Patent ID: 8904913
Filing Date: 2014-12-09
Classification: F42B

Abstract:
1. A load cell assembly adapted for use with a hand operated press for manipulating metal rifle cartridges of the type each having a first end adapted to receive a primer, a second opposite end, and a generally cylindrical end portion adjacent said second end, said press comprising: a cartridge receptacle having a first end portion and an opposite second end portion adapted to releasably receive and support the first end of a cartridge of a predetermined size and shape; a cartridge support member having a first end portion; attachment means having a second part on the first end portion of the cartridge receptacle and a first part on the first end portion of the cartridge support member for releasably engaging and supporting the cartridge receptacle on the cartridge support member; a die having an inner surface defining a cavity adapted to receive and engage the second end portion of the cartridge; a die support member supporting the die; means mounting the cartridge support and die support members for relative movement between a first relative position with the cartridge receptacle sufficiently spaced from the die to afford manually positioning a cartridge on or removal of a cartridge from the cartridge receptacle, and a second relative position with the second end portion of a cartridge supported on the cartridge receptacle engaged within the die; a manually operable drive mechanism for moving said cartridge support and die support members between said first and second relative positions and for manually applying different forces between the second end of a cartridge on said cartridge receptacle and said die; said load cell assembly comprising: a strain gauge within said tubular wall along the inner surface of said flexible end wall; a first part of attachment means on the outer surface of one of said end walls having essentially the same shape as the first part of the attachment means on the first end portion of the cartridge support member; and a second part of said attachment means on the outer surface of the other of said end walls having essentially the same shape as the second part of the attachment means on the first end portion of the cartridge receptacle; said second part of the attachment means on the outer surface of one of said end walls being adapted to engage and be supported by the first part of the attachment means on the cartridge support member of the press and said first part of the attachment means on the outer surface of the other of said end walls being adapted to engage and support the second part of the attachment means on the cartridge receptacle; and said load cell assembly further including indicating means including a load reading device connected to said strain gauge for, when load cell is attached between said cartridge support member and said cartridge receptacle of the press, providing for an operator of the press discrete indications of the different forces that can be manually applied through the drive mechanism during use of the press to engage the second end of a cartridge against the die to allow the operator to use one of said indications to manually apply the same force to engage the second ends of identical cartridges with the die.