Ammunition loader

An ammunition loader press apparatus for performing successive loading steps on shell casings to produce loaded cartridges therefrom, said loader including:

• an upper platen assembly and a lower platen assembly and means mounting said upper platen assembly over said lower platen assembly for guided up and down movement with respect thereto;
• drive means for causing cyclical movement of said upper platen assembly relative to said lower platen assembly to cause a movement of said upper platen assembly towards said lower platen assembly and back to an elevated position with respect thereto;
• a linear array of work stations extending across said lower platen assembly;
• a corresponding number of loading process components carried by said upper platen assembly at points thereof in vertical alignment with said work station locations on said lower platen assembly;
• a shuttle bar slidably mounted on said lower platen assembly for movement parallel to said linear array of work stations, said shuttle bar having a series of casing engaging notches formed along one side thereof adjacent said linear array of work stations;
• means for operating said shuttle bar to undergo advancing movement in a position in engagement with shell casings disposed in said work stations to advance each of said shell casings from a preceding station to the next station in said array of work stations and thence to be moved outwardly out of engagement with said shell casings and thence to a return position retracted one station a distance corresponding to the distance between stations and thence inwardly into engagement into said shell casings, said shuttle bar operating means includes spring bias means resisting said outward movement of said shuttle bar and exerting an inward bias force thereon until said shuttle bar has returned to the return position, wherein said operating means also includes means enabling said shuttle bar to move inwardly at said return position, the improvement comprising:
• spring bias means comprising a pair of spring wire C-forms each having a portion thereof in engagement with said shuttle bar at the edge opposite said one edge of said shuttle bar.

In an ammunition loader having means for performing loading steps in ammunition casings, said means including primer seating means and a primer feed supply of primer contained within said tube, said tube being located in a spaced position from a work station whereat said primer seating operation is carried out, the improvement comprising:

• primer feed slide means, including a primer feed slide bar formed with a receiving pocket formed therein adapted to receive a primer for positioning with respect to the primer pocket in shell casings disposed in said work station;
• a primer feed slide mechanism including means for positioning said primer feed slide bar in said advanced and pick up positions respectively, said means including operating spring means urging said primer feed slide bar toward said advanced position, with said drive means including a drive element drivingly connected to said primer feed slide bar in a first direction of movement of said drive element allowing said operating spring means to advance said primer feed slide bar toward said advanced position and in a second direction moving said primer feed slide bar toward said pick up position and further including a pair of adjustable stop means positively limiting said extent of movement of said primer feed slide bar in said advanced position and said pick up position, locating said primer feed slide bar pocket in said work station position and said pick up position, said means allowing lost motion between said drive element and said primer feed slide bar in either direction after said primer feed slide bar has moved into engagement with either of said stops in said advanced position and in said pick up position, respectively;
• whereby said primer feed slide bar is located in said positions by one of said adjustable stop means and rather than directly by said motion of said drive element.