Patent Publication Number: US-4318239-A

Title: Front loader for revolvers

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In firing the revolver, as in matches, and the like, the time required to open the cylinder, eject the spent casings, and then reload the cylinder chambers, is critical, particularly in rapid fire events, where the user is required to fire several loads within a given time. The object of this invention is to provide a quick loading means that moves the new loads, all at the same time, into the cylinder chambers and ejects the spent casings, reducing the time for reloading. Reloaders for revolvers have been known in the art, such as half moon clips, holding three cartridges, loading from the rear, but they require first the ejection of the spent casings, then inserting the new loads into the cylinder, then removal of the clips and closing the cylinder. In a preliminary search of the Patent Office records, the patent to Pflaume, U.S. Pat. No. 1,964,171 was found, which held a full load of cartridges for the revolver cylinder, but which again required first the ejection of the spent casings, and then, in a separate movement, inserting the new loads into the cylinder. This patent teaches the loading from the rear of the cylinder, not the front, and literally dropping the cartridges, by gravity, into the chambers of the revolver cylinder. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A front loading mechanism for revolvers having multiple chamber cylinders, an inclosed housing having rams therein, one for each chamber of the revolver cylinder, and having cartridge containing chambers with yieldable retaining means for maintaining the cartridges in the chambers and one end face of the housing having projecting alignment members and a lateral slot to receive a portion of the pivotal yoke holding the revolver cylinder in place. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a revolver having a cartridge containing cylinder. 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view with the cylinder in firing position. 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the cylinder in reloading position. 
     FIG. 4 is an end view of the revolver cylinder. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional side elevational view taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 4. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross sectional elevation view, enlarged, of the encircled area marked 6, of FIG. 5. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross sectional elevational frontal view, taken on the line 7--7 of FIG. 6, showing the cartridge retainer in retaining position. 
     FIG. 8 is a side elevational view, in cross section, of the loader in engagement with the revolver cylinder prepared to reload, showing the spent casing ejected in dotted lines, and 
     FIG. 9 is an end view of the loader, mounted on the yoke. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a revolver frame having the usual barrel 2, trigger 3 and hammer 4. A cylinder 5, having cartridge chambers 6, 6, is pivotally mounted on the frame 1 by means of a yoke 7 having a laterally extended arm mounted axially in said cylinder 5 and having a yieldable locking pin 8 in the extended end of said arm which enters a port 9 in the frame 1 when the cylinder 5 is in firing position on the frame, and which is moved out of locking position by the thumb operated slide 10, slidably mounted on the frame 1, and which bears against the extended end of the locking pin 8 in the usual manner of releasing revolver cylinders. The yoke 7 is mounted on the frame 1, with one end thereof pivotally mounted in the frame below the cylinder, and is adapted to swing outwardly, when the pin 8 is released, the swinging movement terminating by abutment of the cylinder against the frame 1 adjacent the trigger. A back plate 11 is mounted on one end of the cylinder, by means of the set screws 12, 12, and a series of openings 13, 13 are provided in the plate 11 to receive the usual racheting means of the revolver (not shown) for rotating the cylinder. Formed in the inside face of the back plate 11, are cartridge holding latch chambers 14, 14, which are aligned with the matching chambers in the cylinder, and in said latch chambers are mounted spring loaded cartridge retainers 16, there being one of said chambers and cartridge holding retainers for each cartridge chamber 6. 
     In said latch chamber, each chamber 14 has a restricted area forming a shoulder 17, which acts as a stop for the outward movement of the retainer 16. On the opposite end of the cylinder, are guide receiving indentations 18. 
     The loader cylinder 20 has chambers 21 matching the chambers 6 in the cylinder 5, and has the outwardly projecting guides 22 adapted to be received by the indentations 18 in the end face of the cylinder 5. A deep indentation 23 is formed axially in the cylinder 20 and extends laterally across the face of the cylinder 20, at the end abutting the cylinder 5 when in reloading position. A housing 30 extends over the cylinder 20, and has grooves 24 formed longitudinally on the outer surface thereof. Inwardly projecting members as 25, 25 on the inside wall of the housing fit in said grooves and maintain the housing in sliding relation on the cylinder 20. 
     Extending longitudinally within said housing and secured to one end thereof are the rams 26, 26, which are enlarged at one end thereof, that being the extended ends, and are positioned to axially pass through said cartridge chambers 21, 21. The chambers 21 are provided with cartridge retainers 27, which are flexible stops in the chambers 21, 21 at one end, the said retaining means, as defined for the cylinder 5, consisting of the spring loaded latch members 16, may be employed if desired, in lieu of the flexible stops 27. A guide button 28 is mounted on the top of the housing 30 to assist the user in aligning the loader cylinder 20 with the revolver cylinder 5. 
     Cartridge loads 29 are placed in the loader chamber 21, with the housing 30 in extended position. When it is desired to reload, the slide 10 is moved forwardly by the thumb of the user, and the pin 8 moved inwardly out of engagement, and the cylinder 5 pivoted outwardly on the yoke 7. The guide 28, the projections 22 of the loader and the countersunk yoke receiving indentation 23 are employed to quickly guide the loader into loading position on the cylinder 5 and when in place, the housing 30 is depressed, forcing the cartridges 29 into the chambers 6 of the cylinder 5, and as the ends of the cartridges 29 abut the spent casings 31, the continued depression of the housing 30 will eject the casing 31, the latch means 14 yielding to permit the release of the casing, and as the housing reaches the end of its stroke, the latch members 14 will engage the grooves 31a of the cartridges 29 and hold them in place as the loader is removed and the cylinder 5 pivoted back into firing position in the frame 1. 
     Each chamber is slightly enlarged at the rearward end 32 of the cylinder 5, so that regular standard cartridges may be loaded from the rear, if desired, the end of the retainers 16 being rounded, will permit such loading by yielding to the pressure of the cartridge entering from the rear. In loading in this manner, it will be necessary, of course, to first extract the spent casing.