Cartridge clip receiving and loading apparatus and method

Abstract

A cartridge clip receiving and loading apparatus includes a reservoir and a clip holder fixedly attached to an end of the reservoir. The reservoir has an upper holding chamber and a lower feed channel therebelow for receiving cartridges therefrom and arranging them side-by-side one another in a row and guiding sliding movement of cartridges in the row thereof toward a discharge opening of the lower feed channel at the one end of the reservoir for loading the cartridges one at a time into a clip fully inserted into a slot of the clip holder. The clip holder can be gripped by a user for shaking the clip holder and reservoir in order to cause arranging of the cartridges in the row thereof in the lower feed channel and sliding of the cartridges through the discharge opening and into the clip fully inserted in the clip holder.

Description

[0001] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/318,797, filed Sep. 12, 2001.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention generally relates to devices for loading cartridges into a cartridge clip used for loading a firearm, such as a pistol or rifle, and, more particularly, is concerned with a cartridge clip receiving and loading apparatus and method for receiving and holding a cartridge clip and loading cartridges one at a time into the cartridge clip from a bulk supply of the cartridges in random orientations.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] Pistol clips normally hold a plurality of cartridges, such as ten in number. These cartridges typically have a tubular casing portion open at the front end and closed at the rear end and a front slug or bullet portion disposed in and extending forwardly from the open front end of the casing portion. Also, the casing portion typically has a rigid annular rim extending outwardly from and about the closed rear end of the casing portion of the cartridge. The annular rim on the rear end of the casing portion is why these cartridges are commonly referred to as “rimmed cartridges”.

[0006] A typical clip, being shown in FIG. 7, basically includes an elongated hollow housing providing an interior channel open at one end of the housing and closed at an opposite end thereof, a plunger disposed in the interior channel of the housing for undergoing slidable movement through the interior channel and along the housing toward and away from the open end thereof, and an elongated coil spring disposed in the interior channel between the plunger and closed end of the housing and held under compression so as to bias the plunger toward and retain it at a rest position adjacent to the open end of the housing. Cartridges can be received one at a time in the interior channel through the open end of the housing, retained in the interior channel in a row in a side-by-side relationship with one another, and discharged one at a time from the interior channel through the open end of the housing. The biasing force of the coil spring on the plunger must be overcome to retract the plunger and allow loading of the cartridges into the interior chamber. The biasing force of the coil spring on the plunger also is sufficient to cause the plunger to force the row of cartridges toward the open end of the clip housing for one-at-a-time loading of the cartridges into the firearm.

[0007] Due to the height of the interior channel being less than the length of a given cartridge and also due to the end of the plunger having an inclined surface relative to its path of movement along the length of the clip housing, each cartridge will load into the interior channel in an inclined orientation so that the front slug or bullet portion of the cartridge is elevated above the rim on the rear end of the casing portion of the cartridge. With each cartridge in the row thereof so oriented in the interior channel of the clip, when the clip is inserted into a firearm for transferring the cartridges thereto, the front bullet portion of the cartridge will then correctly feed into the firing chamber of the firearm.

[0008] The coil spring of the clip is normally held under compression even when the clip is empty and so during loading of the clip the coil spring has to be further compressed with the maximum compression reached when the clip is completely filled. For facilitating further compression of the coil spring for loading the clip, a small knob or lever is attached to the plunger and extends through and outwardly beyond one of a pair of slots formed along opposite sides of the clip housing. In order to further compress, or retract, the coil spring, the tip of the user's thumb is placed against a side of the lever facing toward the open end of the clip housing and moved toward the closed end of the clip housing to overcome the biasing force of the coil spring and cause the plunger to move toward the closed end of the clip housing. When the coil spring is fully compressed or retracted and while the plunger is held at the retracted position, the user can then drop a cartridge at a time into the interior channel of the clip housing. However, as anyone who has ever filled a clip knows, the more times a user compresses or retracts the coil spring by using the lever in this manner and maintains the coil spring and plunger in the retracted position while filling the clip, the sorer the user's thumb becomes.

[0009] There are various guide devices known in the prior art for a user to employ by sliding the device over the clip to assist in retracting the lever and plunger and compressing the coil spring and holding them in the retracted position for loading the clip. Also, there are various loading devices known in the prior art for a user to employ to assist in loading cartridges one at a time into the interior channel of the clip housing from a receptacle which holds the cartridges together in bulk quantities and random orientations. One such rimmed cartridge loading device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,321 to Bosworth. The Bosworth loading device includes a receptacle having a pair of elongated strips forming a slot therebetween such that cartridges can be suspended through the slot in a row with their rims resting on the strips. A portion of the slot communicates with a reservoir of the receptacle for bulk storage of the cartridges and from which the cartridges can pass through the slot except for being suspended by their rims. A cover overlies and is spaced above an end portion of the slot so as to close that end portion of the slot from receiving cartridges directly from the bulk storage in the reservoir such that only cartridges already extending through the slot and suspended by their rims can pass under the cover and slide along the strips and the end portion of the slot toward an open end thereof in the receptacle where the cartridges can be transferred directly into a firearm magazine or a cartridge loading clip. A spring loaded follower is also provided for use in discharging the cartridges from the slot at its open end. The strips also are mounted to the receptacle by screws which can be adjusted to change the width of the slot. While these prior art devices appear to be satisfactory in use for the specific or limited purposes for which they were designed, none of them seem to provide a comprehensive solution of the aforementioned problems in the prior art.

[0010] Consequently, a need remains for an innovation which will provide such a comprehensive solution to the aforementioned problems in the prior art without introducing any new problems in place thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention provides a cartridge clip receiving and loading apparatus and method designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The apparatus of the present invention has features for assisting in easily retracting and holding in retracted position a spring-biased plunger of a conventional cartridge clip and loading cartridges one at a time into the clip from a bulk supply of the cartridges in random orientations by using the apparatus in accordance with the steps of the method of the present invention. The apparatus and method of the present invention enable a user to pour a plurality of cartridges, such as fifty cartridges, from a typical box of cartridges into a reservoir of the apparatus and then fill a ten-round clip five different times in an easy and rapid manner and without experiencing any soreness to any fingers as was caused heretofore from retraction of the lever, plunger and coil spring of the clip during each filling operation.

[0012] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a cartridge clip receiving and loading apparatus which comprises: (a) an elongated reservoir including an upper holding chamber for receiving and holding therein a multiplicity of cartridges in bulk quantity and random orientations and a lower feed channel having an upstream portion disposed below and open to the upper holding chamber for receiving cartridges therefrom and arranging the cartridges side-by-side one another in a row and a downstream portion open to the upstream portion but not directly to the upper holding chamber for guiding sliding movement of the cartridges in the row thereof along the downstream portion toward a discharge opening of the lower feed channel defined at one end of the reservoir for discharging the cartridges one at a time from the row thereof from the lower feed channel; and (b) a clip holder fixedly attached to the one end of the reservoir and having opposite open ends and an elongated interior slot extending between the opposite open ends such that the clip holder is adapted to have a cartridge clip inserted into the slot through one of the opposite open ends of the clip holder, being disposed remote from the reservoir, to position an open end of the cartridge clip at the other of the opposite open ends of the clip holder, being disposed adjacent to the reservoir, in alignment with the discharge opening of the lower feed channel of the reservoir for transferring and thus loading the cartridges one at a time into the cartridge clip from the lower feed channel, the clip holder also adapted to be gripped by a user for shaking the clip holder and reservoir in order to cause arranging of cartridges in the row thereof in the upstream portion of the lower feed channel and for raising the clip holder and reservoir to an inclined position in which the reservoir is disposed higher than the clip holder to cause sliding of cartridges in the row thereof along the downstream portion of the lower feed channel through the discharge opening thereof and into the open end of the cartridge clip disposed in the clip holder.

[0013] The present invention is also directed to a method for receiving and holding a cartridge clip and loading cartridges one at a time into the cartridge clip. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing an apparatus having a cartridge reservoir and a clip holder fixedly attached to an end of the cartridge reservoir, the cartridge reservoir having an upper holding chamber and a lower feed channel therebelow for receiving randomly oriented cartridges from the cartridge reservoir and arranging the cartridges side-by-side one another in a row and for guiding sliding movement of cartridges in the row thereof along the lower feed channel toward a discharge opening thereof at the one end of the cartridge reservoir for loading the cartridges one at a time into a clip inserted into a slot of the clip holder; (b) filling the upper holding chamber of the reservoir of the apparatus with a bulk quantity of the cartridges in random orientations; (c) shaking the apparatus to cause filling of at least a portion of the cartridges from the upper holding chamber into a row in the lower feed channel; (d) raising the cartridge reservoir and clip holder of the apparatus to an inclined position in which the cartridge reservoir is disposed higher than the clip holder to cause sliding of the cartridges in the row thereof along the lower feed channel toward the discharge opening; and (e) inserting a cartridge clip into the slot of the clip holder of the apparatus, with the apparatus held in the inclined position, to cause sliding of the cartridges from the discharge opening into the cartridge clip fully inserted in the clip holder.

[0014] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a cartridge clip receiving and loading apparatus of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1 through a cartridge reservoir of the apparatus showing an open upstream portion of a lower feed channel of the reservoir.

[0018] FIG. 2A is a view the same as that of FIG. 2 except now showing a cartridge disposed in the lower feed channel of the reservoir.

[0019] FIG. 3 is another enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1 through the cartridge reservoir of the apparatus showing a cover on an upper holding chamber of the reservoir.

[0020] FIG. 4 is an enlarged end elevational view as seen along line 4--4 of FIG. 1 showing a clip holder of the apparatus.

[0021] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 showing a plurality of cartridges disposed in the lower feed channel of the reservoir.

[0022] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5 showing in detail a detent ball mechanism that blocks cartridges from exiting a discharge opening of the lower feed channel when there is no clip fully inserted into the clip holder of the apparatus.

[0023] FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the apparatus showing aligning a cartridge clip with an elongated slot of the clip holder of the apparatus.

[0024] FIG. 8 is another sectional view of the apparatus showing inserting the cartridge clip into the elongated slot of the clip holder of the apparatus.

[0025] FIG. 9 is still another sectional view of the apparatus showing unblocking the discharge opening of the lower feed channel of the apparatus upon fully inserting the cartridge clip into the clip holder.

[0026] FIGS. 10 to 13 are a sequence of views showing steps of a method of the present invention for receiving and holding a cartridge clip in the clip holder of the apparatus and loading cartridges from a row thereof in the reservoir of the apparatus one at a time into the cartridge clip held in the clip holder of the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 to 9, there is illustrated a cartridge clip receiving and loading apparatus of the present invention, generally designated 10, for receiving and holding a cartridge clip C and loading shells or cartridges S one at a time into the cartridge clip C from a bulk supply of the cartridges S in random orientations provided in the apparatus 10. Basically, the apparatus 10 includes an elongated cartridge reservoir 12 for holding a multiplicity of shells or cartridges S, such as approximately fifty in number, and a clip holder 14 integrally attached to one end 12A of the reservoir 12 for receiving and holding a standard cartridge clip C in operative retracted condition with respect to the reservoir 12 for loading the clip C with a portion of the cartridges S, such as ten in number, from the reservoir 12. The apparatus 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is specifically adapted for the loading of twenty-two caliber cartridges S into the clip C; however, the principles of the present invention are equally applicable for loading any size caliber cartridge. Furthermore, the apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 is made of a suitable transparent plastic material, such as one marketed under the registered trademark, Lexan; however, any suitable material can be used. Also, apparatus 10 preferably is molded as two components with each having integrally connected portions of the cartridge reservoir 12 and the clip holder 14. When the two components are fastened to one another by appropriate screws (not shown) at four pairs of aligned holes 10A defined in the apparatus 10 they thus form the structure of the cartridge reservoir 12 and clip holder 14 of the apparatus 10. The apparatus 10 also can be formed by other combinations of molded parts which can be fastened together.

[0028] As best seen in FIGS. 2, 2A, 3, 5 and 7 to 9, the cartridge reservoir 12 of the apparatus 10 in its cross-sectional form has a wishbone configuration defining an upper storage or holding chamber 16 and a lower feed channel 18. The upper holding chamber 16 is adapted for receiving and holding therein the multiplicity of the cartridges S in the bulk quantity and random orientations. The lower feed channel 18 has an upstream portion 18A disposed below and open to the upper holding chamber 16 for receiving cartridges S therefrom and arranging the cartridges S side-by-side one another in a row and a downstream portion 18B open to the upstream portion 18A but not directly to the upper holding chamber 16 for guiding sliding movement of the cartridges S in the row thereof along the downstream portion 18B toward a discharge opening 20 of the lower feed channel 18 defined at one end 12A of the reservoir 12 for discharging the cartridges S one at a time from the row thereof from the lower feed channel 14.

[0029] More specifically, the cartridge reservoir 12 of the apparatus 10 includes a pair of opposite upper side walls 22, a pair of opposite upper end walls 24, and a pair of intermediate walls 26 which both extend between and each respectively rigidly connected with one of the upper side walls 22 and both of the upper end walls 24 so as to form therewith the upper holding chamber 16 of the reservoir 12. The upper holding chamber 16 has an elongated bottom opening 28 extending along and above the upstream and downstream portions 18A, 18B of the lower feed channel 18. The intermediate walls 26 slope inwardly and downwardly from the upper side walls 22 so that cartridges S will flow due to the influence of gravity force from the upper holding chamber 16 toward and through the bottom opening 28 thereof and into the lower feed channel 18 being located along a longitudinal centerline L of the cartridge reservoir 12.

[0030] The cartridge reservoir 12 of the apparatus 10 also includes a cover 30 slidably mounted between oppositely-facing interior grooves 32 defined in upper edge portions 22A of the upper side walls 22 of the reservoir 12 which define an open top 16A on the upper holding chamber 16. The cover 30 is of a substantially flat configuration and adapted to undergo sliding movement along the grooves 32 between opened and closed positions, as seen respectively in solid and dashed line forms in FIG. 1, relative to the open top 16A of the upper holding chamber 16.

[0031] The cartridge reservoir 12 of the apparatus 10 further includes a pair of opposite lower side walls 34 laterally spaced apart, a lower end wall 36, and a bottom wall 38 which connects with the lower end wall 36 and extends between and interconnects the lower side walls 34 so as to form therewith the lower feed channel 18 and the discharge opening 20 defined at the one end 12A of the reservoir 12. The lower side walls 34 of the lower feed channel 18 are integrally attached to and merge downwardly from the intermediate walls 26 of the upper holding chamber 16 along opposite sides of the bottom opening 28 thereof and the one lower end wall 36 of the lower feed channel 18 is integrally attached to and merges downwardly and inwardly from one of the upper end walls 24 of the upper holding chamber 16 such that the lower feed channel 18 is substantially of the same length as the upper holding chamber 16 but substantially narrower in width than the upper holding chamber 16. The opposite lower side walls 34 of the reservoir 12 have respective pairs of upper and lower longitudinal ribs 40, 42 formed thereon extending along the upstream and downstream portions 18A, 18B of the lower feed channel 18 and protruding into the lower feed channel 18 toward one another. The upper longitudinal ribs 40 are spaced apart from one another and the lower longitudinal ribs 42 are spaced apart from one another and spaced below the upper longitudinal ribs 40 such that the cartridges S arranged in the row thereof within the lower feed channel 18, as best seen in FIG. 2A, fit in generally upright orientations between the opposite lower side walls 34, the upper longitudinal ribs 40 and the lower longitudinal ribs 42 on the lower side walls 34. The upper longitudinal ribs 40 also define upwardly-facing shoulders 40A. The cartridges S are provided with annular rims R on same one upper ends of the cartridges S that have diameters greater than the bullet portions B of the cartridges S below their annular rims R and greater than the spacing between the upper longitudinal ribs 40 such that the bullet portions B of the cartridges S will fit through the spacing whereas the annular rims R will not and so will be retained above the shoulders 40A of the upper longitudinal ribs 40 such that, in effect, the cartridges S are substantially suspended or retained in the upright orientations by their rims R.

[0032] As best seen in FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 7 to 9, the cartridge reservoir 12 of the apparatus 10 further includes a bridge or platform 44 spaced above the upper longitudinal ribs 40 on the lower side walls 34 and spanning across the elongated bottom opening 28 of the upper holding chamber 16 and extending between and connected with the intermediate walls 26 of the upper holding chamber 16 above the downstream portion 18B of the lower feed channel 18. The platform 44 only closes off the downstream portion 18B of the lower feed channel 18 from establishing any direct communication with the upper holding chamber 16 while still permitting the annular rims R on the same one upper ends of the cartridges S in the row thereof to pass between the upper longitudinal ribs 40 and the platform 44 of the reservoir 12 as the cartridges S slidably move along the lower feed channel 18 toward the discharge opening 20 thereof. The platform 44 has an underside 44A provided with a raised step 46 so as to define a relief or recessed section 48 in the underside 44A being spaced above the upper longitudinal ribs 40 farther than the remainder of the underside 44A of the platform 44 is spaced above the upper longitudinal ribs 40 such that the cartridges S also are permitted to tilt to a preselected inclined orientation toward the discharge opening of the lower feed channel, as seen in FIGS. 5 and 7 to 9, in which the annular rims R at the same one upper ends of the cartridges S are disposed closest to the discharge opening 20 as the cartridges are slidably moved along the lower feed channel 18 toward the discharge opening 20. Further, the bottom wall 38 of the reservoir 12 has an interior raised and inclined ramp portion 50 formed along the downstream portion 18B of the lower feed channel 18 and spaced below the relief or recessed section 48 in the underside 44A of the platform 44 and leading to the discharge opening 20 of the lower feed channel 18 for further assisting in maintaining the tilting of the cartridges S to the preselected inclined orientation as the cartridges S move toward and through the discharge opening 20. The preselected inclined orientation of the cartridges S is similar to an inclined orientation of a leading edge or face F of the spring-loaded plunger P of the cartridge clip C to facilitate loading of the cartridges S into the clip C.

[0033] Referring now to FIGS. 4 to 9, the clip holder 14 of the apparatus 10 is fixedly, and preferably integrally, attached to the one end 12A of the cartridge reservoir 12. The clip holder 14 has a pair of opposite side walls 52 defining open ends 14A, 14B of the clip holder 14 and forming an elongated interior slot 54 extending between the opposite open ends 14A, 14B such that the clip holder 14 is adapted to have the cartridge clip C inserted into the slot 54 through the one open end 14A of the clip holder 14, being disposed remote from the cartridge reservoir 12. Such insertion of the cartridge clip C will position an open end E thereof at the other open end 14B of the clip holder 14, being disposed adjacent to the one end 12A of the cartridge reservoir 12, in alignment with the discharge opening 20 of the lower feed channel 18 of the reservoir 12 for transferring and thus loading the cartridges S one at a time into the cartridge clip C from the lower feed channel 18. The clip holder 14 also is adapted to be gripped by a user for manipulating the positions of the clip holder 14 and reservoir 12 of the apparatus 10 in order to cause arranging of cartridges S in the row thereof in the upstream portion 18A of the lower feed channel 18 and sliding of cartridges S in the row thereof along the downstream portion 18B of the lower feed channel 18 through the discharge opening 20 thereof and into the open end E of the cartridge clip C.

[0034] As best seen in FIG. 4, the clip holder 14 of the device 12 at the one open end 14A of the clip holder 14, being disposed remote from the reservoir 12, includes a stop element 56 attached along an exterior side of the one open end 14A for engaging the spring-biased plunger P in the cartridge clip C and causing retraction thereof away from the open end E of the cartridge clip C as the cartridge clip C is inserted through the one open end 14A of the clip holder 14 and into the elongated slot 54 thereof and toward the other open end 14B thereof, being disposed adjacent to the reservoir 12. The stop element 56 preferably takes the form of a screw 58 threadably secured to a pair of brackets 60 rigidly, and preferably integrally, attached on and projecting outwardly from the exterior side of the one open end 14A of the clip holder 14.

[0035] As best seen in FIG. 6, the apparatus 10 further has a detent ball mechanism 62 provided on an exterior side 14C of the clip holder 14 and forceably biased by a coil spring 64 to normally engage a leading one of the cartridges S in the row thereof in the lower feed channel 18 of the reservoir 12 so as to block cartridges S from exiting the lower feed channel 18 through the discharge opening 20 thereof, as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, when the elongated slot 52 of the clip holder 14 is empty or the cartridge clip C is not fully inserted in the slot 52. The detent ball mechanism 62 also is operable to disengage from the leading one of the cartridges S in response to engagement with the one open end E of the cartridge clip C, as seen in FIG. 9, upon the cartridge clip C being fully inserted into the elongated slot 54 of the clip holder 14.

[0036] Referring now to FIGS. 10 to 12, there is illustrated the steps of the method of the present invention which uses the apparatus 10 for receiving and holding the cartridge clip C and loading cartridges S one at a time into the cartridge clip C. The apparatus 10, as described above, has the cartridge reservoir 12 and the clip holder 14 fixedly attached to the end 12A of the cartridge reservoir 12. The cartridge reservoir 12, as further described above, has the upper holding chamber 16 and the lower feed channel 18 therebelow for receiving randomly oriented cartridges S from the cartridge reservoir 12 and arranging the cartridges S side-by-side one another in a row and for guiding sliding movement of cartridges S in the row thereof along the lower feed channel 18 toward the discharge opening 20 thereof at the one end of the cartridge reservoir 12 for loading the cartridges C one at a time into the clip C inserted into the slot 54 of the clip holder 14. FIG. 10 shows a user U gripping the clip holder 14 of the apparatus 10 and filling the upper holding chamber 16 of the reservoir 12 of the apparatus 10 with a bulk quantity of the cartridges S in random orientations. FIG. 11 shows the user U shaking the apparatus 10 to cause filling of at least a portion of the cartridges S from the upper holding chamber 16 into a row in the lower feed channel 18. FIG. 12 shows the user U raising the apparatus 10 to position the cartridge reservoir 12 and clip holder 14 thereof in an inclined position in which the cartridge reservoir 12 is disposed higher than the clip holder 14 to cause sliding of the cartridges S in the row thereof along the lower feed channel 18 toward the discharge opening 20 thereof. FIG. 13 shows the user U inserting a cartridge clip C into the slot 54 of the clip holder 14 of the apparatus 10, with the apparatus held in the inclined position, to cause sliding of the cartridges S from the discharge opening 20 into the cartridge clip C fully inserted in the clip holder 14.

[0037] The shaking and raising steps shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 can be repeated until the lower feed channel 18 is filled with the desired predetermined number of the cartridges S. Also, prior to shaking the apparatus 10, the cover 30 on the reservoir 12 of the apparatus 12 is slid open, as shown in dashed line form in FIG. 1, to facilitate the filling the reservoir with the cartridges and then slid closed, as shown in solid line form in FIG. 1, to retain the cartridges therein as the apparatus 10 is shook by the user U. As the clip C is inserted into the slot 54 of the clip holder 14, being shown in the sequence of FIGS. 7 to 9, the spring-biased plunger P of the clip C is brought into engagement with the stop element 56 on the exterior portion of the clip holder 14 which causes retraction of the plunger P into the cartridge clip C. Also, the clip C can be reciprocally moved, or “pumped” along the slot 54 of the clip holder 14 of the apparatus 10 toward and away from the discharge opening 20 of the lower feed channel 18 to assist in completing the loading of cartridges S from the row thereof into the cartridge clip C.

[0038] The discharge opening 20 of the lower feed channel 18 is normally blocked by the detent ball mechanism 62 to prevent cartridges S in the lower feed channel 18 from exiting the lower feed channel 18 through the discharge opening 20 thereof into the clip holder 14 before the cartridge clip C is fully inserted into the clip holder 14. In response to fully inserting the cartridge clip C into the clip holder 14, the detent ball mechanism 62 is laterally displaced by the one end 14A of the clip C and thus the discharge opening 20 of the lower feed channel 18 becomes unblocked so as to allow the cartridges S in the lower feed channel 18 to slide along the lower feed channel 18 through the discharge opening 20 and into the cartridge clip C.

[0039] It is to be understood that the principles of the subject invention are not limited to any size or caliber size cartridge or any particular clip design but are equally applicable to any and all cartridges and clip designs similar to the one described above and shown in the drawings.

[0040] It is thought that the present invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely preferred or exemplary embodiment thereof.

Claims

1. A cartridge clip receiving and loading apparatus, comprising:

(a) an elongated reservoir including an upper holding chamber for receiving and holding therein a multiplicity of cartridges in bulk quantity and random orientations and a lower feed channel having an upstream portion disposed below and open to said upper holding chamber for receiving cartridges therefrom and arranging the cartridges side-by-side one another in a row and a downstream portion open to said upstream portion but not directly to said upper holding chamber for guiding sliding movement of the cartridges in the row thereof along said downstream portion toward a discharge opening of said lower feed channel defined at one end of said reservoir for discharging the cartridges one at a time from the row thereof from said lower feed channel; and

(b) a clip holder fixedly attached to said one end of said reservoir and having opposite open ends and an elongated interior slot extending between said opposite open ends such that said clip holder is adapted to have a cartridge clip inserted into said slot through one of said opposite open ends of said clip holder, being disposed remote from said reservoir, to position an open end of the cartridge clip at the other of said opposite open ends of said clip holder, being disposed adjacent to said reservoir, in alignment with said discharge opening of said lower feed channel of said reservoir for transferring and thus loading the cartridges one at a time into the cartridge clip from said lower feed channel, said clip holder also adapted to be gripped by a user for shaking said clip holder and reservoir in order to cause arranging of cartridges in the row thereof in said upstream portion of said lower feed channel and for raising said clip holder and reservoir to an inclined position in which said reservoir is disposed higher than said clip holder to cause sliding of cartridges in the row thereof along said downstream portion of said lower feed channel through said discharge opening thereof and into the open end of the cartridge clip disposed in said clip holder.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said reservoir includes a pair of upper side walls and a pair of intermediate walls together extending between and each respectively connected with one of said upper side walls so as to form therewith said upper holding chamber having an elongated opening extending along and above said upstream and downstream portions of said lower feed channel, said reservoir further including a platform extending between and interconnecting said intermediate walls above said downstream portion of said lower feed channel so as to close only said downstream portion from direct communication with said upper holding chamber.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said intermediate walls of said reservoir slope inwardly and downwardly from said upper side walls of said reservoir so as to cause cartridges in said upper holding chamber to flow due to gravity force toward said lower feed channel being located along a longitudinal centerline of said reservoir.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said reservoir further includes a cover slidably mounted between upper edge portions of said upper side walls of said reservoir defining an open top on said upper holding chamber, said cover being adapted to undergo sliding movement between opened and closed positions relative to said open top of said upper holding chamber.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said clip holder at said one open end thereof includes a stop element attached along an exterior side of said one open end for engaging a spring-biased plunger in the cartridge clip and causing retraction thereof away from the open end of the cartridge clip as the cartridge clip is inserted through said one open end of said clip holder into said elongated slot thereof and toward said other open end thereof.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said stop element is a screw threadably secured to a pair of brackets attached on and projecting outwardly from said exterior side of said one open end of said clip holder.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said reservoir includes a pair of opposite lower side walls laterally spaced apart and a bottom wall extending between and interconnecting said lower side walls so as to form therewith said lower feed channel, said opposite lower side walls having respective upper longitudinal ribs formed thereon along said upstream and downstream portions of said lower feed channel and protruding into said lower feed channel toward one another such that the cartridges arranged in the row thereof within said lower feed channel fit in generally upright orientations between said opposite lower side walls and said upper longitudinal ribs thereon with annular rims on same one ends of the cartridges disposed above said upper longitudinal ribs.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said bottom wall of said reservoir has an interior raised and inclined ramp portion formed along said downstream portion of said lower feed channel leading to said discharge opening thereof for assisting in tilting of the cartridges to a preselected inclined orientation as the cartridges move toward and through said discharge opening.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said reservoir further includes respective lower longitudinal ribs formed on said opposite side walls thereof along said upstream and downstream portions of said lower feed channel and spaced below said upper longitudinal ribs and protruding toward one another such that the cartridges arranged in the row thereof within said lower feed channel fit between said lower longitudinal ribs on said opposite lower side walls of said reservoir.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said reservoir further includes a pair of upper side walls and a pair of intermediate walls together extending between and each respectively connected with one of said upper side walls so as to form therewith said upper holding chamber having an elongated opening extending along and above said upstream and downstream portions of said lower feed channel.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said reservoir further includes a platform spaced above said upper longitudinal ribs on said lower side walls and extending between and interconnecting said intermediate walls above said downstream portion of said lower feed channel so as to only close said downstream portion from direct communication with said upper holding chamber and still permit the annular rims on the same one ends of the cartridges in the row thereof to pass between said upper longitudinal ribs and said platform of said reservoir as the cartridges move along said lower feed channel toward said discharge opening thereof.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said platform has an underside provided with a raised step so as to define a relief section being spaced above said upper longitudinal ribs farther than the remainder of said underside of said platform is spaced above said upper longitudinal ribs such that the cartridges are permitted to tilt to a preselected inclined orientation toward said discharge opening of said lower feed channel in which the annular rims at the same one ends of the cartridges are disposed closest to said discharge opening as the cartridges are slidable moved along said lower feed channel toward said discharge opening.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein said bottom wall of said reservoir has an interior raised and inclined ramp portion formed along said downstream portion of said lower feed channel spaced below said relief section in said underside of said platform and leading to said discharge opening of said lower feed channel for assisting in tilting of the cartridges to the preselected inclined orientation as the cartridges move toward and through said discharge opening.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said intermediate walls of said reservoir slope inwardly and downwardly from said upper side walls of said reservoir so as to cause cartridges from said upper holding chamber to flow due to gravity force toward said lower feed channel being located along a longitudinal centerline of said reservoir.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said reservoir further includes a cover slidably mounted between upper edge portions of said upper side walls of said reservoir defining an open top on said upper holding chamber, said cover being adapted to undergo sliding movement between opened and closed positions relative to said open top of said upper holding chamber.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a detent ball mechanism provided on an exterior side of said clip holder and being operable to engage a leading one of the cartridges in the row thereof in said lower feed channel of said reservoir so as to block cartridges from exiting from said lower feed channel through said discharge opening thereof when said elongated slot of said clip holder is empty, said detent ball mechanism being further operable to disengage from the leading one of the cartridges in response to engagement with the one open end of the cartridge clip upon the cartridge clip being fully inserted into said elongated slot of said clip holder.

17. A method for receiving and holding a cartridge clip and loading cartridges one at a time into the cartridge clip, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an apparatus having a cartridge reservoir and a clip holder fixedly attached to an end of the cartridge reservoir, the cartridge reservoir having an upper holding chamber and a lower feed channel therebelow for receiving randomly oriented cartridges from the cartridge reservoir and arranging the cartridges side-by-side one another in a row and for guiding sliding movement of cartridges in the row thereof along the lower feed channel toward a discharge opening thereof at the one end of the cartridge reservoir for loading the cartridges one at a time into a clip inserted into a slot of the clip holder;

(b) filling the upper holding chamber of the reservoir of the apparatus with a bulk quantity of the cartridges in random orientations;

(c) shaking the apparatus to cause filling of at least a portion of the cartridges from the upper holding chamber into a row in the lower feed channel;

(d) raising the cartridge reservoir and clip holder of the apparatus to an inclined position in which the cartridge reservoir is disposed higher than the clip holder to cause sliding of the cartridges in the row thereof along the lower feed channel toward the discharge opening; and

(e) inserting a cartridge clip into the slot of the clip holder of the apparatus, with the apparatus held in the inclined position, to cause sliding of the cartridges from the discharge opening into the cartridge clip fully inserted in the clip holder.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said shaking and raising steps are repeated until the lower feed channel is filled with a predetermined number of the cartridges.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of:

prior to shaking the apparatus, opening a cover on the reservoir of the apparatus to facilitate the filling the reservoir with cartridges and then closing the cover after the filling of the reservoir of the apparatus.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of:

engaging a spring-biased plunger in the cartridge clip with a stop element on an exterior portion of the clip holder and causing retraction of the plunger into the cartridge clip as the cartridge clip is inserted into the clip holder of the apparatus.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of:

reciprocally moving the cartridge clip along the clip holder of the apparatus toward and away from the discharge opening of the lower feed channel to assist in completing the loading of cartridges from the row thereof into the cartridge clip.

22. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of:

blocking the discharge opening of the lower feed channel to prevent cartridges in the lower feed channel from exiting the lower feed channel through the discharge opening thereof into the clip holder before the cartridge clip is fully inserted into the clip holder.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising the step of:

unblocking the discharge opening of the lower feed channel to allow cartridges in the lower feed channel to exit the lower feed channel through the discharge opening thereof in response to fully inserting the cartridge clip into the clip holder.