Cartridge Tube Loader

Abstract

Cartridge tube loader for the loading of rimmed cartridges for firearms serially into a tube from whence the cartridges can be serially delivered into a firearm magazine. The cartridge tube loader has a reservoir or storage compartment for randomly oriented rimmed cartridges. A manually operated gate controls the delivery of cartridges from the reservoir into orienting means. The orienting means engages upon the cartridge rim so that the cartridges are finally positioned side by side with bullet end down and depending from the cartridge rim. A bottom guide of the orienting means extends angularly downward so that the cartridges are delivered off the end of the guide into a tubular channel, from whence the cartridges are delivered to the cartridge loading tube. The cartridges are moved from the reservoir to the tube via the force of gravity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The cartridge tube loader is specifically designed for the loading of rimmed firearm cartridges into a loading tube from which the cartridges can be serially fed into a firearm magazine.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Many small caliber firearms have tubular magazines in which cartridges lie in end-to-end relationship. This magazine configuration is fairly common in small caliber rifles, independent of the method of feed of the cartridge from the magazine into the chamber. In bolt action, lever action, slide action and semiautomatic rifles, the rearmost cartridge is taken out of the tubular magazine an fed into the chamber upon operation of the rifle's action. Thus, in most such firearms the cartridges are placed in the magazine in end-to-end relationship.

In order to perform the operation of loading the rifle magazine more quickly, loading tubes are conveniently used. These loading tubes have a plurality of cartridges in end-to-end relationship therein so that, upon opening of the magazine in the firearm and opening of the end of the loading tube, the series of cartridges can be quickly inserted into the magazine by simply gravitationally dumping them from the loading tube. Orientation is maintained and transfer is rapidly accomplished. Upon accomplishment of the transfer step, the magazine is again closed, usually including spring means which biases the column of end-to-end cartridges toward the receiver.

It is helpful to conveniently load the loading tube. Loading can be manually accomplished, but it is difficult to take cartridges from the cartridge box and load them into the tube, while one is standing or walking. This task of filling the loading tube has been essentially a sedentary task because both the loading tube and the cartridge box must be restrained, as by holding them or placing them on a table while the cartridges are transferred. Since the cartridges are alternately positioned within the cartridge box, selective manual orientation and placement is required. In other words, this is basically a three-hand job, except where the cartridge box can be placed on a table. Thus, it is inconvenient to accomplish while standing on the firing range or walking in the field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to aid in the understanding of this invention, it can be stated in essentially summary form that it is directed to a cartridge tube loader. The inventive cartridge tube loader is a unitary device having a reservoirlike storage compartment at its top, and loading tube receiving means at its bottom. Orienting means are positioned between the reservoir and the loading tube. Cartridges having rims are dumped into the reservoir, proceed through the orienting means and are delivered in oriented condition to the loading tube receiving means from whence they proceed serially in end-to-end relationship into the loading tube. The loading tube is removable from the loading tube receiving means for use in loading the cartridges into a rifle. The device is portable and provided with a strap for hanging on the shoulder of the wearer.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel cartridge tube loader for guiding cartridges from an unoriented condition in a reservoir or storage compartment to an oriented condition for delivery into a loading tube. It is another object of this invention to provide novel cartridge rim engaging means to engage upon the rim of rimmed cartridges for the orientation thereof. It is another object to provide a reservoir having a gate for dumping cartridges from the reservoir in selected quantities to the orienting means so that the orienting means does not become full of cartridges, but only substantially enough are delivered to the orienting means for delivery into the loading tube.

It is another object to provide a loading tube which is removable from the cartridge tube loader so that cartridges delivered in oriented condition into the loading tube can be delivered into a firearm magazine by transferring the loading tube to the magazine and dumping the cartridges therein. It is a further object to provide a cartridge tube loader with a plurality of slotted guides in the orienting means whereby each of the slotted guides provides alignment and progressive orientation as the rimmed cartridge travels through the orienting means so that, when the cartridge is finally delivered at the bottom slotted guide, it is properly oriented for delivery to the loading tube. It is a further object to provide an inexpensive and readily used cartridge tube loader which can be enjoyed by many firearm users. It is still another object to provide a cartridge tube loader which is easy to use without the requirement of extensive skill or experience and which requires little or no maintenance care.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be understood best by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a reduced scale side elevational view of the cartridge tube loader of this invention, showing the cartridge tube removed therefrom.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view thereof, broken away and sectioned principally to show the structure on a vertical central plane, and showing the cartridge tube in place.

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the structure of FIG. 2, showing the loader with the cartridge tube removed.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken generally along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken generally along the line 5--5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a substantially horizontal section taken generally along the line 6--6 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a substantially horizontal section taken generally along the line 7--7 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a vertical section taken generally along line 8--8 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a substantially vertical section taken generally along the line 9--9 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 10 is a substantially vertical section taken generally along the line 10--10 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 8, showing the gate in the open position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The cartridge tube loader is generally indicated at 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The cartridge tube loader 10 comprises a housing 12 which can be supported from the shoulder of the user and carried along while he uses his firearm by means of shoulder strap 14. Housing 12 has a top 16 which includes hinged lid 18 having a lifting knob 19. Housing 12 is formed of circumferential wall 20, preferably composed of transparent synthetic polymer which defines a hollow interior. Housing 12 is closed on its lower end by bottom 22. Cartridge tube holder 24 is mounted through bottom 22 and is arranged to accept cartridge loading tube 26.

Cartridge loading tube 26 is a cylindrical tubular structure of such diameter as to accept cartridges for the firearm that is to be loaded. It is this tube that the cartridge tube loader 10 of this invention fills with cartridges so that the cartridge tube 26, now filled with such cartridges, can be taken to the firearm. At the firearm, the cartridges in cartridge tube 26 are sequentially deposited into the magazine of the firearm. The firearm under consideration for which cartridges are to be loaded by cartridge tube loader 10 employs rimmed cartridges in which the cartridges are positioned end-to-end. Thus, the cartridge rim can be employed to orient the cartridges, and the oriented cartridges can be serially positioned end-to-end in the cartridge tube 26 for delivery to the magazine of the firearm.

Floor 28 (see FIGS. 2, 4, 8 and 11) extends between the circumferential walls 20 to define the bottom of the reservoir or storage compartment space 30. The hinged lid 18 can be raised, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 2, to permit the firearm cartridges, indicated in broken lines at 32, to be dumped into the storage compartment. As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 11, floor 28 is preferably concavely formed so that the cartridges have a tendency to roll to the center of the floor, along the centerline of the reservoir. The cartridge tube loader 10 is intended to be carried in the orientation illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, so that storage chamber floor 28 is generally horizontally positioned while the cartridge tube loader 10 is in use.

The cartridge tube loader 10 has a central plane therethrough, substantially the plane on which FIG. 2 is taken. This plane is a vertical plane, substantially parallel to the sidewalls of the circumferential walls 20. The plane extends from left to right in the FIGS. 4 through 7, and thus comprises a plane which extends in the longer orthogonal dimensions of the cartridge tube loader.

Slot 34 is aligned along the central plane of the cartridge tube loader, and is a slot which extends through the floor 28. Slot 34 is slightly wider than the diametral dimension of the rim on the cartridge 32, which is the largest lateral dimension of the cartridge. Furthermore, the slot 34 is formed with rounded ends, the overall length of the slot is such that a cartridge can fall sideways therethrough. Slot 34 is oriented along the central plane of the cartridge tube loader 10 is order to serve as the first cartridge orienting means.

Slide 36 is mounted to reciprocate through appropriate slots in the walls 20. Slide 36 has slot 38 therein which is out of alignment with slot 34 when the slide is in one position, as is seen in FIG. 8, and is in alignment with slot 34 when the slide is in the cartridge release position shown in FIG. 11. External knobs 40 permit manual control of the slide. Spring 42 is positioned between the slide and the sidewall to urge it into the position wherein the slots are not aligned, as seen in FIG. 8. Manual force is required to cause the slots to be aligned. In the slots-aligned position, cartridges can fall through, as shown in FIG. 2. Thus, operation of the slide causes discharge of one or more cartridges from the storage compartment downward to the orienting means.

Guide 44 (see FIGS. 2, 5 and 9) is positioned between the walls 20 to intercept the cartridges which fall through the aligned slots 34 and 38. Guide 44 is angularly inclined downwardly to the left, as shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, the left end of guide 44 is slightly concave as is shown in FIG. 9. Guide slot 46 extends through guide 44, toward its left end, and acts as a second orienting means for cartridges passing downward through the cartridge loader 10. Guide slot 46 lies in the central plane of the loader, but lies to the left and out of direct vertical alignment with the slot 34. Thus, cartridges falling through slot 34 normally will slide down to the left along the top of guide 44 to reach guide slot 46. By this means, cartridges are further aligned by sliding longitudinally down the concave shaped guide 44. Additionally, they are further oriented by the passage downward through slot 46. Similarly to slot 34, slot 46 is sufficiently wide to pass the largest diameter on the cartridges and sufficiently long to pass cartridges falling sideways therethrough.

V-shaped guide 48 (see FIGS. 2, 6 and 10) is the third cartridge orienting means. As is seen in FIGS. 6 and 10, the apex of the V-shaped guide lies substantially within the plane of the device. As is seen in FIG. 2, the V-shaped guide 48 is directed downwardly to the right, so that the cartridges normally move in the left to right direction thereon, as they are being oriented. Guide 48 has slot 50 therein, which slot is slightly larger than the rim on the cartridges being oriented and loaded. Slot 50 is at least as long as the length of the cartridge, and is preferably somewhat longer, as is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6. The slot 50 is positioned substantially centrally of guide 48 so that the cartridges do not directly fall from slot 46 into slot 50. As is illustrated in FIG. 2, the cartridges oving leftward along guide 44 have sufficient inertia to prevent them from dropping straight down through guide slot 46 so that they do not pass directly into guide slot 50.

Slide plate 52 (see FIGS. 2, 7 and 10) is positioned directly below guide 48. Slide plate 52 has a stop slot 54 therein. Stop slot 54 is of such dimension as to pass the bullet and main part of the cartridge case of each cartridge 32 but is sufficiently small to catch and retain the rim on the cartridge. Stop slot 54 is also aligned along the central plane of the cartridge tube loader 10. Oriented cartridges, lying generally in the plane, are delivered down guide 44 through its slot 46 and then down guide 48 and through its slot 50. These successive orientations aid in separating cartridges and in orienting them in the plane of the device so that they are delivered in oriented condition through slot 50. Since the stop slot 54 passes the bullet and the main part of the cartridge case, but retains the rim, the oriented cartridges hang bullet-down through the slot 54, depending from the cartridge rim. This is illustrated in FIG. 2.

Receiver 56 is mounted on slide plate 52. It has a central bore 58 therein, and side slot 60 connecting bore 58 with slot 54. Slide plate 52 extends into receiver 56 to the extent that the cartridge rim is retained above the stop slot 54 of the slide plate until the cartridges are aligned with bore 58. As indicated in FIG. 2, the inclination of slide plate 52, downward to the right, causes cartridge motion through side slot 60 into bore 58 where the rim of the cartridge is released from the stop slot 54. Thus, cartridges are delivered one at a time into the bore 58 each oriented with its bullet downward.

Cartridge tube holder 24 is screwed onto the bottom end of receiver 56, as is shown in FIG. 2. However, the two parts may be integrally formed as desired. The cartridge tube holder has a cartridge tube opening 62 therein which aligns the interior bore in cartridge tube 26 with bore 58. Furthermore, spring 64 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 7) is secured within cartridge tube opening 62 to engage the side of the cartridge tube 26 and releasably hold it in place, as illustrated in FIG. 2. For even greater holding strength than supplied by spring 64, additional detents (not shown) of conventional design may be employed for releaseably interengaging tube 26 with holder 24. As is illustrated in FIG. 3, when the cartridge tube 26 is removed from its holder 24, detent spring 64 acts as a cartridge stop which prevents cartridges from freely discharging out of the now-opened cartridge tube holder 24.

In operation, the user places a cartridge tube 26 in place within its holder 24. The bottom end of the cartridge is closed by a cap, as illustrated in FIG. 2, so that cartridges delivered therein are retained. The user carries the cartridge tube loader 10 with him, preferably with the strap 14 engaging his shoulder. The user opens lid 18 and dumps a box of cartridges of the type desired, having rims, into the storage compartment. Next, he operates slide 36 by means of knobs 42 and dumps a plurality of cartridges from the storage compartment through the first orienting slot 34. The first slot 34 starts by releasing the cartridges in the plane of the device. Gravity, slightly aided by vibration of the cartridge tube loader as by walking of the user or during his natural body motions in and around the target range, causes the cartridges to slide down guide 44 to guide slot 46. This again moves the cartridges toward and into the plane of the device, and separates them so that they are individually longitudinally positioned whereby they individually pass through guide slot 46. After they pass through slot 46, they are engaged by guide 48 and pass through slot 50, so that their rims are engaged by stop slot 54. Thus, a plurality of cartridges are sidewise oriented, depending from the stop slot and lying in the plane of the device. As the cartridges slide down to the right, and to align with bore 58, the rims are released from the edges of stop slot 54 so that they can individually and successively fall down bore 58 into cartridge tube 26.

Each of the guides, starting with the aligned guide slot 34, guide 44 with its upward facing concavity and its guide slot 46, guide 48 with its upwardly opening interior V-shape and its aligned guide slot 50, and finally stop slot 54, cumulatively acts in orienting the cartridges as they descend through the cartridge tube loader 10. While the cartridge tube loader would be operative without guide 44, it is employed in cumulatively providing end separation of the cartridges so that they each individually arrive at the final guide slot 50 and its top slot 54 for final orientation. Thus, cumulatively, they act together as a system for adequate orientation.

It is clear, especially from FIG. 10, that the shoulders which define the stop slot 54 which engage under the rims of the cartridges could be integrally formed with V-guide 48, and its slot 50. The present structure is shown for its simplicity of manufacture but, should injection molded components be desirable, the shoulders and slot of stop slot 54 could just as well be formed with V-guide 48 rather than being on a separate slide plate 52.

The user may release groups of cartridges from time to time by operation of slide 36 but, when he sees that there are cartridges standing in line in stop slot 54, he knows that the cartridge tube 26 is full. Thereupon, when cartridges are needed for his firearm, he extracts cartridge tube 26 and dumps the cartridges therefrom into the magazine of the firearm. While the cartridge tube is out of its holder 24, detent spring 64 prevents the cartridges in receiver 56 from falling out. Upon reintroduction of the now-empty cartridge tube 26, detent spring 64 is pressed back and the cartridges are ready to drop into the cartridge tube.

The preferred material of the cartridge tube loader 10 is synthetic polymer composition material, for economy of manufacture, lightness of weight, and transparency so that the operation of the loader can be observed.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims in to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A cartridge tube loader comprising:

a reservoir for receiving firearm cartridges having rims;

cartridge tube retaining means in said cartridge tube loader for retaining the end of a cartridge tube therein for loading; and

orienting means between said reservoir and said cartridge tube retaining means for orienting cartridges that are delivered from said reservoir through said orienting means to said cartridge tube retaining means so that cartridges are delivered in oriented position to said cartridge tube retaining means for sequential oriented delivery to a cartridge tube retained therein.

2. The cartridge tube loader claim 1 wherein:

said cartridge tube loader has a central vertical plane therein; and

said orienting means comprises a plurality of guides, each of said guides having an opening aligned with said central plane.

3. The cartridge tube loader of claim 2 wherein:

said orienting means comprises at least first and second guides having an upwardly directed concavity and each having a guide slot therein lying in said central plane, each of said guide slots being a width great enough to pass the rim of a cartridge and a length great enough to pass the length of a cartridge.

4. The cartridge tube loader of claim 3 wherein:

said reservoir has a slot in its bottom and a manually operable slide covering said slot so that, upon manual operation of said slide, said slot is opened and cartridges can fall from said reservoir through said orienting means.

5. The cartridge tube loader of claim 4 wherein:

said orienting means includes a stop slot, said stop slot having a width large enough to pass the body of the cartridge casing but too small to pass the cartridge rim so that cartridges hang through the slot being retained by their rim.

6. The cartridge tube loader of claim 1 wherein:

said cartridge tube retaining means comprises a holder having an interior opening therein for receipt of the cartridge tube therein, said cartridge tube holder being positioned to receive oriented cartridges from said orienting means so that oriented cartridges can be delivered from said orienting means into said cartridge tube holder.

7. The cartridge tube loader of claim 6 wherein:

a detent spring is positioned adjacent said cartridge tube opening, said detent spring engaging a cartridge tube when the cartridge tube is inserted in said cartridge tube opening, and extending into said cartridge tube opening in the absence of a cartridge tube therein for preventing discharge of cartridges from said cartridge tube loader through said cartridge tube opening.

8. The cartridge tube loader of claim 7 wherein:

a cartridge tube is positioned in said cartridge tube holder, said cartridge tube having an interior size sufficient to accept cartridges from said loader in end-to-end orientation.

9. The cartridge tube loader of claim 8 wherein:

said cartridge tube loader has a central plane therein; and

said orienting means comprises a plurality of guides, each of said guides having an opening aligned with said central plane.

10. THe cartridge tube loader of claim 9 wherein:

said orienting means comprises at least first and second guides having an upwardly directed concavity and each having a guide slot therein lying in said central plane, each of said guide slots being a width great enough to pass the rim of a cartridge and a length great enough to pass the length of a cartridge.

11. The cartridge tube loader of claim 10 wherein:

said reservoir has a slot in its bottom and a manually operable slide covering said slot so that, upon manual operation of said slide, said slot is opened and cartridges can fall from said reservoir through said orienting means.

12. The cartridge tube loader of claim 11 wherein:

said orienting means includes a stop slot, said stop slot having a width large enough to pass the body of the cartridge casing but too small to pass the cartridge rim so that cartridges hang through the slot being retained by their rim.