Abstract:
An ammunition pouch  10  for carrying and protecting ammunition having a tubular shaped, resilient, elastic body  20  that is adaptable to be worn either slipped over a belt  130 , the end of a firearm  120  or carried freely. The body  20  has an upper flap  30  for opening or closing access to the ammunition  140 ; a number of retaining slots  100  for retaining individual pieces of ammunition  140  such as shells; a rear pocket  150  for storing other paraphernalia such as a lighter, keys or sunglasses; and a connecting means  90  such as VELCRO® for closing and protecting the pouch  10 . The pouch  10  is constructed of a lightweight, waterproof, camouflage print material.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to the art of Ammunition Pouches. More particularly, this invention is related to an ammunition pouch that permits ammunition to be transported and carried either on a user&#39;s belt, carried freely, or attached to a firearm. The ammunition pouch is lightweight, flexible, and protects the ammunition and other paraphernalia from the elements. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. Des. 3,293,27, issued to Holtzclaw. Jr., shows a softsided carrying case having an upper flap and inner divider. This case does not show specific dividers for individual shells nor is it attachable to a belt or firearm. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,566,569, issued to Jensen, discloses a cartridge case that has individual dividers for holding numerous shells individually, an upper flap, and is capable of being attached to a user&#39;s belt. However, this case does not have pockets for holding items other than the ammunition and it cannot be attached to a firearm. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,565, issued to Grant, shows an ammunition dispensing garment having pockets for holding ammunition. This garment is a vest and cannot be attached to a belt or a firearm but instead must be worn separately on the user&#39;s body. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,140, issued to Davis et al., discloses a pack that is mounted on a belt and has an attachable ammunition pouch. This particular garment is designed to be worn for police protection and includes a ballistic resistant panel. The ammunition pouch is mounted to a panel of the garment but is limited in the quantity of ammunition that is capable of being stored and is not capable of being mounted on a firearm. 
     While the above stated devices are a fair representation of existing devices, there remains room for improvement as defined by the currently claimed invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is thus an objective of the present invention to provide a means for carrying and storing ammunition. 
     It is a further objective of the invention to provide means for carrying ammunition that is adaptable to be worn on a belt or strap. 
     It is yet another objective of the invention to provide an ammunition pouch which is easily transpotable. 
     It is an additional objective of the invention to provide an ammunition pouch that can be attached to a firearm. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide an ammunition pouch that may be used to protect ammunition during storage and transport. 
     A further objective of the present invention is to have an ammunition pouch that is lightweight, waterproof, and folds to a reduced size for storage when not in use. 
     Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a protective cover for carrying and transporting other items along with ammunition. 
     An objective of this ammunition pouch is also to allow for the pouch to be removably attached to a firearm without permanently defacing or damaging the firearm. 
     And another objective of this invention is to allow for a protective covering for ammunition that may be attached to a firearm while the firearm is in use. 
     The aforementioned objectives will be accomplished as well as other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of an ammunition pouch having a tubular shaped, resilient, elastic body that is adaptable to be worn either slipped over a belt or the end of a firearm. The body has a flap for closing off access to the ammunition; a number of retaining slots for retaining individual pieces of ammunition such as shells; a rear pocket for storing other paraphernalia such as a lighter, keys, or sunglasses; a mating closure means such as VELCRO® for closing and protecting the pouch; and the pouch is constructed of a lightweight, waterproof, and preferably camouflage material. The description of the present invention discloses, in conjunction with the drawings which illustrate by way of example, the principles and objectives of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an ammunition pouch with the flap in the closed position and the pouch is placed on the end of a firearm shown in broken lines. 
     FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an ammunition pouch showing the flap in the open position to expose the ammunition slots and showing the pouch attached to a portion of a belt (shown in broken lines). 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of an ammunition pouch showing the flap in the closed position. 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an ammunition pouch showing how the sleeve fits within the outer shell. 
     FIG. 5 is a rear elevation view of an ammunition pouch showing a belt through belt loops. The broken line depicting the belt is for illustrative purposes only and forms no part of the claimed invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ammunition pouch  10  with a flap  30  that is in a closed position while the ammunition pouch  10  is placed on the end of a firearm  120 . The ammuntion pouch  10  has a body  20  defining an inner sleeve  22  having an opening on each end of the tube and an outer shell  24 . The inner sleeve  22  is made of a resilient material such as an elastic material while the outer shell  24  is made of a waterproof, lightweight material such as GORTEX® fabric, vinyl, or sturdy canvas treated with a water repellant finish. The outer shell  24  is preferably made of a camouflage print. Also, waterproof, water resistant, and laminated fabrics can be used to make the ammunition pouch  10 . While the camouflage print is the print of choice in the preferred embodiment, any color or combination thereof is acceptable. 
     The inner sleeve  22  forms a hollow core  50  through which a firearm  120  or belt  130  can be inserted in order to secure the ammunition pouch  10  for carrying purposes. The ammunition pouch  10 , having the resilient inner sleeve  22  can easily be mounted on a firearm  120  as shown in FIG.  1 . The resilient material, such as an elastic material, allows the inner sleeve  22  to be stretched to slide over the end of the firearm  120  and then placed in the desired location on the firearm. The elasticity of the material allows the diameter of the hollow core  50  to expand when being mounted. After being positioned, the elasticity constricts the diameter of the hollow core  50  so that the inner sleeve  22  will snugly grip or hold the firearm  120  and not slide off until purposefully removed from the firearm  120  by the user. Furthermore, mounting the ammunition pouch  10  on the end of the firearm  120  allows for the ammunition to be carried along with the firearm  120  easily and conveniently. Also, if the ammunition pouch  10  is placed on the butt end of a firearm  120 , the firearm  120  can still be operated while the ammunition pouch  10  is in place without the ammunition pouch  10  causing any interference to the operation of the firearm  120 . The ammunition pouch  10  can be located over the end of the firearm  120 , even while the firearm  120  is inside a firearm casing or cover. 
     When the flap  30  is in the closed position, as in FIG. 1, it is removably connected to the front portion  46  of the outer shell  24  by connecting means  90  (FIG.  3 ), which is preferably comprised of hook and loop fasteners such as VELCRO®. Connecting means  90  can also be made of buttons, snaps, hooks, or any other conventional connecting means known in the art. The connecting means  90  (FIG. 3) allows for the ammunition pouch  10  to be easily and quickly opened and closed with one hand and with relatively little effort or energy. When in the closed position, the flap  30  secures the ammunition pouch  10  and prevents any of the stored items within the ammunition pouch  10  from being removed or falling out. 
     FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the ammunition pouch  10  showing the flap  30  in the open position to expose the ammunition slots  100 . The ammunition pouch  10  is attached to a portion of the belt  130  shown in broken lines. The inner sleeve  22  has a front panel  40  and a rear panel  80 . As shown in FIG. 4, the front panel  40  has an upper portion  42  and a lower portion  44 . The outer shell  24  wraps around the inner sleeve  22  and also has a shell front portion  46  which covers the lower portion  44  of the inner sleeve  22  and which can be matingly attached with flap  30  when the ammunition pouch is in the closed position using connecting means  90 . The outer shell  24  and the inner sleeve  22  are permanently connected to one another at their outer edges  160  by conventional means such as sewing or gluing, the preferred method being stitching (shown in FIG.  1 ). This connection allows the shell front portion  46  to form a front pocket  170  with an access as shown in FIG.  2 . The front pocket  170  has edges stitched as previously described and has a bottom formed by the fold, bends, or curve in the sleeve  22  such as is shown along the lower portion depicted in the drawings as a line  190 . Within the front pocket  170 , the slots  100  are located which hold the ammunition  140 . The slots  100  are more fully described below with reference to FIG.  4 . 
     The back panel  70  of the outer shell  24  may also be configured to form a rear pocket  150  with the rear panel  80  of the inner sleeve  22 . The rear pocket  150  is larger than the front pocket  170  and can be used to hold various items and other hunting paraphernalia. The rear pocket  150  is stitched along both outer edges  160  and the bottom is also formed by the fold or curve of the body  20  such as shown along line  190 . 
     Attached at the top edge of flap  30  is a connecting means  90  (FIG.  3 ). In the preferred embodiment, the connecting means is of a mating type such as hook and loop fasteners and therefore, the outer connector  94  is sewn or glued to flap  30 . The outer connector  94  matingly connects with an inner connector  92  which is attached by conventional means such as sewing or gluing, to the shell front panel  46 . Therefore, when the ammunition pouch  10  is in the open position and accessible, outer connector  94  is removed from being connected to inner connector  92  and the flap  30  is lifted or raised. A second inner connector  210  (FIG. 3) may be attached to the rear of the ammunition pouch  10  on the outside of the rear pocket  150  so as to enable the flap  30  to be folded back and attached to the second inner connector  210 , thus securing the flap  30  in a fixed position. When the ammunition pouch  10  is in the closed position, the outer connector  94  is matingly connected with inner connector  92  by lowering flap  30  over the upper portion  42  of the inner sleeve  22 . When in the closed position, the outer shell  24  is essentially wrapped around and encases the inner sleeve  22 , trapping between the inner sleeve  22  and the outer shell  24  any such items such as ammunition  140  that may be placed within the front pocket  170 , rear pocket  150 , or both. The ammunition pouch  10  can be worn on a belt  130  simply by inserting one end of the belt  130  through the hollow core  50  until it exits through the opposite end or through belt loops  220  such as described in reference to FIG.  5 . The ammunition pouch  10  may also be freely carried. If it is empty, it is flexible enough to be folded and placed in the user&#39;s pocket or firearm casing until needed. 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the ammunition pouch  10  showing the flap  30  in the closed position. The ammunition pouch  10  is actually a layering of the outer shell  24  upon the inner sleeve  22 . This side elevation depicts the relationship between 1) the outer shell  24  and its elements (such as flap  30 , connecting means  90 , shell front portion  46  and the inner sleeve  22  and 2) its elements (such as front panel  40 , which is comprised of the upper portion  42  and the lower portion  44 ). Also shown in FIG. 3 is the layering effect and relationship of the back panel  70  of the outer shell  24  and the rear panel  80  of the inner sleeve  22 . 
     While the cross-sectional shape of the ammunition pouch  10  is shown throughout the drawings to be somewhat elliptical, this is merely for illustrative purposes. The resilient nature of the material allows for the cross-sectional shape to take on many geometrical shapes such as, but not limited to, circular, rectangular, square, oblong, diamond, and triangular as well as asymmetrical shapes. For example, when the ammunition pouch  10  is positioned on the end of a firearm  120 , the cross-sectional shape of the ammunition pouch  10  will become the same as the cross-sectional shape of the end of the firearm  120 , which may not be a common geometric shape. It is possible for the firearm  120  to have certain and specific contours that would dictate the cross-sectional shape of the ammunition pouch  10  when in place. 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the ammunition pouch  10  showing how the inner sleeve  22  fits within the outer shell  24 . The inner sleeve  22  has a front panel  40  and a rear panel  80 . The front panel  40  has an upper portion  42  and a lower portion  44 . The outer shell  24  wraps around the sleeve  22  and is permanently connected along the outer edges  160  of both the outer shell  24  and the inner sleeve  22  by stitching  60 , gluing, or any other conventional connecting means known in the art. The outer shell  24  has a shell portion  46  that can be matingly attached with flap  30  by connecting means  90 . Connecting means  90  is comprised of outer connector  94  and inner connector  92 , as previously described, and is connected together when the ammunition pouch  10  is in the closed position as shown in FIG.  1 . The inner sleeve  22  is one continuous piece of elastic or resilient material that forms a tubular shape having a hollow core  50 . The upper portion  42  and the lower portion  44  of the front panel  40  are integrally connected with the rear panel  80 . Extending across the width of the front panel  40  is at least one row, and more may be possible, of slots  100  for holding ammunition  140  or other items such as knives, camera film, matches, and etc. The slots  100  are formed from a separate material strip  200  being attached to the inner sleeve  22 . The same type of flexible, resilient material, such as an elastic material, that is used to make the inner sleeve  22  should be used to make the material strip  200 . The material strip  200  is divided into separate slots  100  by dividers  110 , which are stitches sewn in parallel lines, running from top to bottom and extending across the entire width of the material strip  200  and forming individual slots  100  that are wide enough to hold ammunition  140  and other paraphernalia. When in use, the ammunition  140  is inserted into a slot  100 . The resilient nature of the material strip  200  allows for the slot  100  to be stretched or expanded while the ammunition  140  is being inserted into the slot  100  and then recoils or constricts to snugly hold and form fit around the ammunition  140  keeping it in place. Each slot is open on the top and the bottom thereby allowing items to be inserted or removed within the slot  100  either from the top or bottom. 
     FIG. 5 is a rear elevation view of the ammunition pouch  10 . The ammunition pouch  10  may be made with belt loops  220  on the back panel  70  of the outer shell  24 . Such belt loops  220  are of a conventional type, such as one large strap or numerous smaller straps, such as two, placed parallel to one another and attached to the outside of the back panel  70  through conventional means such as stitching  60 , gluing, riveting, and etc. The user wears the belt  130  in a normal fashion with the ammunition pouch  10  attached thereto. Such method of wearing the ammunition pouch  10  allows the user to freely and easily access the ammunition pouch  10  when desired, yet it is out of the way otherwise and does not require the user to constantly hold it. 
     The ammunition pouch  10  described herein and illustrated in the drawings is subject to other advantages and modifications that may be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.