CARTRIDGE LOADER

摘要

An improved cartridge loader of the type having a generally star shaped latch rotatably carried within a casing, the casing defining a plurality of cartridge bores positioned circumferentially around the latch. Upon rotation of the latch, the latch and each cartridge bore cooperate by alternately capturing and releasing a cartridge's flange within that bore for loading and unloading cartridges therefrom. A first novel feature of this improved loader is a semi-automatic rotation device for the star shaped latch, which device induces rotation of the latch from the capturing position to the releasing position in response to an external force directed axially against the loader's knob when the casing is restrained against rotational motion, e.g., when the cartridges in the casing are disposed in an unload attitude relative to a revolver cylinder, and which will not induce rotation of the latch unless the casing is so restrained for preventing accidental release of stored cartridges if the loader is dropped or otherwise subjected to an undesirable external force on the loader's knob. The semi-automatic rotation device is also manually operable to set the latch from the releasing position to the capturing position, and to return the latch from the capturing position to the releasing position, simply by manually rotating the loader's knob. In a preferred form of the semi-automatic rotation device, the knob is connected to a centerpost through a spring loaded cam structure, the star shaped latch being immobily fixed to the centerpost. A second novel feature of this improved cartridge loader incorporates a resilient but stationary bore closure member that, preferably, defines a circular contact locus radially outward of the cartridge bores' circular center axes locus. The latch and bore closure member cooperate to minimize jiggling of cartridges stored within the casings' bores for reducing undesirable noise, to allow nominal unopposed movement of the cartridges' nose ends relative to the casing for aiding initial cartridge insertion into a revolver's cylinder when loading the cylinder, and, when the casing is dropped, to cushion any shock transmitted to the cartridges' flanges and to protect the cartridges' firing pins. In a preferred form, the cover member is defined by a one-piece multi-fingered washer type structure coaxially located, and fixed in position, relative to the casing, the resilient fingers overlying the casing's bores at the cartridge flange end thereof.