Gun magazine with leaf spring

Abstract

An ammunition clip is provided for supplying cartridges to a gun. The ammunition clip includes an elongated housing having an internal chamber for holding a plurality of laterally aligned cartridges, said elongated housing having a loading end and an opposing end, a moveable carriage disposed within the internal chamber for urging the aligned cartridges towards the loading end and a resilient elongated member that engages the opposing end of the housing with a first end and the moveable carriage with a second end, said resilient member being adapted to assume a substantially straight configuration when the ammunition clip is empty and a U-shaped configuration when the ammunition clip is full.

1 . An ammunition clip for supplying cartridges to a gun, said ammunition clip comprising: 
 an elongated housing having an internal chamber for holding a plurality of laterally aligned cartridges, said elongated housing having a loading end and an opposing end;    a moveable carriage disposed within the internal chamber for urging the aligned cartridges towards the loading end; and    a resilient elongated member that engages the opposing end of the housing with a first end and the moveable carriage with a second end, said resilient member being adapted to assume a substantially straight configuration when the ammunition clip is empty and a U-shaped configuration when the ammunition clip is full.    
     
     
         2 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 1  wherein the elongated housing further comprises an aperture adjacent the opposing end that allows a center portion of the resilient member to project out of the ammunition clip when the ammunition clip is full.  
     
     
         3 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 1  wherein the resilient member further comprises a loop on the second end.  
     
     
         4 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 3  wherein the elongated housing further comprises a transverse post that engages the loop on the second end of the resilient member.  
     
     
         5 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 1  wherein the resilient member further comprises a loop on the first end.  
     
     
         6 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 5  wherein the moveable carriage further comprises a transverse post that engages the loop on the first end of the resilient member.  
     
     
         7 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 1  wherein the elongated housing further comprises a slit that receives the second end of the resilient member.  
     
     
         8 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 1  wherein the moveable carriage further comprises a slit that receives the first end of the resilient member.  
     
     
         9 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 1  wherein the resilient member further comprises spring steel.  
     
     
         10 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 1  wherein the resilient member further comprises plastic.  
     
     
         11 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 1  wherein the resilient member further comprises a loop in a center section.  
     
     
         12 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 1  wherein the resilient member further comprises a compound spring.  
     
     
         13 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 12  wherein the compound spring further comprises a first portion that provides a first resilient force and a second portion that provides a second resilient force less than the first resilient force.  
     
     
         14 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 1  wherein the resilient member further comprises a second resilient elontated member.  
     
     
         15 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 1  wherein the carriage further comprises a carriage assembly.  
     
     
         16 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 15  wherein the carriage of the carriage assembly further comprises a throughpin that engages a slot disposed in a sidewall of the elongated housing.  
     
     
         17 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 15  wherein the carriage assembly further comprises a helper spring.  
     
     
         18 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 15  wherein the carriage further comprises a guide.  
     
     
         19 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 18  wherein the guide further comprises a throughpin that engages a slot in a sidewall of the elongated housing.  
     
     
         20 . An ammunition clip for supplying cartridges to a gun, said ammunition clip comprising: 
 an elongated housing having an internal chamber for holding a plurality of laterally aligned cartridges, said elongated housing having a loading end and an opposing end;    a moveable carriage disposed within the internal chamber for urging the aligned cartridges towards the loading end; and    a leaf spring disposed within the elongated housing generally parallel to an elongated axis of the elongated housing that engages the opposing end of the housing with a first end and the moveable carriage with a second end, leaf spring being adapted to assume a substantially straight configuration when the ammunition clip is empty and a U-shaped configuration when the ammunition clip is full.    
     
     
         21 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 20  wherein the elongated housing further comprises an aperture adjacent the opposing end that allows a center portion of the leaf spring to project out of the ammunition clip when the ammunition clip is full.  
     
     
         22 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 20  wherein the leaf spring further comprises a loop on the second end.  
     
     
         23 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 22  wherein the elongated housing further comprises a transverse post that engages the loop on the second end of the leaf spring.  
     
     
         24 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 20  wherein the leaf spring further comprises a loop on the first end.  
     
     
         25 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 24  wherein the moveable carriage further comprises a transverse post that engages the loop on the first end of the leaf spring.  
     
     
         26 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 20  wherein the elongated housing further comprises a slit that receives the second end of the leaf spring.  
     
     
         27 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 20  wherein the moveable carriage further comprises a slit that receives the first end of the leaf spring.  
     
     
         28 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 20  wherein the leaf spring further comprises spring steel.  
     
     
         29 . The ammunition clip as in  claim 20  wherein the leaf spring further comprises plastic.