Top-Loading Shotgun Magazine with Downward Feed Gate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shotgun designs have inefficient shell loading, feeding, and ejection systems, particularly due to the reliance on tubular magazines and upward biasing mechanisms that limit the ease and efficiency of loading and ejection processes.
Innovation Solution
A top-loading shotgun configuration with a spring-loaded magazine and a load gate mechanism that biases shells downward into the chamber, utilizing a bolt assembly with ramps and grooves to guide the load gate and facilitate efficient loading and ejection, along with a unique locking block design and striker tray for improved operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a tubular magazine with upward biasing mechanism is used, then the magazine can hold multiple shells, but the loading and ejection processes become complex and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional magazine design by positioning the magazine above the barrel instead of below it. The magazine feeds shells downward into the chamber through a load gate, reversing the conventional upward feeding direction. This inversion simplifies the loading mechanism and enables more efficient ejection while maintaining multi-shell capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the feeding mechanism into distinct functional components: the magazine cavity for storage, the load gate for controlled feeding, and the chamber for firing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining ammo capacity.
2Ease of operation
If a traditional load gate mechanism is used, then shells can be fed into the chamber, but the loading process requires complex upward biasing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The load gate mechanism is inverted to feed shells downward into the chamber rather than upward. This eliminates the need for complex upward biasing springs and mechanisms, as gravity naturally assists the downward feeding motion. The load gate simply guides shells from the magazine into the chamber under their own weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The magazine is positioned at a higher elevation than the chamber, creating a gravitational potential difference that naturally drives shell feeding. This equipotentiality principle uses gravity to simplify the biasing mechanism, eliminating the need for additional energy input or complex spring systems.
3Productivity
If shells are ejected through an external port from the re-opened chamber, then spent shells can be removed, but the ejection process is inefficient and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The ejection process is inverted by utilizing the same downward feeding path. After firing, the load gate reverses direction and guides spent shells back down into the magazine cavity through the same route used for loading. This eliminates the need for separate ejection ports and mechanisms, significantly improving ejection efficiency and reducing operational time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the efficiency and ease of loading and ejection processes by allowing manual top-loading and downward biasing of shells, improving the overall operation of the shotgun with a modular design that maximizes ammo capacity and range.
Implementation Method 1
The shells are biased by a spring-loaded element disposed in the magazine which biases the shells towards the chamber.
Data Source
AI summary
A shell feeding system for a top loading shotgun in one embodiment includes a barrel, receiver, and a magazine. The magazine includes a cavity configured to receive a plurality of ammunition shells in stacked end-to-end relationship. The magazine is positioned above the barrel and extends forward from the receiver. A load gating and locking block engages and guide each shell in a feed pathway towards the lower part of the receiver for chambering. In one embodiment, the receiver and magazine may be formed as a unitary integral structure forming a single piece.