Abstract:
Systems and methods for loading and unloading a magazine are comprised herein. An apparatus described herein includes a magazine that has chamber for storing ammunition. A toll that is used for loading and unloading ammunition into the magazine. The tool includes a reservoir container that is defined by three sides of the tool. The reservoir container is configured to hold ammunition cartridges. A funnel interacts with a proximal end of the reservoir container and is configured to route ammunition from the reservoir container into a single row in a repository channel. A loading press that is sized for insertion into the reservoir container and the repository channel, is used, when inserted, to guide ammunition through the tool and into the magazine.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Ammunition magazines are the most common means of storing and delivering ammunition into firearms. While the correlation between firearms maintenance and serviceability has become well known, the importance of maintaining magazines is an issue that is overlooked today. This oversight is noticeable because there is a wide array of cleaning products available for firearms, but there are very few cleaning products available for magazine care. Most users forget that the magazine is a necessary part of a firearm and a part that could easily cause the firearm to malfunction. Along with the lack of understanding that the firearms magazine is integral for the proper functioning of a weapon, many users do not clean or maintain their magazines because of the time and work involved with doing so. 
         [0002]    Unmaintained magazines are prone to firearms jams and ammunition misfeeds. A firearm jam is caused when “dirty” ammunition is transferred from the magazine to the weapon. The ammunition becomes “dirty” because debris from the unmaintained magazine is transferred onto the ammunition. A misfeed may be caused because a magazine has weakened coil springs. Coil springs are weakened because the springs have been left compressed at solid height state for a period of time. In other word, weakened springs generally have less return tension. Spring tension loss can lead to a “failure-to-feed” malfunction in a firearm, because ammunition cartridges are not raised quickly enough onto the magazine feed lips to be caught by the bolt of a firearm. Misfeeds in firearms are also caused because the components of the magazine casing have become deformed from the constant pressure exerted onto them by the compressed spring. Feed lips may be deformed as a result of the constant pressure exerted by the compressed spring. Deformed feed lips can lead to a “double feed” of ammunition into a firearm, because the feed lips become spaced open wider. The additional spacing may allow inertia from the recoil of a firearm to eject an ammunition cartridge unintentionally into the firearm. A base plate may also become deformed, which can lead to the base plate falling off over time. 
         [0003]    In many instances, a magazine is kept stored with ammunition for ready use. In order to conduct maintenance, the ammunition must be removed before the magazine can be disassembled safely A second magazine is then usually loaded to substitute availability for the first magazine. In order to unload a magazine, the ammunition is removed a single cartridge at a time. The process is repeated when reloading the magazine. The unloading and reloading is slow and tedious, and most users purchase new magazines instead of conducting the necessary maintenance on the current magazine. No means exist in the art to remove the spring itself before unloading the ammunition from a magazine. Likewise, no means exist to transfer ammunition directly from one magazine into another in bulk. 
         [0004]    Along with no means for quickly and easily unloading ammunition from a magazine for maintenance, there are no means for reloading ammunition placed into a storage media during maintenance back into a magazine in bulk. In the prior art, reloading ammunition stored in a storage media, such as ammunition boxes or carton racks, would require taking individual cartridges from either types of container and inserting them individually into a magazine. This is a time consuming and tedious process, but no means exist for loading ammunition from a box or carton rack into a magazine in bulk. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1A  is a view of a firearms magazine; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an angled side view of a loading/unloading tool and a loading press; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3A  is a rear cross section view of the loading press inserted into a donor magazine to create spacing for the extraction funnel to be inserted into the magazine; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3B  is a rear cross section view of the extraction funnel, inserted into a donor magazine, consolidating ammunition from a double offset parallel row configuration into a single row configuration for passage between the magazine feed lips; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3C  is a rear cross section view of the loading press, inserted through the side opening of the repository channel, urging ammunition from the repository channel through a loading funnel into a recipient magazine where it is disbursed into a double offset parallel row configuration and maintained from escaping from the magazine by feed lips on the magazine; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3D  is a side cross section view of the extraction funnel, inserted into a donor magazine, with cartridges extracted from the magazine being guided into the repository channel by the loading press; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3E  is a side cross section view of the loading press, inserted through the side opening of the repository channel, urging ammunition from the repository channel into an attached recipient magazine, with the feed lips of the magazine retaining the loaded ammunition; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3F  is a side cross section view of the loading press, inserted through the side opening of the repository channel between two ammunition cartridges with the assistance of the insertion edge, pressing cartridges from the repository channel into an attached recipient magazine; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4A  is an angled side view of a typical box of ammunition; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4B  is an angled side view of a typical carton rack of ammunition; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5A  is a side cross section view of a box with ammunition cartridges placed onto a loading/unloading tool for unloading of ammunition from the box onto the loading/unloading tool; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5B  is a side cross section view of a carton rack with ammunition cartridges placed onto a loading/unloading tool for unloading of ammunition from the carton rack onto the loading/unloading tool; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5C  is a side cross section view of a row of cartridges being dropped from a box onto the loading/unloading tool while another row is held in reserve; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5D  is a side cross section view of a row of cartridges being dropped from a carton rack onto the loading/unloading tool while another row is held in reserve; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is an angled side view of the loading press and the reservoir container group coupled to a magazine; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7A  is a side cross section view of the reservoir container hosting a box of ammunition during the transfer of ammunition from the box into the reservoir container; 
           [0022]      FIG. 7B  is a side cross section view of the reservoir container hosting a carton rack of ammunition during the transfer of ammunition from the carton rack into the reservoir container; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7C  is a side cross section view of ammunition moving from the reservoir container into the repository channel with a loading press urging ammunition from the repository channel into an attached magazine; 
           [0024]      FIG. 8A  is a front cross section view of the reservoir container hosting a box of ammunition during the transfer of ammunition from the box into the reservoir container; 
           [0025]      FIG. 8B  is a front cross section view of the reservoir container hosting a carton rack of ammunition during the transfer of ammunition from the carton rack into the reservoir container; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 8C  is a front cross section view of ammunition moving from the reservoir container into the repository channel with a loading press urging ammunition from the repository channel into an attached magazine. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0027]    The prior art method for preserving the exertion tension of a spring in a loaded magazine from becoming fatigued requires that the spring of the magazine be manually decompressed through the unloading of ammunition from the magazine. However, this is a time and labor intensive activity especially when dealing with high capacity magazines. It is therefore an object of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a system by which the spring of a magazine can be maintained from encountering fatigue by unloading the ammunition from the magazine by transferring it into a second magazine without needing to unload and reload the ammunition by individual cartridge. 
         [0028]    An example embodiment of the present invention is a process by which ammunition is unloaded in bulk from a magazine with the aid of an apparatus, which then reloads the ammunition into another magazine in bulk. This process involves the use of an apparatus with an extraction funnel, which is inserted into a loaded magazine and routes the ammunition out of the magazine by channeling it between the magazine feed lips, which are used to retain ammunition in the magazine. The apparatus then routes the ammunition into a repository channel, which is tangent and aligned to the extraction funnel at a proximal end on the repository channel. A second magazine, which will be loaded with the ammunition in the repository channel, is coupled to the distal end of the repository channel and the gap between that magazine&#39;s feed lips are set in alignment with the repository channel. A loading funnel, tangent to the distal end of the repository channel and aligned with the repository channel, consolidates the ammunition in the repository channel into a single row for passage between the feed lips of the second magazine. A loading press, used to urge ammunition from the repository channel into the second magazine, is inserted into the repository channel and presses the ammunition in the repository channel into the second magazine. 
         [0029]    The prior art method for loading ammunition stored in a container such as a box or carton rack requires taking out individual cartridges from either type of container and loading them one by one into a magazine. However, as this is time and labor intensive, it is an object of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a system by which ammunition can be transferred from a box or carton rack in mass into a magazine through the assistance of a loading apparatus. 
         [0030]    An example embodiment of the present invention is a process by which an open box or carton rack of ammunition, containerized in multiple parallel rows, is placed onto a loading apparatus in bulk for mass loading into a magazine. This is accomplished by inserting ammunition from one of the types of containers into a repository channel on the apparatus with the cartridges on the container facing towards the apparatus, primer/base side first. The containerized cartridges are preferably dropped by force of gravity into a repository channel on the apparatus, which runs lengthwise in the apparatus, through an opening on the side of the apparatus. Once the cartridges are dropped in with their flat base/primer sides facing into the repository channel, the box or carton rack is lifted away, leaving the cartridges in place. While in the channel, the ammunition may be held in a single row or double parallel offset row configuration. A magazine is attached to a proximal end of the repository channel, with the gap between the magazine feed lips placed in linear planar alignment with the repository channel the ammunition contained therein. A loading press, which urges ammunition from the repository channel into the attached magazine, is inserted into the repository channel either through the side opening between cartridges or through the distal end of the repository channel. The cartridges are then pressed through a loading funnel, tangent and aligned to the magazine and the proximal end of the repository channel, which directs the cartridges into a single row for loading between the magazine feed lips into the magazine with the assistance of a loading press. 
         [0031]    Another example embodiment of the present invention is a process by which ammunition contained within boxes or carton racks are placed in bulk into a reservoir container for mass loading into a magazine. This is accomplished through inserting either type of container with ammunition into an opening on the side of the reservoir container for feed into a magazine. The containers are placed into the reservoir container while opened with their cartridges facing flat base/primer side first into the reservoir container. Once the cartridge flat base/primer sides are placed onto the reservoir container, the ammunition container is lifted away, leaving the cartridges in place. The reservoir container is tilted 90 degrees and the cartridges then fall onto a proximal end of the reservoir container by force of gravity where they are funneled into a single stack by an extraction funnel. They then proceed into a repository channel, which is aligned with and tangent to the extraction funnel at a proximal end on the repository channel. A magazine is attached to the distal end of the repository channel, with the gap between the magazine feed lips set in linear planer alignment with the repository channel. With the aid of a loading press, which travels in the repository channel and urges cartridges from the repository channel into the magazine, the ammunition in the repository channel is pressed into the attached magazine through the repository channel distal end. 
         [0032]    In reference to example embodiments disclosed in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 A,  3 B, and  3 D the loading/unloading apparatus  201  is a generally elongated rectangular box shaped container that defines a repository channel  206  running lengthwise through it, which serves to hold ammunition  106 . A top opening  202  and bottom opening  203  are located on opposite ends of the loading/unloading apparatus  201 . Openings  202 ,  203  are tangent to both ends of the repository channel  206  and preferably allow for the passage of ammunition  106  through the apparatus  201 . Apparatus  201  defines a side opening  204  in the repository channel  206 , which is positioned between openings  202 ,  203 . The side opening  204  allows for the loading of box  209  and carton rack  211  ammunition into the repository channel  206 . 
         [0033]    The loading/unloading tool  201  extracts ammunition  106  from a donor magazine  200 A with the aid of an extraction funnel  205 . In an embodiment, the extraction funnel  205  comprises two non-parallel, non-tangent planar slopes which narrow toward a common focal point, whose narrow opening  219  is coupled to the top apparatus opening  202  and whose broad opening  220  is coupled to a donor magazine  200 A. The broad and narrow openings of the extraction funnel  205  are in linear alignment with the repository channel  206 . A loading press  208 , which assists the movement of ammunition  106  between attached magazines  200  and the repository channel  206 , is inserted into the repository channel  206  through the side opening  204 . A headway spacer  214 , located on the top of the loading press  208 , is placed ahead of the broad opening  220  of the extraction funnel  205 , further away from the top apparatus opening  202  than the broad opening  220 . Both the headway spacer  214  and extraction funnel  205  are inserted into the magazine top opening  119  of an ammunition loaded donor magazine  200 A. The headway spacer  214  forces the ammunition  106  in the donor magazine  200 A away from the magazine top opening  119  and magazine feed lips  123 , which retain the ammunition  106  within the donor magazine  200 A, to a place deeper into the magazine  200 A. This creates space between the magazine feed lips  123  and the ammunition  106  for the extraction funnel  205  to be inserted in through the magazine top opening  119 . Once the extraction funnel  205  is inserted, the headway spacer  214  is pulled out of the donor magazine  200 A, allowing the ammunition  106 , under pressure of the magazine follower  102 , to move towards the extraction funnel  205 . Passing through the extraction funnel  205 , the ammunition  106 , often in double offset parallel rows, merges into to a centered single row bypasses the hold of the magazine feed lips  123  by passing through the gap between them. The ammunition  106  following the headway spacer  214 , under force of the magazine spring  102 , moves out of the donor magazine  200 A into the repository channel  206  while in constant contact with the headway spacer  214 . The headway spacer  214  maintains the horizontal stability of the ammunition cartridges  106  while they are in the repository channel  206 . When in the repository channel  206 , the ammunition  106  can be held in a single row or double parallel offset row configuration. As the channel  206  fills with cartridges  106 , the loading press  208  is removed from the tool  201  through the side opening  204 , allowing the ammunition  106  to come into contact with the bottom apparatus opening  203 . 
         [0034]    In reference to example embodiments disclosed in  FIGS. 3C ,  3 E and  3 F, when ammunition  106  is transferred from the loading/unloading tool  201  into a recipient magazine  200 B, the bottom apparatus opening  203  must be coupled to the top opening  119  of a recipient magazine  200 B and the gap between that magazine&#39;s feed lips  123  set in linear planar alignment with the repository channel  206 . The loading press  208  is inserted into the repository channel  206  through the side opening  204  to urge ammunition  106  from the repository channel  206  into the attached recipient magazine  200 B. The loading press  208  is preferably inserted closest the top opening  202  of the loading/unloading apparatus  201  as possible, as to urge as many ammunition cartridges  106  in the repository channel into the recipient magazine  200 B as possible in a single press with the loading press  208 . In order to insert the loading press  208  into the repository channel  206  while it is filled with ammunition cartridges  106 , the loading press  208  must be inserted between two ammunition cartridges in the repository channel  206 , with the aid of the insertion edge  215 . The insertion edge  215 , which is located between to the headway spacer  214  and pressing surface  217  on the loading tool  208 , is preferably a V-shaped portion of material on the loading press  208  that is used to wedge the pressing surface  217  into the repository channel  206  between any two ammunition cartridges  106  in the repository channel  206 . Once inserted, the pressing surface  217  is configured to urge the ammunition  106  using the pressing surface  217  through the bottom apparatus opening  203  and the loading funnel  207 . In an embodiment, the loading funnel  207  is generally two non-parallel, non-tangent planar slopes which narrow toward a common focal point, whose broad opening  221  is coupled to the bottom apparatus opening  203  and whose narrow opening  222  is coupled to the recipient magazine  200 B. The broad opening  221  and narrow opening  222  of the loading funnel  207  are in linear alignment with the repository channel  206 . Ammunition  106 , upon passing through the loading funnel  207 , is consolidated into a single row and continues to pass into the attached recipient magazine  200 B through the gap between the magazine feed lips  123 . When the ammunition  106  enters the recipient magazine  200 B and the ammunition  106  generally interacts with the magazine follower  102 , pushing it down further into the recipient magazine  200 B. As ammunition cartridges  106  pass into the magazine  200 B, they disperse from a single row configuration into a double offset parallel row configuration, which is maintained from escaping out through the top opening  119  by the magazine&#39;s feed lips  123 . 
         [0035]    In reference to example embodiments disclosed in  FIGS. 4A ,  4 B,  5 A,  5 B,  5 C and  5 D, ammunition  106  may be stored in a box  209  or carton rack  211 , either of which can host multiple rows of cartridges, is transferred into the loading/unloading tool  201  by placing the opened box  209  or carton rack  211  in through a tool&#39;s side opening  204  with the flat base/primer side  216  of the ammunition cartridges  106  exposed out of their of container  209 ,  211  facing into the repository channel  206 . Once the ammunition  106  is in contact with the repository channel  206 , the box  209  or carton rack  211  is lifted out of the loading/unloading tool  201 , leaving the ammunition  106  behind in place. In an alternate embodiment, where multiple rows of ammunition  106  in the box  209  or carton rack  211  can not fit through the side opening  204 , as when the repository channel can only accommodate one row, a single row can be loaded into the repository channel  206  at a time. This is done by holding back all rows of ammunition  106  from moving out of the box  206  or carton rack  211  with exception to the row that is to be dropped into the repository channel  206  with the assistance of gravity. After a row is dropped in, another row is loaded in another section of the channel  206  while the others are held in reserve. This process is repeated until all rows are placed into the repository channel  206 . Once a recipient magazine  200 B has been connected to the bottom channel opening  203 , a loading press  208 , which urges ammunition  106  from the repository channel  206  into the recipient magazine  200 B, is inserted into the repository channel  206  through the side opening  204  between two cartridges in the repository channel  206  with the assistance of an insertion edge  215 . Then the ammunition  106  is guided between the loading press  208  and the bottom apparatus opening  203 , by urging of the pressing surface  217  on the loading press  208 , the ammunition  106  is passed through the bottom apparatus opening  203  and a loading funnel  207 , which consolidates the ammunition  106  into a single row. The ammunition  106  is then further urged through the magazine top opening  119  and magazine feed lips  123  into the recipient magazine  200 B. 
         [0036]    In reference to example embodiments disclosed in  FIGS. 6 ,  7 A,  7 B,  7 C,  8 A,  8 B and  8 C, a box  209  or carton rack  211  with ammunition  106  is placed into a reservoir container  218 , opened with the flat base/primer side  216  of the cartridges  106  exposed out of the ammunition container  209 ,  211  and facing into the reservoir container  218 . A load opening  210  on the side of the reservoir container  218  hosts the ammunition container  209 ,  211  and is sufficiently wide enough to allow for the entire ammunition container  209 ,  211  to fit into the reservoir container  218  until the flat base/primer side  216  of the cartridges  106  they contain come into contact with the support tray  212  of the reservoir container  218  which is perpendicular with the ground. Once the base/primer sides  216  come into contact with the support tray  212 , the support tray  212  is turned 90 degrees to be parallel with the ground, shifting the support of the cartridges  106  from the ammunition container  209 ,  211  onto the support tray  212 . The support tray  212  is then turned back 90 degrees with its dispensing opening  213 , located on a proximal end, opening downwards. The ammunition container  209  then may be lifted away, causing the ammunition  106  in contact with the support tray  212  to move downwards, by force of gravity, into the dispensing opening  213  where it is funneled into a single row by an extraction funnel  205 . The extraction funnel  205  is two non-parallel, non-tangent planar slopes which narrow toward a common focal point, whose narrow opening  219  is coupled to a proximal end  202  of a repository channel  206  and whose broad opening  220  is coupled to the dispensing opening  213 . Once funneled into a single row, the ammunition  106  is blocked from passing into the repository channel  206  by a loading press  208 , which controls the movement of ammunition  106  into the repository channel  206  while maintaining the perpendicular alignment of ammunition cartridges  106  with the length of the repository channel  206 . The loading press  208  is also used in urging ammunition  106  from the repository channel  106  into the attached magazine  200 . A magazine  200  is attached to the repository channel  206  at the repository channel distal end  203 , while the gap between the feed lips  123  of the magazine are set to be tangent and in linear planar alignment with the repository channel  206 . The loading press  208  is then slid down the repository channel  206  while the ammunition  106  is supported on it, allowing for the ammunition  106  to move into the repository channel  206  without tilting and losing perpendicular alignment with the length of the repository channel  206 . Upon coming into contact with the repository channel distal end  203 , the loading press  208  is removed from the repository channel  206  and re-inserted between two cartridges  106  near the proximal end  202  of the repository channel  206 , through a side opening  204  with the assistance of an insertion edge  215 . The pressing surface  217  on the loading press  208  then urges the single row of ammunition  106  in the repository channel  206  between it and the distal end  203  through the distal end  203  and the magazine feed lips  123  into the attached magazine  200 . 
         [0037]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment.