Patent Application
20200182572
The present invention relates to the field of fixed cartridge magazines for firearms.
Projectiles are fired from cartridges that are positioned in a particular orientation within a firearm. The positioning of the cartridge is performed manually by the user or autonomously through a clip or magazine with a spring bias forcing the cartridge into position. Magazines are favored for their ease of use and ability to manage a large number of cartridges at a time.
Current magazines have seen little improvements over the many years they have been available. Original configurations provide for a housing that is sized relative to the caliber of the cartridge being used or the firearm accepting the magazine. Within the housing a spring provides pressure against a follower towards an opening in one end of the housing. The housing may be a rather simple rectangle to a more complex drum-style depending on the capacity of magazine to hold a large number of cartridges. Regardless of the shape, currently magazines are fixed in the number of cartridges that they can hold. That is, the magazines are not adaptable to meet varying standards of compliance.
Innovation involving firearms, and specifically their capacity to hold multiple cartridges, has been accompanied with evolving legislative standards driven by a plethora of factors from political agendas to current events. The second amendment of the United States Constitution affords the right to keep and bear arms. Such a right is often debated and such debates have resulted in individual states imposing varying regulations on firearm manufacturing including the manufacturing and pairing of peripherals such as the magazine. Specifically, some states have placed limitations on the number of cartridges a magazine is capable of housing. Other limitations include various regulations that would require the fixation of an otherwise detachable magazine in attempts to prevent rapid reloading of the firearm.
These limitations and regulations have resulted in firearm owners being forced to turn over high capacity magazines or modify their firearms and magazine in such a way to prevent rapid reloading. It has created such a high cost on the owner to have to re-purchase compliant magazines as well as the states to police and recycle non-compliant components.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need in the art for a magazine that maintains the intended convenience of reloading while being adaptable and complaint regarding the evolving limitations placed on use and ownership.
A firearm cartridge magazine system comprises one or more sidewalls extending between a base and an upper opening, wherein a hollow interior is defined by the base and the one or more sidewalls, wherein the upper opening opens into the hollow interior. An aperture is positioned on at least one of the one or more sidewalls between the opening and the base. A spring extends between a block and the base, wherein the spring and block are within the hollow interior.
In an embodiment, the system further comprises a door sealingly engaging the aperture.
In an embodiment, the door is hingedly attached to the one or more sidewalls,
In an embodiment, the door is slidingly engaged to the one or more sidewalls.
In an embodiment, the system further comprises a handle attached to the block, wherein the handle extends outward from the one or more sidewalls, wherein the one or more sidewalls has a second opening longitudinally disposed between the opening and the base, wherein the second opening is closed before the upper opening, wherein the handle facilitates manipulation of the block against the spring.
In an embodiment, the aperture accepts one or more cartridges.
In an embodiment, the one or more cartridges are positioned within the hollow interior above the block.
In an embodiment, the system further comprises a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism retains a cartridge magazine to a firearm.
The foregoing, and other features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following, more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the accompanying drawings, and the claims.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, the objects and advantages thereof, reference is now made to the ensuing descriptions taken in connection with the accompanying drawings briefly described as follows.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention and their advantages may be understood by referring to
A cartridge magazine 100 has a hollow interior 102 defined by at a plurality of sidewalls 104 attached to one another an extending from a base 106 towards an opening at a top end 108. The opening at the top end 108 is configured to facilitate the transition of a cartridge 150 from the magazine 100 into a firearm. A spring 110 in communication with the base 106 biases a block 112 within the hollow interior 102 toward the top end 108. A sidewall 104A has an aperture 114A at least as large as a cartridge 150 being inserted therein. On the opposite sidewall 104B, is an aperture 114B that is provided generally perpendicular to the top end 108. A lever 116 having one end attached to the block 112 extends outward through the aperture 114B.
The top end 108 is further configured to retain the block 112 and spring 110 within the magazine 100. For example, the opening at the top end 108 is defined by one or more of the sidewalls 104 terminating in a curve or angle towards the opening.
The aperture 114B disposed on the sidewall 104B extends generally parallel to the top end and is positioned on the sidewall 104B between the top end and the base 106.
In another embodiment, a cover 118 is hingedly attached to the sidewall 104A near the aperture 114A where the cover 118 is of sufficient size to cover the aperture 114A. A hinge 120 is attached to one side of the cover either above of below the aperture 114A allowing the cover 118 to be in a closed position, over the aperture 114A, when the cover 118 is folded up towards the top or folded down towards the base 106. In an alternative embodiment, the cover 118 is a door that allows for retention of the cartridges 150 relative to the aperture 114A and can be releasably engaged to the sidewall 104A in a closed position to allow for the introduction of cartridges 150 in an open position.
In an alternative embodiment, the cover 118 is in communication with the sidewall 104A in a sliding engagement with the sidewall 104A to close off the aperture 114A. The cover may extend around an exterior perimeter of the magazine 100 as a sleeve. In some embodiments, the cover 118 may be spring biased towards a closed position. In use, a user pulls or slides the cover 118 away from a closed position over the aperture 114A to an open position exposing the aperture 114A.
In use, a user installs the magazine 100 into a receiver of the firearm. The user then engages the cover 118 moving it from the closed position to the open position whereby the aperture 114A is exposed. After the aperture 114A is exposed, the user pulls the lever 116 against the spring bias thereby adjusting the position of the block closer to the base 106. When the block has been adjusted closer to the base 106 relative to the aperture, the user inserts one or more cartridges into the hollow interior of the magazine through the aperture. The number of cartridges is determined by the user based on the number of cartridges the magazine has the capacity to hold or the number of cartridges the user intends to fire. When one or more cartridges have been inserted into the magazine, the lever 116 is released from its adjusted position near the base 106 allowing the spring to bias the block towards the one or more cartridges, thereby biasing the one or more cartridges towards the opening at the top end of the magazine.
In an embodiment, the lever 116 can be locked into an adjusted position near the base 106 while the user is inserting the one or more cartridges. In another embodiment, the lever 116 remains unlocked requiring the user to apply continuous force to maintain the compression of the spring towards the base 106. Once the user releases the continuous force, the resiliency of the spring results in the biasing of the block towards the opening at the top end.
In an alternative embodiment, the cartridge magazine 100 operates in a system with a locking mechanism 122 to affix the magazine release 124 and thereby affixing the magazine 100 to the firearm. The locking mechanism 122 has a magazine release 124 with a plate 124A attached to one end. A second plate 124B of the same general dimensions as the magazine release plate 124A is provided to affix the magazine release 124 in position thereby preventing the articulation of the release 124 to resulting in the magazine 100 being permanently affixed once installed to the firearm. In an embodiment, the second plate 124B is positioned abutting an interior surface of a trigger guard 128 of the firearm while the release plate 124A is positioned on a surface immediately exterior to the interior surface where the second plate 124B is positioned. Fasteners 130 extend between the second plate 124B and the release plate 124A to attach the two plates together having the trigger guard 128 secured between the two plates 124A and 124B.
In another embodiment, the locking mechanism 122 has a first component engaging a first side of the firearm and extending through to a second side of the firearm. The extension of the first component attached to a second component. In some embodiments, the attachment is permanent through a fusion or clipping engagement preventing the release of the first component from the second component. In other embodiments, the attachment is releaseable wherein the second component is threadingly engaged with a threaded shank of the first component extending through the firearm. The second component prevents articulation of the first component, wherein articulation of the first component allows for release of the magazine 100. In this way, the first and second component work to lock the magazine 100 in an installed position within the firearm. For an illustrative example, an AR-15 platform rifle has a magazine release operated by the depression of a button on the second side of the rifle. When the button is depressed a magazine release is removed from a locking position of the magazine 100. The present configuration locking mechanism would prevent the magazine release, first component, from being moved as the bottom would be permanently fixed or a locking second component would be attached to the extension of the magazine release through the firearm.
In another embodiment, the second component has a diameter or outer perimeter larger than an opening in the second side of the firearm thereby preventing the second component from entering such opening.
In an alternative embodiment, a locking mechanism 122 is attached to the firearm platform. The locking mechanism 122 restricts operation of a magazine release 124. The restricted magazine release 124 acts to lock the cartridge magazine 100 in attachment with the firearm platform. In another embodiment, the cartridge magazine 100 is permanently affixed to the firearm platform. The magazine 100 may be welded, adhered, or otherwise built within the receiver of the firearm platform. Where the cartridge magazine 100 is built within a receiver, the firearm platform is manufactured having the cartridge magazine 100 incorporated into the structure of the receiver.
In an embodiment, the magazine release 124 of the firearm platform is configured to lock the cartridge magazine 100 in communication with the firearm platform.
In an alternative embodiment the cartridge magazine 100 has a depression 152A on a section 152 that is configured to engage the magazine release 124 of the firearm platform. The depression 152A receives an extension of the magazine release (not shown in the figures) such that the engagement between the extension of the magazine release and the depression 152A form a locking fit between the firearm platform and the cartridge magazine 100. In another embodiment, the sidewall 154 containing the depression 152A has a tab 156. In a particular embodiment, the tab 156 is spring-biased. The spring-biased tab 156 of the sidewall 154 is where the depression is located on the sidewall. The spring-biased tab 156 is moveable from a resting position. The resting position of the spring-biased tab 156 is coplanar with the remaining portion of the sidewall 154. In a releasing position, the tab 156 is biased towards the interior of the cartridge magazine 100. Biasing the tab 156 towards the interior allows for release of the cartridge magazine 100 by separating the depression away from the extension. In another embodiment, the tab 156 glidingly engages the sidewall 154 and is moveable by sliding the tab 156 within the resting plane.
In some embodiments, the magazine 100 is based on a standard magazine release system (e.g., a release system of an AR-15 platform rifle). The magazine release button is screwed to an “L-shaped” activation arm 162, which secures the magazine 100 in place by positioning itself in a notch-type indentation, located on the side of the magazine. When the activation arm is tightened securely, a protruding portion 162A of the arm 162 will robustly position itself directly into a notch on the side of the magazine 100. This confidently prevents the magazine 100 from being released, even with the release button depressed.
In some embodiments, the activation arm 162 includes a protrusion portion 162B. A magazine release button of a magazine 100 can be replaced with a nut 164, which allows the activation arm 162 to be tightened where it secures the magazine 100 permanently in place and then breaks beyond a specific torque. This renders the activation arm 162 and the nut 164 combination irremovable, securing the magazine 100 permanently to the firearm.
In some embodiments, the magazine 100 is configured to retain a specific number of cartridges therein. For example, the magazine 100 may be configured to retain any number of cartridges and the number may be determined by statutory regulations on the allowed number of cartridges for which the magazine 100 can retain. The magazine 100 may have a geometric shape defined by the one or more sidewalls and the based to accommodate the desired number of cartridges. For example, a drum-style magazine has a circular shape and a ten-round magazine has a rectangular or crescent shape.
The invention has been described herein using specific embodiments for the purposes of illustration only. It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, however, that the principles of the invention can be embodied in other ways. Therefore, the invention should not be regarded as being limited in scope to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but instead as being fully commensurate in scope with the following claims.
The present application claims priority to Provisional Application No. 62/431,781 filed on Dec. 8, 2016, entitled “CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
