[1]United States Patent Office 39483,792 3,483,792 AUTOMATIC CARTRIDGE RELOADER Charles F. Williams, 12409 Old Gunpowder Road, Beltsville, Md. 20705 Filed Jan. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 699,833 lnt. Cl. F42b 33102 5 U.S. Cl. 86-27 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE 10 This invention is directed to a turret type cartridge reloader which is driven by electric power and is fully automatic to index the turret through a plurality of work stations whereupon previously -fired shell casing are fed to the apparatus where they are deprimed, reprimed and 1, flared, fllled with powder, fed a new buuet which is seated a thereon, and finally ejected at a final station. The disclosure is particularly directed to the means for automatically indexing the turret, feeding and seating a bullet on a cartrid.-e casing when it arrives at a predetermined 20 station, and ejecting the reloaded round from the final station. All of the apparatus is synchronized so that a cartridge may be reloaded from start to finish without the intervention of a human operator. 25 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to cartridge reloading machines which are particularly suited for gunmen who desire to 30 reload their own firearms ammunition. Machines of this class successively perform the several functions involved in the reloading process on a plurality of shell casings simultaneously. These functions include removing the exploded cap or primer, inserting a new primer in the shell, enlarging the end of the shell to receive a new bullet, 35 feeding a predetermined cbarge of powder tbereto positioning a new bullet on the shell and seating it, @nd removing the completely reloaded shell from the machine. The several operations are carried out on a rotating tur40 ret so that a plurality of shells are operated on simultaneously in a step-by-step procedure. Machines of this class are well known to those skilled in the art. For example, a shell reloading machine described in U.S. Patent 2,031,850 issued to C. R. Peterson 45 is typical of the state of the art. Such apparatus is manufactured by the Star Machine Works of San Diego, Calif. The Peterson machine is manually operated by means of an operating handle or lever which lowers a tool head including a selected number of dies into contact with the 50 shell casing for successively performing the aforementioned reloading operation. The shell casing is carried in registration on a circular base member including a shell registering plate which is rr.,anuahy indexed each time the handle is moved downwardly and released. With such a 55 machine, the shell casing must be fed onto the base plate by hand and removed therefrom at the end of the reloading operation. Also, a new bullet must be manually placed upon the refabricated shell casing so that it may be seated thereon by the operation of one of the dies contained on the tool head. Although the prior art ap 60 paratus as disclosed in the Peterson patent will eject the finished round at the flnal station by dropping the reloaded cartridge through a hole in the baseplate, an in. herent limitation occurs in the apparatus when adapted for automatic operation or when various different shell casing 65 types are fed into the machine. Also certain classes of shells have a groove which engage the sbell plate and must be removed horizontally from the shell plate. The primary disadvanta.-e, however, of this method of eject70 tion is that at the higher speed of automatic operation, the apparatus is subject to jamm;ng. Patented Dec. 16, 1969 2 Further improvements have been made on this type of machine such as the inclusion of means for automatically rotating the shell plate each time the handle is operated, thereby providing automatic indexing of the shell casing from station to station. Such apparatus is tau.-ht in U.S. Patent No. 3,058,387 issued to M. G. Hoyer. A serious limitation exists with such apparatus, however, due to the fact that shell casings must be in the shell plate before it can operate and maintain synchronization of the machine for fully automatic operation. Additionally, apparatus is known for automatically feeding shell casings to the reloader of the type described. An automatic case feeder for the "Star" reloader is manufactured by the Htilme Firearms Service of Millbrae, Calif. Nothwithstanding automatic case feeding and indexing of the shell plate, feeding of the bullet still must be done manually. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention describes an improved turret cartridge reloader having an indexin- turret, a shell plate and a reciprocating tool head having a plurality of work dies arranged in predetermined locations on the tool head for performing a plurality of work operations at respective work stations. The improvement comprises, in combination: a drive motor, a drive shaft mechanically coupled to the drive motor, linkage means interconnecting the drive shaft to the tool head and being periodically actuated by said drive motor for moving the tool head into engagement with one or more cartridge casings, respectively, at a plurality of work stations in accordance with the rotation of the drive shaft; bullet feeding means coupled to said drive shaft for automatically delivering a bullet to a shell casing at a predetermined work station in synchronism with said tool head prior to the tool head's engagement with said shell casing; and indexin.- and ejection means coupled to said drive shaft and operatin.- in synchronism with said tool bead for indexing the shell plate for positioni-.ig said shell casing under each die assembly.in sequence step-by-step each time said linkage means is energized and for removing a finished reloaded round from the apparatus by kicking it off the shell plate when said round reaches a final work station. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE I is a side elevational view of the apparatus comprising the subject invention; FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1; FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, taken alon@ the section 3-3; FIGURE 4 is a perspective@view of the drive shaft, a crank forming a part of the linka-e means for actuating the tool head and a first and a s@econd cam means for operating a bullet feeding mechanism and an indexing and ejection mechanism respectively; FIGURE 5 is a view partially in section of the bullet feedin.- mechanism in a first operating position for positioning a -bullet on a shell casing prior to the descent of the tool head; 6-6 of FIGURE 5 further illtistrating the bullet feeding FIGURE 6 is a sectional view take-@i alona the lines mechanism and additionally discloses a bullet gripping means comprisin@ a pair of spring-loaded jaws holding a bullet; FIGURE 7 is a view partially in section of the bullet feedinmechanism in a second operating position whereiti the@ echanism is in a retracted position and wherein the toolmhead is in engagement with said shell casing; FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along the lines 8-8 of FIGURE 7 illustrating the bullet gripping means with the springloaded jaws forced open for receiving the succeeding bullet;
[2]3)483;792 3 FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of thp- bullet gripping nieans shown in FIGURES 6 and 8; FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 10-10 of FIGURE 2 illustrating ;n detail the indexing and ejection mechanism in a first or activated position; FIGURE II is a view of the indexing and ejection mechanism shown in FIGURE 10 in a secolid or de-ener.-ized position; and FIGURE 12 is a cross-sectional view of the indexing and ejection mechanism shown in FIGURE 10 taken 10 along the lines 12-12. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRF--FERRED EMBODIAIENTS Referrina now to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 simultaneously, 15 the assembly is comprised of a table 20 includinle,- members 22. An electric motor 24 is mounled on the underside of the table 20 and is coupled to an electrical source, not shown, through an "on and off" switch 26 which is located on the upper side of the table 20. A 20 drive shaft 28 is connected to the otitput shaft 30 of the motor 24 by means of a m-.chanical coupling 32. The drive shaft 28 is held in a substantially horizontal position below the stirface of the table 20 by means of the bearin- members 34. Located on o,-ie end of th.- drive 2,5 shaft 23 is a first crank member 36. An eccentric cam 33 having a rapid but smooth transition action is located si-ibstantially at midpoint of th.- drive shaft 28 while a trip cam 40 is located at the other end of the drive shaft 28 adjacent the mechanical coul)ling 32. Cam follower 30 42 opcrating in @-esponse to the ,iction o@i' the - eccentric cam 33 is mounled in a slotted giiide member 44. The cam follower 42 rides along the cam slirface of the cam 38 and is forced to move in a linear path back and forth within the -uide member 44. The trip cam 40, on the 35 other hand, actuates a follower member 46 which is adapted to move to the side wben it comes in contact with the face 48 of the cam 40. The last-mentioned elements are shown in greater detail in FLGURE 4 which is a perspective view of the crank 40 36 and the two cams 38 and 40 mounl,ed on the drive shaft 28. This drawing illustrates the relative angular position of the members on the shaft 28 and more fully illustrates the cam action of the cams 38 and 40 and the respective followers 42 and 46. The eccentric cam 38 and the fol4- lower 42 form part of the bullet feeding means while the 1) trip cam 40 and the follower member 46 are part of the indexing and ejection means. Both of these means will be described more fully subsequently. The crank 36 is coupled to a bell crank assembly including arms 50 and 52 by means of a connecting rod 54. 50 The bell crank assembly is attached to a fixed support member 56 located on top of a center post 58. The tool head 60 is adapted to reciprocate upwardly and downwardly over the center post 58 by means of the connect55 ing rod 62 connected to the arm 52. A circular base plate 64 is axially aligned with the center post 58 beneath the tool head 60. The tool head 60 includes one or more die members 68 located selectively around the periphery thereof. The base plate 64 additionally includes a shell plate 60 70 rotatably mounted on the upper surface and includes six recesses, not shown, for providing six (6) work stations such that a cartridge casing is fed to the first work station and is successively indexed to the sixth work station where it is ejected as a reloaded rotind. 65 The electric motor 24 actuates the connecting rod 54 through the drive shaft 28 and the crank 36 to cause the tool head 60 to reciprocate upwardly and downwardly. The action of the bell crank comprising cranks 50 and 52 and the connecting rod 62 causes the die 68 on the 7o tool head to coact wi',h a shell casing situated at the respective work station. The six (6) wot-k stations correspond to the following procedural steps: (1) a cartridge casing 72 is fed to the first ",ork station 74 preferably by m--ans of an auto- 75 4 matic case feeder, not shown. Such apparatus, however, is known to those skilled in the art as Poted above in the "Backgroui2d of the Invention." (2) The casir)g 72 is indexed to a second work station 76 by means of an indexin@ and ejection mechanism 78, shown in FIGURES 2, 3, 10, 11 at-id 12, driven by nieais of the trip cam 40 mounted on the drive shaft 28 once par revolutioi of the drive shaft 28. At the s,-cond work station 76, a deprimer die 68 ejects th,- exploded cap by means of the pin 80 when the tool head 60 is lowered by means of the turni-.ig of t@lle crank 36 courled to th-- driven shaft 28. The tool head 60 is adapted lo be lowered once per revolution of the drive shaft 28 and the movement of the tool head is synchro.,iously operated in conjunction with th-- indexing and ejection mechanism 78 by means of the r@- lativc posilions of the crank 36 an-d th@@ trip cam 40, as shown in FIGURE 4. (3) The third slation 82 comprises a cartrid,-e flaring and primer insertion mechanism 83 which includes a primer tube 84 and a flaring die and a primer i-nechanism, not shown. (4) The carlridge is rext indexed to the fourth work station 8S wher,-.upon a predeterr-rir@ed char@e of powder is delivered thereto from a powder tube $6. (5) After the powder has been ins-.rted in the cartrid@e, the casin@ 72 is th-.n indexed to the fifth work station where a bullet is automatically fed and positioned on the cartridge casing 72 by means of an automatic bullet feedin@- mechanism 88 which is actuated o@nce per revolution of the drive shaft 28 iii accordance with the action of the eccentric cam 38 and the cam follower 42. The bullet feeding is synchronOLISly operited in conjunction with the tool head 60 by nieans of the relative position of the crank 36 and the cam 38 so that the bullet is i'ed to the casin,, 72 jtis, prior to the tool head's 60 en.@a.-ement with the casin,-. This will be described in -reater det@iil when FIGURES 5 tfirough 9 ire considered. (6) The cartridge casing 72 with the bullet seated therein is next indexed to the sixth or final work st-,ition 90 where it is kicl@ed off of the base plate 64 and shell plate 70 into -,t troligh 92 by means of the indexing and ejection mechanism 73. The indexing and ejection mechanism will be explained more fully when FIGURES 10 through 12 are considered. Thus, by merely activating the electrical motor 24 by -nieans of the "on and off" switch 26, the entire reloading operation can be carried otit automatically. Th-- cartridge casing 72 is indexed throu-h the six work stations and th-@ operations carried out synchronotisly incltiding the bullet feeding and ejection of the reloaded rotind due to the timed rela'cionship of the crank 3") and the cams 38 and 40 ar@gularly disposed relative to one another on the drive shaft 28. Consideri@-i.- now FIGURES 5 througi 9, there is disclosed vai-ious views of the automatic bullet feeding mechanism 88 shown in FIGURES I throu-h 3. FIGURES 5 and 6 are to be considered in coii2bination. They illustrate the bullet feedirig mechanism in its first operating position where a bullet 94 is delivered to the fifth work station 95 for mating with the cartridge casing 72. A bullet feeding tube 96 havin.- a plurality of bullets 94 stacked therein is located vertically adjacent the fiftla work station 95 but out of the way of the reciprocating tool head 60 and seating die 98. The bullet tube 96 is held in ali-nment by mea-ns of the supporting arm 100 attached to the'slotted mounting block 102 by means of the bolt 104. A bullet carrier 106 is slidably mounted in the mounting block 102 and is biased away from the tool head 60 by means of the compression sprin- 108 located over the threaded rear end 107 of the bullet @arrier 106 and held in compression against the outside of the niounting block 102 by means of the bolt 110. Referring to FIGURE 9, the forward end of the bullet carrier 106 is comprised of abifurcated member having an upper and lower plate sections 112 and 114, respectively, separated by a slot. The upper section 112 is provided in its leading end with an arcuate recess 113 while the lower section 114 comprises a projecting s,-at 115 for holding the bullet, not s'@iown. A pair of spring
[3]5 biased gripping members or jaws 116 are p@votally mounted within the slot between the upper and lower sections 112 and 114 by means of the pins 118. The grippin.members 116 are urged into contact with the bullet 94 (FIGURE 6) by means of the sprin.- 120. In addition to the bullet carrier 106 being slidably mounted in the mountin- block 102, it is adapted to slide over the upper portion Of a support 122 which includes a pair of adjtistable contact members 124 located on each side th.-reof and held in positio.-i by the guide pin 126 and the screw 128. The purpose of the conlact members 124 is to actuate the gripping members 116 as the bullet carrier 106 is withdrawn or retracted from the base plate 64. Attach-.d to one side of the bullet holder 106 is a rocker arm 130 coupled thereto by means of guide pin 132. Referring back to FIGURE 1, the rocker arm 130 is pivotally mounted on a plate 134 by means of the screw 136. The opposite end of the rocker arm 130 is connect,-d to the cam follower 42 by means of the -Uide pin 138. It is seen then that the action of th.- cam 38 actuates the bullet carrier 106 through the cam follower 42 and the actuator arm 130. While FIGURES 5 and 6 disclose the bullet feeder mechanism 88 in its extended position, FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate the mechanism in its retracted positioa where the next bullet 94 is picked up for delivery to the succeeding cartridge casin.- 72. Considering now FIGURES 7 and 8 collectiv-.1y, the actliator arm 130 is shown in the opposite position from that shown in FIGURE 5 whereupon the bullet carrier 106 is pulled back into the mounting block 102 which at the same time extends the compression spring 108. As the bullet holder 106 is pulled back, the rear surface of the gripper members 116 contacts the upwardly extendi-@ig portions of the coiitact members 124 whereupoi the gripping surface localed forwardly of the -ripping members 116 are urged outwardly by the pivotal movement caused by the pins 118. As the gripping members 116 open, a bullet 94 drops into position on the lower plate 115 from the tube 96. Adjustment of the opening of the gripping members 116 is provided by the positioning of the contact members 124 as provided by the pin 126 and screw 128 in the slots thereof. This adjustment is desirable so that proper seating and gripping (>f the bullet 94 on the lower plate 115 will be accomplished at the proper position. FIGURE 7 also discloses that when the bullet feeding mecbanism 88 is retracted, the seating die 98 has forced the previously delivered bullet into the cartridge casing 72. it should also be pointed out that the position of the cam 38 relative to the crank 36 as shown in FIGURE 4 is such that the cam follower 42 will initiale a rapid withdrawal of the bullet carrier 106 in synchronism with the lowering of the tool head 60 such that the seating die 98 captures the bullet but does not make contact with the upper plate 112. Thus, the mechanism is adapfed to automatically feed the bullet to a waiting cartridge wbile releasing the bullet very quickly upon descent of the seating die 98. Additionally, as the bullet carrier 106 is retracted, the jaws are open to receive the next bullet. Proceeding now to FIGURES 10, 11 and 12, there is illustrated in detail the indexing and ejection mechanism 78 shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. Additionally shown in detail is the shell plate 70 having regularly spaced recesses 140 for holding a shell casing 72 in registration on the base plate 64. The shell plate 70 also includes indexing holes 142 located- substantially midway between adjacent recesses 140. A spring-loaded ball detent 144 (FIGURE 12) is 10cated in a hole 145 drrlled in the stationary base plate 64. The ball detent 144 coacts with an indexing hole 142 immediately above it to prevent unwanted movement of the shell plate 70. The ball detent 144 is biased against the sbell plate 70 by means of the spring 146. 3,483,792 6 The indexing and ejection mechanism comprises an indexer 147 and kick-off member 148. The indexer 147 is movably mounted internally of the kick-off member 148 and is held by the pin 149 so that it can move in and out of the indexing holes 142. A finger 150 projects downwardly from the underside of the indexer 147 to coact with an indexing hole 142. A concave surface 156 is provided for pushing a reloaded cartridge from a slot 140 at the last station. The movement of the kick-off 10 member 148 is such that the effect causes the curved surface 156 to move outwardly toward the periphery of the base plate 64. Addillionally, the kick-off member 148 includes roller bearing 158 which is adai)ted to ride on the peripheral surface of the base plate 44. 1 5 A lever element 160 projects outwardly from the kickoff member 148 on the underside thereof and is coupled to a spring member 162 which encircles a post 164 and grooved spring roller 165 and attaches to a spindle 166 (see FIGURE 2). A pivot arm 168 connects the upper )o portion of the spindle 166 to the kick-off memb-er 148 while the lower extremity is connected to the cam follower 46 which moves laterally in response to the rotation of the trip cam 40 as shown in FIG. 4. In operation, actuation of the cam follower 46 causes 25 the pivot arm 168 to move outwardly as shown in FIGURE 10 whereupon the indexer 147 and kick-off member 148 moves away from thesticceedin.- slot 140 containing a now reloaded cartridge 72. In its rnovement, the finger 150 shown in FIGURE 12 causes the shell plate 70 to 30 index a distance corresponding to the movement of one work station to another. In doin- so, the reloaded round 72 is positioned adjacent the c-oncave rurface 156. At the po,.nt where the trip cam 40 releases the cam follower 46, the indexer 147 and kick-off member 148 will return 3;-) to a rest position determined by adjustable stop member 169 making contact with po t 164 such as shown in FIGURE 1 1 due to the action of the spr'ing 162. In doing so, the surface 156 pushes the reloaded cartridge off of the base plate 64. At the same time, the finger 150 leaves the, 40 indexing hole 142 which it had previously engaged and moves forwardly to engage the next indexin.- hole. The action of the indexer and ejection mechanism 78 is synchronously controlled with respect to the other operations so that bullet feeding and seating and indexing 45 and ejection does not occur until the tool head 60 clears the car-tridges 72 located at the various work stations. What has been shown and described tberefore is a completely automatic tiirret reloading machine wherei.1 the operations are synchrorously controlled from a central 50 drive shaft driven by an electric motor. What is
