Revolver reloading device

Disclosed herein is an improved reloading device of the type described in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,732 wherein the center shaft of a revolver cylinder is utilized to displace a latching mechanism retaining a ring of cartridges by the rims thereof. This latching mechanism is in the form of a slidable center post which in one position will oppose the inward bending of a plurality of cantilevered fingers each provided with a semicircular projection abutting the rim of the cartridges, and which, upon the invert articulation thereof, will release the cartridges for insertion into the cylinder. Included also are spring-loaded carriers conformed to support the foregoing reloading devices and to eject the devices into the hand of the wearer upon release.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to improvements in revolver reloading 
devices, and more particularly to reloading devices wherein the cylinder 
support shaft of a revolver is used to effect the release of the 
cartridges. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,732 I have set out a two-piece reloading 
device including a central body in which a number of parallel 
circumferentially spaced bores were formed to store the cartridges which 
is received in a slidable ring which extends a plurality of fingers into 
the body to eject the cartridges. Since that time I have found that 
improvements to this device are possible, and particularly improvements 
whereby inadvertent dropping of the device will not easily release the 
cartridges. 
More specifically, reloading of revolvers is most frequently done by law 
enforcement personnel under adverse conditions often leading to 
inadvertent dropping of the reloading device which, upon sufficient 
impact, could release the cartridges. In this instance the law enforcement 
officer will then have to take the time to collect the cartridges in order 
to complete the reloading process. As set out in my prior U.S. patent, the 
cartridges in the reloading device are arranged in a circumferential ring 
and it is that ring that I now utilize to best advantage to protect the 
retaining mechanism against inadvertent articulation. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is the general purpose and object of the present invention 
to provide an improved cartridge retaining device having the mechanism 
thereof located on the interior of a ring of cartridges aligned for 
insertion into the revolver cylinder. 
Other objects of the invention are to provide a reliable reloading device 
which, because of its simplicity may be discarded under emergency 
conditions. 
Yet further objects of the invention are to provide a reloading device 
wherein the support shaft for the revolving cyclinder of a firearm is 
utilized to effect the unlatching stroke. 
Yet additional objects of the invention are to provide a reloading device 
which is easy to manufacture, convenient in use and requires very little 
maintenance. 
Briefly these and other objects are accomplished within the present 
invention by providing a cylindrical housing having a plurality of 
peripherally spaced grooves therein each communicating to a central axial 
cavity in which a sliding center post is received. Mounted on a center 
post and engaged by a lower peripheral bead is a slidable latching cage 
comprising an annular disc from which axially aligned cantelevered fingers 
are deployed. Each finger terminates in a radius emd opposed by an upper 
peripheral bead on the exterior of the center post which, when the annular 
disc is displaced over the lower peripheral bead allows the fingers to 
flex inward. Each of the fingers is provided with a semi circular retainer 
aligned to oppose the cartridge rim inserted in the peripherally spaced 
bores in the housing. Thus, when the cartridges retained in the housing 
are partly inserted into the bores in the revolver cylinder, the center 
shaft of the cylinder opposes the center post articulating the center post 
to advance the lower bead across the annular disc opening to allow 
retaining fingers to flex inward. The cartridges are then advanced into 
the cylinder by way of an advancement ring around the exterior of the 
housing. 
The foregoing cartridge assembly may be stored in a belt supported pouch 
provided with a helical spring at the bottom thereof on which an annularly 
dished retainer is placed. The cartridge assembly is then placed onto the 
dish, compressing the helical spring and when the cover of the pouch is 
released the cartridge assembly is urged outwardly into the palm of the 
user.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT 
As shown in FIGS. 1-4 the inventive reloading device, generally designated 
by the numeral 10, comprises a cylindrical housing 11 provided with a 
plurality of peripherally spaced grooves 12 each conformed to receive on 
the interior thereof a shell insertable into the cylinder C of a revolver. 
More specifically, grooves 12 extend from an upper cap 13 and include on 
the interior thereof curved separation walls 14 terminating in a plurality 
of inwardly directed radially aligned webs 15 extending from a central 
cavity 16. Received on the interior of cavity 16 and concentrically 
aligned relative the housing 11 is a center post assembly 17 comprising a 
cylindrical center post 18 terminating at the upper end in a disc 19 which 
is receivable in a circular opening 20 formed in cap 13. 
Center post 18 is provided with a first and second lower peripheral bead 
respectively shown as beads 21 and 22 and proximate the free end thereof 
and an upper peripheral bead 23 proximate disc 19. An annular ring 25 is 
mounted for sliding translation on post 18 being free to articulate 
between beads 21 and 23. Disc 25 includes an annular opening 26 just 
smaller than either one of the beads 21 and 22 and force is therefore 
required to override those beads. Thus the translation of post 18 within 
the interior of disc 25 can only be achieved by application of force 
either to the free end thereof or to the face of the end disc 19. To 
accommodate the force inputs the free end of post 18 is provided with a 
central cavity 30 into which the center shaft D supporting in rotation the 
cylinder C may be inserted. When so inserted the alignment of shells S in 
the peripherally spaced grooves 12 is such as to align the shells with the 
normally found bores B in the cylinder. To retain the shells in a 
collected position, disc 25 is provided with a plurality of cantilevered 
fingers 35 extending upwardly between the aforementioned webs 15 towards 
the interior of cap 13. Each of the fingers 35 includes an interior edge 
36 conformed to abut the aforementioned peripheral bead 23 and is thus 
supported against inward flexure. The interior edge 36, proximate the free 
end of fingers 35 is cut along a radius 37 to allow the inward translation 
of the fingers upon the upward displacement of the center post. Each of 
the fingers 35 is furthermore provided proximate the exterior edge with a 
corresponding semicircular cleaner projection 40 which extends into the 
interior of each groove 12 to engage the rim of the shell or cartidge S. 
It is contemplated to form the foregoing structure out of a plastic 
material by any conventional technique and preferably the technique of 
injection molding, the plastic material structure providing the necessary 
elasticity to permit the translation of post 18 and more particularly the 
bead 21 around the periphery thereof across the annular opening 26 in disc 
25. Furthermore, disc 25 may be secured to the aforementioned webs 15 and 
is thus fixed relative cap 13 in axial translation. Thus, once the center 
post assembly 17 is displaced to align disc 25 between beads 21 and 22 
inward flexing of fingers 25 is then possible. By virtue of this inward 
flexing, sufficient clearance is provided to either insert or to extract 
the cartridges across the semi circular projections 40. In order to 
accommodate for the common extraction of the cartridges S into the bores B 
of the cylinder C there is provided an extractor ring 45 shaped as a 
tubular section conformed to translate across the exterior of the housing 
11, the tubular section including at the lower edge thereof a plurality of 
inwardly directed tabs 46 each received in a corresponding groove 12. Thus 
the tabs 46 oppose the base surface of each shell or cartridge S and when 
the center post is abutted against the cylinder shaft D application of 
manual force to ring 45 will both displace the annular disc across the 
corresponding bead and also advance the shells now free to translate. 
By virtue of the same structural features insertion of cartridges into the 
reloading device 10 is similarly possible. More specifically, upon the 
displacement of center post 18 to align the annular disc 25 between beads 
21 and 22 clearance for flexure is provided to insert the cartridges. Once 
the cartridges are received the spring bias of the fingers 35 will 
maintain them in position until manual pressure is applied to the exterior 
of disc 19, advancing the center post inwardly to oppose by bead 23 any 
further flexure of the fingers. In this manner both the extraction and the 
collection of shells in conveniently accommodated in a device 
inexpensively constructed thus a device which may be conveniently 
discarded under emergency conditions provides the necessary facilities and 
features to be reused in tranquil surroundings. 
The foregoing reloading device and devices similarly structured may be 
carried either singly or in plural arrangements by way of a carrier shown 
in FIGS. 5-9. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, a carrying pouch 
generally designated by the numeral 50 comprises a belt retaining loop 51 
onto which a leather pouch 52 is shown. As shown in FIGS. 6 through 9, 
pouch 52 includes on the interior thereof one or more cylindrical casings 
55 each formed as a tubular member having an interior dimension sufficient 
to accommodate the aforementioned reloading device 10. Cylindrical members 
55 furthermore include proximate the upper edge thereof an inwardly 
directed ledge 56 and a guage by the lower edge thereof a base plate 57. 
Supported on the base plate 57 is a helical spring 58 which opposes at the 
other end the underside of an annularly dished spring retainer 60. It is 
into the annular cavity formed in the upper surface of dish 60 that the 
free ends of the cartridges S are inserted and the reloading device 10 is 
pushed in to oppose the spring. 
Referring to FIG. 8 the spring retainer 60 comprises a tubular section 64 
conformed for receipt on the interiof of the tube segment 55 and 
translatable therein between the spring compression limits of spring 58 
and the interiorly directed ledge 56. The retainer includes in the center 
thereof a projection 61 which defines together with the exterior wall 64 
an annular trough conformed to receive the tips of the cartridges S 
retained in the reloading device 10. At the lower surface the exterior 
walls of the tubular segment 64 extend downwardly to form a peripheral lip 
63 which engages the upper end of spring 58. Thus a sliding assembly is 
formed wherein the retainer 60 can translate from the coil bind limits of 
spring 58 to the stroke limit defined by wedge 56. Referring back to FIG. 
5 the pouch 52 is provided with flexible covers 53 terminating in snap 
fasteners 54 which when fastened bring down the device 10 and the retainer 
60 to compress spring 58. When unfastened the spring urges the device 
outwardly to a position where it can be conveniently grasped by the user. 
It is contemplated to form a configuration wherein more than one reloading 
device may be thus stored. In each instance the cover 53 together with its 
associated snap fastener 54 provide the necessary selection of a 
particular device. Once selected, the unfastened cover gives the necessary 
tactile signal to the user when searching for an additional reloading set. 
Obviously many modifications and changes may be made to the foregoing 
description without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is 
therefore intended that the scope of the invention be determined solely on 
the claims appended hereto.