U.S. patent application number 11/014918 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-05 for spring-loaded firearm magazine.
Invention is credited to Douglas R. Schaffer.
Application Number | 20080127539 11/014918 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39387481 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080127539 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schaffer; Douglas R. |
June 5, 2008 |
SPRING-LOADED FIREARM MAGAZINE
Abstract
A quick-release magazine for use with firearms is provided, the
magazine comprising a conventional firearm magazine and a spring,
the spring comprising a center plate with two fins projecting
outwardly from the plate. The spring is positioned between the
floor plate and base pad of the magazine, with the center plate of
the spring aligning with the magazine and the fins projecting
outwardly from the plate. When the magazine of the present
invention is inserted into a firearm, the fins are compressed
between the magazine and the gun. The compressed fins provide a
forceful ejection from the firearm when the magazine must be
replaced.
Inventors: |
Schaffer; Douglas R.; (West
Chester, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Intellectual Property Dept.;Dewitt Ross & Stevens SC
2 East Mifflin Street, Suite 600
Madison
WI
53703-2865
US
|
Family ID: |
39387481 |
Appl. No.: |
11/014918 |
Filed: |
December 17, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
42/50 ; 42/7;
89/33.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41A 9/59 20130101; F41A
9/65 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
42/50 ; 42/7;
89/33.1 |
International
Class: |
F41A 9/25 20060101
F41A009/25 |
Claims
1. A quick-release magazine comprising: a magazine dimensioned and
configured to releasably engage a firearm and feed ammunition to
the firearm, a leaf-spring affixed to the magazine wherein the leaf
spring contacts a handle of the firearm when the magazine is
engaged with the firearm such that when the magazine is engaged
with the firearm, the leaf spring is compressed against the
firearm, thereby urging the magazine away from the firearm, and a
floor plate and a slam pad, wherein the leaf spring is disposed
between the floor plate and the slam pad.
2. The quick-release magazine of claim 1, wherein the magazine is
dimensioned and configured to releasably engage a pistol.
3.-4. (canceled)
5. The quick-release magazine of claim 1, wherein the magazine is
dimensioned and configured to feed ammunition comprising a single
projectile.
6. The quick-release magazine of claim 1, wherein the magazine is
dimensioned and configured to feed ammunition comprising multiple
projectiles.
7. The quick-release magazine of claim 1, wherein the leaf spring
is affixed to the magazine at a point adjacent to where the
magazine protrudes from the firearm.
8.-11. (canceled)
12. The quick-release magazine of claim 1, wherein the leaf spring
is releasably affixed to the magazine.
13. The quick-release magazine of claim 1, in further combination
with a firearm.
14.-21. (canceled)
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention is directed to firearm magazines, and more
particularly to a quick-release firearm magazine for use in
competition shooting events, hunting, and law enforcement and
military applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Firearms, including pistols, rifles and shotguns, are used
in a variety of sporting competitions around the country wherein
various skills of the competitor are matched against both another
opponent and the clock. Similarly, firearms are a staple piece of
equipment for hunters, law enforcement and military personnel,
worldwide. Key to success in competition, in the field, and on the
battlefield is the ability to handle and fire a firearm quickly and
skillfully. Thus, the number of rounds of ammunition any particular
weapon can fire before it needs to be reloaded is of significant
interest. Further, in certain competitive events, as well as in law
enforcement and military applications, the ability to reload a
weapon quickly and accurately is a prized quality.
[0003] Weapon designers constantly strive to decrease the time
needed to reload a firearm. It is axiomatic that a competitor (or
soldier) who spends less time reloading his weapon will have an
advantage over a similarly situated competitor (or enemy soldier)
who spends more time reloading his weapon. With regard to military
and law enforcement applications, the advantages of a quick-release
magazine are obvious. The faster an empty magazine can be released
and a fully-loaded magazine inserted into the weapon, the faster a
soldier or police officer can protect himself or another.
[0004] In many types of automatic, semi-automatic, bolt-action, and
lever-action firearms (e.g., pistols, rifles, shotguns, and the
like), several rounds of ammunition (anywhere from two to several
hundred or more) are stored in a spring-loaded magazine. While the
physical dimensions of magazines differ among manufacturers, models
and calibers, all firearm magazines share certain critical
features. Notably, all magazines include a housing in which the
rounds are stored and held until needed. The housing includes an
open top which is dimensioned and configured to feed the rounds of
ammunition smoothly into the receiver of the corresponding firearm.
The outer dimensions of the housing are configured to matingly and
releasably engage a corresponding magazine bay and magazine
locking/releasing mechanism of a corresponding firearm. Disposed
inside the housing, and anchored at the bottom of the magazine, is
spring that is biased to urge the rounds of ammunition toward the
top of the magazine. In this fashion, as the top-most round in the
magazine is extracted and fired (by the action of the firearm), a
new round is urged into the top-most position and is ready to be
loaded into the receiver of the firearm. Small-capacity magazines
for most pistols and center-fire rifles are roughly rectangular in
appearance, while large-capacity magazines are normally curved to
save space. Certain types of long guns, such as many rimfire .22
caliber rifles, use tubular magazines that feed the rounds axially,
rather than transversely. As used herein, the term "magazine"
encompasses all such magazines, without limitation.
[0005] In pistols and certain types of carbines (short-barreled
rifles), the magazine bay is located in the pistol grip of the
firearm. In most hunting long guns, the magazine bay is located
forward of the trigger assembly, in or near the "forearm" area of
the weapon. In certain tactical military weapons, the magazine is
located behind the trigger assembly in the butt of the weapon.
(This type of firearm is often called a "bullpup," a design that
yields a very compact weapon.) Firearms with a tubular magazine can
have the magazine disposed within either the butt of the weapon or
in the forearm of the weapon.
[0006] The Colt model M1911 pistol and its magazine are a perfect
example of a typical semi-automatic pistol design. The model M1911
pistol remains a very popular and widely copied semi-automatic
pistol. This storied pistol was designed by John M. Browning and
was the standard-issue sidearm for U.S. military forces from 1911
until 1985 (hence the designation "M" for military and the first
year of its mass production). The Colt M1911 was originally
chambered in .45 ACP. The design proved an instant success. Roughly
2.7 million M1911s were produced by the close of World War I. In
the period between the world wars, the design was modified slightly
and the modified version was given the model designation 1911A1.
During this period, more than 20 different manufacturers,
worldwide, were licensed to produce this model, in a wide range of
different calibers. U.S. manufacturers, including Colt, Remington,
Ithaca, Union Switch and Signal, and The Singer Sewing Machine
Company, combined to produce more than 2 million model 1911A1
pistols in the war years 1941 to 1945. The 1911 design, long since
"off-patent", has been widely copied and modified.
[0007] The magazine for a 1911-style pistol features a roughly
rectangular housing with walls that narrow in width at the top. The
bottom of the housing is open and terminates in an
outwardly-directed lip or flange. A floor plate is attached to the
flange at the lower end of the housing, thereby closing off the
bottom end of the magazine. A butt pad or "slam pad" is also
attached to the flange at the lower end of the housing, and serves
to cushion the lower end of the housing when the magazine is
forcefully inserted into the firearm (which is often the case). A
leaf spring is disposed within the lower end of the housing to urge
the rounds loaded within the magazine toward the top. When the
magazine is empty, a release button on the pistol is pressed, and
the magazine is grasped at its lower end by the user's free hand
and separated from the weapon.
[0008] The prior art is replete with efforts to decrease the time
needed for reloading. The most simple route, of course, is to
increase the capacity of the magazine (while conforming to the law
and the standards of any given competition). Many countries,
however, place strict limits on magazine capacities for firearms
sold into the civilian markets. After-market, large-capacity
magazines are widely available in the United States. But a larger
magazine also significantly increases the weight of the weapon when
the magazine is fully loaded. The added weight of additional rounds
compromises the speed of handling the weapon and the added weight
can also compromise the accuracy of the weapon. Large capacity
magazines also tend to misfeed more often than smaller capacity
magazines. Thus, a larger capacity is not an ideal solution to
minimizing the time needed to reload a firearm.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] This invention, which is defined by the claims set forth at
the end of this document, is directed to a quick-release magazine
used to increase the speed of reloading a weapon. A basic
understanding of some of the preferred features of the invention
can be attained from a review of the following brief summary of the
invention, with more details being provided in the Detailed
Description.
[0010] A basic exemplary version of the present invention provides
a magazine with a spring-assisted release mechanism that provides
an automatic, smooth, predictable, and fast release from a weapon.
The spring-assisted release mechanism is affixed to the magazine
itself and not to the firearm. In a preferred version, the magazine
of the present invention is physically ejected from the weapon by a
spring disposed at the lower end of the magazine. When the magazine
is inserted into the weapon, the spring is biased against the frame
or handle of the weapon, thus providing a motive force to eject the
magazine when the release button on the weapon is activated. When
empty, the magazine may be released from the weapon by pressing the
magazine release button on the weapon, allowing the user to eject
the empty magazine with a single hand, without any need to grasp
the magazine. This frees the user's hand to reach for a
fully-loaded magazine to insert into the now-empty weapon. In this
fashion, an empty magazine is quickly, smoothly, efficiently,
forcefully, and predictably released from the weapon, allowing a
fully-loaded magazine to be inserted in the weapon in a prompt
manner.
[0011] The quick-release magazine is dimensioned and configured to
matingly and releasably engage a firearm through a spring which (in
the preferred embodiment) is positioned between the floor plate and
base pad of the magazine. In other embodiments of the invention,
the spring is affixed to the magazine at a point adjacent to where
the magazine protrudes from the firearm. In a preferred version,
the spring includes a center plate with two fins projecting
outwardly from the plate and from the walls of the magazine
housing. When the spring is positioned in the magazine, the center
plate of the spring aligns with the magazine and the fins project
outwardly from the plate. When the magazine is inserted into a
weapon, the fins protrude sufficiently far from the magazine
housing such that they will not fit within the magazine bay. As a
consequence, when the magazine is ultimately seated within the
firearm, the projecting fins are biased between the magazine and
the frame or handle of the weapon and act as leaf springs. The
compressed fins provide a counterforce that powerfully ejects the
magazine from the firearm when the magazine release button on the
firearm is activated.
[0012] The quick-release magazine of the present invention conforms
with the dimensional requirements of competitive shooting and can
be used with any firearm configuration that uses a removable
magazine to feed ammunition into the firearm, including handguns,
rifles and shotguns of any type of action (e.g., automatic,
semi-automatic, bolt-action, pump-action, lever-action, and the
like). The magazine of the present invention can be used for
competition purposes, military and law enforcement purposes, as
well as hunting and recreational purposes. The magazine of the
present invention is easy to manufacture, using common materials
such as spring steel. Further, the magazine may be dimensioned and
configured for use with any type of ammunition, including
single-projectile rounds (e.g. bullets or tranquilizer darts), or
multiple-projectile rounds (e.g., shotgun shells, rubber pellet
rounds used for crowd control in riot situations, and the like).
Additionally, the magazine can be dimensioned and configured to
accommodate ammunition of any size, gauge, or caliber.
[0013] The description set out above is merely of an exemplary
preferred version of the invention. Numerous additions and
modifications may be made. These examples should not be construed
as describing the only possible versions of the invention, and the
true scope of the invention will be defined more fully from the
following detailed description and the attached claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a front elevation cross-sectional view of a
weapon (a pistol) 12 with a magazine 10 inserted.
[0015] FIG. 2 shows a front elevation cross-sectional view of the
quick-release magazine 10 partially inserted into the weapon
12.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a perspective rendering showing the magazine 10
with spring 28 extending therefrom. The spring is comprised of fins
36 and 38 projecting outwardly from a center plate 34.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the magazine 10 illustrating
the spring 28 and the base pad of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a front elevation cross-sectional view of a
conventional handgun 12 with the quick-release magazine 10 inserted
into the handgun.
[0019] FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of a "bullpup"-type long
gun with the magazine 10 inserted behind the trigger assembly 40,
with the spring 28 butting up against the butt of the weapon
12.
[0020] FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of a long gun with the
magazine 10 inserted in front of trigger assembly 40, with the
spring 28 butting up against the forearm of the weapon 12.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] Referring now to the figures, where the same reference
numerals are used across all of the figures to designate identical
or similar features, a typical firearm magazine 10, as may be
commonly used in a weapon 12, is shown. FIG. 1 shows a magazine 10
inserted within a handgun 12. The magazine 10 comprises a housing
14 with two narrow side walls 16 and 20 (see FIG. 3) and two broad
side walls 18 and 22 (see FIG. 3). The housing 14 stores a feeder
spring 24 for feeding ammunition 26 into the weapon 12. The nature
of the ammunition 26 is not critical to the invention. Each round
of ammunition 26 may comprise bullets and corresponding cartridges,
shotgun shells, darts, etc. The housing 14 terminates at its lower
end in a floor plate 30 and a conventional base pad or "slam pad"
32. The base pad 32 is used in conjunction with the magazine 10 to
provide a smooth end to the magazine 10 and to cushion the magazine
when it is forcefully inserted into the firearm.
[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates the magazine 10 as it is being removed
(or inserted) into the weapon 12 and also illustrates the
corresponding magazine bay 11 in the weapon. The magazine 10,
containing ammunition 26 and feeder spring 24, is inserted into the
weapon 12 via a complementary magazine bay 11. The details of the
magazine bay itself are not critical to the operation of the
present invention. Each type of magazine-fed firearm includes a
magazine bay whose internal dimensions complement the external
dimensions of a corresponding magazine.
[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates a magazine 10 having the spring clip 28
of the present invention inserted between the floor plate 30 and
the base pad 32 of the magazine 10. In the preferred embodiment of
the invention, the spring clip 28 comprises a leaf spring. As shown
in FIG. 3, the spring clip 28 comprises a center plate 34 with two
narrow fins 36 and 38 extending outwardly from the plate 34. The
center plate 34 is dimensioned and configured to correspond to the
walls 16, 18, 20 and 22 of the housing 14. However, the narrow fins
36 and 38 extend outwardly from the plate 34, extending beyond the
broad walls 18 and 22 of the housing 14. Thus, when the magazine 10
is not inserted into a weapon 12, the narrow fins 36 and 38 of the
spring clip 28 extend outwardly beyond the dimensions of the walls
18 and 22. In contrast, when the magazine 10 containing the spring
clip 28 is inserted into a weapon 12, the narrow fins 36 and 38 are
compressed between the frame or handle of the weapon 12 and the
walls 18 and 22 of the magazine 10.
[0024] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the magazine showing the
spring 28 extending beyond the edges of the base pad or slam pad
32. In the invention, the spring must be dimensioned to be slightly
larger than the width of the magazine itself so that when the
magazine is inserted, the protruding ends of the spring 28 will be
biased against the handle or frame of the firearm.
[0025] FIG. 5 shows the quick-release magazine 10 fully inserted
into a weapon 12 such as a handgun. When the spring clip 28 of the
present invention is inserted into a magazine 10, the narrow fins
36 and 38 are compressed between the frame or handle of the weapon
12 and the broad walls 18 and 22 of the housing 14. The compressed
fins 36 and 38 provide a motive force for the rapid ejection of the
magazine 10 when the magazine release button (not shown) on the
weapon 12 is activated.
[0026] As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, it is not required that the
spring 28 always be disposed at the lower end of a magazine. In
some long gun configurations (as well as in some pistols), the
magazine protrudes quite a distance from the lower end of the
magazine bay. In these types of firearms, such as the
military-style "bullpup" carbine of FIG. 6 and the standard
M16-style carbine shown in FIG. 7, the spring 28 is affixed to the
outer wall of the housing of the magazine at a point adjacent to
where the magazine protrudes from the firearm. Thus, for example,
FIG. 6 illustrates a "bullpup"-type weapon 12, wherein the magazine
bay is situated behind the trigger assembly 40. In this type of
weapon, the spring 28 is affixed to the outer wall of the magazine
housing. Thus, when the magazine 10 is inserted into the weapon,
the spring 28 abuts the weapon at the butt end.
[0027] Similarly, FIG. 7 illustrates an M-16-style carbine 12.
Here, when the magazine 10 is inserted into the weapon, the spring
28 abuts the weapon in the forearm portion of the weapon, in front
of the trigger assembly 40.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 5, the magazine 10 feeds ammunition 26
into the weapon 12 via a feeder spring 24. The magazine 10 may be
used with ammunition 26 of any size, type, caliber, or gauge,
including ammunition that fires a single projectile (e.g. rifle
bullets, foster-style slugs, sabot slugs, and the like) or multiple
projectiles (e.g., shotgun shells). When the magazine 10 is out of
ammunition 26, the empty magazine 10 is ejected from the weapon 12
by activating the magazine-release button (not shown) on the weapon
12. The magazine 10 is ejected from within the weapon 12, allowing
a user to replace the empty magazine 10 with another fully-loaded
magazine 10 without touching the magazine 10. Thus, when the
magazine 10 is empty and the magazine release button on the weapon
12 is activated, the magazine 10 is forcefully ejected from the
weapon 12, thereby dramatically increasing the speed of replacing
the magazine 10.
[0029] The magazine 10 of the present invention can be constructed
of metal, plastic, composite materials, or any other suitably stiff
material. Metal is preferred, along with certain types of
engineering plastics. A wide variety of engineering plastics can be
employed if they have the appropriate strength, resilience, and
toughness. Plastics such as polyesters, polyamides, and polyolefins
such as polyethylene or polypropylene are potential candidates. The
magazine 10 of the present invention can be also constructed from a
thermoplastic composite of nylon, glass fibers and carbon black. An
exemplary commercial material is a glass fiber-filled nylon sold by
the Dupont Chemical Company under the trademark ZYTEL.
[0030] The spring 28 of the present invention can also be
constructed of metal (preferably spring steel), plastic, composite
materials, or any other material suitable for fabricating leaf
springs. Preferably the spring is made of spring steel. The spring
clip 28 may consist of a leaf spring, a coil spring or any other
type of easily compressable spring. In the preferred embodiment, a
leaf spring is used.
[0031] It is understood that the invention is not confined to the
particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated
and described, but embraces such modified forms thereof as come
within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *