This invention was not federally sponsored.
The present invention is in the technical field of firearms. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of ammunition magazine base plates. More specifically, the present invention is in the field of ammunition magazine base plates that can attach and detach more than one magazine.
Since the inception of the guns, shooters have striven to improve the efficiency of re-loading. This was sensible for the hunter to avoid losing game, for the soldier to protect against his enemy, and for the farmer to defend his person and property. The revolver and repeating rifle improved upon the ball and black power by enabling the loading of multiple rounds, either in a rotating cylinder that could fire six bullets before re-loading was necessary, or into a captured enclosure in the rifle. The pistol improved upon the revolver by utilizing a magazine that can hold sometimes as many as 20 rounds, although 10 round magazines are by far the most common. For rifles one can find magazines that hold much larger numbers of rounds.
Today, many states have instituted laws that limit the maximum number of rounds in a magazine to ten, and in some cases less than ten. The present invention helps individuals in regulated states as well as in unregulated states by securely fixing two magazines together at the base of the magazine by means of the present invention. This doubles the amount of ammunition attached and carried in a weapon. For some individuals, including professional and amateur competitive shooters, individuals protecting their families and property, military and law enforcement, the number of rounds in a magazine, and magazine replacement speed, can be critical.
The present invention provides for the attachment of two magazines of any capacity to a single base plate. A typical magazine includes the magazine body, a follower, a spring, an insert or locking plate and a base plate. The locking plate mechanism fixes into the base plate to prevent the magazine from disassembling while in use. The locking mechanism on a typical base plate cannot be released without easy access to the bottom of the magazine. Because of this design it has not previously been possible to connect two magazines at the base plates. The present invention employs a locking mechanism that can be operated without requiring direct access to the bottom of the magazines, and allows a user of the invention to benefit from being able to use the bullets from two magazines in a manner significantly more efficient that having to find a second magazine and insert it.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for replacing the base plate of a typical single magazine with a base plate that can accommodate a magazine attached to one side of the base plate and a second magazine attached to the opposing side of the base plate. Additionally, the present invention will allow one to remove one or both magazines with relative ease, with the use of a commonly available tool.
The present embodiment is a magazine locking base plate comprising a main body, a drive shaft, a paddle and an internal retaining ring. The paddle is inserted into the paddle slot then the drive shaft is inserted into the shaft hole in the main body. The drive shaft passes through, and is retained, in the center of the paddle. The paddle and drive shaft are held in the main body by the retaining ring, where the retaining ring expands into a retaining ring groove in the main body to “lock” the paddle and drive shaft. The main body incorporates a base flange slot on both the top and bottom of the present embodiment that allow a magazine assembly to be inserted by sliding the base flange of a magazine body into the base flange slot on both sides of the main body. The magazine assembly is retained by its flange in the main body flange slot of the present embodiment. To lock a magazine to the present embodiment the drive shaft is rotated, releasing the locking plate of the magazine to engage the base plate
With the present invention attached to a magazine assembly, the magazine assembly can be unlocked and the present embodiment removed by rotating the drive shaft in the opposite direction using a commonly available tool, thereby rotating the paddle and raising the locking plates free of the base plate, and allowing the magazines to be removed from the base flange in the main body.
The foregoing is a broad outline of the purpose, features and functions of the present invention in order (i) to facilitate a fuller understanding of the detailed description herein, and (ii) that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the present invention that will be described below, and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. The features listed, as well as other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention may be better apprehended with reference to the following description and claims. The accompanying drawings, which constitute an integral part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the invention and which, together with the description, expound on the principles of the present invention.
To be clear, the highlighted embodiments of the present invention described in detail below are presented by way of example only and comprise less than a complete description of all of the variations and changes that may be possible without departing from the subject matter falling within the scope of the claims herein, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as within the purview of my invention.
One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Two alternate embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
The present invention, which is the preferred embodiment, is described hereunder in detail with reference to the included drawings. Specific details are set forth in the description in order to provide a more complete understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. However, it will be apparent that specific embodiments may be incorporated, dis-incorporated or modified without affecting the purpose and function of the present invention. In addition, obvious or well-known process steps may not be described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present embodiment.
Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with references made to the drawings below. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed upon clearly illustrating the components of the present invention. Moreover, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts through the several views in the drawings. Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention are not limited in their application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments of the invention are capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways. In addition, the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Since the firearm magazine is a well-known type, only those parts of the magazine assembly essential to the understanding of the present embodiment will be described in detail. The description of the present embodiment should be read with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. However, it must be understood that the present embodiment can be embodied in many alternate forms or embodiments. Further, alternate suitable shapes, sizes, types of elements or materials could be used to accomplish the purpose of the present embodiment. Indeed, any magazine end plate that employs a rotating shaft or tool to activate a captured locking mechanism may accomplish the intended function of the present embodiment.
The present embodiment is a base plate assembly, capable of locking and releasing one or two magazines securely. The present embodiment's assembly replaces the base plate of a typical magazine assembly or assemblies. The present embodiment allows for two magazine assemblies to be attached together, with the unique ability of being detached easily with a tool.
The present embodiment 1 is a multiple magazine assembly 19 locking base plate, comprised of a main body 2, a drive shaft 3, a paddle 5 and an internal retaining ring 7. The paddle 5 is inserted in to the paddle slot 17 and then the drive shaft 3 is inserted in to the shaft hole 16 in the main body 2, where the drive shaft 3 passes through and is retained in the center of the paddle 5. The paddle 5 and drive shaft 3 are held in the main body 2 by the retaining ring 7, which expands in to the retaining ring slot 8. The main body 1 incorporates a paddle slot 17 and a locking plate boss hole 13, that cuts through main body 2 of the present embodiment 1.
To install multiple magazine assemblies 19 on to the present embodiment 1, one would slide the magazine bodies base flange 9,14 into the base flange slot 15 on both sides of the main body 2. With the magazine assemblies bodies 9, 14 being retained by the base flange slot 15 of the inventions main body 2, the drive shaft 3 can be turned with a tool, which will rotate the paddle 5 housed in the paddle slot 17 of the present embodiment 1 until the contacting surface 6 is at its lowest point form the center of rotation, allowing the locking plate's boss's 12, of the magazine's assembly's 19, to be forced down by the magazine assemblies spring 19,10, in to the locking plate boss holes 13 of the main body 1, thereby locking the magazines 19 onto the present embodiment 1.
With the present embodiment 1 attached to magazine assemblies 19, the magazine assemblies 19 can be unlocked and the present embodiment 1 removed by means of a common tool such as a Philips or flat head screwdriver. When the screwdriver is inserted in to the tool face 4, one applies rotational force to the tool, which turns the drive shaft 3 and paddle 5. The paddle contact surface 5,6 moves along the locking plate boss 12 until the locking plate boss 12 is lifted out of the locking plate boss hole 13, at such time one can now slide the magazine 19 out of the base flange slot 15 until the magazine 19 is completely detached from the present embodiment 1.
Referring now to the present embodiment 1 in more detail, in
The magazine assemblies 19 shown are of a common and well-known type. While all components of a magazine assembly 19 are not shown, the components relevant to the function of the present embodiment 1 are shown. Indeed, it is contemplated that the theory behind this invention could be applied to other types of magazines for multiple types of firearms, and even three- and four-magazine versions of the invention are contemplated. Turing to a preferred embodiment of the invention, these components are; the magazine body 9, a spring 10 and a locking plate 11. A typical magazine assembly 19 contains a spring 10 and a locking plate 11 contained within a magazine body 9 as well as other parts. The spring 11 pushes its tension downward on to the locking plate 11. The locking plate 11 has a locking plate boss 12 that falls in to a locking plate boss hole 13 similar to the hole on the main body 2 of the present embodiment, which then fixes the magazine body 9 and its contents to the main body 2.
The present embodiment 1 is assembled by inserting the paddle 5 in to the paddle slot 17. The paddle slot 17 is wide enough to allow for the paddle 5 to rotate in the paddle slot 17 without obstruction, and thin enough to have a close fit to the paddles 5 thickness. The drive shaft 3 is then inserted in to the shaft hole 16 and comes to rest in the drive hole 18 of the paddle 5, thus retaining the paddle 5 in the paddle slot 17. The drive shaft 3 is retained in the shaft hole 16 by the retaining ring 7 that is installed in the retaining ring slot 8.
Referring now to the present embodiment 1 in more detail, in
Referring now to the present embodiment 1 in more detail, in
Referring now to the present embodiment 1 in more detail, in
Referring now to the alternate embodiment b 32 in more detail, in
Referring now to the alternate embodiment c 33 in more detail, in
All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved. While the foregoing written description of the embodiment enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. Therefore, the embodiment should not be limited by the above described embodiment, method and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the embodiment.
Advantages of the present embodiment include, but are not limited to, the ability to connect two magazines together in a way that also allows for their separation.
Recreational rifle users may also find that the present embodiment allows them to remain on the practice range for an extended period, improving their skill level.
The present embodiment is also advantages in home security, when an individual must protect themself or their property they will now have twice as much ammunition, and that ammunition will be more readily available by means of the present embodiment holding a second magazine below an already loaded magazine.
An additional advantage is that the present embodiment is easily installed and removed with a minimum of mechanical knowledge or experience, and without the requirement for specialized tools.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/620,013, entitled “Multi Magazine Locking Base Plate” with a filing date of 22 Jan. 2018.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62620013 | Jan 2018 | US |