Abstract:
The present invention provides a mechanism for a magazine for spherical bullets able to rapidly clear bullets from the internal space of a retaining tube, thereby quickly preparing for reloading of bullets. The present invention primarily consists of a winding wheel operationally driving a drive device through a relational disposition therebetween, and uses a pullback cord fitted to the drive device to effect a rapid pulling operation, thereby swiftly driving the winding wheel to enable clearing of the internal space of the retaining tube and speedily completing preparation for reloading of bullets.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    (a) Field of the Invention The present invention provides a magazine for loading spherical bullets, in which a clearing mechanism enables rapid clearing of the space inside a retaining tube ready for reloading of bullets. 
         [0002]    (b) Description of the Prior Art 
         [0003]    In the prior art, replenishing a gun with paintballs when attacking during a paintball firing game uses a funnel shaped bullet receptacle, and gravity is used to cause the paintballs to drop into the trigger mechanism of the gun body, and is thus limited by the vertical direction of gravity, which prevents the gun from being fired at an angle. In addition, the bullet receptacle is connected to the upper portion of the gun body, thereby interfering with the firing line of sight, and thus losing the simulation effect of using a gun. 
         [0004]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , which shows a recent design, in which an imitation magazine  12  is mounted to a magazine cross-under opening  11  at a lower portion of a gun body  1  to simulate that of a real gun. The magazine  12  is internally provided with a vertical internal tube  121 , and a bottom end of the internal tube  121  is fitted with a tensioned spring  122 . The working end of the tensioned spring  122  is fitted with a push-pull piece  123 . The push-pull piece  123  is subjected to pulling by a pull cord  124 , and a spool  125  inversely rewinds the pull cord  124 . When the spool  125  rewinds and causes the push-pull piece  123  to retreat, then the internal tube  121  is cleared, thereby enabling paintballs  10  to be deposited into the internal tube  121 . 
         [0005]    The placement operation for depositing the paintballs  10  requires that the paintballs  10  are spherical bodies intolerant to pressure, and thus the pull cord  124  is used to pull back the push-pull piece  123  to form a space not requiring external force to press the paintballs  10  therein, and only requiring the paintballs  10  to be freely dropped and deposited into the magazine. However, as depicted in  FIG. 1 , only a few paintballs  10  can be deposited into the magazine  12 . 
         [0006]    Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , which show a further configuration able to increase the number of paintballs that can be loaded into a magazine, and which primarily comprises a U-shaped retaining tube  5  disposed in the interior of a bullet magazine body  2 . A tube opening  51  at one end of the retaining tube  5  is fixedly connected to an upper plate  22  of the bullet magazine body  2 . The back side of the upper plate  22  is correspondingly fitted with a winding wheel  32 , and the winding wheel  32  is acted on by a toggle switch  24  to effect a one-way switch operation. The retaining tube  5  is a tubular U-shaped body, the internal back end of which is fitted with a push-pull spring  6 . Front and rear sections of the push-pull spring  6  have unequal elasticity coefficients, and the working end of the push-pull spring  6  pushes a push-pull spherical body  60 . The push-pull spherical body  60  is pulled backward by the winding wheel  32  by means of a pull cord  4 , and during the backward pulling process of the push-pull spherical body  60 , the winding wheel  32  is subjected to the one-way blocking function of the toggle switch  24 , thereby stopping the push-pull spherical body  60  from springing back. 
         [0007]    The one-way blocking function is blocked by the toggle switch  24 , and the toggle switch  24  is designed with a raised configuration. When the magazine body  2  is attached to a gun, any corresponding component of the gun is used to press and move the toggle switch  24  and thereby release the winding wheel  32 , thus enabling the push-pull spherical body  60  to outwardly push the paintballs  10 . 
         [0008]    The winding wheel  32  is connected to the upper plate  22  by means of a connecting mount  23 . When the push-pull spring  6  is pushed back forming a compressed state by back pressure from the push-pull spherical body  60 , then the push-pull spring  6  presses and locks an elastic accumulation area H. When the push-pull spherical body  60  is released, then tension in the push-pull spring  6  sequentially pushes the paintballs  10  toward the tube opening  51 . During the pushing process, the paintballs  10  are sequentially pushed out relying only on the guiding effect of the spherical body  60 , and forms an unhindered curved progressive traction at the U-shaped bottom portion. 
         [0009]    A winding operation uses the winding wheel  32  outwardly connected to a rotating disc  3 , the rotating disc  3  being fitted with a joggling lever  31 , to provide a hand operated method for joggling the winding wheel  32 . 
         [0010]    The aforementioned winding operation uses the joggling lever  31  to wind the winding wheel  32 . However, because of the small structure, thus, the circumferential velocity of the winding wheel  32  is low, thereby correspondingly affecting the returning speed of the push-pull spherical body  60 . 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a magazine for spherical bullets, which is able to clear the internal space of a channel of a retaining tube in the shortest time possible and enable rapid reloading of bullets ready for firing. A drive device is used to linearly pull a pullback cord over a long distance, and the energy obtained therefrom rapidly acts on a winding wheel causing it to completely clear the retaining tube ready for reloading in an extremely short time. 
         [0012]    Another objective of the present invention lies in the drive device unidirectionally driving a drive gear by means of a one-way gear meshing device, thereby causing the winding wheel to be unidirectionally driven. 
         [0013]    A third objective of the present invention lies in a spool coaxially driving a restoring device, in which the kinetic energy released by the restoring device inversely acts on the spool, thereby rewinding the pullback cord. 
         [0014]    To enable a further understanding of said objectives and the technological methods of the invention herein, a brief description of the drawings is provided below followed by a detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a magazine of the prior art with a linear bullet loading channel. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a magazine of the prior art provided with a retaining tube. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the exterior of a winding device of the prior art. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the driving mechanism of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view depicting implementation of the clearing operation according to the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view depicting the present invention ready for reloading of bullets after clearing the retaining tube. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a schematic view depicting inverse releasing of paintballs after being fully loaded according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0023]    The present invention provides a magazine for spherical bullets, in which a clearing mechanism enables clearing the internal channel space of a retaining tube in the shortest time possible and enable rapid reloading of bullets ready for firing. Referring to  FIG. 4 , the magazine described in the present invention provides a push-pull spring  6  pin mounted in the interior of a retaining tube  5  used for loading spherical bullets. One end of the push-pull spring  6  abuts against the rear closed end of the interior of the retaining tube  5 . The retaining tube  5  is provided with a tube opening  51  that penetrates the upper portion of a magazine body  2 . The working end of the push-pull spring  6  is joined to a push-pull spherical body  60 , and the push-pull spherical body  60  is able to pass through and round the center of the retaining tube  5  by means of a connection with a pull wire  4 . Moreover, the pull wire  4  winds round a winding wheel  32  provided in the magazine body  2 , and the winding wheel  32  winds the pull wire  4  in one direction and releases the pull wire  4  in the reverse direction. During the winding process, the push-pull spherical body  60  inversely abuts against the working end of the push-pull spring  6  and compresses the push-pull spring  6  backward, thereby providing the push-pull spring  6  with a compressed prestress force, and the winding action of the winding wheel  32  causes pulling on the pull wire  4 . Finally, releasing a toggle switch  24  mounted on the exterior of the magazine body  2  causes the winding wheel  32  to be in a free state, thereby enabling the pull wire  4  to subjected to the effect of the push-pull spring  6  and pushed outward. 
         [0024]    The aforementioned toggle switch  24  can be joined to the upper portion of an upper plate  22  in the same direction as the tube opening  51 . Accordingly, when the magazine is mounted on a gun body (not shown in the drawings), any component disposed on the gun body will contact and press the toggle switch  24 , thereby releasing the winding wheel  32 . 
         [0025]    The present invention provides a configuration enabling rapid pulling back of the pull wire  4  using a drive device  7  that relationally drives the winding wheel  32 . The drive device  7  rapidly drives the winding wheel  32  by means of a linear pulling operation using a pullback cord  9 , thereby enabling the push-pull spherical body  60  to be rapidly retrieved by means of the winding wheel  32 , and making room inside the internal channel space of the retaining tube  5 . 
         [0026]    Regarding the linkage relationship between the drive device  7  and the winding wheel  32  of the present invention, referring to  FIG. 5 , in which an axle center  320  pin mounted to the interior of the magazine body  2  enables the pull wire  4  to wind round the wheel surface of the winding wheel  32 , the winding wheel  32  being coaxially coupled to a driven gear  322 . The effect of the pullback cord  9  on a drive gear  72  of the drive device  7  drives the winding wheel  32  by means of the driven gear  322 . The drive device  7  comprises a spool  71 , and the spool  71  indirectly unidirectionally drives the drive gear  72  through a one-way gear meshing device  73 . The spool  71  is pin connected to the interior of the magazine body  2  by means of a pivot shaft  70 . The pullback cord  9  is wound round the wheel surface of the spool  71 , and the pullback cord  9  penetrates and extends out the exterior of the magazine body  2  and is joined to a pull stopper  90 . The user is able to pull and hold the pull stopper  90  to rapidly drive the spool  71  by means of a linear pulling operation, thereby causing the spool  71  to drive the drive gear  72  through the one-way gear meshing device  73 , whereupon the drive gear  72  drives the driven gear  322 . Accordingly, a high-speed linear pulling operation of the pull stopper  90  correspondingly causes high-speed rotational driving of the spool  71 . 
         [0027]    The spool  71  drives the driven gear  322  through the drive gear  72 , and can be replaced with spools of different diameter between the drive gear  72  and the driven gear  322  to change the gear ratio, thereby enabling the drive gear  72  to increase the rotational speed of the driven gear  322 . Moreover, the spool  71  can be smaller than the diameter of the drive gear  72 , thereby correspondingly increasing circumferential velocity of the drive gear  72 . 
         [0028]    The spool  71  is supported in the interior of the magazine body  2  by the pivot shaft  70 , and the spool  71  drives a restoring device  8  by means of a drive shaft  82 , in which the restoring device  8  is able to restore the system. The interior of the restoring device  8  is fitted with a drive disc  83  enabling the drive shaft  82  to be joined thereto. The circumference of the drive disc  83  acts on a rewinding spring  81 , and the rewinding spring  81  can be a spool shaped spring. The spool shaped spring  81  is used to enable forming a purely mechanical restoring function, and the direction in which the spring is pulled is opposite to the spool  71 . The restoring device  8  is provided with at least two securing locations, and blocking pins  701 ,  702  are used to secure the restoring device  8  to the magazine body  2 , thereby disabling the outer casing of the restoring device  8  from rotating. When one end of the rewinding spring  81  is fixed, then the drive shaft  82  drives the other end of the rewinding spring  81  toward the drive disc  83 . The driving operation occurs after the pullback cord  9  is pulled, and the pulling action is transmitted to the drive disc  83  by means of the spool  71 . The imparted energy from the reverse pulling action of the spool  71  is stored in the rewinding spring  81 , and when the pull stopper  90  is released, then the energy of the rewinding spring  81  is inversely transmitted to the spool  71  through the drive shaft  82 , whereupon the spool  71  rewinds the pullback cord  9 . 
         [0029]    Regarding the one-way gear meshing device  73  of the drive device  7 , when the spool  71  is acted on by pulling of the pullback cord  9 , a one-way gear meshing action drives the drive gear  72 , whereupon the drive gear  72  transfers the energy to the driven gear  322 . When the rewinding spring  81  of the restoring device  8  inversely releases its energy, then, during the rewinding process of the pullback cord  9  by the spool  71 , a spacing of the one-way gear meshing device  73  correspondingly effects a one-way release action of the drive gear  72 , thereby enabling non-interference between the spool  71  and the drive gear  72 . 
         [0030]    One side of the winding wheel  32  is coaxially joined to a one-way ratchet wheel  321 , and the one-way ratchet wheel  321  enables the toggle switch  24  mounted on the exterior of the magazine body  2  to effect a one-way blocking action. A blocking tooth  241  extends into the interior from the toggle switch  24 , and the blocking tooth  241  movably blocks the one-way ratchet wheel  321 , thereby forming a one-way blocking action. After the winding wheel  32  completes rewinding of the pull wire  4 , then internal channel space of the retaining tube  5  (not shown in the drawings) is transiently kept clear by the toggle switch  24 . 
         [0031]    Regarding actual implementation of the present invention, please refer to  FIG. 6 , according to the aforementioned assembly, the drive device  7  is adjoined to one side of the winding wheel  32 , and a linkage relationship is provided between the drive gear  72  and the driven gear  322 . When the user linearly pulls the pullback cord  9  using the pull stopper  90 , then the spool  71  is made to rotate in a clockwise direction while simultaneously driving and rotating the drive gear  72  in a clockwise direction. The drive gear  72  acts on the driven gear  322 , thereby causing the driven gear  322  to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction, which simultaneously drives the winding wheel  32 , and thus causes the winding wheel  32  to rewind the pull wire  4 . During the pulling process by the pullback cord  9 , the push-pull spherical body  60  retreats backward along with the pull wire  4 . The push-pull spring  6  is compressed during the retreating process, thereby providing the push-pull spring  6  with a reserve energy, which is ready to outwardly push away the push-pull spherical body  60  at any time. However, if the winding wheel  32  is restrained by the toggle switch  24  as described above, then, during the time when the toggle switch  24  has not released the winding wheel  32 , then the pull wire  4  forms a pulling and holding action. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , after completing the aforementioned clearing operation of the retaining tube  5 , then the user is able to sequentially load paintballs  10  through the tube opening  51 . 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , after completing loading, when using the present invention, the toggle switch  24  is subjected to an external force to release the winding wheel  32  (please refer to the structural relationship shown in  FIG. 5 , which depicts the release action), and the energy stored in the push-pull spring  6  is released outward. The push-pull spherical body  60  first pushes forward the paintballs  10  sequentially loaded in the internal channel of the retaining tube  5 , and the paintball  10  contained in the tube opening  51  is ready to leave the magazine at any time.  FIG. 8  depicts the situation in which the magazine is mounted on a gun (not shown in the drawings), and after all the paintballs  10  have been pushed out from inside the retaining tube  5 , thereby clearing the retaining tube  5 , then the user can carry out the operation as depicted in  FIG. 6 , whereby the pullback cord  9  is pulled by means of the pull stopper  90 , thereby causing the pullback cord  9  to drive the spool  71 , whereupon the drive gear  72  drives the driven gear  322  to inversely drive the winding wheel  32  and pull the pull wire  4 , which inversely rewinds, thereby inversely retreating the push-pull spherical body  60  and clearing the internal channel space of the retaining tube  5 , which is thus ready for loading of paintballs again as depicted in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0034]    Based on the described embodiments, the present invention effects a rapid winding action on the winding wheel  32  by pulling on the pull stopper  90  to pull the flexible pullback cord  9 , thereby enabling sequential reloading of spherical bullets into the interior of the retaining tube  5 . Linear rapid pulling of the pullback cord  9  is effected when the user pulls the pull stopper  90 , and the length of the section of the pullback cord  9  can be many times longer than the circumference of the spool  71 . Accordingly, the user needs only to pull once to completely rewind the pull wire  4 . Even if the line section of the pullback cord  9  is not sufficiently long, then the pulling operation can be carried out twice, whereby pulling the pullback cord  9  two times, and with the intervention of the one-way gear meshing device  73 , as depicted in  FIG. 5 , enables the drive gear  72  to unidirectionally drive the driven gear  322 . 
         [0035]    The drive gear  72  carries out one drive operation on the driven gear  322  each time the pullback cord  9  is pulled, and pulling the pullback cord  9  two times causes the drive gear  72  to carry out two drive operations on the driven gear  322 . Even if the line section of the pullback cord  9  is not long enough, the number of times the pullback cord  9  is pulled can be accumulated in order for the winding wheel  32  to sufficiently rewind the length of the pull wire  4 . In principle, the design of the present invention uses multiple speed increase from the drive gear  72  increasing the rotational speed of the driven gear  322  and a smaller circumference of the spool  71  compared to the drive gear  72 , thereby enabling the pull wire  4  to be sufficiently rewound by only pulling the pullback cord  9  one time. 
         [0036]    Based on the design of the present invention, when acting out a paintball shooting game, the internal channel space of the retaining tube in the interior of the magazine can be rapidly cleared and rapidly reloaded with bullets ready for firing again. Accordingly, the present invention provides an innovative design for magazine reloading of spherical bullets ready for firing again, and thus a new patent application is proposed herein. 
         [0037]    It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.