 |
Description  |
|
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an automatic primer feed mechanism for shotgun
shell reloaders. Known shotgun shell reloaders have included work stations
with apparatus for ejecting the spent primer from a used shotgun shell,
for seating a new primer in the base of the shell, for inserting a charge
of powder, wadding, and a charge of shot into the shell, and for crimping
the end of the shell. These operations were performed either in sequence
(on one shell) or simultaneously (on a series of shells), by means of a
hand actuated lever which produced relative motion between a tool carriage
which supported the reloading tools and a work table upon which the shell
or shells were supported. The reloader included a container for powder, a
container for shot, a slide valve for metering the charges of powder and
shot, and a tube or tubes through which the charges of powder and shot
were supplied to the shotgun shell. However, there was no provision for
supplying primers. This had to be performed manually.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides an automatic primer feed mechanism which can be
used in combination with a shotgun shell reloader of the type described.
The primer feed mechanism includes a primer tray attached to the
reloader's tool carriage, a primer dispenser opening in the bottom of the
primer tray, biasing means urging primers toward the opening, such as
tilting the tray for gravity feed toward the opening, dispenser means for
moving primers one at a time over the dispenser opening, a dispenser tube
attached to the bottom of the primer tray under the dispenser opening and
extending downwardly to a predetermined primer delivery point on the
reloader's work table, and means for actuating the dispenser means to drop
a primer down the dispenser tube at a predetermined time with respect to
the other operations performed by the loader. In one embodiment, the
primer dispenser tube is within the ram which seats the primer in the base
of the shotgun shell. In another embodiment, the primer dispenser tube is
adjacent to the primer seating ram.
Agitation means to assure an even supply of primers toward the dispenser
opening, and cover means adjustable for keeping primers of various sizes
confined to upright orientation are also desirable features.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the invention
mounted on a first type of shotgun shell reloader.
FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the upper part of the embodiment shown
in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken on the line 3--3 of
FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a top view of the primer tray shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the primer tray shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top view of the corner of the primer tray of FIGS.
4 and 5, with the dispenser arm in position to drop a primer through the
dispenser opening thereof.
FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of the invention
mounted on a second type of shotgun shell reloader.
FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a third embodiment of the invention
mounted on a third type of shotgun shell reloader, only the upper portion
of the reloader being shown.
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view taken on the line 9--9 of FIG. 7.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those
skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments
herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in
other specific structure. While the best known embodiment has been
described, the details may be changed without departing from the
invention, which is defined by the claims.
FIGS. 1-6 show one embodiment of the invention mounted on a first type of
shotgun shell reloader which includes a base 10, a work table 12 supported
on base 10, a post 14 attached to base 10 and extending upwardly through
the center of work table 12, and a tool carriage 16 slideably mounted on
post 14 and normally spring biased away from work table 12 by a
compression spring 18. As best shown in FIG. 3, tool carriage 16 has a
bracket 20 attached thereto to which a lever arm 22 is pivotally connected
at 24. Lever arm 22 has a forward portion 26 that extends past pivot
connection 24 and forms an obtuse angle with lever arm 22. Forward portion
26 is pivotally connected at 28 to a link 30 which is pivotally connected
at 32 to post 14. Another lever arm 22 connected at its free end to the
first lever arm 22 to form a forked lever similarly has a forward portion
26 pivotally connected to another link 30 on the opposite side of bracket
20, the ends of the forward portions 26 and links 30 being spaced apart by
a spacer sleeve 34 (FIG. 2). The opposite ends of the two lever arms 22
are joined together at 36 (FIG. 1) and carry a common handle 38. When
handle 38 is pulled down, lever arms 22 force bracket 20 and tool carriage
16 downwardly against the bias of spring 18. When handle 38 is released,
spring 18 pushes tool carriage 16 and bracket 20 upwardly to the position
shown in FIG. 1.
A plurality of known reloading tools are attached to tool carriage 16 and
project downwardly therefrom toward work table 12, which is adapted to
support shotgun shells that are to be reloaded. The reloading tools
include a primer ejection punch 40, a sizing die 42, a crimping die 44
(FIG. 2), a primer dispenser tube and primer inserting ram 46 (FIG. 1), a
powder and shot tube 48, and a wad support 50. Powder and shot tube 48 is
connected to a powder container 52 and shot container 54 (FIG. 2) via a
conventional slide valve 56, the containers 52 and 54 being mounted on a
bracket 58 attached to the top of post 14.
In this particular type of reloader, shotgun shells are reloaded one at a
time. The shell which is being reloaded is first placed in a work station
under primer ejection punch 40 and handle 38 is pulled down to ram punch
40 against the spent primer to eject it from the shell. The ejected primer
falls through an opening in work table 12 under punch 40. As the spent
primer is being ejected, sizing die 42 moves within the shell to size it.
Handle 38 is then released and spring 18 forces tool carriage 16 upwardly,
which withdraws punch 40 and sizing die 42 from the shell. The shell is
then moved to a station under primer tube and inserting ram 46 to have a
fresh primer seated into the base of the shell.
A primer support cup 60 (FIG. 1) is seated in an opening 62 in work table
12 under primer tube and inserting ram 46 and extends downwardly
underneath work table 12. A cylindrical primer support anvil 64 is
supported in the center of cup 60 and projects upwardly toward work table
12. A collar 66 having a central opening 68 surrounds anvil 64 and is
spring loaded upwardly by compression spring 70. In the operation of this
embodiment, a fresh primer 72 is within opening 68 before the empty shell
is placed on collar 66. The fresh primer 72 is dropped down the hollow
interior of primer tube and inserting ram 46 when the bottom of tube 46 is
adjacent to collar 66. The mechanism which drops the primer 72 down tube
46 is described in later paragraphs. After the fresh primer 72 is dropped
in opening 68, the base 74 of the empty shell 76 is placed on collar 66
and handle 38 is pulled down to move primer tube and inserting ram 46 down
into the empty shell 76. When the bottom of ram 46 contacts the interior
of shell base 74, it presses shell base 74 down on collar 66, which yields
and moves downward against spring 70. However, the fresh primer 72 is held
stationary by anvil 64, and as the shell base 74 moves down, the fresh
primer 72 is pressed into the primer opening in shell base 74. Alignment
is assured by the shell aligning flange at the work station (similar to
slot 162, FIG. 9) and the fixed relation between the primer tube and the
ram. After the fresh primer 72 is fully seated in shell base 74, which
occurs at the bottom of the downward stroke of handle 38, the handle 38 is
released to allow primer tube and inserting ram 46 to withdraw from the
empty shell 76, which can then be moved under powder and shot tube 48 to
be charged with powder and shot. Since this invention is only concerned
with the primer feed mechanism, the charging of shell 76 with powder and
shot and its subsequent crimping will not be described in detail herein.
The primer feed mechanism in this embodiment includes a primer tray 78
which is rigidly attached to tool carriage 16, for instance by a bracket
80 which is bolted to the bottom of tray 78 at 81. Tray 78 is dimensioned
to hold a single layer of primers 82 (FIG. 4) and has a primer dispenser
opening 84 in one corner and a primer dispenser tube 86 (FIGS. 1 and 5)
welded to the bottom of tray 78 under dispenser opening 84. Dispenser tube
86 is connected to the top of primer tube and inserting ram 46 (FIG. 1)
which serves as an extension thereof. Primer tray 78 is angled upward away
from the corner bearing dispenser opening 84 in order to gravity bias the
primers 82 toward dispenser opening 84. Primers 82 are normally blocked
from entering dispenser opening 84 by a dispenser arm 88 (FIG. 4) which is
pivotally attached at 90 to the corner of tray 78 opposite dispenser
opening 84 and extends across the tray. Dispenser arm 88 has an upturned
flange 92 on the edge thereof adjacent to primers 82 to present a flat
surface to the sides of the primers. A flexible strip 94 (FIG. 4) is
connected between flange 92 and the side of primer tray 78 adjacent to
pivotal connection 90 to prevent the primers 82 from passing between the
end of flange 90 and the adjacent wall of tray 78, to agitate the primers
as arm 88 moves, and to direct primers 82 toward dispenser opening 84.
Primer tray 78 preferably has a transparent top 79 (FIG. 5) which is
attached to a support strip 83 which is pivoted at 85 to opposed sides of
tray 78. Transparent top 79 is snap fitted over the top of tray 78 by
means of snap fittings 87. Transparent top 79 permits the operator to see
when the supply of primers 82 is running low and can be easily opened to
replenish the supply. An alternate opening 85 is provided so that top 79
may be placed at a height that prevents primers from tipping over from the
required upright position in the tray 78, of common primer sizes.
An opening 96 is formed in the bottom 98 of primer tray 78 and an actuation
arm 100 extends through opening 96 underneath tray bottom 98. Actuation
arm 100 is formed by cutting a portion of dispenser arm 88 free at 102 and
then bending the free portion to form actuation arm 100. As shown in FIGS.
1 and 5, actuation arm 100 is connected by a link 104 to an L-shaped lever
106 which is pivotally connected at 108 (FIG. 1) to support bracket 80,
which in turn is connected to tool carriage 16. Lever 106 is pivoted about
point 108 when it is desired to dispense a primer 82 as described
hereinafter.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the free end of dispenser arm 88 is notched at
110 to receive one primer 82 and to move the same over dispenser opening
84 when dispenser arm 88 is pivoted toward dispenser opening 84. In the
normal unactuated position of dispenser arm 88 (FIG. 4), the lower margin
112 of notch 110 is spaced close enough to the adjacent side 114 of primer
tray 78 to prevent the lowermost primer 82 from passing between dispenser
arm 88 and primer tray side 114. However, the upper margin 116 of notch
110 is spaced far enough away from primer tray side 114 to allow the
lowermost primer 82 to pass through so that it can enter notch 110. When
dispenser arm 88 is pivoted toward dispenser opening 84, it carries the
lowermost primer 82 with it and drops it through dispenser opening 84.
When dispenser arm 88 begins to move toward a position to drop primer 82
down dispenser opening 84, the upper margin 116 of notch 110 immediately
moves close enough to primer tray side 114 to prevent the next primer 82
from entering notch 110 and the curve 117 at the end of arm 88 is such
that the next primer remains in position to enter notch 110. The next
primer 82 enters notch 110 when dispenser arm 88 is moved back to its
unactuated position as shown in FIG. 4.
In this particular embodiment of the invention, it is necessary to actuate
dispenser arm 88 only once for each complete loading cycle for each
shotgun shell being reloaded. This is preferably done on the final
crimping step of the reloading cycle. The mechanism for actuating
dispenser arm 88 is shown in FIGS. 1-3. Referring to FIG. 2, a lever arm
118 is pivotally connected at 120 to bracket 80 and extends between the
bottom edge 122 of L-shaped lever 106 (FIG. 1) and the top of crimping die
44. Lever arm 118 is spring biased in its unactuated position by an
expansion spring 124 which is stretched between bracket 80 and the end of
lever arm 118 under L-shaped lever 106. When a reloaded shell is under
crimping die 44, the shell causes die 44 to rise relative to carriage 16
and causes lever arm 118 to rock counter-clockwise in FIG. 2 as tool
carriage 16 approaches its lowermost position. This rocks L-shaped lever
106 counter-clockwise in FIG. 1 and moves dispenser arm 88 from its
unactuated position (FIG. 4) to its actuated position (FIG. 6), thus
dropping a primer 82 down dispenser tube 86 and primer tube and inserting
ram 46. At the time primer 82 drops down tube 46, the bottom of tube 46 is
adjacent to the collar 66 (FIG. 1) so that the primer 82 drops into
opening 68 in collar 66 and rests on top of anvil 64 in preparation for
seating of the fresh primer in the base 74 of a shell 76 as described
previously. After the crimping operation is completed, tool carriage 16
rises, which allows lever arm 118 and L-shaped lever 106 to rotate
clockwise under the urging of spring 124, thereby moving dispenser arm 88
back to the unactuated position shown in FIG. 4.
As shown in FIG. 3, crimping die 44 is movably supported on tool carriage
16 by a support bracket 126 which has a lip 128 and collar 130 that
loosely engage a rod 132 on tool carriage 16. A cam roller 134 is attached
to the top of bracket 126 and engages a cam surface 136 which is attached
to lever arm 22 and bears against cam roller 134 on the bottom of the
downward stroke of lever arm 22.
In order to initiate the primer feed operation described above, it is
necessary that the downward movement of crimping die 44 be arrested by
encountering a shotgun shell therebelow. If no shotgun shell is
encountered, lever arm 118 does not get rotated counter-clockwise in FIG.
2, and primer dispensing lever 88 remains in the unactuated position. Thus
it is possible to lower carriage 16, performing the operations of ejecting
the spent primer, seating the fresh primer, and charging the shell with
shot and powder without dispensing unwanted primers. The primers are
dispensed only on the final crimping step when the presence of a shotgun
shell beneath crimping die 44 causes lever arm 118 to rotate
counter-clockwise in FIG. 2.
FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the invention used in combination with
a different type of reloader in which the operations of ejecting the spent
primer, seating the fresh primer, charging the shell with powder, wadding,
and shot, and crimping the shell are performed simultaneously on a
plurality of shotgun shells which move from one station to another. This
type of shotgun shell reloader is described in my prior U.S. Pats. No.
3,157,086 and No. 3,240,104, the entire disclosures of which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference. Referring to FIG. 7, this shotgun shell
reloader includes a base 138 which supports a work table 140 and a post
142 which projects upwardly from the center of work table 140. A tool
carriage 144 is slideably mounted on post 142 and is normally urged
upwardly by a compression spring 146. A group of reloading tools including
a primer ejection punch 148, sizing die 150, powder tube and primer
inserting ram 152, shot tube 154, wad support 156, and crimping tool 158
are supported on tool carriage 144 and project downwardly therefrom. Tool
carriage 144 and the associated reloading tools can be manually lowered
toward work table 140 by means of a conventional lever arm and handle
which are not shown in the drawing.
This embodiment of the invention has a radially notched turret disc 160
(FIGS. 7 and 9) which is rotatably attached to the top of work table 140
and has six radially disposed slots 162 which are dimensioned to receive
the ferrule portion of an empty shotgun shell and hold the same in
position below a corresponding one of the reloading tools. All of the
shotgun shells in turret disc 160 are simultaneously rotated from one
reloading tool to the next when disc 160 is rotated from one position to
the next. During the reloading process, six shotgun shells are normally
carried by turret disc 160 and the six different reloading operations are
performed simultaneously on the six shells every time tool carriage 144 is
moved downwardly to bring the reloading tools into contact with the
shotgun shells. At reloading position No. 164 (FIG. 9) the spent primer is
ejected from the empty shell by primer punch 148 and drops through an
opening 166 in work table 140. At the next reloading position No. 168, a
fresh primer is inserted in a shell whose spent primer was ejected in the
preceeding reloading operation. The insertion of the fresh primer is
effected by powder tube and primer inserting ram 152, which presses the
base of the deprimed shell onto a repriming structure which includes a
collar 170 with a central opening 172 that is large enough to admit a
fresh primer, an anvil rod 174 (FIG. 7) which extends partially within
opening 170 and rigidly supports the fresh primer, and a compression
spring 176 which is rigidly attached at its bottom to anvil 174 and bears
against the bottom of collar 170. Spring 176 normally urges collar 170
upward but yields in response to the pressure applied to the base of the
shell by ram 152. As collar 170 moves downward, a fresh primer is held
stationary within the opening in the base of the shell by anvil rod 174,
whereby the downward movement of collar 170 causes the fresh primer to
seat in the opening in the base of the shell. Since the repriming
operation is performed every time tool carriage 144 is lowered, it is
necessary to deposit a fresh primer within the opening 172 of collar 170
on every downward cycle of tool carriage 144. In the past, this was done
by manually depositing a fresh primer in the opening 178 in turret disc
160 between reloading stations 164 and 168. Then when turret disc 160 was
manually rotated counter-clockwise to advance the shotgun shells to the
next reloading stations, the fresh primer fell from opening 178 into
opening 172 in position to be seated in the base of the shell whose spent
primer had been ejected in the previous reloading operation. Primer
openings 178 were provided in turret disc 160 between each adjacent pair
of radial slots 162 therein so that one opening 178 would fall between
reloading positions 164 and 168 on every reloading operation.
In accordance with this invention, the above-described manual primer feed
is obviated by means of an automatic primer feed mechanism that deposits a
new primer into the opening 178 between reloading stations 164 and 168 on
every downward movement cycle of tool carriage 144. The primer feed
mechanism comprises a primer tray 78 as described previously which has an
elongated primer dispenser tube 180 which is welded at its top end around
the primer dispenser opening of tray 78 and projects downwardly therefrom.
Primer tray 78 is rigidly connected to tool carriage 144 by means of a
bracket 182 which is bolted to tool carriage 144 and has openings therein
to slideably receive dispenser tube 180 and has a set screw 184 for
securing dispenser tube 180 thereto at any desired position. Bracket 182
is so dimensioned and so positioned on tool carriage 144 as to direct the
lower end of dispenser tube 180 to a predetermined primer dispenser
location directly above the primer opening 178 (FIG. 9) between reloading
stations 164 and 168.
The particular primer tray 78 used in this embodiment has a stud 186
projecting downward from the bottom thereof and an expansion spring 188
connected between stud 186 and actuation arm 100 to normally hold the
dispenser arm of primer tray 78 in its unactuated position when tool
carriage 144 is in its upper position. Actuation arm 100 is slotted at 190
to receive a beaded chain 192 whose other end is connected to an expansion
spring 194 which in turn is connected to a fixed bracket 196. Bracket 196
is attached to post 142 and remains stationary when tool carriage 144 is
lowered. Therefore, the slack in chain 192 is taken up when tool carriage
144 is lowered and chain 192 pulls actuation arm 100 to the right in FIG.
7 to dispense a fresh primer down dispenser tube 180 when it is positioned
immediately above the primer opening 178 (FIG. 9) between the primer
ejection station 164 and the primer insertion station 168. The time at
which the fresh primer is dropped down dispenser tube 180 can be
controlled by varying the length of chain 192. This can be easily done by
disengaging the end of chain 192 from slot 190 and then engaging a
different pair of beads of chain 192 in slot 190 to either lengthen chain
192 or shorten it as desired.
Each time tool carriage 144 is moved downward to bring the reloading tools
into contact with the shotgun shells on work table 140, chain 192 pulls
actuation arm 100 to the right in FIG. 7 and dispenses a fresh primer down
primer dispenser tube 180 into the primer opening 178 of turret disc 160
(FIG. 9). As tool carriage 144 rises back to its rest position, spring 188
draws actuation arm 100 back to its unactuated position. A curved shoulder
193 is preferably attached to the bottom of tray 78 to provide a curved
surface upon which chain 192 can slide.
The primer feed mechanism of this invention is also applicable to the type
of shotgun shell reloader in which the tool carriage is stationary and the
work table can be moved up beneath the reloading tools to effect the
reloading operations. The portions of an illustrative type of reloader
which are adjacent to the primer feed mechanism are shown in FIG. 8. One
corner portion of a fixed tool carriage 198 is supported by a fixed
support rod 200, the other corner of tool carriage 198 (not shown) being
supported by a similar support rod, both of which are supported on a base
(not shown). Tool carriage 198 supports a plurality of reloading tools
including a primer ejection punch 202, a primer dispenser tube 204, and
other conventional reloading tools, not shown. Primer dispenser tube 204
is attached to the bottom of a primer tray 78 such as shown in FIGS. 4-6
and described previously. Primer tray 78 is supported by a bracket 206
which projects upwardly from tool carriage 198 and is bolted to the bottom
of tray 78, which is supported in an inclined position to gravity bias the
primers therewithin toward the corner thereof carrying the dispenser
opening and dispenser tube 204. A lever arm 208 which is shaped like an
inverted V is pivotally connected at 210 to bracket 206. A rigid link 212
is connected between one end of lever arm 208 and the actuation arm 100 of
primer tray 78. The other end of lever arm 208 is connected to an
expansion spring 214 which urges lever arm 208 clockwise in FIG. 8 and
thereby draws actuation arm 100 toward its unactuated position. When the
work table (not shown) of this reloader is raised, a rod 216 which is
attached thereto rises and causes lever arm 208 to rotate
counter-clockwise in FIG. 8, which moves link 212 and actuation arm 100 to
dispense a fresh primer out of dispenser tube 204, which is positioned to
deliver the primer to a predetermined delivery point on the reloader's
work table (not shown).
Other forms of actuating mechanism may be used.
* * * * *
|
|
 |
|
 |
Description |
|
