US3123369A - Bullet puller - Google Patents

Description

c. R. JAcoBsEN March 3, 1964 BULLET FULLER Filed Dec. 27, 1962 NTOR. CALVIN R. JACOBSEN United States Patent @hice 3,123,369 Patented Mar. 3, 1964 3,123,369 BULLET FULLER Calvin R. Jacobsen, Murray, Utah (R0. Box 1552.3, Salt Lake City, Utah) Filed Dec. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 247,665 Claims. (Cl. 279 35) This invention relates to devices for separating the bullets of rifle cartridges from the powder-containing shells in which they are secured.

It has become common practice for sportsmen to purchase government surplus ritie cartridges and to reload them for use in hunting game, such as deer and elk.

To separate the bullet from the powder-containing shell of the cartridge, it is customary to employ a so-calied loading press to which a bullet puller is attached. The puller serves to securely grip the bullet and hold it in the press while a lever-operated, movable jaw of the press pulls the cartridge away from the bullet.

For the reloading operation to be successful, it is imperative that the bullet puller not damage the bullet. Also, it is desirable that it accept the bullets from cartridges of the several different calibers found in Army and other government surplus ammunition.

In the making of the present invention, it was a principal object to provide a bullet puller conforming to these requirements and yet comprising a minimum number of parts which are economical to manufacture, easy to assemble and disassemble, and inexpensive to replace when worn, the puller being capable of handling a continuous run of cartridges of various sizes quickly and expeditiously.

These desired characteristics are achieved by a construction incorporating a plurality of mutually independent, bullet-gripping jaws in a body defining a through passage for the bullets. The through passage is a cylindrical bore having a rectilinear axis and an entryway at one end for receiving the bullet-carrying ends of a succession of riiie cartridges, one after another. The jaws are liat and are conigurated and arranged, mutually, to seat and to freely tip individually, against yieldable return force, on an internal annular shoulder provided by the cylindrical bore of the puller body intermediate its length, and are further congurated and arranged to define, in common, a ratchetlike through passage for the succession of bullets. Such passage is initially less in diameter than the diameters of the bullets, but is expandable by reason of the tipping action of the jaws.

When each bullet, in turn, is well within such ratchetlike through passage, with the individual jaws of the puller tipped in the direction of bullet travel to expand such through passage against the yieldable return force, the closed, bottom end of the shell is grasped by mechanism commonly associated with a loading press and forming no part of the present invention and is pulled in a direction directly opposite to the direction of travel of the bullet through the puller when the lever of the loading press is operated This causes the ratchet-like throughpassage-defining edges of the jaws to gently but ever more "firmly grip the bullet and hold it while the shell is pulled away and separated from it.

It is preferred that the bullet puller comprise a unitary body having a cylindrical base and a cylindrical upper housing. In this specilic form of the device, the base is exteriorly threaded for attachment to the loading press and the bore of the upper housing is larger than that of the base. A shoulder is formedV between and normal to the two bores and extends slightly into the bore of the base. The plurality of fiat jaws for gripping a bullet and a return spring for biasing the jaws into engagement with the bullet and for returning the jaws to their initial positions are held in position in the upper housing by a retainer plug, removably locked in the housing. f

Further objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a view showing one form of the bullet puller in side elevation;

FIG. 2, a Vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a top plan view;

FIG. 4, a fragmentary View in Vertical section taken on the line 4 4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5, a horizontal section taken on the line 5 5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6, a vertical sectional view of a somewhat different embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 7, a horizontal section taken on the line 7 7 0f FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings:

In the illustrated preferred embodiments the bullet puller has a unitary body, shown generally at 10, which consists of a lower cylindrical base 11, threaded exteriorly for attachment to a loading press (not shown), and an upper cylindrical housing 12 having a bore 13 larger than the bore 14 of the base. Formed between the two bores and extending slightly into bore 14, in a plane normal to their common axis, is a preferably iiat, annular shoulder 15, the bottom inner edge of which is preferably beveled, as at 16, to provide a guide means for bullets entering the body through the bore 14 of base 11. The two bores 13 and 14 form a continuous through passage having a reotilinear axis.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 2-5, a pair of iiat jaws 17 are contigurated and arranged to denne a ratchet-like through passage 17-1 and are biased to bulletengaging position by spring 1S. The jaws and the spring are held in position in the upper housing member by a retainer plug 19, having a groove 20 formed circumferentially thereof. Set screw 21 is screwed through the upper housing and engages the groove 20 to hold the retainer plug in the housing.

The jaws 17 are liat and rigid, individual pieces, preferably of steel, having mutually parallel sides 22, a curved rear edge 23, and an arcuate bullet-engaging front edge beveled on the underside, as shown at 24. Although the rear edges 23 are shown curved, with a radius less than that of the bore 13, it will be apparent that the edges can be of various configurations that will allow the jaw to pivot about a rear extremity when it is in contact with the curved wall of the bore.

The jaws are biased by spring 18 to a position wherein their flat undersides rest on shoulder 15. In this position, the foremost corners 25 of the arcuate front edges of the two jaws are in Contact, and the rear extremities of the curved rear edges abut the wall of the bore.

laws 17 and spring 13 are held in position by retainer plug 19, which is lixed in the bore of the upper housing by set screw 21 and groove 29. The groove is formed slightly wider than the diameter of the screw to allow a slight variability in the positioning of the retainer plug in bore 13. As will be made apparent, this allows changes to be made in the size range of bullets that can be pulled with the present invention.

Retainer plug 19 is formed to tit in bore 13 and has a passage 26 therethrough, which surrounds the spring 18, and an inwardly protruding shoulder 19a at the upper end of the passage to form an abutment for the spring. An arcuately shaped diametric channel 26, wide enough to allow the jaws to be positioned and pivot therein is formed in the bottom of the retainer plug. The lower edges 27 of the curved surface 2S, at the circumference of the retainer plug provide pivot surfaces for the jaws to rotate 3. around, and the radius of the arcuate channel will determine the maximum angle to which the jaws can pivot.

Although the above described arcuate diametric channel constitutes an easily formed, convenient, guide means for the jaws, others couldy be provided. However', the means utilized most advantageously will prevent the jaws from independently moving on the shoulder, provide a space in which the jaws can pivot, and prevent undesired upward movement of the rear portion of the jaws.

The through passage deiined by bores 13 and 14, and by the passage 26 through retainer plug 19, should be at least as large as the greatest opening between the jaws when in their maximum upward pivoted position, to allow bullets to pass and be discharged therethrough, as will be further explained.

In use, bullets are successively fed to the bore M of the bullet puller. As each bullet enters bore 14, it is guided by the beveled shoulder 15 and beveled jaws 17 so that its nose enters the hole formed by the jaws. As increased pressure is applied to the rear of the bullet to force it into the upper housing, the biasing force of the spring is overcome and the front ot the jaws are raised and pivoted, the rear edges being prevented by the retainer plug from moving upwardly more than a short distance. As the jaws rotate, the opening between them is increased and the bullet slides through. When the bullet has been forced to the desired operational position, a lever-operated gripping means (not shown) attachedto the loading press is attached to the closed bottom of the shell of the cartridge and a downward torce applied.

The bullet is restrained from moving downwardly by spring 18 forcing jaws t7 into engagement with the bullet and the wall of the bore. In opposition to the slightest downward movement of the bullet, the rear of the jaws are jammed into engagement with the wall of bore 13, and the front edges gently engage and firmly hold the bullet. Increased downward force on the lever will result in an increased grip on the bullet and separation of the cartridge therefrom.

Succeeding bullets are used to push those already separated from their shells through the passage 26 through the retainer plug and out of the bullet puller, thus enabling a continuous feed of bullets to be handled.

Within limits determined by the minimum opening between the jaws when in their flat resting position and the maximum opening between the jaws when in their pivoted position, bullets of all calibers can be pulled without changing any of the parts of the assembly. Additionally, merely by repositioning set screw 21 in groove 20,' the retainer plug can be slightly raised or lowered in bore 13 to change the angle to which the jaws can pivot, thus changing the size ot the opening between them and increasing the size range of bullets that can be pulled.

In the modiiication of the invention shown in FIGS. '6 and 7 the general'coniiguration of the body 1t-l' is the same as in the previously described embodiment. In this embodiment, however, retainer plug 32 is held in position by a split ring 3%' which snaps into position in a groove 31 formed in the upper wall of bore t3 and protrudes into the bore above the spring and jaw retainer plug 32 to hold it in position.

Although the number of jaws that may be used can vary from two upwardly, two, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 5, have been found to provide very satisfactory results. The use of three or moreare exemplified by the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, in which four are shown.

The four jaws 33 are tlat and symmetrical. Each is provided with a bullet-engaging front edge 3d and a rear edge 35 with a rear pivot extremity shaped to allow the jaws to pivot against and within the wall of bore 13.

The retainer plug 32 is shaped to tit within bore i3 and has a passage 36 therethrough, with a spring stop 37 at the upper end. Spring S is positioned between the spring stop 37 and one fiat face othe jaws, and acts to bias ill-- J'WS t0 il POSi 21 wherein their other ilat face is resting on shoulder 15. In this position the edges of the jaws contact one another and the jav/s are incapable of independent lateral movement. The front edges 34 define an opening through which the tip of a bullet can be inserted.

The retainer plug 32 extends into bore i3 to a point spaced from the jaws, to thereby allow the room for the jaws to be rotated upwardly about their rear edges. Additionally, the lower end of the bore 34 is beveled as at 37, the angle of the bevel determining'the maximum angle to which the jaws can pivot, the size opening obtained through the jaws, and accordingly the maximum size bullets that can be pulled.

As with the previously described modification, bullets are inserted through the bore of shank lift, to force the jaws to pivot to an open position. When the bullet has been passed into the desired position, the cartridge puller is affixed, as previously described, to apply a downward force to the shell. The jaws, under the influence of the spring, engage the bullet and resist downward movement thereof as the cartridge stell is pulled therefrom. Also, as in the previously described embodiment, succeeding bullets will force the preceding ones out of the device.

The bullet puller will rmly grasp and hold a wide range of calibers of bullets and will easily and quickly handle a continuous feed of bullets. Additionally, it is completely automatic, in that no manual operationother than the positioning of the bullet-is required for the gripping of each succeeding bullet, regardless of variations in caliber.

Besides having these highly desired functional characteristics, the present bullet puller is economical Ato construct, since it is made of but a few easily formed parts and is easily assembled. Merely by the removal of a single locking means all partsY are made accessible, and if required, they can be replaced.

The jaws, which are the parts most subject to wear, are easily `and inexpensively formed and can be quickly and economically replaced should this be required.

Whereas this invention is herein illustrated and described with reference to certain presently preferred structural forms, it should be understood that other forms may be pro-duced in accordance with the teachings hereof, by those skilled in the art, without departing from lthe generic concepts of' the yfollowing claims.

I claim:

l. A bullet puller, comprising: a unitary body having a cylindrical, exteriorly threaded base and a cylindrical upper housing, the Ibore of said housing being larger than the bore of the base, and an annular shoulder between the bores; a plurality of ilat, bullet-engaging jaws, said jaws each having a rear edge contacting the wall of the bore orf said housing, one ilat side normally resting on the shoulder, and a front edge overlying the bore of said base, the front edges surrounding a hole formed therebetween when the jaws are resting on said shoulder and into which the tip of a bullet can be inserted; a coil spring surrounding and overlying the hole formed by said front edges and biasing said jaws yto their normal positions resting on the shoulder', and retainer means for holding said spring in position -in said bore and for limiting upward movement of the rear edges of the jaws.

2. The bullet puller of claim l, `wherein the retainer means includes a plug `adapted to t slidably in the housing bore, said plug having la passage therethrough, a shoulder formed in the upper end of the passage, the bottom of said plug having a guide for pivoting of the jaws formed therein, said passage surrounding the spring with said spring abutting said shoulder; and means to loclt said plug in said bore.

3. The bullet puller of claim 2, wherein said means to lock said plug in said bore comprises a set screw, threaded through the housing wall and cooperating with a groove in said retainer plug, said groove being slightly wider than the diameter of said screw.

4. The bullet puller of claim 2, wherein said means to lock said plug in said bore comprises a split ring n a groove formed on the inside of the bore of the housing, the split ring extending into the bore, said groove being above the retainer plug when 1in its spring and jaw retaining position.

5. A lbullet puller comprising: a unitary body having a cylindrical, exteriorly threaded base and a cylindrical upper housing, the bore of said upper housing being larger than the bore of lthe base, and a at shoulder between the hores; a pair of symmetrical flat jaws, each having parallel side edges, `a rear edge with a rear extremity forming a pivot point and an arcuate and beveled bulletengaging `front edge; a :spring biasing said jaws to a position wherein one flat face of said jaws is resting on the shoulder, the rear extremities are contacting the wall or" the bore of the housing, the corners of the arcuate front edge of one jaw are contacting the corners of the yarcuate front edge of the other jaw, and the arcuate front edges define a hole through which the tip of a bullet can be inserted; a retainer plug having -a passage therethrough land a shoulder at the top of said passage, said spring being positioned in said passage and yabutting the shoulder; a channel formed alrcuately into the bottom of said plug, said channel being slightly wider than said jaws and said jaws being positioned in said channel, the side walls of said channel extending adjacent the parallel side eid-ges of the jaws, and the ends of the arcuate surface of said channel yforming means to limit upward movement of the rear edges of the jaws and `additionally forming pivot points for the jaws to pivot around; and means removably holding said retainer plug in the bore of the housing.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims (1)

1. A BULLET PULLER, COMPRISING: A UNITARY BODY HAVING A CYLINDRICAL, EXTERIORLY THREADED BASE AND A CYLINDRICAL UPPER HOUSING, THE BORE OF SAID HOUSING BEING LARGER THAN THE BORE OF THE BASE, AND AN ANNULAR SHOULDER BETWEEN THE BORES; A PLURALITY OF FLAT, BULLET-ENGAGING JAWS, SAID JAWS EACH HAVING A REAR EDGE CONTACTING THE WALL OF THE BORE OF SAID HOUSING, ONE FLAT SIDE NORMALLY RESTING ON THE SHOULDER, AND A FRONT EDGE OVERLYING THE BORE OF SAID BASE, THE FRONT EDGES SURROUNDING A HOLE FORMED THEREBETWEEN WHEN THE JAWS ARE RESTING ON SAID SHOULDER AND INTO WHICH THE TIP OF A BULLET CAN BE INSERTED; A COIL SPRING SURROUNDING AND OVERLYING THE HOLE FORMED BY SAID FRONT EDGES AND BIASING SAID JAWS TO THEIR NORMAL POSITIONS RESTING ON THE SHOULDER; AND RETAINER MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID SPRING IN POSITION IN SAID BORE AND FOR LIMITING UPWARD MOVEMENT OF THE REAR EDGES OF THE JAWS.

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