Mechanical guns and projectors – Element – For archery projector
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-01
2001-07-03
Ricci, John A. (Department: 3712)
Mechanical guns and projectors
Element
For archery projector
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253754
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related in general to the field of archery and, in particular, to bowstrings and buss cables for compound bows which provide improved durability.
2. Description of the Related Art
The invention of the compound bow in 1966 was a substantial improvement in bow designs. The compound bow used a series of pulleys (or eccentrics) attached to the ends of the bow limbs. This design resulted in increased arrow velocity and reduced pull needed to hold the bow at full draw.
A problem with the compound bow is increased wear and reduced life of the bowstrings and buss cables. The increased load pressure applied to the end servings as they are bent by the eccentrics cause the end servings to separate, leaving the strings unprotected and subject to wear. The introduction of the single cam bow has exacerbated the problem. The single cam design results in even higher load pressure and bending where the high points or steep angles on the eccentric (or cam) contact the end servings.
Servings currently being used are typically made of two or more strands of material which are either twisted or braided. They are made from a variety of materials ranging from exotic aerospace materials to ordinary fishing line. The servings are applied over the bow string or buss cable in a side-by-side fashion (FIG.
1
).
FIG. 1
illustrates a prior art end serving and a separation of the end serving. Bowstring
12
is protected by prior art end serving
12
A. End serving
12
A is made by wrapping a serving material around bowstring
12
in a side-by-side fashion. The serving material is wrapped as tightly as possible. Since the serving material is wrapped side-by-side, it is applied at nearly a 90 degree angle to bowstring
12
. Even though serving material is wrapped very tightly, it is susceptible to separation
23
as bowstring
12
stretches and is subject to the high load pressure of the eccentric. Once separation occurs, the bowstring fibers are left unprotected from wear by the eccentric. The separation is unsightly and, left unprotected, bowstring
12
can become worn and break. Also shown is loop
22
.
The end serving can begin to separate after only a few shots. After several more shots the serving can be separated to the point that the bowstrings or cable begin to ride directly on the eccentric and cause severe wear. The end serving is supposed to protect the strings from this type of wear.
Replacing the bowstring and cables can be costly and time consuming. Further, a broken bowstring or cable renders the bow inoperable and may even cause damage to the bow or injury to the user. The purchaser of a new bow may also assume that the manufacturer has supplied poor quality bowstring and cables on the new bow.
The prior art has attempted to solve durability problems by using new bowstring materials and/or redesigned eccentrics. An example of the prior art is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,094, issued Sep. 18, 1990, to Pickering et al. which is incorporated herein by reference.
Clearly there exits the need for improved bowstrings and buss cables which are durable, safer, reduce breakage and resist unsightly separation.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention discloses bowstrings and buss cables for compound bows having end servings with improved durability and longer life. The end servings of the bowstrings and cables are formed using flattened multi-fiber material. The multi-fiber material is wrapped in an overlapping fashion around the bowstring and cables. The material is further wrapped with a bias greater than a conventional side-by-side wrapped end serving. The improved servings are either applied over conventional end servings or applied directly to a bowstring as a replacement for conventional end servings. In general, the invention is useful anywhere on the bowstring where there is contact with an eccentric or the like.
The increased durability and longer life provide many advantages. One important advantage is safety to both the bow and the user. If a bowstring breaks, it can both damage the bow and injure the user. The invention reduces the chances of this type of damage. Another important advantage is cost. Replacement bowstrings and cables can cost in the range of $55 to $75. There is also the installation cost and/or time associated with the repair and the inconvenience to the archer of returning and sighting the bow. Finally, the invention improves the appearance of the bow by reducing unsightly separation. The terms “bowstring” and “buss cable” are merely used to designate particular parts in the stringing of a bow by the generally recognized nomenclature. Since the invention is equally applicable to either the bowstring or buss cables, the terms will be used interchangeably in this application and/or the term “bowstring/cable” will be used.
The term “eccentric” is used here to refer to the rotatably mounted items attached to the ends of the bow limbs. For purposes of this application the terms “eccentric” and “cam” are used interchangeably. The term “eccentric” is not meant to be limited to a particular shape but is meant to refer to any such rotatable device attached to the limb tip of any compound bow known in the art.
The preferred embodiment uses a multi-fiber material which is sufficiently flat or deformable such that the material may be overlapped as it is wrapped around a bowstring. Since the material is overlapping it resists separation better than conventional side-by-side wrapping. It is also envisioned that some single fiber materials may be used.
The multi-fiber material is also wrapped with a bias. Conventional servings are wrapped side-by-side resulting in almost no bias since the serving material is at nearly a 90 degree angle to the bowstring. The increased bias of the invention further resists separation.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide an improved bowstring.
A feature of the invention is overlapping end servings.
Another feature of the invention is a biased end serving.
Another feature of the invention is a multi-fiber material suitable for overlapping.
Advantages of the invention include increased durability, reduced breakage, increased bowstring life, increased safety, reduced operating cost, reduced inconvenience to the archer, easily installed during production of bowstrings and improved appearance.
Various other purposes and advantages of the invention will become clear from its description in the specification that follows and from the novel features particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Therefore, to the accomplishment of the objectives described above, this invention consists of the features hereinafter illustrated in the drawings, fully described in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and particularly pointed out in the claims. However, such drawings and description disclose only one of the various ways in which the invention may be practiced.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2271173 (1942-01-01), Lay
patent: 2981053 (1961-04-01), Harrison
patent: 3297013 (1967-01-01), Smith et al.
patent: 3444853 (1969-05-01), Hofmeister
patent: 4957094 (1990-09-01), Pickering et al.
Durando Antonio R.
Ricci John A.
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