Device for Handling Cartridge Magazines and Suchlike

This invention relates to the problem of handling all sorts of magazines, such as namely cartridge magazines or cases, for instance for cartridge belts, chargers in boxes or others.

More generally, this invention concerns an extremely simple, sturdy, compact and cheap means for packing and handling such stacked elements.

More particularly still, the invention concerns the packing and handling of such magazines which have the possibility of being stacked, such magazines being of an overall prismatic shape of which one of the side surfaces is provided with a hooking on strip generally consisting of a rectangular platelet, two parallel sides of which are bent up so as to form attachment ledges.

The device according to the invention has the further advantage of offering the possibility of being put into operation with utmost facility and to be suitable for re-use, so that its adoption is economical.

This device is characterized by the fact that it mainly consists of a straight portion of a rigid sectional material of which the two longitudinal edges are bent back in U-shape; one of the ends of this sectional strip being provided with a flap which is retractable in one direction, and the other end being provided with a hinged handle.

This general arrangement may of course be completed by subsidiary devices.

The shape and dimensions of the various constituent elements are essentially variable according to the application under consideration.

Without any attempt at limitation, a form of embodiment is described hereinafter, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a rear perspective view of same;

FIG. 3 shows a section according to line III--III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3, the flap being shown in an intermediate position;

FIG. 5 shows a rear view of the device according to the invention, unto which a stack of magazines is attached;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows a section according to line VII--VII in FIG. 6.

In this form of embodiment, the device according to the invention consists of a portion 1 of a sectional strip of considerable strength and of which the two longitudinal parallel edges are shaped so as to form two attachment ledges 2-3 located in one and the same plane and opposite to each other.

The length of aforesaid section 1 shall generally be equal to or approximating a multiple of the height of the magazine for which the device is intended.

In the lower part of aforesaid section 1, an L-shaped flap 4 is provided with a flanged part 5-6 at each end. The flap is permanently stressed towards its closed position by one or more elastic elements 7. This arrangement is such that aforesaid flap 4, which obstructs the end of section 1, is permanently stressed towards its closed position. As a result hereof, the flap is held stationary in this position in the sense of arrow F1, but remains free to turn in the sense of arrow F2.

In the upper part of section 1, a handle 8 is hingedly attached.

In order permanently to keep ledges 2-3 free, section 1 is provided with a wide channel 9, the side walls 10-11 of which have the free ends of handle 8 passing through them.

In the illustrated example, packages 12 consist for instance of boxes containing cartridge belts. These packages are of overall prismatic shape, each of them being provided, on one side face, with an attachment element. This consists in the present case of a platelet 13 of which the two side edges 14-15 are bent back so as to be slightly spaced from the adjacent side face 16 of the package, thus forming attachment ledges, the spacing being just slightly larger than the wall thickness of aforesaid attachment ledges 2-3. Aforesaid packages 12 are consequently brought into engagement by means of aforesaid ledges 14-15 with aforesaid ledges 2-3, the loading being normally carried out from the top end of the section. The packages are thus slidden on one at a time so as to form a continuous column almost over the entire height of the section 1. In this position, these stacks can easily be handled. The empty packages can be placed back on the support at the end provided with flap 4. On the other hand, after folding back handle 8, these stacks constitute a compact assembly of minimum volume and weight. The mutual attachment elements, consisting respectively of ledges 2-3 of the device and of the bent edges 14-15 of the fixing elements borne by the magazines, are of course essentially variable in shape. The lower flap 4 may also be of any other appropriate shape. With such a device as starting point, it is obvious that numerous alternatives can be built. Such devices might also be attached two by two and back to back, or double assemblies might straightway be built as single units.