Patent Publication Number: US-10788280-B2

Title: Magazine follower

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/488,308 filed on Apr. 21, 2017, the entirety of which application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates generally to firearm magazines. More particularly, this disclosure relates to followers and methods for assembling followers for multi-cartridge firearm magazines. 
     Cartridge ammunition magazines of various forms have been proposed and various improvements have been disclosed in numerous patents. All such related magazines employ a follower which is spring-loaded. When ammunition is loaded into the magazine, the follower is forced toward the opposite end away from the feed end of the magazine. The spring, which engages the follower, is compressed by the received ammunition. The spring urges the follower toward the feed end of the magazine to force the ammunition toward the feed end of the magazine and ultimate ejection from the magazine for firing. The follower continuously pushes the succeeding ammunition toward the feed end to present a cartridge for the next round. 
     The ammunition magazine typically has an elongated case which may be slightly rounded and includes a top assembly defining an opening at the feed end and a bottom plate assembly. The follower is inserted into the cartridge and engaged with a spring which typically has a quasi-rectangular coiled form that somewhat mirrors the adjacent interior walls of the magazine casing. The spring has an upper free end is engaged with the underside of the follower. 
     In the conventional assembly method and process to which the present disclosure relates, the free end of the spring has a distal end portion that is inserted through an eyehole or a circular opening which integrally extends from an appendage at the underside of the follower. The conventional assembly thus requires, inter alia, that the assembler locate the opening, align the free end of the spring, and insert same through the opening, and then insert the assembled follower and spring into the magazine. 
     The magazine follower is typically a molded member of one-piece integral form dimensioned and configured for efficient and reliable sliding operation during its operation with the associated firearm. The follower generally is a molded plastic member having multiple intersecting planar and non-planar surfaces with various oblique intersections and multiple recesses, and typically is manufactured in a molding process which is not without significant complexity. 
     The magazine follower as disclosed herein is configured to provide an efficient form which improves the efficiency and ultimately reduces the cost of the magazine assembly process while also lending itself to an efficient molding process for the follower. 
     SUMMARY 
     Briefly stated, a follower for an ammunition magazine comprises an elongated platform. The platform has a first surface and an opposite second surface and longitudinally spaced ends. A side extends downwardly from each said end. A spring anchor extends from the second surface and comprises a hook-like appendage. The appendage defines a generally central transverse slot with a catch portion and a restricted generally longitudinally extending access portion. An opening is defined in the platform and traverses through the platform in general alignment with the portion of the spring anchor. 
     The catch portion preferably has a round or arcuate shape. In some embodiments, the catch portion has a V-shape, a truncated rectilinear shape or a faceted shape. Portions surrounding the platform opening are faceted. The platform opening preferably has a longitudinal dimension which is greater than that of the catch portion and the access portion. The catch portion is substantially equidistantly spaced from the sides. The follower is preferably a one-piece molded member. The appendage has a longitudinal dimension of approximately 0.30 inches with an access portion spaced approximately 0.095 inches from the second surface. The access portion defines an access opening preferably having a beveled entry portion. 
     A follower for an ammunition magazine comprises an elongated platform having a first surface and an opposite second surface. The platform has longitudinally spaced ends with a side member extending from each end. A spring anchor extends from the second surface and comprises a hook-like appendage. The appendage defines a generally central transverse slot with a catch portion and a restricted generally longitudinally extending access portion. 
     In one embodiment, the catch portion has an arcuate round shape. The catch portion may also have a V-shape, a truncated rectilinear shape or a faceted shape. The catch portion preferably defines a shape having a maximum distance from the second surface which is greater than a spacing of the restricted generally longitudinally extended access portion. The access portion preferably has a beveled entry portion. 
     A method of assembling an ammunition magazine comprises providing a follower having an elongated platform with an underside and an anchor mount integrally extending at the underside with a catch portion and a longitudinally extending access slot. A spring has a mounting end portion. The method comprises positioning the spring mounting end portion adjacent to or against the underside and relatively moving the mounting end portion through the access slot and receiving the mounting end portion in the catch. The method also comprises providing a magazine case and inserting the follower and spring into the case. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a magazine follower; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic top plan view of the follower of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic sectional view of the follower of  FIG. 2  taken along the line A-A thereof; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic front elevational view of the follower of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4A  is a diagrammatic enlarged fragmentary front view of the follower of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a left side elevational view of the follower of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic right side elevational view of the follower of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a diagrammatic bottom plan view of the follower of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the follower of  FIG. 7  taken along the line B-B thereof; 
         FIGS. 9A-9B  are respectively a front view and a rear perspective view, each being a partial assembly view illustrating a portion of a follower spring and the follower of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a bottom plan view of the assembled follower spring and follower of  FIGS. 9A-9B ; 
         FIGS. 11A-11C  are respectively enlarged fragmentary front perspective views illustrating various alternative embodiments for the spring anchor mount of the follower of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 12  is an enlarged fragmentary front perspective view illustrating a modified embodiment for the spring anchor mount of  FIG. 4A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference to the drawings wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several figures, a magazine follower is generally designated by the numeral  10 . The follower  10  is preferably a one-piece molded member. The follower  10  is configured and dimensioned for supporting a stack of cartridges (not illustrated) in a magazine and facilitating ejection of the cartridges from the magazine. A spring  12  engages the underside of the follower and biases same toward the upper ejection end of the magazine. 
     The magazine follower  10  may have numerous forms and configurations as well as dimensions. Dimensions for one embodiment only are set forth in some of the drawings. It should be appreciated that numerous other embodiments of a follower for which the spring anchor may have applicability are quite possible. 
     The magazine follower incorporates a spring anchor  20  which is adapted to facilitate the mounting of a spring  12  to the follower prior to insertion of the follower/spring assembly into the magazine case (not illustrated) during the magazine assembly process. 
     The follower  10  includes a platform  30  having an upper surface  32  with a raised silhouette portion  34  which allows for the cartridges to be loaded in a pair of slightly offset stacks within the magazine. The platform  30  has an underside  36  which integrally mounts the spring anchor  20  at a central location. 
     The follower  10  includes a forward guide side  40  and a rear guide side  50  which each extend vertically downwardly from the platform  30 . The forward guide side  40  preferably has a shallow recess  42  which receives a shallow tine (not illustrated) at the interior of the magazine. The rear side  50  includes an integral tine  52  which engages in a corresponding guide slot (not illustrated) at the rear side of the magazine. Arms  54  and  56  project forwardly at opposed rear side locations of the platform  30  and extend down the rear side to facilitate the smooth displacement of the platform as the cartridges are ejected from the magazine. The platform  30  also includes laterally spaced frontal recesses  37  and  39 . All of the structures that extend below the platform  30  function to facilitate the displacement of the follower in the magazine and/or provide a guide for the spring as the cartridges are ejected. 
     In the disclosed embodiment ( FIGS. 2-4 ), the platform  30  has a maximum length L of 2.36 inches and a maximum width W of 0.76 inches. The guide sides  40 ,  50  extend from the underside  36  of the platform a distance H of approximately 0.98 inches. The platform thickness T is approximately 0.15 inches. 
     With additional reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the spring anchor  20  integrally extends from the underside  36  of the platform. The spring anchor  20  is generally centrally located at the central portion of the follower and has a unitary structure. The spring anchor includes a connector  22  which mounts a quasi-hook-like retainer  24  having a recessed catch  26  and a longitudinal access slot  28  to the catch defined at the underside of the platform. The catch  26  preferably has an arcuate recess with a radius R which ranges between 0.035 and 0.060 inches with a center spaced from the underside  36  a distance d of between 0.060 and 0.090 inches. 
     As best illustrated in  FIG. 4A , dimension Y is a smaller value than dimension Z. The spacing defined by dimension Y allows the spring to pass between the underside of the platform and the bottom of the access opening  28  so that the free end portion of the spring is received in the catch  26 . In one embodiment, Y is approximately 0.07 inches and Z is approximately 0.095 inches. The longitudinal length l of retainer  24  is ( FIG. 3 ) approximately 0.30 inches. Other dimensions are possible. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 9A and 9B , the spring  12  engages the underside of the platform and the free end  14  of the spring slides through the access slot  28  upon pivoting the spring until the free end is received in the catch  26 . It will be appreciated that the spring anchor  20  has a quasi-resilient structure that will allow the spring wire to pass through the access slot for capture in the catch. Once the spring is snapped into an installed position ( FIG. 10 ), it is secured to the follower. The spring/follower subassembly is then inserted into the magazine box. 
     It will be appreciated that an opening  31  is formed in a central portion of the platform and disposed above the spring anchor  20 . The opening preferably has chamfered opposed upper access surfaces  33  and  35  leading into the opening. The opening  31  facilitates and enhances the follower molding process. 
     The spring anchor  20  represents a structure which facilitates the assembly of the spring  12  to the follower  10 . In a conventional assembly process, a circular opening is provided below the platform. It is necessary to align the free mounting end of the spring with the opening and insert the free end through the hole. By contrast, the spring anchor  20  cooperates with the underside of the platform to facilitate the reception of the spring into the catch by a simple twist or pivot of the spring. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 10A-10C , alternate embodiments of the catch  20 A,  20 B and  20 C are provided. Spring anchor  20 A has a catch  26 A with a V-shaped configuration. Spring anchor  20  has a catch  26 B with a truncated rectilinear configuration. Spring anchor  20 C has a catch  26 C with a faceted configuration. Other configurations are also possible. 
     With reference to  FIG. 12 , spring anchor  20 ′ is a modified embodiment of spring anchor  20  best illustrated in  FIG. 4A  wherein a rounded or beveled surface  29  is formed at the entry to the access slot  28  to facilitate reception of the spring by the spring anchor into the access slot  28  and eventually into the recessed catch  26 . 
     While preferred embodiments of the foregoing have been set forth for purposes of illustration, the foregoing description should not be deemed a limitation of the invention herein. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations and alternatives may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.