from an adjacent cartridge slot's partition wall. In one embodiment, the size of this gap of distance is equal to the width of an ammunition cartridge. Each gap of distance defines a slot side opening, configured to facilitate the passage of cartridges from the cartridge slots into the linear channel. The cartridge slots define depressed chambers that are recessed into each cartridge slot floor and are configured to host ammunition cartridges. In one embodiment, depressed chambers are tangent with obstruction walls while non-tangent with cartridge slot side openings.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus is loaded with ammunition cartridges via the positioning of ammunition cartridges into the depressed chambers through the topside openings and the cartridge slots. In one embodiment, cartridges are inserted through the topside openings with the base primer sides of cartridges facing foremost towards the depressed chambers.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for storing and loading multiple rows of ammunition cartridges comprises an urging rod. The urging rod is shaped as an elongated rectangular block and extends a planar shaped flat cover that is coupled to the elongated rectangular block in such a manner as to form a T shape. The urging rod is slideably engaged within the rectangular box linear channel, through the rod entry opening, in such a manner as to cause the flat cover to slideably engage with the rectangular box adjacent side.
The apparatus of the present invention is configured for the sterile storage of cartridges via urging of the urging rod into the linear channel, through the rod entry opening, towards the dispensing opening until the urging rod comes into tangency with the dispensing opening. This action causes the urging rod to obstruct slot side openings, preventing cartridges hosted within cartridge slots and depressed chambers, with obstructed slot side openings, from moving into the linear channel. Simultaneously, as the urging rod is slideably engaged within the linear channel and shifted toward tangency with the dispensing opening, the flat cover is slideably engaged with the adjacent side and shifted to successively encapsulate all of the topside openings leading into the cartridge slots and depressed chambers.
In another preferred embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention is interfaced with a firearms magazine for the transfer of cartridges from the apparatus into a firearms magazine. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by coupling a feed opening of a firearms magazine with the apparatus dispensing opening in such a manner that the magazine feed opening is oriented, relative to the dispensing opening, to receive cartridges from the dispensing opening in the same angular orientation by which the firearms magazine properly feeds ammunition cartridges into a firearm.
In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention is configured to displace cartridges from each depressed chamber into a corresponding cartridge slot with the canting of the apparatus and interfaced magazine to such an angular orientation that the linear channel floor is elevated over the adjacent side while the rod entry opening is elevated over the cartridge dispensing opening. This canting causes cartridges hosted in each depressed chamber to move toward the top side openings, by force of gravity, until obstructed from further directional movement by the flat cover. Simultaneous to being obstructed by the flat cover, the cartridges are fully displaced from their respective depressed chambers and influenced toward partition walls adjacent to their respective depressed chambers, by means of gravity. The displaced cartridges move toward their adjacent partition walls until obstructed from further directional movement by their respective adjacent partition walls. The apparatus and interfaced magazine are then canted to such an orientation as to cause the adjacent side to be elevated over the linear channel floor while the rod entry opening is elevated over the cartridge dispensing opening. This causes the cartridges obstructed by the partition walls to move into tangency with the slot floors, by means of gravity.
In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention is configured to dispense cartridges into the interfaced magazine with the retraction of the urging rod from the linear channel through the rod entry opening. The urging rod, successively removed from tangency with each of the slot side openings, clears a path for cartridges hosted within the cartridge slots to shift out from their respective cartridge slots, through their corresponding slot side openings, toward the linear channel. In one embodiment, cartridges are shifted out from their respective cartridge slots via the assistance of the angled partition walls, the slot floor defined slopes and the force of gravity. The cartridges continue to move toward the linear channel until obstructed from further directional movement by the obstruction walls of the opposing row of the cartridge slots, at which point the cartridges move into the non-convergent height of space within the linear channel, by means of gravity. Simultaneously, each cartridge also moves towards the dispensing opening, aided by gravity, until coming into tangency with the interfaced magazine or a cartridge that is stacked in succession leading into the magazine. The urging rod is then urged towards the dispensing opening, causing cartridges positioned within the non-convergent height of space, within the linear channel, to shift through the dispensing opening and into the feed opening of the interfaced firearms magazine.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the following drawings.
In reference to
The proximal long end 101 defines a cartridge dispensing opening 105 that opens into the linear channel 104 and is configured to engage with a feed opening 201 of a firearms magazine 200. When engaged with the feed opening 201 of a firearms magazine 200, the dispensing opening 105 facilitates the passage of ammunition cartridges 300, hosted within the linear channel 104, from the linear channel 104 into the feed opening 201.
The adjacent side 103 of the rectangular box 100 defines a cartridge entry opening 106 that opens into the linear channel 104. The linear channel 104 defines a channel floor 107 that occupies a wall of the linear channel 104 that lies farthest from the cartridge entry opening 106.
In one embodiment, the linear channel 104 is shaped in such a manner that cartridges 300 received into the linear channel 104 are arranged into a single file whose length is parallel with that of the linear channel 104. In one embodiment, cartridges 300 received and hosted within the linear channel 104 are oriented in such a manner that their bullet tips 301 point toward the cartridge entry opening 106 from within the linear channel 104 while their base primer sides 302 are tangent with the channel floor 107.
The adjacent side 103 further defines multiple cartridge slots 108 that are individually recessed into the rectangular box 100 through the adjacent side 103. Each cartridge slot 108 comprises a topside opening 109 that leads into each cartridge slot 108 from the adjacent side 103. Each cartridge slot 108 is configured to host ammunition cartridges 300 and each topside opening 109 is configured to facilitate the positioning of cartridges 300 into its respective cartridge slot 108. In one embodiment, cartridge slots 108 are recessed into the rectangular box 100 at a depth equal to the height of an ammunition cartridge 300. Each cartridge slot 108 is convergent with the linear channel 104 and configured to displace cartridges 300 into the linear channel 104. In one embodiment, each cartridge slot 108 is sized to host one cartridge 300. In one embodiment, each cartridge slot 108 is sized to host two cartridges 300.
The cartridge slots 108 define slot floors 111, which are portions of the cartridge slots 108 that are furthest recessed into the rectangular box 100. In one embodiment, the cartridge slots 108 host cartridges 300 with the base primer sides 302 of cartridges 300 tangent with the slot floors 111. In one embodiment, the cartridge slots 108 host cartridges 300 with the bullet tips 301 of cartridges 300 tangent with the slot floors 111. The linear channel 104 defines a non-convergent height of space 112 within the linear channel 104 that lays between the slot floors 111 and the channel floor 107 and is non-convergent with the cartridge slots 108. This non-convergent height of space 112 is sized to maintain cartridges 300 positioned within the linear channel 104 in a single file configuration. The height of space 112 in conjunction with the slot floors 111 define slopes 123 on edges of the slot floors 111 that are tangent with the height of space 112. These slopes 123 are configured to guide cartridges 300 hosted within cartridge slots 108 into the linear channel 104 and into tangency with the height of space 112.
Each cartridge slot 108 extends a partition wall 113 that separates each cartridge slot 108 from an adjacent cartridge slot 108. In one embodiment, each cartridge slot 108 extends a partition wall 113 from a portion of the cartridge slot 108 that lies of farthest distance away from the dispensing opening 105. In one embodiment, the length of each partition wall 113 runs perpendicular to the length of the linear channel 104. In one embodiment, each partition wall 113 runs angled to the length of the linear channel 104 in such a manner as to guide cartridges 300 hosted within each cartridge slot 108 toward the linear channel 104. In one embodiment, the cartridge slots 108 are arranged in two independent single file rows 110 whose lengths run parallel with that of the linear channel 104. In this same embodiment, these two independent rows 110 of cartridge slots 108 are tangent with the linear channel 104 on two opposing sides of the linear channel 104. Also in this same embodiment, the partition walls 113 on one row 110 of cartridge slots 108 are offset from linear alignment with the partition walls 113 of the opposing row 110 of cartridge slots 108. In one embodiment, partition walls 113 on one row of cartridge slots 110 are offset from lateral alignment with partition walls 113 on the opposing row of cartridge slots 110 by half the length of a cartridge slot.
Each cartridge slot 108 comprises an obstruction wall 119, whose length runs parallel with that of linear channel 104. Each obstruction wall 119 is tangent with the linear channel 104 and configured to obstruct cartridges 300 displaced from an opposing row 110 of cartridge slots 108 from entering the cartridge slot 108 that comprises it. In one embodiment, each obstruction wall 119 is perpendicularly extended from a partition wall 113 and runs in the direction of the dispensing opening 105 until within a gap of distance from the partition wall 113 of an adjacent cartridge slot 108. In one embodiment, this gap of distance is equal to the width of one ammunition cartridge 300. The gaps of distance between each obstruction wall 119 and adjacent cartridge slot partition wall 113 each define a cartridge slot side opening 120 that is configured to facilitate the passage of cartridges 300 from each cartridge slot 108 into the linear channel 104.
Each cartridge slot 108 defines a depressed chamber 121 that is recessed into each cartridge slot's 108 slot floor 111 and is configured to host cartridges 300. In one embodiment, depressed chambers 121 are tangent with obstruction walls 119 while non-tangent with cartridge slot side openings 120. In one embodiment, each depressed chamber 121 hosts a single ammunition cartridge 300. In one embodiment, each depressed chamber 121 hosts multiple ammunition cartridges 300. Each depressed chamber 121 defines a chamber floor 122, which is the most recessed facet of each depressed chamber 121. In one embodiment, depressed chambers 121 are recessed into slot floors 111 to such an extent that each depressed chamber's 121 chamber floor 122 lies flush with the linear channel floor 107. In one embodiment, chamber floors 122 host cartridges 300 with the base primer sides 302 of cartridges 300 tangent with the chamber floors 122. In one embodiment, chamber floors 122 host cartridges 300 with the bullet tips 301 of cartridges 300 tangent with the chamber floors 122.
The distal long end 102 of the rectangular box 100 defines a rod entry opening 114 that opens into the linear channel 104 and is configured to facilitate the entry of a cartridge urging rod 115 into the linear channel 104.
The apparatus for storing and loading multiple rows of ammunition, in its preferred embodiment, comprises an urging rod 115 that is shaped as an elongated rectangular block with two short sides and four long sides. The urging rod 115 is configured to slideably engage within the linear channel 104, through the rod entry opening 114, with two opposing long sides of the urging rod 115 slideably engaged with the non-convergent height of space 112 and one long side slideably engaged with the channel floor 107. The urging rod 115 comprises a planar shaped flat cover 116 that extends from the one long side of the urging rod 115 that does not slideably engage with the non-convergent height of space 112 or the channel floor 107 when the urging rod 115 is engaged within the linear channel 104. The flat cover 116 extends from the urging rod 115 in such a manner as to form a T shape with the urging rod 115. The flat cover 116 runs the length of the urging rod 115 and is sized to encapsulate the rectangular box adjacent side 103. The urging rod 115 further comprises a pressing surface 117 on a short side of the urging rod 115 that faces foremost towards the dispensing opening 105 when the urging rod 115 is slideably engaged within the linear channel 104 through the rod entry opening 114. The pressing surface 117 is configured to urge ammunition cartridges 300 and objects hosted within the linear channel 104 out from the linear channel 104 through the dispensing opening 105. The length of the urging rod 115 is sized so as to cause the urging rod 115 to fully encapsulate the linear channel 104 when the urging rod 115 is slideably engaged within the linear channel 104 and the pressing surface 117 is tangent with the dispensing opening 105. When the urging rod 115 is engaged with linear channel 104 in such a manner that it fully encapsulates the linear channel 104, the urging rod 115 obstructs objects from entering into the linear channel 104 via the dispensing opening 105, cartridge entry opening 106, the slot side openings 120 and the rod entry opening 114. Simultaneously, when the urging rod 115 is engaged to fully encapsulate the linear channel 104, the flat cover 116 encapsulates the adjacent side 103 and obstructs the passage of cartridges 300 and objects into and out from the cartridge slots 108 via the topside openings 109.
In reference to
Ammunition cartridges 300 are positioned into the depressed chambers 121 through the adjacent side topside openings 109 and the cartridge slots 108. In one embodiment, cartridges 300 are inserted through the topside openings 109 with the base primer sides 302 of cartridges 300 facing foremost towards the chamber floors 122. In one embodiment, cartridges 300 are inserted through the topside openings 109 with the bullet tips 301 of cartridges 300 facing foremost towards the chamber floors 122.
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This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/816,020, filed on Aug. 2, 2015 and entitled “Apparatus for Storing and Loading Multiple Rows of Ammunition,” the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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1786537 | Holek | Dec 1930 | A |
2451521 | Uglum | Oct 1948 | A |
4739572 | Brandenburg | Apr 1988 | A |
8931199 | Cauley, Jr. | Jan 2015 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20170030670 A1 | Feb 2017 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14816020 | Aug 2015 | US |
Child | 14922167 | US |