Universal pistol magazine loader

• US 7,637,048 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2006
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maglula, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Guy Tal, Ran Tal
• Inventors: Tal, Ran, Tal, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): HAYES, BRET C
• Application Number:
  US11/886,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20080184608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 42/87, 42/88, 42/90
• US Class Current: 42/87
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/83 Apparatus or tools for reloading magazines with unbelted ammunition, e.g. cartridge clips

Abstract

A firearm magazine loader (30) comprises a body (32) coupled to a movable press (40), a plunger (20) extending out of the press towards the body, and a magazine aligner (52). The body is hollow and adapted to fit and slide over an open side of a magazine (10). A spring (48) is positioned between the body and the press to force them apart. To load the magazine, the user squeezes the press towards the body such that plunger is over a topmost round (12) in the magazine, and then presses down the loader, causing the plunger to force the topmost round further into the magazine to form a vacant space below lips (14) of the magazine. This enables a new round (13) to be rearwardly, case first, loaded inside the vacant space. The user then eases the down force on the loader allowing the spring (16) of the magazine to force up all the rounds in the magazine towards the lips while releasing the press for allowing the spring of the press to force the press and plunger back to their original position. The magazine aligner is positioned inside the body for centering the open side of magazines of different widths and depth mounted in the loader in line with the plunger.

Claims

1. An accessory for facilitating the loading of rounds into a firearm magazine having an open top side with lips and which holds one or more columns of rounds therein and urges said rounds to and feeds said rounds from said open top side of said magazine, comprising:

a hollow body shaped and sized to fit over said open top side of said magazine, said hollow body having an open bottom that can accept said magazine when said top side of said magazine is inserted into said open bottom, said hollow body having a plurality of sides extending up from said open bottom,

a press coupled to one of said sides of said body so that said press can be moved between first and second positions, said first position being relatively distant from said one side of said body and said second position being relatively close to said one side of said body,

a plunger coupled to said press, said plunger projecting from said press and having a free end,

said press and said plunger being arranged and positioned so that

(a) when said press is in said first position, said plunger is substantially clear from over said open top side of said magazine so that said magazine can urge any round or rounds in said magazine to said open top side,

(b) when said press is moved from said first to said second position, said plunger will move to over said open top side of said magazine so that when said hollow body is pushed down on said magazine said free end of said plunger will push down any round or rounds in said magazine so to create a vacant space at said open top side of said magazine below said lips of said magazine and above said plunger,

(c) when said press is moved from said second to said first position, said plunger will move away so as to be clear from said open top side of said magazine,

whereby when said hollow body is fitted over said magazine, said press can be moved between said first and second positions, such that in said first position, said plunger will be away from said open top side of said magazine, and in said second position said plunger will be over said open top side of said magazine and said hollow body can be pushed further onto said magazine to push a topmost round in said magazine away from said open top side of said magazine to facilitate loading of a new round into said vacant space above said plunger, where said new round is in the magazine above said plunger and below said lips of said magazine, and when said press is moved to said first position said plunger is extracted from below said new round, and any round in said magazine is urged against said open top side of said magazine, thereby facilitating loading of rounds into said magazine easily and painlessly.

2. The accessory of claim 1, further including a spring member arranged to urge said press to said first position.

3. The accessory of claim 1 wherein said press has a pair of sidewalls extending toward said body and external thereto so as to enclose the space between said body and said press.

4. The accessory of claim 1 wherein said hollow body has two opposite sides with tops and a bridge extending between and joining said tops.

5. The accessory of claim 1 wherein said plunger is substantially flat and rigid.

6. The accessory of claim 1 wherein said plunger has a proximal end attached to said press and opposite said free end being distal from said press, said plunger being angled down such that said distal free end is lower than said proximal end when said press is in said second position and said body is vertically positioned.

7. The accessory of claim 6 wherein said plunger angles down substantially 28 to 38 degrees from the horizontal when said press is in said second position and said hollow body is vertically positioned.

8. The accessory of claim 1, further including an aligner operatively coupled to said hollow body for centering or aligning said open top side of said magazine with respect to said plunger when said body is on said magazine and said magazine is narrower than said hollow body.

9. The accessory of claim 8 wherein said aligner comprises an inverted V-shaped member having tapering legs with tops, said legs being joined at said tops, said legs tapering so that their bottoms are narrower than said tops when said aligner is seen in an inverted-V configuration.

10. The accessory of claim 8 wherein said aligner further includes a spring member coupled to said body and arranged to urge said aligner onto said open top side of said magazine.

11. The accessory of claim 1 wherein said press is coupled to said body by hinge means for pivotally coupling said press to said body, said hinge means positioned at a bottom of said press and at a bottom of said body.

12. The accessory of claim 1 wherein said press is arranged to move in and out parallel to said body between said second and said first positions, respectively.

13. The accessory of claim 1 wherein said press has an operating ring so that said press can be moved manually between said second and said first positions.

14. The accessory of claim 1 wherein said press is coupled to said body by hinge means for pivotally coupling said press to said body, said hinge means positioned at a top of said press and at a top of said body.

15. The accessory of claim 14 wherein said press has a pressing area with a size sufficient for moving said press manually between said first and said second positions.

16. The accessory of claim 14 wherein said press comprises a force transport mechanism adapted to allow said press to move between said first and said second positions.

17. The accessory of claim 14 wherein said press comprises a lever mechanism adapted to allow said press to move between said first and said second positions.

18. A method of loading a firearm magazine having a spring and a follower and an open side with lips and arranged to hold a plurality of rounds, where said spring and follower urges said rounds to said open side, comprising:

providing a housing fittable over said open side of said magazine, said housing including a press and a plunger coupled to said press, said plunger having a free distal end, said plunger being moveable by said press between two positions;

an away position where said plunger is not over said follower or any rounds above said follower, and a close position where said plunger is over said follower or any rounds above said follower,

positioning said housing over said open side of said magazine with said plunger in said away position,

moving said press so that said plunger moves to said close position over said follower or any rounds above said follower,

forcing said housing further onto said magazine so that said free distal end of said plunger pushes said follower or any round or rounds above said follower away from said open side and thereby creates a vacant space at said open side of said magazine below said lips and above said plunger,

inserting a new round into said vacant space in said magazine,

reducing said force on said housing and said press so as to allow said spring to urge said new round and any rounds below said new round against said lips of said magazine and so that said plunger will move to said plunger'"'"'s away position not over said follower or any rounds above said follower,

whereby by sequentially operating said press so that said plunger moves from said plunger'"'"'s away to said plunger'"'"'s close position, forcing said housing further onto said magazine, and inserting a new round into said vacant space, and releasing said force from said housing and moving said press to said plunger'"'"'s away position, said magazine may be easily loaded with new rounds without having to use one'"'"'s finger to directly push down any preloaded rounds, thereby preventing finger fatigue and injury.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said plunger is substantially flat and rigid.

20. The method of claim 18, further providing spring means arranged to urge said press and plunger to said plunger'"'"'s away position.

21. The method of claim 18, further providing aligning means for aligning said open side of said magazine with respect to said plunger when said housing is positioned over said magazine.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein said press is coupled to said body by hinge means arranged to pivotally couple said press to said body, said hinge means positioned at a bottom of said press and at a bottom of said body.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein said press is coupled to said body by hinge means arranged to pivotally couple said press to said body, said hinge means positioned at a top of said press and at a top of said body.

24. A loading or inserting device for facilitating loading items into a magazine that is arranged to hold an individual item or plurality of individual items, said magazine comprising a container having a bottom, an enclosing side wall extending up from said bottom, and a top opposite said bottom, said top being at least partially open, and said magazine being arranged to urge said individual item or said plurality of items toward said top and receive and dispense said items individually at said top, said loader or inserting device comprising:

pushing means, a projecting member, and body means to hold, said body means mountable over said top of said magazine and arranged to hold said pushing means, said pushing means coupled to said projecting member,

said pushing means being moveable to a first position for causing said projecting member to be positioned over said top of said magazine for contacting or resting above said individual item or said plurality of individual items,

said body means being movable down onto said magazine when said pushing means is in said first position so that said projecting member will urge said individual item or said plurality of individual items to be moved away from said top of said magazine so as to create a space adjacent said top of said magazine for enabling an additional item to be inserted into said magazine,

said body means also being movable up and said pushing means also being moveable to a second position for causing said projecting member to be withdrawn from said top of said magazine and to allow said magazine to urge said additional item and said individual item or said plurality of individual items, against said partially open top of said magazine.

25. The loading or inserting device of claim 24 wherein said items are ammunition rounds and said magazine is a firearm magazine, said pushing means is a press, and said projecting member is a plunger.

26. The loading or inserting device of claim 24, further including an aligner operatively coupled to said body for centering or aligning said top of said magazine with respect to said body means and said projecting member when said body is mounted over said magazine.

27. The loading or inserting device of claim 26 wherein said aligner comprises an inverted V-shaped member having tapering legs with tops, said legs being joined at said tops, said legs tapering so that their bottoms are narrower than said tops when said aligner is seen in an inverted-V configuration.

28. The loading or inserting device of claim 26 wherein said aligner further includes a spring member coupled to said body and arranged to urge said aligner onto said open top of said magazine.

29. An accessory for facilitating the loading of rounds into a firearm magazine having an open side and which holds one or more columns of rounds therein and urges said rounds to and feeds said rounds from said open side of said magazine, comprising:

a hollow body shaped and sized to fit over said open side of said magazine,

a press coupled to said body so that said press can be moved between first and second positions,

a plunger coupled to said press, said plunger projecting from said press and having a free end,

said press being positioned so that

(a) when said press is in said first position, said plunger will extend over said open side of said magazine so that when said hollow body is pushed down on said magazine, said plunger will push down any round or rounds in said magazine,

(b) when said press is moved from said first to said second position, said plunger will move substantially clear from over said open side of said magazine so that said magazine can urge any round or rounds in said magazine to said open side,

(c) when said press is moved from said second to said first position, said plunger will move substantially over said open side of said magazine,

whereby when said hollow body is fitted over said magazine, said hollow body can be pushed further onto said magazine to push a topmost round in said magazine away from said open side of said magazine to form a vacant space adjacent said open side of said magazine to facilitate loading of a new round into said vacant space, said press can be moved between said first and second positions, such that in said second position, said plunger will be substantially clear from over said open side of said magazine, and when said plunger is substantially clear from over said open side of said magazine, any round in plunger will be substantially clear from over said open side of said magazine, and when said plunger is substantially clear from over said open side of said magazine, any round in said magazine can be urged against said open side of said magazine, thereby facilitating loading of rounds into said magazine easily and painlessly.

30. The accessory of claim 29, further including a spring member arranged to urge said press to move to said first position.

31. The accessory of claim 29, further including an aligner operatively coupled to said body for centering or aligning said open side of said magazine with respect to said body and said plunger when said body is mounted over said magazine.

32. The accessory of claim 31 wherein said aligner comprises an inverted V-shaped member having tapering legs with tops, said legs being joined at said tops, said legs tapering so that their bottoms are narrower than said tops when said aligner is seen in an inverted-V configuration.

33. The accessory of claim 31 wherein said aligner further includes a spring member coupled to said body and arranged to urge said aligner onto said open top of said magazine.

34. An accessory for facilitating the loading of rounds into a firearm magazine having an open side and which holds one or more columns of rounds therein and urges said rounds to and feeds said rounds from said open side of said magazine, comprising:

a hollow body shaped and sized to fit over said open side of said magazine,

a plunger coupled to said body by hinge means so that said plunger can moved between a first or initial position and a second position, said plunger having a free distal end,

said plunger being movable so that

(b) when said hollow body is raised up, said plunger will move to said second position substantially clear from over said open side of said magazine so that said magazine can urge any round or rounds in said magazine to said open side,

whereby when said hollow body is fitted over said magazine, said hollow body is pushed further onto said magazine to push a topmost round in said magazine away from said open side of said magazine to form a vacant space adjacent said open side of said magazine to facilitate loading of a new round into said vacant space, and when said hollow body is raised up said plunger will move from said first to said second position, such that in said second position said plunger will be substantially clear from over said open side of said magazine, and when said plunger is substantially clear from over said open side of said magazine, all said rounds in said magazine are urged against said open side of said magazine, thereby facilitating loading of rounds into said magazine easily and painlessly.

35. The accessory of claim 34, further including a spring member arranged to urge said plunger to move to said first position.

36. The accessory of claim 34, further including an aligner operatively coupled to said body for centering or aligning said open side of said magazine with respect to said body and said plunger when said body is mounted on said magazine.

37. The accessory of claim 36 wherein said aligner comprises an inverted V-shaped member having tapering legs with tops, said legs being joined at said tops, said legs tapering so that their bottoms are narrower than said tops when said aligner is seen in an inverted-V configuration.

38. The accessory of claim 36 wherein said aligner further includes a spring member coupled to said body and arranged to urge said aligner onto said open side of said magazine.