U.S. patent application number 15/365323 was filed with the patent office on 2017-06-15 for high visibility ammunition casings.
The applicant listed for this patent is Daniel L. Klement. Invention is credited to Daniel L. Klement.
Application Number | 20170167836 15/365323 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45445455 |
Filed Date | 2017-06-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170167836 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Klement; Daniel L. |
June 15, 2017 |
HIGH VISIBILITY AMMUNITION CASINGS
Abstract
Ammunition casings are described that include a base, a body
coupled to the base, and one or more patterns on the body.
Inventors: |
Klement; Daniel L.;
(Gainesville, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Klement; Daniel L. |
Gainesville |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
45445455 |
Appl. No.: |
15/365323 |
Filed: |
November 30, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14507536 |
Oct 6, 2014 |
9541357 |
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15365323 |
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13113553 |
May 23, 2011 |
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14507536 |
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29372058 |
Oct 8, 2010 |
D652475 |
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13113553 |
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29372060 |
Oct 8, 2010 |
D652888 |
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29372058 |
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29372061 |
Oct 8, 2010 |
D652477 |
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29372060 |
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29372059 |
Oct 8, 2010 |
D652476 |
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29372061 |
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29372056 |
Oct 8, 2010 |
D652473 |
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29372059 |
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29372057 |
Oct 8, 2010 |
D652474 |
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29372056 |
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29370642 |
Aug 14, 2010 |
D652472 |
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29372057 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F42B 5/26 20130101; F42B
5/307 20130101; F42B 5/025 20130101; F42B 7/06 20130101; F42B 5/295
20130101 |
International
Class: |
F42B 7/06 20060101
F42B007/06 |
Claims
1.-9. (canceled)
10. A shotgun shell comprising: a base; a body coupled to the base
to create the shotgun shell; and said body is a plastic or similar
material comprising a glow-in-the-dark, photoluminescent material
that is not fluorescent.
11. The shotgun shell of claim 10, wherein the body is a
plastic.
12. The shotgun shell of claim 10, wherein the body is a material
similar to plastic.
13. The shotgun shell of claim 10, wherein the photoluminescent
material is in the plastic or in the material similar to
plastic.
14. The shotgun shell of claim 13, wherein the photoluminescent
material comprises a photoluminescent pigment.
15. The shotgun shell of claim 13, wherein the photoluminescent
material comprises a photoluminescent powder.
16. The shotgun shell of claim 10, wherein the body increases
visibility related to specific conditions of vegetation, season, or
soil coloration.
17. The shotgun shell of claim 10, wherein the shotgun shell is a
loaded shotgun shell.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/507,536, filed Oct. 6, 2014, which is a
divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/113,553, filed
May 23, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S. Design Patent
Application No. 29/370,642, filed Aug. 14, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No.
D652,472; U.S. Design Patent Application No. 29/372,056, filed Oct.
8, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. D652,473; U.S. Design Patent Application
No. 29/372,057, filed Oct. 8, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. D652,474;
U.S. Design Patent Application No. 29/372,058, filed Oct. 8, 2010,
now U.S. Pat. No. D652,475; U.S. Design Patent Application No.
29/372,059, filed Oct. 8, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. D652,476; U.S.
Design Patent Application No. 29/372,060, filed Oct. 8, 2010, now
U.S. Pat. No. D652,888; U.S. Design Patent Application No.
29/372,061, filed Oct. 8, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. D652,477; the
contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their
entireties.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to ammunition casing for
recreational guns. It is particularly useful for shotgun shell
casings that are easier to locate under the methods described in
the invention.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0003] Hunting is a common recreational activity, especially in
rural areas. Modern guns eject the spent shells from the rifle or
pistol, often automatically or with a minimal effort by the hunter,
e.g., pump shotgun. Often, in the excitement of the hunt or while
pursuing wounded or fallen game, the exact location of the spent
shell casing is difficult to determine. This presents a number of
problems. In the case of common brass cartridges, the brass
decomposes very slowly and may contain other residual pollutants
such as lead. Shotgun shells are often even more difficult to
recover and pose a particular problem for livestock, in addition to
the problems with residual pollutants. Spent, conventional shotgun
shells are hard to see in the camouflage of natural hunting
grounds. Even if colored, these shotgun shells are difficult to
detect by hunters. If left unrecovered, the shotgun shells become a
hazard for livestock, especially cattle because the animals ingest
the shell. The shotgun shells and other spent ammunition is a
nuisance for landowners and harmful to the environment. This
problem leads to fewer landowners who are willing to permit hunting
on their property, with a concomitant loss of areas for hunters to
hunt in. There is a long felt need to make location of these spent
cartridges more efficient. While most of the drawings depict
shotgun shells, it should be appreciated that the invention also
contemplates the shells of other types of guns: recovering such
items reduces pollution and increases the ease of recovery for such
activities as reloading.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of embodiments of the invention and are
incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification,
illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and together with
the detailed description serve to explain the principles of the
invention. In the drawings:
[0005] FIGS. 1A-1D show an exemplary shotgun shell with straight
parallel stripes.
[0006] FIGS. 2A-2D show an exemplary shotgun shell with a dotted or
spotted pattern.
[0007] FIGS. 3A-3D show an exemplary shotgun shell with a check
board pattern.
[0008] FIGS. 4A-4D show an exemplary shotgun shell with spiral
stripes.
[0009] FIGS. 5A-5D show an exemplary shotgun shell with a highly
reflective or luminescent body.
[0010] FIGS. 6A-6D show an exemplary shotgun shell with an end
differently colored than a main body.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0011] Embodiments of the present invention provide hunters with an
easily recoverable spent ammunition casing, especially the shotgun
hull, thus promoting stewardship of the land as well as setting a
positive example for the future generations of hunters. Embodiments
of the present invention may include shotgun shells made with
highly visible patterns and/or colors that allow for easy pick-up
in the field and subsequent disposal. The invention also
contemplates using reflection as well as glow in the dark plastic.
Such types of plastic can be used alone or with the highly visible
patterns and/or colors.
[0012] Various types of materials and processes may be used to
create the ammunition casings of the present invention. For
example, extrusion and co-extrusion may be used where the desired
properties are found in the plastic pellets used in the extrusion
process.
[0013] In certain embodiments, a coating may be applied inline to a
continuous tubing formed by extrusion, prior to cutting and
secondary operations. Thus, inefficient and labor-intensive steps
associated with preparing individual tubes for coating may be
avoided. The method may include forcing a flowable material through
an exit port of an extruder, depositing a coating onto at least a
portion of the continuous length of extruded tubing after the
tubing is forced through the exit port, cutting the coated tubing
to a desired length after depositing the coating, and performing
one or more secondary operations on the coated tube such as
described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,914,841, which is incorporated by
reference. More than one material may be co-extruded at a time to
create various high-visibility patterns as described herein.
[0014] Apparatus for extruding plastic tubes, such as in shotgun
shells, are well known in the art. The tubes may be substantially
rigid, semi-flexible, or flexible, as desired. A spiral or helical
tape or filament may be extruded, simultaneously with a plastic
tube, whereby the resulting final product comprises a reinforcing
helical skeleton, and an integral tube covering. The spiral or
helical tape or filament is rotated as it is extruded, whereby the
filament may be close together or relatively spacially separated,
during extrusion, as for example, in the manufacture of a flexible
hose. The diameter of the finished product can be readily varied,
by simply adjusting the size of the extrusion collar in a method as
set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,628, which is incorporated by
reference. By using differing streams of plastic, straight or
spiral patterns can easily be manufactured for incorporation into
the brass or metal end of shotgun shells. Other easily visible
patterns in addition to those set forth in the figures are
contemplated. Any pattern that is more easily visible than the
solid pattern is contemplated. Naturally, shells could be
manufactured that were designed to be most visible under specific
conditions that would change with the vegetation, season, or soil
coloration.
[0015] The ammunition casings may also be painted, dyed or colored
with ink, paint or other coloring substances based on properties of
the coloring substance. Photoluminescent pigment and luminescent
powder are available for various purposes. Plastic tubing, pellets
and other raw materials may be available in various colors,
including fluorescent, glow in the dark, luminescent, striped, etc.
Reflective materials may include mirror or retroreflective
materials, such as reflective beads or prisms.
[0016] FIGS. 1A-1D show an exemplary shotgun shell 101 with
straight parallel stripes on a body 103. The body 103 may be made
of plastic or a similar material. One or more dark stripes 105 may
be alternated or otherwise paired with one or more lighter stripes
107 to improve visibility. One or more of the stripes 105, 107 may
be fluorescent, reflective, glow-in-the-dark, luminescent or simply
colored. Preferably, the stripes 105, 107 are highly contrasting.
The stripes 105, 107 may be of various shapes, sizes and
proportions. The stripes 105, 107 may be molded with a desired
optical characteristic or may be painted or otherwise treated to
create the desired optical characteristic. A base 109 may be made
of brass, steel or other suitable materials. A twelve gauge shotgun
shell is shown, but all gauges of shotgun shells may be used as
well as other shell types.
[0017] FIGS. 2A-2D show an exemplary shotgun shell 201 with a
dotted or spotted pattern on a body 203. The body 203 may be made
of plastic or a similar material. One or more dark dots or spots
205 may be regularly or randomly placed on a lighter background 207
to improve visibility. One or more of the dots or spots or
background 205, 207 may be fluorescent, reflective,
glow-in-the-dark, luminescent or simply colored. Preferably, the
dots or spots and background 205, 207 are highly contrasting. The
dots or spots 205 may be of various shapes, sizes and proportions.
The dots or spots or background 205, 207 may be molded with a
desired optical characteristic or may be painted or otherwise
treated to create the desired optical characteristic. A base 209
may be made of brass, steel or other suitable materials. A twelve
gauge shotgun shell is shown, but all gauges of shotgun shells may
be used as well as other shell types.
[0018] FIGS. 3A-3D show an exemplary shotgun shell 301 with a check
board pattern on a body 303. The body 303 may be made of plastic or
a similar material. One or more areas 305 may be alternated with
one or more lighter areas 307 to improve visibility. One or more of
the areas 305, 307 may be fluorescent, reflective,
glow-in-the-dark, luminescent or simply colored. Preferably, the
areas 305, 307 are highly contrasting. The stripes 305, 307 may be
of various shapes, sizes and proportions. The areas 305, 307 may be
molded with a desired optical characteristic or may be painted or
otherwise treated to create the desired optical characteristic. A
base 309 may be made of brass, steel or other suitable materials. A
twelve gauge shotgun shell is shown, but all gauges of shotgun
shells may be used as well as other shell types.
[0019] FIGS. 4A-4D show an exemplary shotgun shell 401 with spiral
stripes on a body 403. The body 403 may be made of plastic or a
similar material. One or more dark stripes 405 may be alternated or
otherwise paired with one or more lighter stripes 407 to improve
visibility. One or more of the stripes 405, 407 may be fluorescent,
reflective, glow-in-the-dark, luminescent or simply colored.
Preferably, the stripes 405, 407 are highly contrasting. The
stripes 405, 407 may be of various shapes, sizes and proportions.
The stripes 405, 407 may be molded with a desired optical
characteristic or may be painted or otherwise treated to create the
desired optical characteristic. A base 409 may be made of brass,
steel or other suitable materials. A twelve gauge shotgun shell is
shown, but all gauges of shotgun shells may be used as well as
other shell types.
[0020] FIGS. 5A-5D show an exemplary shotgun shell 501 with a
highly reflective or luminescent on a body 503. The body 503 may be
made of plastic or a similar material. The body 503 may have one or
more areas 505 that are highly reflective or luminescent to improve
visibility. The one or more areas 505 may be fluorescent,
reflective, glow-in-the-dark, luminescent or simply colored. The
one or more areas 505 may be molded with a desired optical
characteristic or may be painted or otherwise treated to create the
desired optical characteristic. A base 509 may be made of brass,
steel or other suitable materials. A twelve gauge shotgun shell is
shown, but all gauges of shotgun shells may be used as well as
other shell types.
[0021] FIGS. 6A-6D show an exemplary shotgun shell 601 with an end
605 differently colored than a main body 607. The body 603 and/or
end 605 may be made of plastic or a similar material. The end 605
may be colored, highly reflective, luminescent, or glow-in-the-dark
to improve visibility. Preferably, the end 605 and the main body
607 are highly contrasting. The end 605 and/or the main body 607
may be molded with a desired optical characteristic or may be
painted or otherwise treated to create the desired optical
characteristic. A base 609 may be made of brass, steel or other
suitable materials. A twelve gauge shotgun shell is shown, but all
gauges of shotgun shells may be used as well as other shell
types.
[0022] When the shotgun shell casing is plastic, it can be
extrusion molded. In addition to the colorants, coating may be
applied to provide additional advantages or functionality, for
example, a coating may increase the lubricity if the surface of the
shell to permit easier loading or ejection.
[0023] Colorants and coatings can be applied by any method known in
the art, including injection of different plastics during the
molding process.
[0024] In preferred embodiments, the one or more patterns on the
ammunition casing are not a trademark. For example, the one or more
patterns are not a source identifying mark for the ammunition
casings, such as a design, color, etc.
[0025] Although the foregoing description is directed to the
preferred embodiments of the invention, it is noted that other
variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in
the art, and may be made without departing from the spirit or scope
of the invention. Moreover, features described in connection with
one embodiment of the invention may be used in conjunction with
other embodiments, even if not explicitly stated above.
* * * * *