DIE REMOVAL DEVICE

Abstract

A device (2) for pulling a cartridge case (4) in a pulling direction (10) out of an axial bore of a die (6) which, as seen from the axial bore, comprises a male thread (20) on the outside to hold the die (6) in a reloading press is provided. The device (2) comprises : a support plate (12) for holding the die (6) aligned with its axial bore in the pulling direction 10) and secured against a movement in the pulling direction (10) in a die bore (18) a lifting plate (14) arranged at a distance (16) before the support plate (12) as seen in the pulling direction (10), comprising a pulling element (24) with retaining members aligned against the pulling direction (10), wherein the retaining members are arranged in such a way to hold the cartridge case (4) at an end of the pulling element (24) opposite the lifting plate (14), and drive members (32, 34) for driving the support plate (12) and the lifting plate (14) apart in and/or against the pulling direction (10).

Claims

1. Device (2) for pulling a cartridge case (4) in a pulling direction (10) out of an axial bore of a die (6) which, as seen from the axial bore, comprises a male thread (20) on the outside for holding the die (6) in a reloading press, comprising: a support plate (12) for holding the die (6) aligned with its axial bore in the pulling direction (10) and secured against a movement in the pulling direction (10) in a die bore (18) a lifting plate (14) arranged at a distance (16) before the support plate (12) as seen in the pulling direction (10), comprising a pulling element (24) with retaining members aligned against the pulling direction (10), wherein the retaining members are arranged in such a way as to hold the cartridge case (4) at an end of the pulling element (24) opposite the lifting plate (14), and drive members (32, 34) to drive the support plate (12) and the lifting plate (14) apart in and/or against the pulling direction (10).

2. Device (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining members comprise a thread which can be screwed into the cartridge case (4).

3. Device (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pulling element (24) is a screw with a screw head which is screwed into the lifting plate (14) against the pulling direction.

4. Device (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive members (32, 34) comprise a jack screw (32, 34) screwed through the support plate (12) or the lifting plate (14) in the pulling direction (10) which is supported on the lifting plate (14) or the support plate (12) accordingly, wherein the lifting plate (14) or the support plate (12) can be moved in the pulling direction (10) by screwing the jack screw (32, 34) into the support plate (12) or the lifting plate (14).

5. Device (2) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the drive members (32, 34) comprise another jack screw (34, 32) screwed through the support plate (12) or the lifting plate (14) as seen from the jack screw (32, 34) opposite the die (6) in the pulling direction (10) which is supported on the lifting plate (14) or the support plate (12), wherein the lifting plate (14) or the support plate (12) can be moved in the pulling direction (10) by screwing the two jack screws (34, 32) into the support plate (12) or the lifting plate (14).

6. Device (2) as claimed in claim 5, wherein both jack screws (32, 34) have the same distance to the die bore (6) as seen perpendicularly to the pulling direction (10).

7. Device (2) in accordance with claim 4, wherein the jack screw (9, 10) is a wing screw.

8. Device (2) in accordance with claim 4, wherein the jack screw is aligned in the guiding direction.

9. Device (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein in a plan view the two jack screws (32, 34) and the die bore (6) are arranged on the support plate (12) and the lifting plate (14) in the pulling direction (10) along a straight line.

10. Device (2) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a lock nut (30) which can be screwed onto the male thread of the die (6) to attach the die (6) to the support plate (12).

11. Device (2) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the locknut (30) is arranged behind the support plate (12) as seen in the pulling direction (10).

12. Device (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support plate (12) and the lifting plate (14) are arranged in a way that they are held against each other as they are guided (40) in the pulling direction (10).

13. Device (2) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the guiding element (40) comprises at least one linear rail, on which the lifting plate (14) and the support plate (12) are movable in their relation to each other.

14. Device (2) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the guiding element (40) comprises at least four linear rails which are arranged symmetrically to the centre of the die bore (6).

15. Device (2) as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one linear rail is attached to the support plate (12) or the lifting plate (14).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The invention is described in more detail in the following using embodiments in combination with the drawing. It shows:

[0034] FIG. 1 a device for pulling a cartridge case out of a die in accordance with a first embodiment;

[0035] FIG. 2 a device for pulling a cartridge case out of a die in accordance with a second embodiment;

[0036] FIG. 3 a device for pulling a cartridge case out of a die in accordance with a third embodiment;

[0037] FIG. 4 a device for pulling a cartridge case out of a die in accordance with a fourth embodiment;

[0038] FIG. 5 a plan view on the device of FIG. 4.

[0039] The same reference signs in the individual figures refer to the same parts and will only be described once.

DESCRIPTION

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a device 2 for pulling a cartridge case 4 out of a die 6, as described, for example, in DE 10 2013 020 748 B3, in accordance with a first embodiment. Such dies 6 are used in the field of shooting sports and hunting when refilling empty cartridges in reloading presses and are very well known per se. Therefore, the design of the die 6 will not be described in any more detail here.

[0041] The die 6 comprises in a manner known per se a central axial bore, into which a cartridge case 4 may be pressed for trimming and calibration purposes. If the cartridge case 4, however, is stuck in the central bore and cannot be removed easily, the die 6 with the cartridge case 4 stuck in it is useless. Usually, the bottom 8 of the cartridge case 6 protrudes from the die 6, so that the bottom 8 of the die 6 sticks out. This is where the device 2 described in the following fulfils its purpose of saving such a die 6 by pulling out the cartridge case 4 stuck in it in a pulling direction 10.

[0042] The device 2 comprises a support plate 12 which is arranged perpendicularly to the pulling direction 10 as well as a lifting plate 14 which is arranged perpendicularly to the pulling direction 10, both being arranged in relation to each other at a specified plate distance 16, as seen in the pulling direction 10.

[0043] The support plate 12 comprises a die bore 18 running in the pulling direction 10 with a female thread which is not shown in the figures, into which the die 6 can be screwed using a male thread 20 executed on the die 6 in a manner known per se. The die 6 is thus screwed into the support plate 12 with the bottom 8 of the cartridge case 4 pointing to the lifting plate 14. The figures show the die 6 screwed-in in accordance with this instruction.

[0044] The lifting plate 14 comprises a lag screw bore 22 running in the pulling direction 10 with a female thread which is also not depicted in the figures. A lag screw 24 arranged concentrically to the male thread 20 of the die 6 is screwed into this lag screw bore 22 against the pulling direction 10. An end of the lag screw 24 as seen against the pulling direction 10 is additionally screwed into the bottom 8 of the cartridge case 4. For this purpose, if the lag screw 10 is not executed as an appropriate tapping screw, a corresponding bottom bore 26 may be formed in advance or cut-in through the bottom 8 of the cartridge case 4. The lag screw 24 is thus used as pulling element to pull out the cartridge case 24, wherein the pulling element comprises a retaining member in the form of a screw thread. An alternative pulling element may be a gripper, for example.

[0045] In order to screw the lag screw 22 to the lifting plate 14, the lag screw may be fitted with a screw head 28 at the end opposite the cartridge case 4. Similarly, to increase the mechanical stability of the die 6, a locknut 30 may be screwed onto the male thread 20 of the die 6 and tightened against the support plate 12.

[0046] In the manner described above, the support plate 12 and the lifting plate 14 are held mechanically against each other via the die 6 and the cartridge case 4 held therein. In order to pull the cartridge case 4 out of the die 6 in the pulling direction 10, the support plate 12 and the lifting plate 14 must only be driven apart in or against the pulling direction 10, which could be realised with suitable drive members such as a vice which is not shown.

[0047] The present embodiment comprises the drive members with a first jack screw 32 and a second jack screw 34 which are screwed through the support plate 12 in the pulling direction 10 through a first jack screw bore 36 and a second jack screw bore 38 respectively. The two jack screws 32, 34 are arranged symmetrically to each other with the centre of the die bore 18 as the centre of symmetry.

[0048] For this purpose, the jack screws 32, 34 are screwed into the support plate 12 until a front end as seen in the pulling direction 10 touches the lifting plate 14. In this condition, the lifting plate 14 may be separated from the support plate 12 by continuing to screw the jack screws 32, 34 into the jack screw bores 36, 38, so that the above mentioned distance 16 of the plates increases, and the cartridge case 4 is thus pulled out of the die 6. Preferably, wing screws should be used as jack screws 32, 34, because they can be operated without a wrench. This, however, is not necessary. The jack screws 32, 34 may also comprise screw heads 35 which are moved using a suitable wrench.

[0049] When using the device 2 for pulling the cartridge case 4 out of the die 6, the support plate 12 should, as far as possible, always be parallel to the lifting plate 14 to prevent all screws acting in the device 2 from being tilted. This is guaranteed, on the one hand, by the said symmetrical arrangement of the jack screws 32, 34, so that the jack screws 32, 34 and the die bore 18 are arranged on a mutual line in the pulling direction 10 in a plan view of the device 2. The abovementioned locknut 30 is also an alternative or additional way of avoiding tilting.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows an example of an embodiment of the device 2 without the locknut 18. This is readily feasible because the die 6 with its male thread 20 is forcibly actuated in the female thread 6 of the support plate 12 in the pulling direction, and is also fixed with a sufficiently low pitch of the male thread 20.

[0051] In the device 2 in accordance with FIG. 3, the jack screws 32, 34 are screwed into the lifting plate 14 against the pulling direction 10. Although the device 2 of FIG. 3 cannot be set up easily on a support such as a table, the die 6 does not disturb when the jack screws 32, 34 are rotated. The selection of the embodiment of the device 2 according to FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 may depend on the application.

[0052] FIGS. 4 and 5 show an embodiment of the device 2 based on the device 2 of FIG. 3. The embodiment shown, however, can easily be implemented in the devices 2 of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0053] In the device 2 of the FIGS. 4 and 5, the lifting plate 14 is held against the support plate 12 by a guiding element which is independent of the said screws. The guiding element comprises four linear rails, comprising four guide pillars 40 in the present embodiment. Each guide pillar 40 comprises at their front and back end as seen in the pulling direction 10 a hexagon head 42 which may either be one piece with the guide pillar 40 or screwed onto the guide pillar 40 as a nut. As seen with regard to the die bore 18, the guide pillars 40 are arranged symmetrically to one another.

[0054] The guide pillars 40 may be fixed to the support plate 12 or the lifting plate 14, while the corresponding other lifting plate 14 or support plate 12 may slide along the guide pillars 40. Although not shown in the FIGS. 1 to 3, as already mentioned, the guide pillars 40 may also be integrated in these embodiments.

[0055] The device 2 may be used in practice, for example, as follows:

[0056] First, the bottom bore 26 is drilled into the bottom 8 of the cartridge case 4 stuck in the die 6. A thread is then cut into the bottom bore 26 of the cartridge case 4 using a tap. The lag screw 24 is then guided through the lag screw bore 22 of the lifting plate 14 and screwed into the cut thread of the bottom bore 26 of the cartridge case 4. The two jack screws 32, 34 are then screwed into the corresponding jack screw bores 36, either on the support plate 12 in the FIGS. 1 and 2 or on the lifting plate 14 in the FIGS. 3 and 4, and the die 6 is stabilized with its male thread 8 in the die bore 8. Preferably, the support plate 12 may be fixed in a vice. The two jack screws 32, 34 are then evenly screwed in, so that they are supported on the lifting plate 14 in FIGS. 1 and 2 or on the support plate 12 in FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively, and the lifting plate 14 moves away from the support plate 12 in and/or against the pulling direction 10. The cartridge case 4 is thus pulled out of the die 6 by means of the lag screw 24. If the cartridge case 4 is removed from the die 6, the lag screw 24 is removed from the bottom 8 of the cartridge case 4, and the die 6 can be reused.

[0057] In short, the invention represents a simply opportunity to remove cartridge cases which are stuck in a die.

[0058] For the expert it is obvious that modifications can easily be made to the invention.