Firearms – Magazine chargers
Reexamination Certificate
1995-03-02
2001-02-20
Johnson, Stephen M. (Department: 3641)
Firearms
Magazine chargers
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189254
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is generally directed to cartridge loading in a firearm magazine and, more particularly, to a simplified device for manually loading cartridges into a firearm magazine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally speaking, the problems associated with loading cartridges into a firearm magazine are well known. This is particularly true for manual, or hand, loading where it is necessary to depress all previously loaded cartridges which are typically received through an opening in the magazine so as to lie in stack relationship since there is conventionally a spring for biasing the cartridges toward the opening and against which the previously loaded cartridges must be depressed. In addition to the biasing force of the spring, the cartridges are not large in size and, thus, are particularly difficult to manually manipulate.
Nevertheless, it is common practice to load cartridges into a firearm magazine by progressive compression of the magazine's spring. The cartridges are inserted one at a time against the ever increasing spring resistance as the magazine approaches a fully loaded condition. If the next cartridge is simply loaded against the previously loaded cartridge, it is recognized that considerably force and manual dexterity are required.
Over the years, the unaided loading of a firearm magazine in the described manner has become undesirable. It is not only time consuming and difficult, but manual loading without any manual assistance can lead to misalignment of cartridges within the magazine and, as a result, to jamming of the cartridges therewithin. In order to overcome such problems, there have been many different types of complicated manual devices proposed over the years.
By way of example, Switzer U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,386 discloses one type of device that has been commercialized. It is, unfortunately, inordinately complex and quite bulky in size, both of which are undesirable characteristics of any firearm accessory. Still further, the considerable complexity of the device is such that it can be subject to mechanical failure after a period of use.
Referring to Howard U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,909, there is another such manual magazine loading device that is disclosed. It, too, is relatively complex and large in size which is undesirable since the typical firearms enthusiast has only limited space for accessories such as a magazine loader in a typical accessory bag that is carried. With such serious restrictions on accessories, the device disclosed in Howard U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,909 is less than fully desirable.
In a very recent attempt at improvement over the prior art, Blackamore U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,660 discloses an entirely redesigned cartridge magazine that utilizes a spring engaged elevator. The magazine has a slot and the elevator has a hole or recess aligned with the slot for receiving a key. With this arrangement, the key can be utilized to depress the elevator against a spring for loading additional cartridges.
While ingenious, Blackamore U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,660 does nothing to deal with the problem of already existing magazines. It is also clearly quite expensive in nature and would require complete retooling for the magazine as well as possible reforming of the portion of a firearm adapted to receive the redesigned magazine. As a result, there has remained the problem of providing a device that is suitable for manually loading essentially every existing magazine.
As will be appreciated, the problem that is presented is to provide a device that is simple and inexpensive but achieves the goal of providing an effective manual cartridge loading device. This is especially important for firearm enthusiasts that may suffer from a disability such as an arthritic condition that makes it difficult to load cartridges by hand. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the foregoing problems and achieving one or more of the resulting objects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a device for manually loading cartridges into a magazine. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a device that can be used with nearly every existing magazine of the type which is adapted to receive a plurality of cartridges in stacked relationship through an opening and against a force tending to bias the cartridges toward the opening. It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a simplified device comprising a band and cartridge engaging projection.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a device for manually loading cartridges into a magazine. The magazine is of the type which is adapted to receive a plurality of cartridges in stacked relation, and it has an opening for receiving the cartridges and means for biasing the cartridges toward the opening. The device includes a band configured in size and shape for placement on a thumb of one hand for loading the magazine with cartridges when the magazine is gripped by that one hand. The device also includes a projection integrally associated with the band and extending from an outer surface of the band for engagement of a top one of the cartridges previously loaded into the magazine. The projection has a surface adapted to contact a surface of the cartridges in such manner as to maintain engagement with the top one of the cartridges when the magazine is gripped. The projection engages the top one of the cartridges for depressing it away from the opening against the biasing means in response to a bending/depressing thumb motion. When the device is placed on the thumb and the projection is used to depress the top cartridge, another cartridge can be manually loaded into the magazine by using the opposite hand.
In the exemplary embodiment, the band is formed as a continuous ring having a flat inner surface. It is also advantageous for the band to be formed to have curved inner edges. Still additionally, the projection preferably comprises a straight, rigid rod having a curved end defining the cartridge conforming surface.
In a most highly preferred embodiment, the band is formed as a continuous non-circular ring having a major dimension measured generally along a major axis thereof and a minor dimension measured generally along a minor axis thereof. The flat inner surface of the band is advantageously formed to be generally axially extending and the straight, rigid rod is such that it preferably extends generally perpendicular to the major axis along a line extending through the point of intersection of the major and minor axis. With this arrangement, the straight, rigid rod also is preferably formed to have a curved surface on the end remote from the continuous non-circular ring generally conforming to a cylindrical surface of the cartridges.
As for other details of the invention, the rod is preferably formed to have a length dimension which is less than the minor dimension of the continuous ring. Furthermore, the rod is advantageously formed to have a length dimension approximately the same as a width dimension of the continuous ring.
REFERENCES:
patent: 863798 (1907-08-01), Hodges
patent: 3890733 (1975-06-01), Kubik
patent: 4402153 (1983-09-01), Peter et al.
patent: 4679343 (1987-07-01), Gomez Harlow
patent: 4689909 (1987-09-01), Howard
patent: 4869009 (1989-09-01), Bennett
patent: 4888902 (1989-12-01), Knowles
patent: 5249386 (1993-10-01), Switzer
patent: 5309660 (1994-05-01), Blackamore
patent: 5355606 (1994-10-01), Origoni
“New Products,”Guns, Nov., 1995, p. 102.
Johnson Stephen M.
Marshall O'Toole Gerstein Murray & Borun
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