Patent Publication Number: US-6665974-B1

Title: Moon clip cartridge loading device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/384,722 filed Jun. 3, 2002. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to cartridge loading devices in general. More specifically to a cartridge loader for moon clips used in revolvers. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Previously, many types of cartridge loading devices have been used in endeavoring to provide a quick and easy method of loading a cartridge in a clip used in operating a firearm. Most of the loaders were developed for the rapid loading of ammunition magazines for pistols and semi-automatic and automatic rifles. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     The use of loading clips for revolvers employing rimless cases dates back to the First World War where half moon clips were developed to permit the use of .45 caliber automatic cartridges in contemporary revolvers such as produced by Colt and Smith and Wesson. This innovation relieved the shortage created by the demand for the newly developed Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol which employed a rimless cartridge case. These half moon clips have continued to be in successful use for similar firearms, however, a full moon clip was later introduced that functioned in the same manner but improved handling and simplified loading as only a single accessory was required. 
     The problem with both clips is the difficulty in loading cartridges when re-used by the civilian market. This difficulty is particularly apparent with the moon clip requiring manual dexterity for loading as it requires both hands, one of which must grasp the thin clip while the other forces the cartridge head recess into the mating grooves of the clip. The manual procedure is relatively simple, however if a number of clips are to be loaded the task becomes burdensome and is tiring to the hands. Furthermore the thin spring metal of the clip creates considerable operator discomfort when handling the sharp edges and recessed curves that are die cut into the clip. 
     A primary object of the invention is therefore directed to a tool that easily installs the cartridges by simply placing the clip on a hexagonal shaped post in the center of the tool and inserting the cartridges into mating grooves around the clip formed into the body or levers of the tool. The operator then grasps two opposed pivoting loading levers and squeezes them together until the cartridges snap into place. This procedure is duplicated with the other pairs of levers and the assembled clip is then removed by the operators thumb and forefinger. 
     An important object of the invention is the universal adaptation of the invention loading all bullet shapes and types of cartridges. The industry has increased the number of bullets available for pistol cartridges which may have relevance by changing their overall length. With a wide variety of bullets such as semi-wadcutters, hollow points, truncated metal jackets, hollow based wadcutters, round nosed and the original full metal jacket (hard ball), the length becomes an important factor in the design of the tool that ultimately depends on a defined length of cartridge. The present invention compensates for the varied length of the workpiece by replacing an adapter sleeve or by adding or removing spacers under the post that elevates or lowers the clip. 
     Another object of the invention is the simplicity of its construction in the second embodiment as the body is consists of injection molded parts that snap together and the levers are die cut and formed with a single bend to produce the finger tab. Conventional spring pins and springs along with a capscrew nut and coupling nut complete the assembly making the invention extremely simple and economical to produce. The preferred embodiment is even simpler in that only three basic individual injection molded parts are used with the loading arms also formed of thermoplastic and snapped into place on the body and an o-ring to hold the arms apart. 
    
    
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partial isometric view of the second embodiment. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  2 — 2  of FIG. 1 with the moon clip in place and cartridges shown in dotted lines inserted in the loader with the actuating arms in the open at rest position. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 1 with the moon clip in place and cartridges shown in dotted lines installed in the moon clip and the actuating arms in the manually closed position. 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the second embodiment. 
     FIG. 5 is a front view of the second embodiment. 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the second embodiment. 
     FIG. 7 is a partial isometric view of the body base completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  8 — 8  of FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  9 — 9  of FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  10 — 10  of FIG. 7 
     FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  11 — 11  of FIG.  9 . 
     FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  12 — 12  of FIG.  9 . 
     FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  13 — 13  of FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  14 — 14  of FIG.  8 . 
     FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the base of the second embodiment completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 16 is a partial isometric view of the body upper casing completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  17 — 17  of FIG.  16 . 
     FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  18 — 18  of FIG.  16 . 
     FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  19 — 19  of FIG.  16 . 
     FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  20 — 20  of FIG.  16 . 
     FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  21 — 21  of FIG.  16 . 
     FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  22 — 22  of FIG.  16 . 
     FIG. 23 is a partial isometric view of the pivotal loading arm completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  24 — 24  of FIG.  23 . 
     FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  25 — 25  of FIG.  23 . 
     FIG. 26 is a right side view of the pivotal loading arm completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 27 is a left side view of the pivotal loading arm completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 28 is a partial isometric view of the spring pin completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 29 is a partial isometric view of the compression spring completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 30 is a partial isometric view of the coupling nut completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  31 — 31  of FIG.  30 . 
     FIG. 32 is a partial isometric view of the hex head capscrew completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 33 is a partial isometric view of the self tapping screw completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 34 is a partial isometric view of the hex nut completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 35 is a partial isometric view of the hex spacer completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 36 is a top view of the preferred embodiment with the loading arms on the right shown in the closed position and the three on the left shown open. 
     FIG. 37 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  37 — 37  of FIG. 36 with the loading arms illustrated in both positions and dotted to show the relative movement. 
     FIG. 38 is a partial isometric view of the adapter sleeve completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 39 is a partial isometric view of the o-ring completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 40 is a partial isometric view of the pivotal loading arm in the second embodiment, completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 41 is a left side view of the pivotal loading arm in the second embodiment, completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 42 is a front view of the pivotal loading arm in the preferred embodiment, completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 43 is a right side view of the pivotal loading arm in the preferred embodiment, completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 44 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  44 — 44  of FIG.  41 . 
     FIG. 45 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  45 — 45  of FIG.  42 . 
     FIG. 46 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  46 — 46  of FIG.  42 . 
     FIG. 47 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  47 - 47  of FIG.  48 . 
     FIG. 48 is a partial isometric view of the body base and adapter sleeve in the preferred embodiment completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 49 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  49 - 49  of FIG.  48 . 
     FIG. 50 is a top plan view of the body base and adapter sleeve in the preferred embodiment, completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 51 is a bottom view of the body base in the preferred embodiment, completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 52 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  52 — 52  of FIG. 50 with the adapter sleeve removed. 
     FIG. 53 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  53 — 53  of FIG. 50 with the adapter sleeve in place over the post. 
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of a preferred and a second embodiment. The second embodyment is shown in FIGS. 1 through 35 and is comprised of a cylindrical body  20  that includes a number of inwardly sloping radial cavities  22  that align with cartridge retaining notches on a moon clip  24 . The number of cavities  22  is governed by the configuration of the moon clip  24  as this may vary from five to seven according to the revolver cylinder configuration however six is found to be the most common. The body  20  consists of an upper casing  26  and a base  28 . FIGS. 16-22 illustrate the upper casing  26  while FIGS. 7-15 show the base in detail. Both the upper casing  26  and base  28  are preferably made of injection molded thermoplastic. Any type of thermoplastic material, even a thermosetting resin, may be used in this application including cellulose, polycarbonate, polyester, polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinylchloride and the like, with ABS being preferred. The upper casing  26  is configured to include a platform  30  in the center joining all of the cavities  22  together, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 and a round aperture  32  is located in the exact center. Directly beneath the aperture  32  is a round recessed cavity  34  that is molded into the casing  26 . A series of slots  36  are formed in the casing  26  directly in alignment with the cartridge retaining notches on the moon clip  24  and under the bottom of the slots  36  a semi-circular notch  38  is formed as illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18. The casing  26  is essentially hollow to allow fabrication using the injection molding process and the slots  36  create lobes that are held together basically by the configuration of the platform in the middle. Finally, the casing  26  has a male flange with a protruding lip  40  on the bottom for attachment to the base  28 . 
     The base  28  is basically round and relatively flat and has a raised circular boss  42  in the center that is essentially the same size as the recessed cavity  34  of the casing  26  permitting them to nest together for correct alignment. The boss  42  also has a aperture  32  in the center that mates with its counterpart in the casing  26 , as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. A hexagonal cavity  44  is formed beneath the boss  42  and a number of rectangular slits  46  are positioned through the top flat surface of the base  28 . An opposed pair of grooves  48  are located adjacent to the slits  46 , as depicted in FIGS. 7-9 and  11 , which mate with the notches  38  in the casing  26  forming a round hole when attached together. A spring retaining cavity  50  having a through bore  52  to the outside surface of the base is located in alignment with the slits  46  both of which are aligned with the slots  36  in the casing  26  when the casing and base are attached together. A female flange  54  is formed in the outside periphery of the base  28  as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 and snaps together with the male flange  40  of the casing  26  to assemble the body  20  together. It should be noted however, that there are many other methods of attaching the body  20  such as a tongue and groove type connection or a raised rib on the boss  42  snapping into a groove in a recessed cavity or simply bonding the two pieces together with adhesive. 
     Post means in the form of a singular hexagonal post  56  is disposed uprightly within the body  20  in a central position, for holding the moon clip  24  thereon. The hexagonal post  56  is preferably made using a conventional a hex head cap screw  58  having dimensions that permits the moon clip  24  to slip over the top and position it relative to the slots  36 . A coupling nut  60  is threaded all the way onto the cap screw  58  as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 with the two forming the post  56 . The coupling nut  60  has dimensions that are slightly larger than the cap screw  58 , permitting the clip  24  to rest on the top of the coupling nut  60  while being retaining by the cap screw  58 . Fastening means for attaching the hexagonal post  56  to the body  20  is in the form of a hex nut  62  that is pressed into the hexagonal cavity  44  of the base  28  which restrains the nut  62  from rotating due to its shape which is a close fit to the nut. It should also be realized that the post  56  may be made as an integral part of the body  20  as it is injection molded and could be easily formed as an integral part. 
     A plurality of loading levers  64  pivotally engage the body  20  and are positioned in the middle of the sloping radial cavities  22 . The levers  64  urge the cartridges into the moon clip  24  at each of its retaining notches when the levers  64  are manually compressing together in pairs. The loading levers  64  are preferably made of sheet metal which is die cut and formed with a single bend to produce the finger tab  66  as shown in FIGS. 23-27. The finger tab  66  is bent into an upper portion of the lever  64  and is used for manual manipulation as the levers are squeezed together by the users thumb and forefinger. A dowel or spring pin  68 , depicted by itself in FIG. 28, is pressed into the lever  64 , as shown in FIG. 23, for pivotal attachment to the body  20  which is illustrated in cross section of FIGS. 2 and 3. 
     Means are provided for holding the pivotal loading levers  64  in an expanded open position thereby permitting ease introduction of the cartridges into the radial cavities  22  prior to insertion of the cartridges into the moon clip  24  and are in the form of a compression spring  70  that is positioned between each lever  64  and the body  20  such that each lever is urged outwardly in an at rest position and the spring  70  is further compressed when the levers are manually squeezed together in pairs. The spring  70  is held in place with a protrusion on the lever  64  on one end and a self tapping screw  72  on the other end as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The screw  72  is threaded into a hole in the base  28  and may be the countersunk or round head type. 
     In order to accommodate a specific cartridge length at least one hex spacer  74  is positioned between the post  56  and the body  20  for height adjustment. One spacer  74  is shown in FIG. 2 however any number of spacers  74  may be used which simply raises the moon clip  24  up relative to the cavity  34 . The post  56  is readily removed using a conventional wrench or socket on the cap screw  58  and the appropriate number of spacers  74  may be added or removed. The hex nut  62 , under the post  56 , is held in place by the hexagonal cavity  44  of the base  28  essentially captivating the nut thereby making the adjustment convenient and easy. 
     In operation individual cartridges are placed by hand into the cavity&#39;s  34  with the bullet end inserted first. The loading levers  64  are pressed together in pairs by the operator forcing the groove of the cartridge case just below the head into the indentations of the moon clip  24  with a snapping action. To remove the loaded clip the device may be turned upside down or preferably, the clip removed with the operators thumb and forefinger. 
     The preferred embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 36 through 53 and operates in the same manner except it is simplified with only three primary elements used a body, an adapter sleeve and a plurality of levers. The body  20  consists basically of a base  28 ′ and a adapter sleeve as shown in FIGS. 36,  37  and  47 - 53 . The base  28 ′ is molded of the same thermoplastic material as that of the second embodiment however its shape differs considerably as it includes post means in the form of a cylindrical post  56 ′ as a integrally molded element that extends upwardly from the base  28 ′ in the center. The base is hollow at the bottom forming a cavity to permit space for operating elements without extending beneath the outline of the base  28 ′. 
     Adjustment means for height regulation to accommodate a specific cartridge length is achieved by the use of the post means in the form of an adapter sleeve  57  which slips over the post  56 ′ and is held in place with securement means in any number of forms well known in the art. The shape of the adapter sleeve  57  is also different than the second embodiment post  56  in that the lower portion is round on the inside but on the outside it is hexagonal or polygonal with each flat having an internal radius  76  as illustrated in FIG.  49 . The top portion is basically the same as the second embodiment in shape with the top rounded slightly to accommodate installing the moon clip  24  on the sleeve. The most predominant difference with the second embodiment is that the upper end of the sleeve  57  is stepped to accommodate different configurations of moon clips as there are numerous styles and manufactures and the cartridges even for the same caliber utilize different bullets that have various lengths and shapes. In order to be adaptable to the most common styles it has been found that the upward distal end of the sleeve  57  may be stepped with the smallest size on the top as an example the 357 magnum cartridge for a six shot revolver is the first step with the 45 ACP cartridge moon clip the second step and the 10 millimeter magnum the third step as illustrated in the drawings. While the above moon clips are mostly hexagonal in their center by including a radius on the apexes of the angular portions a round center clip may be accommodated as well. It has been found that a separate and distinct adapter sleeve  57  may be furnished with the invention that would be sized for the different length of bullet in each caliber making the moon clip cartridge loading device almost universal by simply replacing the sleeve  57 . It should be noted however that the configuration shown in the drawings and described above are not a limiting factor in the invention as the adapter sleeve  57  may be made in any form and size to accommodate a specific size of moon clip, numbers of cartridges utilized and the cartridge/bullet combination. 
     The underside of the base  28 ′ is similar to the second embodiment including the slits  46 ′ however the grooves  48 , spring retaining cavity  50  and through bore  52  are omitted as illustrated best in FIGS. 52 and 53. A plurality of upright guides  78  are molded into the top portion of the base  28 ′, one on each side of the loading levers  64 ′, as shown in FIGS. 48 and 50. These guides  78  are spaced apart just enough to clear the levers  64 ′ and permit them to move in an arc in between while maintaining alignment with the recesses on the moon clip  24 . The slits  46 ′ are also positioned in between the guides permitting the levers to penetrate thorough the base  28 ′. 
     The levers  64 ′ in the preferred embodiment are somewhat different in that instead of being formed of die cut metal they are formed of injection molded thermoplastic of the same formulation as mentioned previously. The levers  64 ′ are shown by themselves in FIGS. 40-46 and finger tab  66 ′ distends from both sides of the lever rather than just one side as before. The biggest difference is that the levers include an integral inwardly sloping radial cavity  82  on the side opposite the tabs  66 ′, for retaining cartridges thereon. 
     In order to arcuately mount the loading lever  64 ′ onto the base  28 ′ a metal dowel or spring pin  86  is pressed into a hole in the lever as depicted in FIGS. 40-43 as well as  45  and is snapped into the notched radial recesses  80  in the base  28 ′ holding each levers securely in place yet permitting the necessary rotation required to forceably insert the cartridges in the clip. 
     The loading levers  64 ′ are mounted to the base  28 ′ by snapping them in place thorough these radial recesses  80  as shown in FIGS. 50-53. These recesses  80  are configured to grasp and hold each dowel or spring pin  86  by a snapping action while still permitting the lever  64 ′ to rotate freely. 
     Means for holding each loading lever  64 ′ in an expanded open position prior to insertion of the cartridges into the moon clip  24  is in the form of extension spring means held in place between half slots  90  located in each lever. This arrangement permits the top portion of the lever  64 ′ to be urged outwardly in an at rest position and expanding the spring means when the levers are manually squeezed together in pairs. The spring means is preferably an o-ring  92  however a garter spring or the like is also an acceptable alternate. FIG. 37 illustrates this arrangement in its operable condition and the o-ring  92  is shown separately in FIG.  39 . 
     In operation individual cartridges are placed by hand into each of the loading levers radial cavity&#39;s  82  with the bullet end touching the bottom of the cavity. The loading levers  64 ′ are pressed together in pairs by the operator forcing the groove in the cartridge case, just below the head, into the indentations of the moon clip  24  with a snapping action. As in the second embodiment the loaded clip may be removed with the operators thumb and forefinger. 
     While the invention has been described in complete detail and pictorially shown in the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited to such details, since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Hence, it is described to cover any and all modifications and forms which may come within the language and scope of the appended claims.