Patent Publication Number: US-2023152072-A1

Title: Precision Depth Measurement Device

Description:
(b) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     (c) STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     (d) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     (e) INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
     Not Applicable 
     (f) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     (g) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to depth measurement devices and more particularly pertains to a new depth measurement device for precisely measuring pocket depth and seated primer depth for consistent ammunition production. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to drop indicator devices used to measure pocket depth and seated primer depth when manufacturing ammunition shells. Devices for measuring the depth of a pocket or seated primer depth exist but are generally imprecise and/or specific to a particular ammunition casing size. This results in necessity to have multiple drop indicators and/or measurement error sufficient to result in undesired variation between ammunition shells, particularly those used for high accuracy applications such as competitive shooting. 
     (h) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a drop indicator having a stem. The stem has an outer peripheral surface. A hub is annular having an inner perimeter surface. The inner perimeter surface is complementary in size to the outer peripheral surface of the stem. Thus, the stem of the drop indicator is insertable into the hub. A collar is removably couplable to the hub. The collar has a collar lip extending inwardly from an internal surface of the collar. The collar lip defines a collar opening at a base end of the collar. The collar opening is complementary in size to an ammunition casing wherein the collar receives the ammunition casing and holds the drop indicator in a perpendicular position relative to the ammunition casing. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       (i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a top front side perspective view of a precision depth measurement device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG.  4   . 
         FIG.  6    is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure similar to  FIG.  5   . 
         FIG.  7    is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure similar to  FIG.  5   . 
         FIG.  8    is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  9    is a partial cut-away front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  10    is a partial cut-away front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     (j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS.  1  through  10    thereof, a new drop indicator embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS.  1  through  10   , the precision depth measurement device  10  generally comprises a drop indicator  12  having a stem  14 . The drop indicator  12  is of conventional design with the stem  14  having an outer peripheral surface  16 . A hub  18  is annular having an inner perimeter surface  20 . The inner perimeter surface  20  is complementary in size to the outer peripheral surface  16  of the stem  14  of the drop indicator  12  wherein the stem  14  of the drop indicator  12  is insertable into the hub  18 . A fastener  22  is couplable to the hub  18  such that the fastener  22  secures the hub  18  in a static position on the stem  14 . The fastener  22  may be a set screw  24 . The stem  14  of the drop indicator  12  is centered within the hub  18  when the hub  18  is coupled to the stem  14 . A hub lip  26  extends inwardly from the inner perimeter surface  20 . The hub lip  26  is positioned at a first end  28  of the hub  18 . The hub lip  26  defines a hub opening  30  at the first end  28  of the hub  18 . An annular groove  32  extends into an outer perimeter surface  34  of the hub  18 . 
     A collar  36  has an internal surface  38 . The collar  36  is removably couplable to the hub  18 . The collar  36  has a collar lip  40  extending inwardly from the internal surface  38  of the collar  36 . The collar lip  40  is positioned at a base end  42  of the collar  36 . The collar lip  40  defines a collar opening  44  at the base end  42  of the collar  36 . The collar opening  44  is configured to be complementary in size to an ammunition casing  46  wherein the collar  36  is configured for receiving the ammunition casing  46  and holding the drop indicator  12  in a perpendicular position relative to the ammunition casing  46 . The hub opening  30  has a radius less then a radius of the collar opening  44 . The hub opening  30  is concentrically aligned with the collar opening  44  when the collar  36  is engaged to the hub  18 . A ring  48  is pliable and positioned within the annular groove  32  such that an outer facing portion  50  of the ring  48  extends from the outer perimeter surface  20  of the hub  18 . The ring  48  is an O-ring or the like. Thus, the outer facing portion  50  of the ring  48  is positioned to abut an internal surface  54  of the collar  36  whereby the ring  48  frictionally engages the collar  36  to the hub  18 . 
     Ultimately, the collar  36  is one of a plurality of collars  36  with each collar  36  of having a unique sized collar opening  44 . Each collar opening  44  of the respective collars  36  corresponds to a conventional size for the respective ammunition casing  46  such as but not limited to 0.380, 0.22, 0.40, 9 mm, 10 mm, 0.45, etc. Thus, each collar  36  is configured to fit a respectively sized ammunition casing  46 . Each collar  36  is interchangeably couplable to the hub  18  to allow for consistent positioning of the drop indicator  12  relative to the ammunition casing  46  to provide consistent measurements enhancing uniformity between rounds. 
     In use, measurements are taken when loading or reloading ammunition casings  46 . Each ammunition casing  46  can be measured for pocket depth and again after placement of a primer  52  for primer depth. Consistent positioning of the drop indicator  12  relative to each ammunition casing  46  facilitates having greater uniformity between completed ammunition rounds. This provides greater reliability and uniformity in performance which is particularly advantageous in competition shooting. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.