Abstract:
A protective carrier to hold a loaded spare magazine in a position of readiness for immediate insertion into operative engagement with a firearm. A latch release mechanism is operable wholly independent of the operation of the magazine release mechanism of the firearm, so that a spare magazine will remain in the protective carrier despite release of a magazine from the firearm. The spare magazine can be released from the carrier by pressing a latch release lever located for convenient use by either a left-handed or a right-handed rifleman.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to repeating firearms, and particularly to an accessory for a repeating firearm using a replaceable magazine. 
   In land warfare the individual infantry solider is still an important part of military operations. The effectiveness of the individual soldier depends to a large extent on the accuracy, rate of fire, and number of rounds of ammunition that each individual soldier is capable of providing. For that reason, modern infantry firearms are capable of high cyclic rates of fire and are usually equipped with magazines capable of holding dozens of cartridges. Such magazines must usually be manually released from the firearm when they have become empty, at which time a full magazine must be inserted into the firearm before firing may be continued. In order to be capable of sustained firing, an infantry soldier carries loaded spare magazines, typically held in protective pouches attached to ammunition belts. When actually engaged in combat it is common for soldiers to carry spare magazines more immediately ready for use, since removal of a loaded magazine from a cartridge belt may take an undesirably long time. 
   It is clumsy, however, to carry a loaded spare magazine in one&#39;s hand, since it detracts from the ability to hold the firearm securely and aim it accurately. 
   Previous ways to approach these problems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,484,404 and 5,636,465. In order to provide an ability to fire additional rounds quickly, spare magazine carriers disclosed in these patents allow a spare magazine to be carried alongside the receiver of a rifle, ready for immediate use. 
   However, with each of these devices, both the spare magazine and the active magazine are released from their respective locations simultaneously, although in certain circumstances, a rifleman would prefer to release the active magazine from the firearm without releasing the spare magazine from its spare magazine carrier. 
   In case of certain malfunctions of a rifle it is desirable to release an active magazine from the rifle, yet the spare magazine should be retained in a spare magazine carrier to prevent it from interfering with clearance of the malfunction. However, using the devices shown in the patents mentioned above, it would be difficult or awkward to release either magazine selectively rather than releasing both magazines simultaneously, because magazine latch mechanisms of the spare magazine carrier and the firearm are arranged to cooperate with on another. While one such known mechanism provides for separate release of a spare magazine, it makes separate release of an active magazine difficult or awkward. 
   The spare magazine carriers disclosed in the mentioned patents are not particularly well adapted for use by left-handed shooters without the risk of dropping the loaded spare magazine. 
   What is desired, then, is to provide a spare magazine carrier for use with a repeating firearm, in which a spare magazine is securely held, readily available and easily released to be inserted into the receiver of the firearm, by a user who is either right-handed or left-handed. At the same time, the spare magazine should not be released automatically from the carrier in response to release of an active magazine from operative engagement in the firearm, nor should release of the spare magazine be necessary for easy release of an active magazine from a firearm. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides an answer to the aforementioned needs by providing a protective spare magazine carrier to hold a loaded spare magazine securely adjacent to the receiver of a firearm, yet readily available and releasable, as defined by the claims included herein. 
   As one aspect of the spare magazine carrier disclosed, an easily accessible latch mechanism is provided on the spare magazine carrier to act wholly independently from the magazine latch mechanism of the firearm. 
   In one embodiment of the spare magazine carrier, the latch mechanism includes a spring-biased plunger that is moveable by a release lever that is operated separately from the magazine latch mechanism of a firearm on which the spare magazine carrier may be mounted. 
   In one embodiment a latch release lever is carried on a shaft of such a plunger and is located conveniently for operation by a left-handed shooter using the left trigger finger, or by a right-handed shooter using the left thumb. 
   In one embodiment, the spare magazine carrier includes a downwardly open box-like body portion including a top and sides which protectively surround the open upper or outfeed end of the spare magazine. A catch included in the spare magazine carrier engages a spare magazine in the carrier in a manner similar to that by which a corresponding firearm engages a similar magazine. 
   The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an exemplary spare magazine carrier embodying the present invention, taken from the left rear. 
       FIG. 2  is a left side elevational view of an automatic weapon to which the spare magazine carrier shown in  FIG. 1  is attached. 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded isometric view of a latch mechanism which is a part of the spare magazine carrier shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4A  is a sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 2 , showing the spare magazine carrier and a magazine carried therein, together with a portion of the receiver of the automatic weapon. 
       FIG. 4B  is a view similar to  FIG. 4A , with the latch mechanism disengaged and the spare magazine released from the spare magazine carrier. 
       FIG. 5A  is a sectional view of the spare magazine carrier, at an enlarged scale, taken along line  5 A- 5 A in  FIG. 4A , showing the latch mechanism engaging the spare magazine. 
       FIG. 5B  is a sectional view of the spare magazine carrier, at an enlarged scale, taken along line  5 B- 5 B in  FIG. 4B , showing the latch release lever moved to disengage the latch mechanism from the spare magazine. 
       FIG. 6A  is a sectional view of a portion of the spare magazine carrier, at an enlarged scale, taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 2 , and showing a spare magazine being placed into the carrier. 
       FIG. 6B  is a view similar to  FIG. 6A , but showing the spare magazine latched into the spare magazine carrier. 
       FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 2 , at a reduced scale, and also showing a right-handed user&#39;s left hand engaging the latch release lever of the spare magazine carrier. 
       FIG. 8  is a view similar to  FIG. 2 , at a reduced scale, and also showing a left-handed user&#39;s left hand engaging the latch release lever of the spare magazine carrier. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring now to the drawings which form a part of the disclosure herein, a spare magazine carrier  10  shown in  FIG. 1  is capable of receiving a spare magazine  12  and holding it ready for easy access by a rifleman. The spare magazine carrier  10  includes a magazine latch mechanism  14  that holds a spare magazine  12  in the carrier  10  and can release the spare magazine when desired by the rifleman. The spare magazine carrier  10  has a body  20  with a closed upper end  22  that defines a downwardly open receptacle  24 , capable of receiving an upper end of the spare magazine  12 . The body  20  of the spare magazine carrier  10  may be made of sheet metal or another suitably strong and heat resistant material such as fiber reinforced plastic resins. The shape of the body  20  of the spare magazine carrier  10  is preferably chosen to provide ample clearance for access by the rifleman to operating mechanisms such as a bolt latch release lever located on the left side of the receiver of the firearm, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   The latch mechanism  14  is located on a rear side  26  of the body  20  of the spare magazine carrier  10 , and includes a latch arm  28  having a front end  30  and a rear end  32 , a release lever  34  having an attached end  36  and a free end  38 , and a plunger assembly  40 . A portion of the body  20  of the spare magazine carrier  10  is formed as a plunger housing  41  which functions to support and protect the plunger assembly  40 . The plunger housing  41  may be provided as an ear-shaped extension of or an attachment located on the body  20  of the spare magazine carrier  10 . 
   A mounting device  42  is attached to the spare magazine carrier  10  for securing the spare magazine carrier  10  to a firearm  43 , such as an automatic rifle, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The spare magazine  12  is thus supported in a position generally parallel with and alongside an active magazine  44  that is carried in the firearm  18 , so as to have the spare magazine  12  ready to be inserted into the receiver  45  of the firearm  43  at the appropriate time. The spare magazine carrier  10  thus holds the spare magazine  12  so that it is in a convenient location for the rifleman to quickly insert the loaded spare magazine  12  into the firearm. The mounting device  42  may, for example, be a strap of material similar to that of the body  20 , attached to the back side of the body  20  and arranged to wrap around the receiver  45  of the firearm  43  and to be held securely attached to the firearm  43  by an adjustable fastener such as a bolt and nut combination  46 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the latch mechanism  14  including the plunger assembly  40  is shown in an exploded view, where it may be seen that the plunger assembly  40  includes a plunger shaft  47  whose outer or front end is fastened securely, as by being riveted, to the rear end  32  of the latch arm  28 . A through-hole  48  defined in the attached end  36  of the release lever  34  is large enough to fit loosely over the plunger shaft  47 , to allow the release lever  34  to rock about a rocking axis  49  extending transversely with respect to the plunger shaft  47 . A rear, or inner end, portion  50  of the plunger shaft  47  is of a reduced diameter beyond a shoulder  51 . The latch release lever  34 , an anti-rattle spring  52 , and a plunger spring  53  fit on the plunger shaft  47  and are held in place by a sleeve  54  which fits snugly on the inner end portion  50 , as may be seen in  FIGS. 4A ,  4 B,  5 A, and  5 B. The sleeve  54  has an outside diameter  56  enough greater than the diameter  58  of the main or central portion of the plunger shaft  47  to retain the plunger spring  53 . 
   The plunger housing  41  defines a hole  60  in its outer, or front wall  62  that has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter  58  of the plunger shaft  47 , so that the plunger shaft  47  can fit slidingly through the hole  60 . A hole  64  defined in the rear or inner wall  66  of the plunger housing  41  is larger, having a diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter  56  of the sleeve  54 , so that the sleeve  54  can fit slidingly through the hole  64 . 
   The latch mechanism  14  is assembled as part of the spare magazine carrier  10  by placing the latch release lever  34  and the anti-rattle spring  52  on the plunger shaft  47  and then inserting the plunger shaft  47  through the hole  60  in the front wall  62 . Next the plunger spring  53  is slid along the plunger shaft  47  through the hole  64  in the rear wall  66 , and then the sleeve  54  is fitted onto the rear or inner end portion  50  of the plunger shaft  47  and urged into contact against the shoulder  51 , slightly compressing the plunger spring  53 , as the latch arm  28  is urged toward the inner or back side of the body  20  of the spare magazine carrier  10 . 
   A catch  68  carried on the latch arm  28  is located so that it extends inwardly through an opening  70  in the left side of the body  20  when the latch arm  28  is properly oriented with respect to the body  20 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 5A , the sleeve  54  has a length  72  equal to the length of the reduced-diameter inner end portion  50  of the plunger shaft  47 , and the bore of the sleeve  54  is chamfered at its rear, or inner, end  74 . This chamfered end provides a ready point of purchase so that the inner end of the plunger shaft  47  can easily be made to engage the sleeve  54  by punching or peening the inner end face  76  of the shaft  47  to cause it to flare outward to engage the chamfered inner end  74  of the sleeve. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 4A and 5A , the plunger spring  53  is slightly compressed between the sleeve  54  and the front wall  62  of the plunger housing  41 , so that the plunger spring  53  urges the plunger assembly  40  rearward, carrying the latch arm  28  toward the body  20  and thus carrying the catch  68  inwardly through the opening  70 . The catch  68  thus extends inwardly through the opening  70  into the receptacle  24  defined by the body  20  and into a latch receptacle or socket  78  in the outer side of the spare magazine  12 . The receptacle  78  is ordinarily engaged by the magazine latch mechanism of the firearm when the magazine is in use in the firearm  43 . 
   When the latch mechanism  14  of the spare magazine carrier  10  is thus engaged with a spare magazine  12  as shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  4 A, and  5 A, the latch release lever  34  is oriented vertically as seen from the side, as in  FIG. 2 . A flange  80  extends laterally inwardly from the rear end  32  of the latch carrying arm  20 , and extends closely alongside a rear face  82  of the upper, or attached, end  36  of the latch release lever  34 . The flange  80  thus prevents the latch release lever  34  from rotating about the longitudinal axis  84  of the plunger shaft  47 , so that the latch release lever  34  remains in the position shown in  FIG. 2 , where it is ready for use. 
   The force of the slightly compressed plunger spring  53  operates to keep the catch  68  engaged in the latch receptacle  78  and also keeps the latch arm  28  snugly alongside the left or outer surface  86  of the body  20 , as seen in  FIG. 4A . Since the construction of the body  20  may result in some clearance between the latch carrier arm  28  and the front wall  62  of the plunger housing  41 , the anti-rattle spring  52  urges the latch release lever  34  against the latch carrier arm  28  to prevent the latch release lever  34  from rattling against the plunger housing  41 . While the anti-rattle spring is shown as a bowed flat spring washer, other forms of springs could be used instead. 
   As is shown best in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the mounting device  42  holds the body  20  of the spare magazine carrier  10  spaced far enough laterally away from the receiver  45  to provide ample clearance for lateral movement of mechanisms associated with the receiver, such as a magazine latch mechanism  88  of the firearm  43 . The location of the body  20  of the spare magazine carrier  10  also provides ample space between the inner end  76  of the plunger shaft  47  and a magazine latch mechanism  88 , as shown in  FIG. 4A  at  90 , so that when the magazine latch mechanism  88  is moved out leftward from the receiver  45  to release a magazine from the rifle  43  it does not encounter and is thus unable to move the plunger assembly  40  in a direction tending to disengage the catch  68  from the latch receptacle  78  in the spare magazine  12 . Thus the rifleman can utilize the magazine latch mechanism  88  of the firearm  43  regardless of the presence of a spare magazine  12  in the spare magazine carrier  10 , to release a magazine  44  or retain it in its usual status of engagement where it can perform its normal function of providing cartridges to the firing chamber of the firearm  43 , with no effect on the retention of the spare magazine  12  in the spare magazine carrier  10  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , when a spare magazine  12  is inserted into the receptacle  24  of the spare magazine carrier  10  of the type shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the upper end of the spare magazine is inserted into the open bottom of the receptacle  24  in an upward direction as indicated by the arrow  92 , and a shoulder  94  of the spare magazine encounters the catch  68 , whose lower edge  96  is preferably chamfered to enable the catch  68  to follow the shape of the shoulder  94  of the upper end of the spare magazine  12  easily. Moving the spare magazine  12  further upward, in the direction of the arrow  92 , forces the catch  68  laterally outward, in the direction of the arrow  98  in  FIG. 6A . This also carries the entire latch arm  28  laterally in the direction of the arrow  98 , and thus moves the plunger assembly  40  in the same direction, further compressing the plunger spring  53 . The plunger assembly  40  is thus moved to a position such as that shown in  FIGS. 4B and 5B  as the spare magazine  12  is moved the remaining distance into full engagement in the receptacle  24  of the spare magazine carrier  10 . Once the upper margin of the latch receptacle  78  in the spare magazine  12  reaches the upper face of the catch  68  the catch  68  is free to move laterally inward under the influence of the plunger spring  53 , in the direction opposite the arrow  98 , into engagement in the receptacle  78 , to the position shown in  FIGS. 6B and 4A . 
   Ordinarily, a multi-round magazine such as the spare magazine  12  includes a spring-biased follower (not shown) that urges cartridges in the magazine upward toward the outfeed end of the magazine. The receptacle  24  may therefore include a downwardly protruding strip  100  aligned to encounter a cartridge  102  carried in the spare magazine  12 , in order to use the force of the follower spring to urge the spare magazine  12  downward to keep the latch receptacle  78  firmly engaged against the upper face of the catch  68  and thus minimize rattling of a spare magazine  12  held in the spare magazine carrier  10 . 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 4B and 5B , when the rifleman desires to release a spare magazine  12  from the spare magazine carrier  10  the latch arm  28  has to be moved laterally in the direction of the arrow  98 . This is ordinarily accomplished by pushing the latch release lever  38  laterally inward toward the receiver  45 , in the direction of the arrow  104  in  FIG. 5B . The hole  48  is large enough to receive the plunger shaft  47  loosely enough to permit the latch release lever  34  to rock about the rocking axis  49 , which extends transversally and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  84  of the plunger shaft  47 , from the position shown in  FIG. 5A  to the position shown in  FIG. 5B . In the position shown in  FIG. 5B  the upper, attached, end  36  presses against the adjacent inner surface of the rear end  32  of the latch arm  28 , while a lower portion of the latch release arm  34  presses inwardly against the front wall  62  of the plunger housing  41 , pivoting about the lower corner of the plunger housing  41 . As a result the upper, attached end  36  pushes the latch arm  28  laterally outward, in the direction of the arrow  98 , while the plunger assembly  14  is kept aligned properly by its sliding fit in the holes  60  and  64 . As shown in  FIG. 4B , this moves the catch  68  laterally out of engagement in the latch receptacle  78 , freeing the spare magazine  12  to move downward and out of the receptacle  24 . To the extent that the follower spring in the spare magazine is compressed by contact between a cartridge  102  and strip  100  within the receptacle  24 , the spare magazine  12  will be urged from the receptacle  24  by the force of the follower spring of the spare magazine  12  as well as by gravity. 
   It will be understood that the plunger assembly  40  could also be moved to disengage the latch assembly  14  by pulling outward on the lower, or free, end  38  of the latch release lever  34  toward the position shown in broken line in  FIG. 5B , but that is not the normally intended method of releasing the spare magazine  12  from the spare magazine carrier  10 . The latch release lever  34  is preferably shaped to include a bend as at  108  so that the lower, or free, end  38  extends downward at a diagonally inward slant toward the receiver  45  of the rifle  43 . This shape of the latch release lever  34  places the lower, free end  38  in a location where it conveniently available to be pressed by the rifleman as illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . This shape of the latch release lever  34  also places the free end  38  in a position where it is less likely to be snagged easily on one&#39;s clothing or on vegetation or other articles in the environment through which a rifleman is caring a firearm equipped with the spare magazine carrier  10 . Additionally, the release lever  34  and the latch arm  28  are preferably shaped, beveled, and smoothed so as not to catch on clothing or other materials. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , a rifleman normally operates the latch release mechanism  14  by pushing the free end  38  of the release lever  34  toward the firearm  18 . In  FIG. 7 , a right-handed user pushes the free end  38  of the release lever  34  by holding the spare magazine  12  with his left hand and pushing the free end  38  of the release lever  34  laterally inward toward the rifle  43  with his left thumb  110 . 
   A left-handed user can conveniently operate the latch release mechanism  14  by pushing free end  38  of the release lever  34  with his left forefinger  112 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , while he uses his right hand  114  to grasp the spare magazine  12 . 
   The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expression, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions there, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.