Abstract:
A clip loading tool is provided for loading cartridges into a clip of a gun. The tool comprises a digit securing means for accommodating a digit of the user and a protrusion to enable the user to exert downward force on the casing of each of the individual cartridges by means of the user&#39;s digit, usually the thumb, to facilitate the loading of ammunition into the gun clip or magazine.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a device for loading cartridges into a clip of a firearm. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Most of the clips or magazines for rounds of ammunition for the numerous guns on the market use a spring loading mechanism. In such clips, a strong spring is mounted at the base of the clip within its body so that each successive round is ready for firing from the mouth of the clip. “Thumb busting” is the phrase used to describe what the average owner of clip fed guns must undergo each time a clip is loaded by hand. For example, the user&#39;s left thumb pushes the top cartridge down into the clip a slight distance. The upper edges of the clip prevent the top cartridge from being pushed too far into the clip. The upper edges of a clip curve inward to form the mouth which has a diameter that is slightly less than that of the cartridge. The user then takes the next cartridge in the right hand and uses it to push the nose of the bullet of the next cartridge further down into the clip. The only part of the top round in the clip that can be pushed down with the next round is the nose of the bullet because of the smaller diameter of the mouth of the clip. The top cartridge is now at a fairly sharp angle within the clip with its cup resting on the top of the clip. To finish loading the next round, one must push it at the same angle while pushing down on the spring until the next cartridge is within the body of the clip below the mouth. 
     Another difficulty with hand loading is that the last one-third of the shells become progressively harder to load as the spring become fully compressed. Pistols commonly have clips of about 10 to about 16 rounds. Clips for rifles and automatic guns have from about 20 up to 50 rounds. The spring resistance for a 16 round clip is quite strong. The larger clips for rifles and automatic guns are even harder to load as they approach their capacity. As a consequence, a number of tools for loading such clips by hand are readily available. 
     The clip loading tools presently in use are rather large and bulky. The prior art tools all tend to be approximately the size of the clip itself. The added weight and size of the prior art designs of clip loading tools make them inconvenient to carry as well as to use. Loose ammunition, i.e., ammunition that has not been loaded into a clip, is easier to carry to the practice range and has less bulk and weight than “clipped” ammunition. For the gun hobbyist, hunter or law enforcement personnel, a clip loading tool that can be easily carried in a pocket or on a gun belt saves time at the practice range. In addition, such a clip tool enables one to carry more ammunition on the belt and to carry less clips. This results in a savings of money for owners of clip fed pistols and rifles. 
     One example of such prior art clip loading tools is U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,902, issued Dec. 26, 1989. This patent discloses and claims a gun magazine loader which fits over a magazine and has approximately the same bulk and weight as the magazine. 
     These prior art clip loading tools are designed to load only one or two caliber cartridges and are usually restricted to loading a limited range of brands and models of guns. The smallest clip tool of the prior art designs is limited to loading 9 mm and 40 caliber ammunition; see a catalogue listing for an HKS Magazine Speed Loader. The most common clip loaders on the market load one or two guns and only one or two calibers of ammunition. The SaFariland™ loader fits 30 to 40 guns clips, but can only load two calibers of ammunition. One can choose from hundreds of models and makes of clip fed guns. There are numerous clip fed hunting rifles in bolt action, lever action and pump action which all use clips. Some of the semi-automatic hunting rifles are clip fed, but clip tools are designed for only a few of them. Because of this great variety of models and makes of clip fed guns and ammunition, there is a need for a clip tool which can be used for all of the ones in the gun owner&#39;s collection. 
     3. Advantages of the Present Invention 
     The clip loading device of the present invention has the following advantages over those of the prior art: 
     (a) To create a practical, small and non-complex loading tool having an aesthetically pleasing design. 
     (b) To create a loading tool which is very easy to carry. 
     (c) To provide a tool that can be used to load clips for clip fed guns of all models, makes and calibers of ammunition. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention describes a device for loading cartridges into a clip of a gun comprising a digit securing means for accommodating a digit of the user and a protrusion to enable the user to exert a downward force on the case of each of the individual cartridges by means of the user&#39;s digit to facilitate the loading of ammunition into the gun clip or magazine. 
     The digit securing means has an upper member and a lower member. The upper member has an outer surface distal to the nail of the user&#39;s digit and an inner surface suitable for contact with a portion of the nail and the epidermis adjacent the nail of the user. The lower member has an inner surface suitable for contact with the digital pulp and an outer surface. The protrusion has a distal end and a proximal end protruding from the outer surface of the lower member of the digit securing means along an axis substantially transverse to digital pulp of the user. By exerting downward force on a casing with the distal end of the protrusion by means of the user&#39;s digit, preferably the user&#39;s thumb, the loading of ammunition into the magazine is facilitated. Preferably, the distal end of the protrusion is curved to accommodate the curvature of the case of each round of ammunition to be fed into the magazine. 
     Further objects, features and advantages of the device of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and the following description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top, front and side perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention and a clip, partially in cross-section, as a round of ammunition is being loaded into the clip; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and a clip as a round of ammunition is being loaded into the clip; 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 are side views of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and a clip as a round of ammunition is being loaded into the clip; 
     FIG. 6 is a top, front and side perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a side view of the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a top, front and side perspective view of still another embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG.  8 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present invention, clip tool  10 , is shown having digit securing means  12  and protrusion  14 . Digit securing means  12  comprises upper member  16  of an elastomeric material and lower member  18 . Lower member  18  has bottom  19  and first and second sidewalls  20  and  22 , which are integral with the respective ends of bottom  19 . Protrusion  14  is centered in lower surface  23  of bottom  19 . Protrusion  14  is attached by means of a suitable fastener to lower surface  23  so that it is transverse to surface  23 . Upper member  16  is looped around protrusion  14  and first loop  24  of member  16  is looped over sidewalls  20  and  22  as shown. Similarly, second loop  26  is looped over sidewalls  20  and  22 . 
     In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2-5, tool  10  was constructed by bending a metal plate having a length of 1¼ inches and a width of ½ inch to form lower member  18  with first and second sidewalls  20  and  22 , each having a height of approximately ½ inch, on each end of bottom  19  having a length of approximately ¾ inch and a width of {fraction (1/2+L )} inch. Protrusion  14  was formed by threading a 1 inch sheet metal bolt, similar to that shown in FIG. 8, through a threaded countersunk hole so that the bolt head was flush with upper surface  28  of bottom  19 . Alternatively, the head of the bolt can be placed so that it is flush with the countersunk hole and a nut, similar to that shown in FIG. 9, and is tightened against lower surface  28  to secure protrusion  14  to lower member  18 . A copper pipe, shown as protrusion  14 , that had an inner diameter substantially the same as the rod of the bolt, was urged over the threads and the rod of the bolt so that end  30  was against the nut. Distal end  31  of the periphery of copper tube was rounded to accommodate the curvature of a shell of a cartridge. The central region of distal end  31  was the end of the bolt. A resilient member such as washer  34  of an elastomeric material, was urged over the copper pipe to leave annular space  36  between washer  34  and the nut. Rubber band  16  was looped around the copper pipe within annular space  36 . Rubber band  16  can be replaced by any elastomeric material, such as a natural rubber or synthetic rubber, e.g. butyl rubber, in the form of a band or tube. In this example, the rubber band was capable of being stretched to approximately  10  inches. Band  16  was formed into two loops, each capable of being stretched about 5 inches, and wrapped within annular space  36 . One half of band  16  formed first loop  24  and was stretched over one end of sidewall  20 . The other half of band  16  formed loop  26  and was stretched over the other end of sidewall  22 . If desired, two notches (not shown) can be cut in the ends of sidewall  20  and sidewall  22  to provide a groove to keep band  16  in place. Lower surface  18  can consist of a soft metal, such as aluminum, brass and the like so that sidewalls  20  and  22  can be bent to increase or decrease the angle they make with bottom  19  depending on the size of the thumb or other digit of the user. In this way, clip tool  10  can accommodate any user. 
     Thumb  38  of a user&#39;s hand (FIG. 5) was inserted through first loop  24  and second loop  26 . Clip tool  10  was adjusted in a manner to position protrusion  14  directly under the center of the digital pulp of thumb  38 . A right handed user took clip tool  10  and placed it over the left thumb and gripped clip  40  with the rest of the fingers of the user&#39;s hand as shown in FIG.  5 . While protrusion  14  was being urged down against top cartridge  42  within clip  40 , the user took next cartridge  43  in the right hand and easily pushed the cartridge into mouth  44  without having to fight spring  45 . When cup  46  of next round  43  was partially lodged within mouth  43 , protrusion  14  was lifted from cartridge  42  and placed adjacent nose  48  and slid toward cup  46 . This action caused the round to slid in a horizontal direction until the cartridge was completely loaded into clip  40 . After a little practice, the user loaded a  15  round clip in approximately in  20  seconds. This is to be compared with the time of about a minute without the use of the clip loading tool of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention, clip tool  50 , in which digit securing means  50  has upper member  52  and lower member  54 . Upper member  52  has first section  56  and second section  57 . Lower surface  58  of lower member  54  is integrally molded, e.g. by injection molding, with protrusion  60 . The composition of clip tool  50  is a flexible plastic material designed so that spacing  62  between ends  64  of first section  56  and second section  57  can be flexed open to accommodate the thickness of the digit of the user in the same way that children&#39;s plastic rings once found in cereal boxes were placed on the children&#39;s fingers. However, unlike a child&#39;s ring, it is critical that first section  56  and second section  57  of digit securing means  51  of the present embodiment are designed to fit very tightly around the user&#39;s digit to prevent tool  50  from twisting around the digit when in use. As discussed above, side forces come into play when tool  50  slides across the case as the cartridge is being loaded into the clip. The type of plastic used must also have sufficient Izod impact strength to withstand rugged conditions placed on the tool during use. A few examples of suitable materials are acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), rubber modified polystyrene, specially formulated polyolefins and the like. Typical dimensions of upper member  51  of clip tool  50  include a diameter of approximately 1⅛ to 1¼ inch depending on the size of the user&#39;s digit and a distance between edges  66  of upper member  51  ranging from about ½ to about ⅝ inch. Protrusion  60  has a length of approximately ½ inch, a thickness of about ¼ to about {fraction (5/16)} inch and a reach from proximal end  68  to curved distil end  70  of about ½ inch. Under normal situations, clip tool  50  is designed to fit two to three different sized thumbs. 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 show another embodiment of the present invention, clip tool  80 , which comprises upper member  82  made of an elastic material. The elastic material is sold as “elastic in casing” and comprises a heavy duty elastic encased with a durable cloth material such as nylon. The nylon casing is sewn onto the elastic material while the casing is bunched up or gathered together into folds. As the elastic is stretched to a certain point, the casing unfolds to its maximum extent. Upper member  82  has fastening means for fastening the material around the digit of the user. The means can include a variety of snaps and hooks to permit clip tool  80  to fit two or three different digits. However, the preferred fastening means is a synthetic hook and pile fastener, which adheres when pressed together, such as that sold under the trademark VELCRO. VELCRO hook and pile strips  84  on each end  86  of upper member  82  enable tool  80  to be used by all users. 
     Lower member  88  comprises upper plate  90  and lower plate  92  each having first and second sidewalls  94  and  96  and bottom  98  substantially as described above in connection with FIGS. 2-5. Upper member or elastic in casing  82  is placed between upper and lower plates  90  and  92  as shown in FIG.  8  and bolt  100  is inserted through countersunk hole  102  in upper plate  90  and a hole (not shown) in lower plate  92 . Nut  104  is tightened against lower surface  106  of bottom  90  of lower plate  92 . Protrusion  108  in the form of a pipe of a soft metal, such as aluminum, brass and the like is forced over bolt  100  as discussed above in connection with FIGS. 2-5. Alternatively, upper plate  90 , upper member  82  and lower plate  92  can be riveted together and protrusion  108  welded or otherwise attached to lower surface  106 . In place of the elastic in casing, a plastic or hard rubber or similar material can be used. It is also apparent to one skilled in the art that the digit securing means can be a continuous band designed to fit only one size of the user&#39;s digit. 
     Further, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, one of ordinary skill in the art can make many other changes and modifications to the present invention to adapt it to specific usages and conditions. As such, these changes and modifications are properly, equitably, and intended to be, within the full range of equivalents of the following claims.