Rifle magazine loader

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10215516-B2
Application number	US-201715709043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2017
Priority date	Sep 19, 2016
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

An magazine loader comprises a body for receiving an upper portion of the magazine and a cap slidingly engaged with the body for loading cartridges in to the magazine received by the body. The body comprises a plurality of wall portions defining a body cavity configured to receive an upper portion of a magazine. The plurality of cap wall portions may comprise a starboard cap wall portion and an opposing port cap wall portion. An upper portion of the body is slidingly received in the interior volume defined by the cap so that the body and the cap slide relative to one another along a sliding axis. The sliding axis may extend in the upward and downward directions and the cap may translate between an upper position and a lower position along the sliding axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for loading cartridges into a magazine, comprising: a body having a top end and a bottom end, the body comprising a plurality of wall portions defining a body cavity with a lower opening proximate the bottom end, the body cavity configured to receive an upper portion of the magazine, the body cavity extending along a magazine insertion axis, the magazine insertion axis extending in upward and downward directions, the plurality of wall portions comprising a rear body wall, a starboard wall portion and an opposing port wall portion, the body further including a starboard ramp supported by the starboard wall portion and a port ramp supported by the port wall portion;
a cap comprising a plurality of cap wall portions defining an interior volume, the plurality of cap wall portions comprising a starboard cap wall portion and an opposing port cap wall portion;
an upper portion of the body being slidingly received in the interior volume defined by the cap wall portions so that the body and the cap slide relative to one another along a sliding axis, the sliding axis extending in the upward and downward directions, the cap translating between an upper position and a lower position along the sliding axis;
the starboard cap wall portion defining a first starboard slot and a second starboard slot, each starboard slot extending in the upward and downward directions, the starboard cap wall including a starboard leaf spring portion disposed between the first starboard slot and the second starboard slot, the starboard leaf spring portion having a fixed end and a free end, the starboard leaf spring portion comprising a starboard ramp engaging portion proximate the free end thereof, the starboard ramp engaging portion contacting the starboard ramp;
the port cap wall portion defining a first port slot and a second port slot, each port slot extending in the upward and downward directions, the port cap wall including a port leaf spring portion disposed between the first port slot and the second port slot, the port leaf spring portion having a fixed end and a free end, the port leaf spring portion comprising a port ramp engaging portion proximate the free end thereof, the port ramp engaging portion contacting the port ramp;
when the cap is urged to translate downward along the sliding axis each ramp applies a reaction force to each ramp engaging portion, the orientation of each ramp relative to the sliding axis being such that each reaction force has an outwardly directed component that acts to deflect each leaf spring portion in a cantilevered fashion and an upwardly directed component, the upwardly directed components urging the cap to translate in the upward direction along the sliding axis toward the upper position;
the apparatus further including a latch member adapted and configured to hold the magazine in positon relative to the body of the apparatus, the rear body wall defining a first slit and a second slit, each slit extending in the upward and downward directions, the rear body wall comprising a cantilevered beam of the latch member disposed between the first slit and the second slit, the cantilevered beam having a fixed end and a free end, a blocking member being fixed to the cantilevered beam proximate the free end thereof, the blocking member comprising a
projection extending in a forward direction beyond a forward facing surface of the cantilevered beam.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the body comprises a starboard flange extending in the upward direction beyond the starboard body wall;
the body comprises a starboard flange extending in the upward direction beyond the starboard body wall; and
a throat is defined between the starboard flange and the port flange, the throat being dimensioned and configured to allow sequential passage of a plurality of individual cartridges into the body cavity.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the body comprises a first starboard rail, the first starboard rail extending in the upward direction along a first starboard rail axis, the first starboard rail projecting in the starboard direction beyond a starboard facing surface of the starboard flange, the first starboard rail extending into a first starboard channel defined by the starboard cap wall.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the body comprises a second starboard rail, the second starboard rail extending in the upward direction along a second starboard rail axis, the second starboard rail projecting in the starboard direction beyond a starboard facing surface of the starboard flange, the second starboard rail extending into the second starboard channel defined by the starboard cap wall.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the body comprises a first port rail, the first port rail extending in the upward direction along a first port rail axis, the first port rail projecting in the port direction beyond a port facing surface of the port flange, the first port rail extending into the first port channel defined by the port cap wall.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the body comprises a second port rail, the second port rail extending in the upward direction along a second port rail axis, the second port rail projecting in the port direction beyond a port facing surface of the port flange, the second port rail extending into the second port channel defined by the port cap wall.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the cap comprises a starboard shell and a port shell, the shells cooperating to define the entrance and the interior volume fluidly communicating with the entrance, the cap comprising a starboard shell wall of the starboard shell and a port shell wall of the port shell disposed on opposite sides of the interior volume; and
the cap comprises a top panel extending in a port direction from the starboard shell wall to the port shell wall and extending in a starboard direction from the port shell wall to the starboard shell wall, the top panel comprising a top panel portion of the starboard shell and a top panel part of the port shell, the top panel defining a aperture, the top panel portion of the starboard shell defining a starboard aperture portion and the top panel part of the port shell defining a port aperture portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the cap comprises a front wall extending in the port direction from the starboard shell wall to the port shell wall and extending in the starboard direction from the port shell wall to the starboard shell wall, the front wall extending in the upward direction from the entrance to the top panel and extending in the downward direction from the top panel to the entrance, the front wall comprising a front wall portion of the starboard shell and a front wall part of the port shell.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the starboard shell wall of the starboard shell extends in the forward direction from the rear wall to the front wall and extending in the rearward direction from the front wall to the rear wall, the starboard shell wall extending in the upward direction from the entrance to the top panel and extending in the downward direction from the top panel to the entrance.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the port shell wall of the port shell extends in the forward direction from the rear wall to the front wall and extending in the rearward direction from the front wall to the rear wall, the port shell wall extending in the upward direction from the entrance to the top panel and extending in the downward direction from the top panel to the entrance.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the starboard shell comprising a plurality of starboard ribs, each starboard rib protruding in the port direction beyond a p

Assignees

• Vista Outdoor Operations Llc

Inventors

• Hefer Brandon Thomas
• Trostrud Brandon Karl

Classifications

• F42B39/26

  Packages or containers for a plurality of ammunition, e.g. cartridges (F42B39/14 - F42B39/24, F42B39/28 take precedence) · CPC title

• F41A9/83 Primary

  Apparatus or tools for reloading magazines with unbelted ammunition, e.g. cartridge clips · CPC title