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  Semi-automatic magazine and method of ammunition loadingUSPTO Application #: 20070261688Title: Semi-automatic magazine and method of ammunition loading Abstract: A magazine comprises a firing compartment, a spring system, a reservoir compartment, and a gate and is adapted for the semi-automatic loading of ammunition from the reservoir compartment into the firing compartment. The transfer of ammunition to the firing compartment is made possible when the gate is in the open position; alternatively, the gate serves as a wall to separate the two compartments while in the closed position. (end of abstract)
Agent: EagleIPLimited - Hong Kong, CN Inventor: Wai Kee Patrick TAM USPTO Applicaton #: 20070261688 - Class: 124052000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Mechanical Guns And Projectors, Element, Magazine, Mechanical Projectile Feed, Spring The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070261688. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is converted from U.S. provisional application No. 60/750,397, filed on Dec. 15, 2005 FIELD OF INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to spring-piston air guns and ammunition magazines for use therewith. This invention also relates to the method of semi-automatic loading of ammunition in magazines. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION [0003] Magazines used for containing ammunition are important for normal operation of guns and loading of ammunition into magazines plays an important role in maintaining the fluency and smoothness of gun operation, either in practical applications or for leisure purposes. In spring-piston air guns, the conventional magazines only contain a relatively small amount of ammunition and reloading is a painfully tedious exercise of inserting the ammunition (usually in forms of small beads) into a small orifice one by one. As a result, the fun part of shooting becomes partly obliterated due to the frequency and tediousness by which reloading has to occur. SUMMARY OF INVENTION [0004] In the light of the foregoing background, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved air guns and related magazines. [0005] Accordingly, the present invention, in one aspect, is a magazine comprising a firing compartment, a spring system, a reservoir compartment, and a gate. The firing compartment is used for containing ammunition for firing when the magazine is properly loaded into a spring-piston air gun. The spring system is situated inside the firing compartment and used for positioning the ammunition in a predetermined position in the firing compartment. The reservoir compartment juxtaposes the firing compartment and is used for storing additional ammunition whereas a gate is provided between the firing and reservoir compartments and used for controlling the movement of ammunition between the two compartments. The gate is movable between the open and closed positions. When the gate is in the open position, it allows additional ammunition to be transferred by a user to the firing compartment, whereas the gate in the closed position forms a wall separating the firing and reservoir compartments. [0006] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the firing compartment is an elongated chamber and further contains a firing orifice on the first end. The spring system is provided on the opposing second end such that the ammunition can be consecutively aligned along the firing compartment. The ammunition can then be discharged through the firing orifice consecutively upon each firing of the gun under normal operation. [0007] In another preferred embodiment, the magazine is further provided with two pairs of slides running longitudinally between the firing and reservoir compartments. The gate is slidably inserted between the slides such that a user can pull the gate into the open position to allow transfer of ammunition between the two chambers. The user can also push the gate back into the closed position to reform the wall. [0008] In another implementation, the spring system further comprises a spring and a spring head with a spring head notch disposed thereon. In a more preferred implementation, the gate is further provided with a beveled end, a flanged end and a gate notch juxtaposing the beveled end. The beveled end and the flanged end are close to the first end and the second end of the firing compartment respectively. In the preferred embodiment, the gate notch is configured to interact with the spring head notch such that a pulling action on the flanged end of the gate by a user would cause the gate to the open position, and to induce a corresponding compression movement by the spring. The spring movement would create an enlarged space in the firing compartment in which ammunition is allowed to be transferred to the firing compartment. [0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, a spring-piston air gun comprises a gun body, a handle and the above-described magazine. The gun body is provided with a barrel for directing ammunition out of the air gun and contains a spring-piston system for propelling the ammunition through the barrel out of the gun. The handle connects to the gun body and contains a magazine chamber and a magazine lock. The magazine can be loadable into the magazine chamber. [0010] In a further aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for the semi-automatic loading of ammunition in a magazine as described above by first pulling the gate to the open position. The ammunition is then transferred from the reservoir compartment to the firing compartment, and the gate is returned to the closed position upon such transfer. In another preferred implementation, the transferring step is performed when the magazine is loaded inside the gun. In yet another preferred implementation, the transferring step is performed by a tilting motion of the magazine by a user. In a variation of the above method, the reservoir compartment contains a reservoir door such that further steps of opening the reservoir door and filing the reservoir compartment with additional ammunition are provided. [0011] There are many advantages to the present invention. For instance, the improved magazine has the capacity to store a larger amount of ammunition with the equipped reservoir compartment. Thus, the frequency of magazine reloading can be decreased and the smoothness of normal operation, with the fun brought along, can be preserved. In addition, loading of ammunition into the firing compartment is made easy and convenient by the simple manipulation of the gate and tilting motion of the magazine. In one embodiment of the present invention, such loading can also be performed when the magazine is inside the gun. [0012] Another advantage of the present invention is that due to the large opening on the reservoir compartment, a vast amount of ammunition can be filled simultaneously into the reservoir compartment of the magazine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES [0013] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a magazine without the spring system and the gate for ease of illustration according to one embodiment of the present invention. [0014] FIG. 2 is a back cross-sectional view across line A-A of the magazine of FIG. 1 according to the same embodiment of the present invention. [0015] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a magazine showing the gate in a closed position with an empty firing compartment and the reservoir filled with ammunition according to one embodiment of the present invention. [0016] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a magazine showing the gate in an open position according to one embodiment of the present invention. [0017] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a magazine showing the gate in a closed position with ammunition fully loaded into the firing compartment according to one embodiment of the present invention DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0018] As used herein and in the claims, "comprising" means including the following elements but not excluding others. [0019] Referring first to FIGS. 1 & 2, the first embodiment of the present invention is a semi-automatically loadable magazine 20, found in a spring-piston air gun, containing a firing compartment 22 for storing ammunition (not shown) for firing and a reservoir compartment 26 for storing additional ammunition (not shown). In between the two compartments are two pairs of slides 44 disposed on the two side walls defining a sliding channel 24. As shown in FIG. 1, the firing compartment 22 is an elongated chamber comprising a first end 54 and an opposing second end 56. A firing orifice 58 is situated on the first end 54 through which ammunition (not shown) can be propelled out of the firing compartment 22 and delivered to a spring-piston system consecutively upon each firing of the gun. The reservoir compartment 26, juxtaposing the firing compartment 22, also comprises two ends: an internal end 78 and an external end 80 whereat a reservoir door 48 is disposed. Continue reading... Full patent description for Semi-automatic magazine and method of ammunition loading Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Semi-automatic magazine and method of ammunition loading patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Semi-automatic magazine and method of ammunition loading or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Crossbow with stock safety mechanism Next Patent Application: Bullet-loading structure of toy gun Industry Class: Mechanical guns and projectors ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Semi-automatic magazine and method of ammunition loading patent info. 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