Abstract:
A device for holding a plurality of firearm cartridges having resilient portions to prevent movement, and therefore noise, of the firearm cartridges and having access openings to permit removal of a predetermined number of the firearm cartridges from a firearm cartridge removal section of the device and to permit the movement of the remaining firearm cartridges into the firearm cartridge removal section and wherein the resilient portions prevent movement, and therefore noise, of the remaining firearm cartridges.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to devices for holding articles so that they can be removed when desired and more particularly to devices for holding firearm cartridges so that they can be removed when desired. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many types of devices for carrying firearm cartridges and dispensing same while on one&#39;s person have been known and used previously. Some such means include leather or cloth pouches, vests, or garments with cartridge loops or pockets, belts with cartridge loops or pockets, and elastic material bands with cartridge loops or pockets which attach to the receiver or stock of a gun. At best, these devices can contain cartridges so they can be carried on one&#39;s person or attached to a firearm. However, they provide no means to protect the cartridges from dents, moisture or accidental discharge. Furthermore, in most cases, it is only practical to dispense one cartridge at a time by pulling each one out of a belt loop, pouch or pocket. This requires extra effort and time when reloading. Also, when carrying firearm cartridges in the field, such as when hunting, it is most desirable that they be carried in a noiseless manner. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention provides devices for carrying articles, such as firearm cartridges, in a noiseless manner and permits removal of a predetermined number of such articles in one action and the movement of all or a portion of the remaining articles in the device into a location to be removed while maintaining the noiseless carrying of the remaining articles. 
     In the description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the articles will be described as shotgun cartridges but it is understood that this is for descriptive purposes only and the invention is directed to devices for carrying any type of relatively rigid articles or firearm cartridges. In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the device comprises a hollow housing for holding a plurality of shotgun cartridges and is integrally molded using a relatively rigid material, such as a plastic material, such as a polycarbonate or other materials having similar characteristics or from metallic materials. Resilient means are provided on the hollow housing to prevent movement of the shotgun cartridges when in the housing so that no noise will be produced when being carried in the field. The hollow housing has an opening therein for permitting the removal of the shotgun cartridges from the hollow housing. First access means are provided for permitting access to a predetermined number of the shot gun cartridges so that a force can be applied thereto to overcome the force being applied by at least a portion of the resilient means so that the predetermined number of shotgun cartridges may be removed. At least another portion of the resilient means prevents movement of the remaining shotgun cartridges in the hollow housing. Second access means are provided for permitting access to the remaining shotgun cartridges so that a force can be applied thereto to move them to a new location at which all or a portion of the remaining shotgun cartridges may be removed. The hollow housing is provided with a pair of opposite guide channels dimensional to receive the flange portion of each shotgun cartridge so that the hollow housing may be used to hold shotgun cartridges having different lengths. The shotgun cartridges are inserted into the hollow housing so that the flange of the first shotgun cartridge is located in one of the opposite guide channels and the next shotgun cartridge is reversed so that its flange is located in the other of the opposite guide channels. This process is repeated until the hollow housing is full. The hollow housing comprises a front wall portion having two spaced apart front sections and at least one front bridging section extending between and integral with the front sections, a top wall portion having two spaced apart top sections, a back wall portion having two spaced apart back sections and at least one back bridging section extending between and integral with the back sections, a bottom wall portion comprising an opening for removing said shotgun cartridges when in the hollow housing and two opposite sidewall portions spaced apart a predetermined distance. 
     In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the resilient means comprise first resilient means located adjacent to the opening and second resilient means located adjacent to the front bridging section. The first resilient means comprise at least one slot formed in each of the two front sections to form two resilient fingers and at least one boss formed on each of the two resilient fingers and extends inwardly into the hollow housing and located adjacent to the opening. A pair of spaced apart slots are formed in the at least one back bridging section and at least one boss is formed thereon and extends inwardly into the hollow housing and is located adjacent to the opening. The second resilient means comprise a portion of the front bridging section that is spaced from each of the two front sections and has at least two spaced apart portions extending inwardly into the hollow housing. In this embodiment of the invention, half of the shotgun cartridges are removed in one action and the other half remains to be subsequently removed. 
     In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the resilient means comprise a first resilient means, the same as the above-described first resilient means, a second resilient means, the same as the above-described second resilient means, and a third resilient means located adjacent to the upper portion of the front bridging means and spaced from the front sections and having spaced apart portions extending inwardly into the housing. I this embodiment of the invention, two shotgun cartridges are removed at a time. 
     Attachment means are provided and have a base portion extending between and integral with the back sections and a resilient finger extending from the base portion in a direction toward the bottom. This permits the hollow housing to be secured to a belt. Also a wall mount is provided for mounting the hollow housing when not in field use. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the front of one preferred embodiment of this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the back of FIG. 1 and from the front of a wall mount; 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of another preferred embodiment of the invention; and 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 8--8 of FIG. 7. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In FIGS. 1-6, there is illustrated one preferred embodiment of a device of this invention. A hollow housing 2 has a front wall portion comprising two spaced apart front sections 4 and 6 and a front bridging section 8 extending between and integral with the front sections 4 and 6. The hollow housing 2 has a top wall portion comprising two spaced apart top sections 10 and 12. The hollow housing 2 has a back wall portion comprising two spaced apart back sections 14 and 16 and a back bridging section 18 extending between and integral with the back sections 14 and 16. The hollow housing 2 has two sidewall portions 20 and 22 integral with the front sections 4 and 6, the top sections 10 and 12 and the back sections 14 and 16. The sidewall portions 20 and 22 have channels 24 and 26 formed therein for purposes described below. The hollow housing 2 has a bottom wall portion comprising an opening 28 for permitting the removal of shotgun cartridges 30. 
     Resilient means are provided for releasably securing the shotgun cartridges 30 in the hollow housing 2. First resilient means comprise slots 32 and 34 cut out in the front sections 4 and 6 to form two resilient fingers and slots 36 and 38 cut out in the back bridging section 18 to form a resilient finger. The inner surfaces of the front sections 4 and 6 are provided with inwardly extending bosses 40 and 42 and the inner surface of the back bridging section 18 has an inwardly extending boss 44. In FIGS. 1-6, second resilient means comprise slots 46 and 48 cut out in the front bridging section 8 to provide two spaced apart inwardly extending portions 50 and 52. The front bridging section 8 has a semi-circular recess 54 cut out so that a thumb or finger can be inserted to remove shotgun cartridges 30. In FIGS. 7 and 8, third resilient means comprise slots 56 and 58 cut out in the front bridging section 8 to provide two spaced apart inwardly extending portions 60 and 62. The front bridging section 8 in FIGS. 7 and 8 is slightly different from the front bridging section in FIGS. 1-6 for purposes described below. 
     Attachment means are provided and comprise a base section 70 extending between and integral with the back portions 14 and 16 and a downwardly extending resilient finger 72 having an inwardly extending boss 74 so that the hollow housing 2 may be positioned on a belt (not shown). 
     A wall mount 80 is provided and comprises a base portion 82 having openings 84 formed therein so that it may be secured to a wall (not shown) by the screws 86. The base portion 82 has two outwardly extending lugs 88 to cooperate with two openings 90 in the resilient finger 72 for mounting the hollow housing 2 on the base portion 82. Resilient means 92 and 94 on the base portion 82 and the resilient finger 72 cooperate in holding the hollow housing 2 on the base portion 82. 
     In operation, the flange portion 96, FIG. 5, of a shotgun cartridge 30 is placed in one of the two channels 24 and 26 and moved past the first resilient means into the hollow housing 2. The flange portion 96 of another shotgun cartridge 30 is placed in the other one of the two channels 24 and 26 and moved past the first resilient means into the hollow housing and moving the first shotgun cartridge further into the housing. Four additional shotgun cartridges 30 are moved into the hollow housing 2 and the first three shotgun cartridges are moved in succession past the second resilient means. As illustrated in FIG. 6, movement of the lower three shotgun cartridges 30 is prevented by the bosses 40, 42 and 44 and the inwardly extending portions 50 and 52 and movement of the upper three shotgun cartridges 30 is prevented by the inwardly extending portions 50 and 52 and the inner surfaces of the top sections 10 and 12. When shotgun cartridges 30 are needed, a thumb is inserted through the opening 54 to apply a downwardly directed force on the shotgun cartridge 30 closest to the opening 54 to remove three shotgun cartridges 30. After the three shotgun cartridges 30 have been loaded, a force is applied to the top shotgun cartridge 30 in the access opening 98 between the top sections 10 and 12 to move three shotgun cartridges 30 to a location between the bosses 40, 42 and 44 and the inwardly extending portions 50 and 52 to hold the shotgun cartridges 30 from moving. 
     In the hollow housing 2 of FIGS. 7 and 8, the inwardly extending portions 50 and 52 are at a location that is slightly lower than that of FIGS. 1-6 so that two shotgun cartridges 30 are removed at a time. In FIG. 8, movement of the two lower shotgun cartridges 30 is prevented by the bosses 40, 42 and 44 and the inwardly extending portions 50 and 52 and movement of the upper four shotgun cartridges 30 is prevented by the inwardly extending portions 50, 56, 60 and 62 and the inner surfaces of the top sections 10 and 12. After two shotgun cartridges 30 have been removed, the remaining four shotgun cartridges 30 are moved downwardly by the application of force through the access opening 98. Movement of the lower two shotgun cartridges is prevented by the bosses 40, 42 and 44 and the inwardly extending portions 50 and 52 and movement of the upper two shotgun cartridges 30 is prevented by the inwardly extending portions 50, 52, 60 and 62. 
     While illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.