Ammunition press and components thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12571620-B2
Application number	US-202418411449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2024
Priority date	Aug 19, 2020
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

An ammunition press for manufacturing or reloading ammunition cartridges. The ammunition press includes a slide bearing about which the ram of the ammunition press moves to provide smooth operation of the ammunition press. A configurable spent primer system is provided to enable a user to select how they want to collect spent primers or other debris from the ammunition press. According to a user's preference, the ammunition press can also be customized to provide a cam-over or non-cam-over sensation as the user operates the ammunition press. A light is integrated with the ammunition press for illuminating a shell holder that holds the ammunition shells (sometimes called cases). Components of the ammunition press and associated methods are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An ammunition press comprising:
a frame having a base, the base configured to engage a support surface to support the ammunition press on the support surface, the base including a slide bearing, the slide bearing including at least one roller; a die holder supported by the frame and configured to hold a die for performing an operation on an ammunition case; a ram supported by the frame and movably disposed in the slide bearing, the ram movable along a ram axis to bring an ammunition case and the die into contact with one another; and a lever operatively coupled to the ram, the lever being moveable relative to the frame such that movement of the lever moves the ram along the ram axis.

2 . The ammunition press of claim 1 , wherein the at least one roller includes at least two ball bearings spaced apart along the ram axis.

3 . The ammunition press of claim 2 , wherein the slide bearing includes at least two ball bearing tracks and a plurality of ball bearings within each ball bearing track.

4 . The ammunition press of claim 3 , wherein each ball bearing track includes a straight segment that is generally parallel to the ram axis.

5 . The ammunition press of claim 4 , wherein each ball bearing track is a closed-loop.

6 . The ammunition press of claim 1 , wherein the slide bearing defines a ram passageway, the ram extending through the ram passageway.

7 . The ammunition press of claim 6 , wherein the slide bearing includes a cylindrical inner surface bounding the ram passageway.

8 . The ammunition press of claim 7 , wherein the ram includes a cylindrical ram shaft, the ram shaft being disposed in the ram passageway.

9 . The ammunition press of claim 6 , wherein the slide bearing includes an inner surface that defines the ram passageway, and the at least one roller protrudes from the inner surface and physically contacts a portion of the ram extending through the ram passageway.

10 . The ammunition press of claim 1 , wherein the ram includes a spent primer passageway arranged to receive the spent primer after the spent primer falls from the ammunition case.

11 . The ammunition press of claim 10 , further comprising a spent primer fitting, the spent primer passageway of the ram being arranged to guide the spent primer to the spent primer fitting as the spent primer falls from the ammunition case.

12 . The ammunition press of claim 11 , wherein the spent primer fitting is configured to be releasably coupled to the ram.

13 . The ammunition press of claim 12 , wherein the spent primer fitting includes a receptacle connector configured to connect to a spent primer receptacle, the spent primer fitting arranged to permit the spent primer to fall into the spent primer receptacle when the spent primer receptacle is connected to the receptacle connector and the spent primer fitting is coupled to the ram.

14 . The ammunition press of claim 12 , wherein the spent primer fitting is a first spent primer fitting, the ammunition press further comprising a second spent primer fitting, the second spent primer fitting configured to be releasably coupled to the ram, the second spent primer fitting including a hose connector configured to connect to a hose, the second spent primer fitting arranged to permit the spent primer to fall into the hose when the hose is connected to the hose connector and the second spent primer fitting is coupled to the ram.

15 . The ammunition press of claim 1 , wherein the slide bearing is arranged to orient the ram axis vertically when the base engages the support surface to support the ammunition press on the support surface.

16 . The ammunition press of claim 1 , wherein the slide bearing includes a ball bearing track and a plurality of ball bearings within the ball bearing track, the plurality of ball bearings representing the at least one roller.

17 . The ammunition press of claim 16 , wherein the ball bearing track is a closed-loop.

18 . The ammunition press of claim 16 , wherein the ball bearing track has a length, wherein the plurality of ball bearings fill up about half the length of the ball bearing track.

19 . The ammunition press of claim 1 , further comprising a linkage operatively coupling the lever to the ram.

20 . The ammunition press of claim 19 , wherein the linkage is connected to the lever, is pivotably coupled to the ram, and is pivotably coupled to the frame.

21 . The ammunition press of claim 1 , wherein the ram includes a case holder configured to hold the ammunition case, the ram being movable along the ram axis to move the case holder toward the die holder.

22 . The ammunition press of claim 1 , wherein the at least one roller of the slide bearing is at least one ball bearing.

23 . The ammunition press of claim 1 , further comprising a case holder configured to hold the ammunition case, the case holder supported by the frame.

24 . The ammunition press of claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the ram is configured to couple to a case holder that holds the ammunition case, the ram being movable along the ram axis to move the case holder toward the die holder.

25 . The ammunition press of claim 1 , wherein the slide bearing includes a ball bearing track and the at least one roller is disposed within the ball bearing track.

26 . The ammunition press of claim 25 , wherein the at least one roller is configured to move along a length of the ball bearing track as the ram moves along the ram axis relative to the slide bearing.

Assignees

• Aob Products Company

Inventors

• Ball Shane
• Burke Justin
• Lindsay Michael
• Grove Jarrod
• Cottrell Michael
• Tayon James
• Smith Curtis

Classifications

• F42B33/001

  Devices or processes for assembling ammunition, cartridges or cartridge elements from parts · CPC title

• F42B33/10

  Reconditioning used cartridge cases {(F42B33/004 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F42B33/04 Primary

  Fitting or extracting primers in or from fuzes or charges {(F42B33/004 takes precedence)} · CPC title