Reloadable Two-piece Shotgun Cartridge

Abstract

A 2-piece, all plastic, reloadable shotgun cartridge contains the conventional elements of a shotgun cartridge, i.e., shot, wadding, primer and a powder charge. A crimp step makes for easier crimping; a self-locking feature is provided by serrations; and powder reloading can be easily accomplished from both ends of the shell casing portion of the cartridge.

Description

The present invention relates to a shotgun cartridge, and, in particular, to a reloadable 2-piece plastic shotgun case which provides features for more easily reloading shot, powder, and the wadding used in such activity. The present invention is primarily for use by trap and skeet shooting, as well as upland (small) game bird shooting. However, the shotgun cartridge, according to the present invention, could be satisfactorily used in all types of hunting, and for law enforcement purposes, as well as skeet and trap shooting and for hunting upland game birds.

One feature of the present invention is to provide a novel shotgun cartridge having a powder cavity with specific dimensions to reduce the possibility of overloading or underloading with the powder charge.

Another feature of the present invention is to provide a reloadable shotgun shell in which the powder charge can be inserted from either end of the cartridge.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a shot retaining disk which easily separates so as not to interfere with the shot pattern after it leaves the barrell.

Another feature of the present invention is to provide a reloadable shotgun cartridge wherein crimping of the forward end of the cartridge is made simplified through the use of a novel crimp step.

Another feature of my invention is to provide serrations on the base piece of the cartridge which, when secured to mate with the shell portion of the cartridge, provides a self-locking mechanism for a more safe operating device.

Still another feature of the present invention is a step provided in the inner wall of the shell piece of the cartridge upon which the powder wad rests thereby providing a receptacle for the powder charge of uniform dimension and to permit loading of the powder wad, shot and crimp prior to loading of the powder charge.

Another feature of my invention is to provide a more economical cartridge for the user wherein the base piece and shell portion of the shell may be purchased either as a complete integral factory loaded cartridge, or as a shell piece, factory loaded; the shell piece only, or the base piece only. The primer charge, powder charge, powder wad and shot are all available on the market today, and no special tooling is required to reload the cartridge.

Other features and advantages, both mechanical and economical, will become apparent to those skilled in the art of shotgun cartridges after a careful perusal of the following specifications, claims and drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a finished shotgun cartridge shell with a portion cut away to better illustrate the structural features;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the base and shell portions of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the shell portion of the cartridge;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the base portion of the cartridge;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the base showing the serrations;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the cartridge crimp of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of a shell partly broken away showing the use of a novel shot retaining disk;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the shot retaining disk;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the shot retaining disk; and

FIG. 10 is a cross-section of the shot retaining disk.

Referring now to the drawings in which like items are given the same reference numeral in all the Figures, a shotgun cartridge 10, is made up of two main sections. The two main sections consist of a base 11 and shell casing 12. Base 11 is preferably made from a molded, hard, durable plastic material, as of, for example, glass filled Nylon. Shell casing 12 is made from a more pliable (in relation to base 11) but durable plastic material as of, for example, polyethylene.

Base 11 is apertured to provide for a receptacle or opening 15 to receive a primer 13 and is provided with an outwardly projecting flange 14 as is well known in the art of cartridge making. The length of opening 15 is shorter than the length of a primer cap so that primer will extend into the mating shell casing portion. Opening 15 is provided with threads 17 at its mating end, opposite from flange end 14. The threaded portion of the aperture is of greater diameter than that portion which receives primer 13, while the extreme mating end portion of the aperture is provided with a beveled surface at 16. The surface of the bevel 16 may be provided with serrations 30 for positive locking action when the base is mated.

Shell Casing 12 is generally cylindrical in shape with a threaded neck end 18 and crimping end 20. Threaded neck end 18 is reduced in diameter in relation to the diameter of casing 12, and is provided with a tapered intermediary surface 26 between the cylindrical surface of casing 12 and threaded neck end 18 to allow a mating with base 11 as is best seen in FIG. 2. Crimping end 20 is provided with slightly thinner or reduced wall thickness compared with the center portion of shell casing 12. This reduction in wall thickness is accomplished by a lessening of the outer wall diameter of the cylindrical casing at crimping end 20 to form a shoulder 22 so that a crimp step is formed. Shoulder 22 is purposely rounded, so that when the casing is inserted into the breech of a shotgun, the rounded shoulder makes for easier entering therein, thus more fool-proof operation, especially in automatic and pump action type shotguns. The hollow inner wall of casing 12 is smooth from the crimp end 20 down to an internal annular step 23 formed therein. From step 23 the inner wall is curved inwardly until the inner wall diameter is reduced to equal the outer diameter of a primer hole, and remains constant until the threaded end is reached.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shotgun cartridge described is designed to receive a standard, commercially available shot wad container 25 loaded with shot, and a powder wad 26. Shot wad container 25 and powder wad 26 may be also purchased or made as a single, integral package. Powder wad 26 rests on step 23 to form a powder charge cavity 27 containing a powder charge 28. By the provision of step 23, the shell casing 12 may be reloaded by inserting the powder wad 26 and shot container 25, shot, then crimping the shell casing. The powder charge can then be added at any time from the threaded neck end 18 of shell casing 12. When the shell casing is fully loaded with shot, wad and powder charge, the base 11 containing the primer may be screwed on to shell casing 12. It is noted that base 11 may be provided with a ring of serrations 30 which may extend slightly beyond outwardly tapered portion 16. Serrations 30 serve to provide a positive locking action when the base and shell casing are mated. In the event more positive locking is required, a raised ridge may be provided around the outer surface of shell casing portion 12 at the tapered portion 21.

What has been shown is a novel, two piece shotgun cartridge joined by threads and locked together by serrations formed on the abutting ends of the shell portions so that the two pieces are screwed together the serrations on the base bite into the mating portion to prevent unwanted unscrewing of the two pieces.

The description of the drawings are in no way meant to be limiting, as many variations and modifications may be made in keeping with the true scope of the present invention. For example, the threaded portions of base 11 and threaded neck end 18 of casing 12 may be made to extend all the way through opening 15 of base 11 so that the primer will be inserted directly into the opening of threaded neck end 18 of casing 12.

It may be desirable in certain conditions, to provide an alternate means for retaining the shot in the casing portion of the shell FIG. 8 shows a shot retaining disk 31, made from a hard plastic material. The periphery of disk 31 is provided with a raised lip 33. The top portion of disk 31 is provided with grooves 32 across the diameter of disk 31, which divide disk 31 into four quarters. FIG. 7 shows shot retaining disk 31 crimped at 33 by inturning the end of the shell casing over lip 33 of the disk. When the shotgun shell is detonated, disk 31 will break up or peel away at the grooves 32 when leaving the muzzle of the shotgun without interferring with the shot pattern.

Such changes and modifications will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing description embodies as preferred but that further modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. a. a generally cylindrical base member, said base member provided with a threaded annular opening extending axially therethrough;

b. a generally cylindrical hollow casing member open on one end and including an externally threaded neck end of less diameter than said casing member on the other end, means whereby said neck end is provided with an annular opening extending therethrough and communicating with the hollow portion of said casing member;

c. means whereby the threaded annular opening extending axially through the base member is adapted to receive the neck end of said casing member;

d. means wherein said base member includes a mating end adapted to mate with said casing member, and a beveled surface means connecting said mating end and the opening extending axially, therethrough, and

e. means whereby said casing member includes an intermediary truncated surface between the outer surface of said casing and said threaded neck end.

2. The ammunition cartridge of claim 1 wherein the beveled surface of said base member includes a plurality of serrations adapted to mate with the intermediary truncated surface of said casing member.

3. The ammunition cartridge of claim 2 wherein the outer surface of the open end of said casing member is reduced in diameter to provide a crimping position forming a shoulder between the reduced surface and the remaining portion of said casing member.

4. In an ammunition cartridge including a base member and a casing member adopted to be joined together to form a single integral piece;

said casing member including:

a. a generally cylindrical hollow body open on one end and including an externally threaded neck end of less diameter than said hollow body on the other end;

b. means whereby said neck is provided with an annular opening extending therethrough and communicating with the hollow portion of said hollow body;

c. an intermediary truncated surface adjacent said threaded neck end; and

d. a planar surface between said truncated surface and the outer wall of hollow body.