Abstract:
A hand-held portable tool to remove primers from spent firearm cartridges, comprising a depriming rod, a lever, and a handle. Compression of the lever with hand pressure while a cartridge is mounted on the depriming rod and is trapped inside the handle pushes the primer out of the cartridge without the use or need of any type of springs, dies or shell holders for various calibers.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/497,069, filed Jun. 15, 2011, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the art or reloading ammunition, particularly the removal of primers from empty cartridge cases. In this specification and the appended claims, the term “cartridge” generally denotes an empty cartridge case. 
     Current products use either a large bench-mounted press or a hammer and pin to punch primers out. A hand-held depriming tool is portable, frees up bench space and allows complete cleaning of the cartridge, including the primer pocket when the primer is removed first. A hand-held depriming tool allows removal of primers immediately after firing if desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a new hand tool for removing primers, the tool requiring only one hand to operate. The hand tool is small, compact and easily carried, making it a tool convenient to use at any time or location. 
     Another feature of the present invention is that the lever, being activated by hand pressure, allows for greater sensitivity and control compared with current bench-mounted deprimers. 
     A further feature of the current invention is the simplicity achieved by not using springs. Using only two moving parts provides dependability and durability. 
     A still further feature is that the tool works without any additional parts such as shell holders or dies that otherwise would be needed for different pistol and rifle cartridges. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the depriming rod. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the hand-actuated lever. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the handle. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the handle. 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the handle. 
         FIG. 6  is a front cross-sectional view of the handle, looking inside. 
         FIG. 7  is a view of the hand lever with deprimng rod attached, showing the range of motion through which the depriming rod pivots. 
         FIG. 8  is a an assembly view of the lever and depriming rod inserted and connected to the handle in an open position. 
         FIG. 9  is an assembly view with a cartridge positioned for primer removal. 
         FIG. 10  is an assembly view, showing a cartridge and depriming rod positioned inside the handle. 
         FIG. 11  is a partially broken-away view showing the correct angle between the depriming rod and trapping face. 
         FIG. 12  is a top view of the handle shown with the lever shut, i.e., fully actuated, and the cartridge deprimed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A primer removal tool  FIG. 8  comprises a handle, a depriming rod, and a lever: 
     A handle, side view shown in  FIGS. 3-6 , resembling an elongated tube, comprises two parallel sides, joined to a third piece along their long side to create a third, or back side. The fourth side or front is open, thereby forming an elongated recess to receive the depriming rod. 
     A depriming rod  FIG. 1  has a narrow point or depriming pin  16  on one end, and a cylindrical bearing  18  attached to the opposite end  48  that serves as a pivot point where the depriming rod  10  is attached to the actuating lever  12  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). 
     An actuating lever,  FIG. 2 , is pivotably secured to the lower end of the handle by means of a transverse pin  56  allowing the lever  12  to rotate ( FIG. 8 ). Also formed on the lower portion of the lever  12  and forming a bearing for the pivot pin, is an integral collar  28  having an upwardly facing appendage that rotates into the handle  14 . The upper portion of the lever  12  is in the form of a lever handle  20  and the lever  12  is pivotable from the upright position illustrated in  FIG. 8 . When a portion of the actuating lever is positioned flush against the handle body as in  FIG. 11  the depriming rod  10  is extended upwards to its maximum elevation, extending past the trapping face  50  into the slot  48 , shown in  FIG. 6 . A transverse pin  56  integrally extends across the handle body  14  upon which the actuating lever  12  pivots. 
     The bottom inside edge of the elongated recess of the handle  14  is flared  34  to allow room for primers to fall free of the handle  14 . 
     The top  30  of the handle  14  has a thick slotted head  52  that allows the cartridge to be trapped against the face (trapping face) of the slot  50  and allowing the primer to be ejected through the slot  48 . The trapping face  50  receives and traps the base of a cartridge shell flush across the surface allowing maximum contact between cartridge base and the trapping face. This is achieved by a 90-degree angle  3  between depriming rod shaft  10  and the trapping face  50 , as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , the top inside edge of the handle  14  is grooved in a “V” groove  38 . The “V” groove  38  axially aligns the cartridge with the slot  48  to eject primers. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the back side of the handle  14  is contoured for an ergonomic grip  32  and the base has a transverse pin  26  extending from one side (parallel to the other side) for the actuating lever  12  to pivot about. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the inside bottom  34  of the handle  14  is flared to assist the free fall of dislodged primers. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , actuating lever  12  has its lower end pivotally joined  26  to the handle  14 , the lever  12  being pivotable from a position wherein the upper end is angled outwardly away from the handle (e.g., as in  FIG. 8 .) 
     Lever  12  is adapted to raise depriming rod  10  in response to pivotal movement of lever  12  to an upright position parallel to handle  14  to force a primer out of the cartridge trapped in the handle as in  FIG. 11 . 
     With the tool in an open position as in  FIG. 9 , a cartridge  60  is placed on depriming rod  10  thus being automatically centered on the rod  10  when the depriming pin  16  is inserted in the primer hole of cartridge  60 . 
       FIG. 12  shows the depriming rod  10  swung inside the handle  14 , making the cartridge contact the “V” groove  38  slot inside the recess in handle  14 , thus automatically centering the cartridge  60  on the vertical axis of the handle, aligning the cartridge axially with the opening slot  48  between the two portions of the trapping face  50  on the handle head  52 . 
       FIGS. 10-12  show that when the actuating lever  12  is swung toward the handle  14 , the offset pivot point  26  forces the depriming rod  10  to ride upwardly within the handle body  14 , trapping the cartridge  60  against the trapping face  50  of the slotted head  52  in the handle  14 . The depriming pin  10  continues upward, protruding past the trapping face  50 , and ejecting the primer out of the cartridge  60 . through slot  48  (shown in  FIG. 12 ). 
     Tactile feedback is generated by the manual feel and manipulation of the pivotable lever  12 . Relaxing of the user&#39;s grip allows the lever  12  and depriming rod  10  to rotate back to the open position where another cartridge can be placed on the depriming pin  16 . Thus, the manual manipulation of the lever permits a feeling when the primer is being ejected, allowing a desirable sensory feedback, which is not available from bench-mounted presses. 
     Since the depriming pin  16  is the mounting device for the cartridge  60 , no other shell holders or dies are required and all cartridges that fit in the handle  14 , with the depriming rod  10  and depriming pin  16  mounted in the primer hole, can be deprimed, making this hand-held deprimer a universal depriming tool. 
     The tool has no springs and only two moving parts, making the tool simple, reliable, rugged, and durable in construction. 
     From the foregoing detailed description it will be seen that the present invention provides a new depriming tool for use in reloading. The tool is small and compact so that it can be readily carried personally for reloading while on the shooting range or in the field. 
     It is to be understood that while a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail, such description is intended to be illustrative rather than limiting. Numerous variations will undoubtedly occur to those skilled in the art. What is intended to be covered herein, therefore, is not only the illustrated form of the invention but also any and all modifications or variations thereof that may come within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the following claims.