US3459327A - Shell and accessory case for skeet and trapshooters - Google Patents

Description

g- 1969 w. R. HARRIS 3,459,327

SHELL AND ACCESSORY CASE FOR SKEET AND TRAPSHOOTERS Filed March 7, 1968 mveu'ron WILLIAM R. HARRIS ATTORN YS United States Patent 3,459,327 SHELL AND ACCESSORY CASE FOR SKEET AND TRAPSHOOTERS William R. Harris, 26964 Davison Ave., Detroit, Mich. 48239 Filed Mar. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 711,283 Int. Cl. B6511 1/24, 1/36, 85/54 US. Cl. 220-20 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A main open-topped rectangular box is provided with three vertical partitions, the outermost two of which are spaced apart from one another by distances slightly greater than the standard length of empty shotgun shells, while the middle partition is spaced apart from the two outermost partitions by distances slightly greater than the width of the standard shotgun shell box containing twenty-five shells. Hinged at their top edges to the longer opposite upper edges of the box are two hollow shallow half-covers or auxiliary boxes each provided with a hinged lid with catches, for the purpose of holding shooters accessories, such as gloves, shooting glasses, score cards, ear plugs, and so forth. Each of these hollow half-covers swings through an angle of 180 degrees and when swung inward and downward, extends over one-half of the top of the box. These half-covers are provided with locking latches and carrying handles and, when swung outward, upward and then downward, come to rest with their hinged sides engaging the adjacent sides of the box, without the need for swing-limiting chains or slotted pivoted stop arms.

Skeet and trapshooters have many articles which they must carry with them to and from meets, and hitherto have carried these articles, including their loaded shells and empty shells in different bags or other containers. Such shooters often use shotguns of different calibers for different events in the same days matches, and also require holders not only for loaded shells but also for empty shells. Most skeet and trap shooters today reload their empty shells because of the greatly increased cost of factory-loaded shells during the past few years. Presently, while cases are available for new shells, they ordinarily do not accommodate these shells in their original packages or boxes but they have to be transferred to small aluminum boxes or drawers. No known case also provides space for empty shells which have been fired. Furthermore, the shooter also requires a holder for his program of events, his score cards, shooting glasses, ear plugs, broken shell extractors and other accessories. The present case provides space for all of these items.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the shell and accessory case for skeet and trapshooters, according to one form of the invention, shown in its closed and locked position;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the case of FIG- URE 1, shown with its hollow half-covers swung outward in opposite directions to open the box;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but with the lids of the hollow half-covers unlatched and swung open to obtain access to the compartments within these covers;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal section through the box, taken along the line 4-4 in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-section through one of the hollow half-covers, taken along the line 5-5 in FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the case includes a main rectangular open-topped box 12 with two outer ice partitions 14 spaced apart from the end walls 15 the exact length of the shells, and an inner partition 16 spaced apart from the outer partitions 14 in spaced parallel relationship therewith to accommodate shell boxes inserted sidewise in the slightly narrower central compartments 18. The end compartments 20 are of widths sufficient to accommodate the empty shells which have been fired, which are stacked horizontally therein in longitudinal directions (crosswise of the compartments 20) like cordwood.

Hinged at 22 at their top edges to the tops of the opposite side walls 21 of the main box 12 are two auxiliary boxes or half-covers 24 with lids 26 also hinged thereto along hinge lines 28 and held in closed position by latch hooks 30. These auxiliary boxes or half-covers 24 have compartments 32 therein to hold the accessories mentioned above. Each half-cover 24 is of exactly half the width of the main box 12 so that when they are swung upward and inward toward the bottom wall 34 of the main box 12, they come down upon the top of the main box 12 side by side to form a cover therefor (FIGURE 1). Each of the auxiliary boxes or half-covers 24 consists of side Walls 38 (FIGURE 5), end walls 40 and a bottom wall 42 enclosing their respective accessory compartments 32.

On their bottom walls 42, the auxiliary boxes 24 are provided with suitcase handles 44 disposed in spaced parallel relationship which in the top closure position of the boxes 24 (FIGURE 1) enable the entire case 10 to be conveniently carried to and from the shooting grounds and prevent the case 10 from swinging sidewise pendulously While being so carried. Latches 46 are provided for locking the auxiliary boxes or half-covers 24 in their closed positions on top of the main box 12.

The use of the shell and accessory case 10 has been indicated in part above in connection with the description thereof. Before starting out from his home or oflice, the shooter loads the central compartments 18 with boxes of loaded shells, each of these compartments 18 holding four standard boxes containing twenty-five shells each, with the boxes standing on end in the compartments 18. He also packs the above-mentioned accessories into the accessory compartments 32 in the half-covers or auxiliary boxes 24, and closes and locks the lids 26 thereof by the catches 30. He then swings the half-covers 24 toward one another and downward on top of the main box 12, closing the compartments 18 and 20 thereof, and fastens the latches 46.

On his arrival at the shooting grounds or range, the shooter opens the half-covers 24 to obtain and use his accessories and also removes a box of loaded shells from one of the central compartments 18. After he has shot his match, he packs the empty shells in the end compartments 20, stacking them like cordwood with their axes arranged lengthwise of the main box 12. If he is shooting in matches requiring diiferent calibers of shotguns and shells, he lifts out the appropriate boxes thereof from one of the compartments 18 and after shooting, stacks the empty shells in one of the end compartments 20. At the end of shooting, he repacks his accessories, such as shooting glasses, gloves, score cards and ear plugs into the auxiliary compartments 32, closes their respective lids 26, locks them by the catches 30, then swings the half-covers or auxiliary boxes 24 upward and inward toward one another until they again close the top of the main box 12, whereupon he again locks the latches 46 and the case 10 is ready to be carried to the automobile by the handles 44. For matches involving the use of a smaller number of shells, the invention contemplates making the main box 12 of half the depth shown in the drawing and accommodating four boxes of loaded shells instead of eight.

In practice, it is found convenient to make the end or outer compartments three inches in width and the central or inner compartments 2% inches or 2% inches in width to accommodate the loaded shell boxes.

I claim:

1. A shell and accessory case for skeet and trapshooters, comprising a main rectangular open-topped box having a plurality of vertical partitions spaced apart from one another in parallel relationship by separations sufiicient to accommodate loaded shotgun shell boxes and empty shotgun shells respectively,

a pair of shallow auxiliary boxes hinged at their top edges to opposite top edges of said main box and swingable 180 degrees from horizontal main-boxclosing positions in side-to-side abutting relationship to horizontal main-box-opening positions remote from one another with the hinged sides of said auxiliary boxes engaging the adjacent sides and with the tops of said auxiliary boxes substantially level with the top of said main box,

each auxiliary box having a length substantially equal to the length of said top edges of said main box and having a width equal to substantially half the width of said main box,

each auxiliary box having an auxiliary compartment therein and having a closure lid movably secured to a wall thereof in closing relationship to said compartment,

and means for locking said auxiliary boxes to one another in their inwardly-swung positions on top of said main box 2. A shell and accessory case, according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary boxes have bottom walls and wherein two carrying handles are secured one each to said bottom walls in spaced paraller relationship.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,055,657 9/1936 Gordon 206l2 2,501,270 3/1950 Fleming 20616 2,558,124 6/1951 Burden. 3,317,097 5/1967 Giodrano 20616 X GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2063, 16; 220-22

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