Patent Application
20190128655
A case may become deformed when the bullet is fired from the bullet cartridge. When reloading the deformed case with another bullet, the deformed case may be resized so that the case may properly enter a chamber of a gun.
Various exemplary implementations of the present disclosure will be understood more fully from the detailed description given below and from the accompanying drawings of various exemplary implementations of the disclosure.
A bullet cartridge may include a bullet, a case, gunpowder, and a primer. The gunpowder and the bullet are located inside the case. When the primer is struck, the gunpowder is ignited and the bullet is propelled from the case. When a bullet is fired from the case, the case may expand radially, longitudinally, or both due to the combustion of the gunpowder.
As the case is typically the most expensive component of a bullet cartridge, some people save money by reloading the bullet cartridge. For example, after the bullet cartridge has been used, the case may be reloaded with a new bullet, new gunpowder, and a new primer to produce a reloaded bullet cartridge for a subsequent firing of the reloaded bullet from a gun. During the reloading of the case with the new bullet, the new gunpowder, and the new primer, the case may be resized so that the new bullet may be properly seated in the case. The case may also be resized so that the case may freely and fully enter a chamber of a gun when the reloaded bullet cartridge is loaded into the chamber.
For example, a case trimmer may have a bullet-case holder configured to hold a case and a cutting blade to trim the case to a specified length. Conventionally, to set the maximum length that the cutting blade trims the case, a user may use a ruler or a caliper to manually measure and set the maximum length the cutting blade may be extended from a motor toward a case to trim the case to a desired length. For example, a user may set the calipers to a specified length, extend the cutting blade to an end of the calipers, and may lock the cutting blade to extend the same length each subsequent time. Alternatively, a user may iteratively remove small amounts of material from the case, starting at the maximum length, and repeatedly measure the length of the case every few turns of the cutting blade to ensure that the length of the case is not shorter than a minimum length.
For example, if the case exceeds the maximum length, a bolt of a gun may not lock into place and cause the gun misfire or jam, so the case should be trimmed to at least the maximum length. In another example, if the case is shorter than the minimum length when the bullet is fired, the case may cause an improper or inconsistent neck tension for the gun. The improper or inconsistent neck tension may result in a spike in chamber pressure that may cause a catastrophic failure of the gun (e.g. the gun exploding) when the bullet cartridge is fired. Varying length of cases may also reduce an accuracy of the gun as it fires bullet cartridges with the cases having different lengths.
When a case has been cut to the desired length, the maximum distance the cutting blade may be extended is locked in so that the cutting blade may extend to the same length for each subsequent case. However, the iterative nature of setting the maximum distance of the cutting blade using a ruler or a caliper may be time-consuming. Additionally, if the user does not have the ruler or calipers precisely aligned to measure the length of the case, the case may be cut too short or too long. When the length of the case is outside a specified range, the case may cause problems when the reloaded bullet cartridge is loaded or fired from a gun.
The embodiments of the present disclosure address the above-mentioned deficiencies and other potential deficiencies by providing a trimmer gauge that may be used to determine a blade extension distance of the case trimmer, to ensure the case trimmer repeatedly trims cases to a desired length. For example, the trimmer gauge may be inserted into the case trimmer and the cutting blade may be extended to abut against the end of the trimmer gauge. The blade extension distance of the case trimmer may then be locked in so that the cutting blade extends to the same desired length each time. The trimmer gauge therefore increases an accuracy and consistency of a trimmed length of a case. The increased accuracy and consistency provided by the trimmer gauge may also decrease an amount of material that is removed from a case each time the case is trimmed for reloading. The reduction in loss of material of the case may enable the case to be reloaded several times.
The motor 104 may be connected to a controller 112. The controller 112 may include a first switch 115 to drive the motor 104 and extend or retract the cutting blade 106. In one example, when the first switch 115 is engaged in a first position, the controller 112 may drive the motor 104 to rotate the cutting blade 106 clockwise and extend the cutting blade 106 along a longitudinal axis 110 toward the holder 103. The motor 104 may extend the cutting blade 106 to trim a case 122, as discussed below. In another example, when the first switch 115 is engaged in a second position, the controller 112 may drive the motor 104 to rotate the cutting blade 106 counterclockwise and retract the cutting blade 106 along a longitudinal axis 110 away from the holder 103. In one example, the motor 104 may retract the cutting blade 106 to provide room for a user to insert a case 122 into the arms 105 of a collet 102 that holds the case 122 while the case 122 is trimmed.
The holder 103 may include a collet 102 with arms 105 to hold a case 122 that may be trimmed by the cutting blade 106. The holder 103 may include a handle 114 that may have a locked position and an unlocked position. When the handle 114 is in the unlocked position, the arms 105 of the collet may open to receive or release the case 122. When the handle 114 is in the locked position, the arms 105 of the collet 102 may close to grab the case 122. For example, the handle 114 may engage springs in the collet 102; when the springs of the collet 102 are engaged, the springs will provide pressure on the arms 105 to close the arms around a case 122 with a defined amount of pressure to hold the case 122. In one example, the handle 114 may be rotated to increase or decrease the amount of pressure applied by the arms 105. The amount of pressure may be adjusted so that the arms 105 of the collet 102 may hold different sizes of casings. In another embodiment, the arms 105 of the holder 103 may be tightened onto the case 122 using a sensor to determine when the arms 105 have closed onto the case 122. In one example, the sensor may be a pressure sensor to measure how much pressure the arms 105 are placing on the case 122.
The cutting blade 106 may be extended to trim a case 122 to a desired length. For example, different casings may be trimmed to different lengths so that when the casing is reloaded, the reloaded cartridge will fit into the chamber of a gun designed for a certain sized cartridge and fire properly. To trim the case 122 to the desired length, the cutting blade 106 may be set to have a blade extension distance 120. The blade extension distance 120 is a maximum distance that the motor 104 may extend the cutting blade 106. The blade extension distance 120 may correspond to a distance to which the cutting blade 106 extends in order to trim the case 122 to a threshold length 118, which in one embodiment, is a standard length for a particular bullet. For example, a standard length for a 45 Winchester Magnum® case may be 30.43 mm. The blade extension distance 120 may be set so that the cutting blade 106 may extend to trim the case 122 to 30.43 mm.
With continued reference to
The case trimmer 100 may include a collet 102 with a holder 103 and arms 105 to hold a rim 132 at a first end 134 of the trimmer gauge 130. In one embodiment, the trimmer gauge 130 may be a single member with a fixed length. The fixed length may be sized to a threshold length 118 at which cases are to be trimmed. For example, the trimmer gauge 130 may be a single, solid piece of material that is manufactured using a lathe and cutting tools. In another example, the trimmer gauge 130 may be a single member that is hollow or partially hollow. In another embodiment, the trimmer gauge 130 may be a multiple member trimmer gauge 130 that may be adjusted to increase or decrease a length of the trimmer gauge 130.
The first end 134 of the trimmer gauge 130 may include a head 136 and the rim 132. In one embodiment, the collet 102 may be tightened onto the first end 134 of the trimmer gauge 130 by a handle 114 (
As discussed above, to set the blade extension distance 120 of the case trimmer 100, the trimmer gauge 130 may be inserted into the arms 105 of the holder 103. A user may then use the first switch 115 (
When the cutting blade 106 touches or abuts a second end 138 of the trimmer gauge 130, the blade extension distance 120 of the case trimmer 100 may be set to trim cases to the threshold length 218. In one example, the diameter of the cutting blade 106 may be approximately the same diameter as the diameter of the trimmer gauge 130. In one example, the threshold length 218 for the case may be defined as the minimum length for a case set forth in standards set by Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI®), which also define a maximum length for a case. The minimum length may be the shortest length that the casing may be in order to be safely loaded into a chamber of a gun and fired by the gun. The maximum length may be the longest length that the casing may be in order to be safely loaded into a chamber of a gun and fired by the gun. In one example, the threshold length 218 may be the minimum length for cases that enable the bullet cartridges to be loaded into a chamber a gun with the shortest action of a bolt or spring of that particular gun. In another example, the threshold length 118 may be the maximum length for the cases that enable the bullet cartridges to be loaded into a chamber a gun while leaving a maximum amount of casing material. Leaving the maximum amount of casing material while trimming the case may provide an increased amount of material for the casing when the casing may be subsequently reloaded.
For example, when the cutting blade 106 touches or abuts a second end 138 of the trimmer gauge 130, the trimmer gauge 130 may prevent the cutting blade 106 from extending any further so that the blade extension distance 120 may be set to extend to a length that corresponds to a length of the trimmer gauge 130. The blade extension distance may be defined by the threshold length 118, which may correspond to a length of the trimmer gauge 130.
Once the blade extension distance 120 of the case trimmer 100 is set, a case may be inserted into the arms 105 of the holder 103 and the cutting blade 106 may extend to cut the case to the same length or approximately the same length as the trimmer gauge 130. For example, the cutting blade 106 may be set against a mouth of the case. The cutting blade 106 may be rotated to trim a length of the case until the blade extension distance 120 is reached, and no farther if the cutting blade 106 has been locked from extending farther. When the blade extension distance 120 is reached, the case has been trimmed to a desired length that is with a specified tolerance length of the trimmer gauge 130, such as +/−2 millimeters (mm).
The trimmer gauge 130 may have a fixed-length shaft that is approximately the same size of a case for a bullet cartridge. The size of a case may be measured by a length and diameter of the case. A desired size of a case may vary based on the type of the bullet and/or the caliber of the bullet cartridge. For example, a case for a 45 Winchester Magnum® bullet cartridge may be 30.43 mm in length and have a diameter of 11.5 mm. A corresponding trimmer gauge 130 may be approximately 30.43 mm in length and 11.5 mm in diameter. In another example, a casing for a 22-caliber pistol bullet cartridge (also referred to as a .22 short bullet) may be 10.7 mm in length and 5.6 mm in diameter. In another example, a casing for a 22-caliber rifle bullet cartridge (also referred to as a .22 long bullet) may be 25.4 mm in length and 5.7 mm in diameter.
In one embodiment, the trimmer gauge 130 may be a plastic material, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) material, polycarbonate material, and so forth. In another embodiment, the trimmer gauge 130 may be a metal material, such as steel material, stainless steel material, brass material, and so forth. In one example, the trimmer gauge 130 may be stainless steel to reduce corrosion of the trimmer gauge 130 and reduce damageability of the trimmer gauge 130. In another example, the trimmer gauge 130 may be stainless steel to increase a machinability trimmer gauge 130 when the trimmer gauge 130 is manufactured on a lathe or a computer numeric control (CNC) machine. In another embodiment, the trimmer gauge 130 may include multiple materials.
In various embodiments, the material of the trimmer gauge 130 may have at least a minimum hardness level. In one example, the trimmer gauge 130 may be made of a material that is harder than the cutting blade 106. For example, the material of the trimmer gauge 130 may have a hardness of at least 4 on the Mohs scale and cutting blade 106 may have a hardness level of 3 on the Mohs scale. In another embodiment, the material of the trimmer gauge 130 may have a minimum thermal expansion level, a minimum part deflection level, a minimum tensile strength, a minimum yield strength, a minimum impact hardness, and a minimum off center turning level. For example, the trimmer gauge 130 may have a minimum tensile strength of 515 Megapascals (MPa), a minimum yield strength of 205 pounds per square inch (PSI), and a minimum impact hardness of 110 pounds per feet. In another embodiment, the trimmer gauge 230 may be cylindrically shaped, rectangular shape, and so forth. The material and shape of the trimmer gauge 230 is not intended to be limiting. For example, the trimmer gauge 230 may be a rubber material or have an octagonal shape.
In one embodiment, when a lathe or CNC machine is used to manufacture the trimmer gauge 130, the lathe or CNC machine may be self-centering. In one embodiment, when a lathe or CNC machine is used to manufacture the trimmer gauge 130, lubrication may be used to cool the material and moderate expansion of the material for the trimmer gauge 130. In another embodiment, when a lathe or CNC machine is used to manufacture the trimmer gauge 130, a ring of tape may be wrapped around the surface of the trimmer gauge 130 so that when the trimmer gauge 130 is clamped and tightened in a chuck of the lathe or CNC machine, no marring of the surface of the trimmer gauge 130 may not be marred.
The cavity 140 may be used to ensure that the center of the cutting blade 106 is aligned with a center of the trimmer gauge 130. When the center of the cutting blade 106 is aligned with a center of the trimmer gauge 130, the blade extension distance 120 may be more precisely set. For example, when the blade of the cutting blade 106 is centered, each time the cutting blade 106 trims a casing, the blade may cut the casing at the same location each time relative to case inserted into the case trimmer 100. In another example, when the cutting blade 106 is not centered and the cutting blade is unevenly worn, a length of the casing may vary.
An outer surface of the trimmer gauge 230 may form a circumferential groove 238, which may extend from the rim 236 toward the second end of the trimmer gauge 230. For example, the circumferential groove 238 may be located along at least a portion of a perimeter or circumference of the trimmer gauge 230. The circumferential groove 238 may be located at a threshold distance between the first end of the trimmer gauge 230 and the second end of the trimmer gauge 230. The threshold distance may be a defined distance separating the head 234 from the body 240.
The circumferential groove 238 may be a groove where a collet of a case trimmer may be attached to the trimmer gauge 230 to hold the trimmer gauge 230 while the blade extension distance is set for the case trimmer. In one embodiment, when the trimmer gauge 230 is for a 45 Glock® automatic pistol, the circumferential groove 238 may be 0.89 mm wide. The body 240 may extend from the circumferential groove 238 to the second end of the trimmer gauge 230. A length of the body 240 may correspond to a desired blade extension distance for the cutting blade of a case trimmer. For example, a distance from the collet to the cutting blade may be 50 mm and the length of the body may be 30 mm. To set the blade extension distance to trim a casing to have a body of 30 mm the cutting blade may be set to extend 20 mm.
In an alternative embodiment, the cavity 426 is sized to receive a trim chamfer pilot (not (not illustrated) that may be attached to the cutting blade 106. The trim chamfer pilot works to trim the inside surface of a bullet case. In this alternative embodiment, the blade extension distance 120 may be set gauged off of the end of the cutting blade 106 rather the end of the trim chamfer pilot.
In the above description, numerous details are set forth. It will be apparent, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure, that embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form, rather than in detail, in order to avoid obscuring the description.
The words “example” or “exemplary” are used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “example’ or “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the words “example” or “exemplary” is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. As used in this application, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise or clear from context, “X includes A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X includes A; X includes B; or X includes both A and B, then “X includes A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. Moreover, use of the term “an embodiment” or “one embodiment” or “an implementation” or “one implementation” throughout is not intended to mean the same embodiment or implementation unless described as such. Also, the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. as used herein are meant as labels to distinguish among different elements and may not necessarily have an ordinal meaning according to their numerical designation.
The above description sets forth numerous specific details such as examples of specific systems, components, methods, and so forth, in order to provide a good understanding of several embodiments. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that at least some embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known components or methods are not described in detail or are presented in simple block diagram format in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present embodiments. Thus, the specific details set forth above are merely exemplary. Particular implementations may vary from these exemplary details and still be contemplated to be within the scope of the present embodiments.
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. The scope of the present embodiments should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
