Mechanical guns and projectors – Spring – Bow
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-12
2003-03-18
Ricci, John A. (Department: 3712)
Mechanical guns and projectors
Spring
Bow
C124S086000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06532945
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Description of the Invention
This invention relates to compound bow enhancers and more particularly to enhancers that reduce noise and vibrations while increasing arrow speed.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a traditional compound bow, a bowstring is connected by a pair of cables over respective eccentric pulleys or cams connected to the bow tips and then cross over to the opposite limbs where the ends are attached directly or indirectly to the bow limb. In more modern compound bows, only one cam is utilized.
One drawback of the compound bow is the noise generated upon releasing the bowstring to propel the arrow. When the bowstring reaches the end of its arrow-propelling path, the cables are propelled forwardly causing considerable hand shock. The portion of the cables which cross in the middle portion of the bow rub against each other to produce noise and waste kinetic energy. If used while hunting, the noise may alert game birds and animals.
In my prior patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,061, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, I disclosed a bilateral cable vibraguard (see FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,061) that reduced noise of the bowstring. My prior cable vibraguard reduced vibrations; however, because it was composed of spring steel, it quickly fatigued after about 200 draws. Due to such unavoidable premature fatiguing, my prior bilateral cable vibraguard was only prototyped and never commercialized.
It is an object of this invention to a provide compound bow enhancer that functions as a vibraguard to dampen the noise generated by the crossing cables which would otherwise rub against one another upon release of the drawn bowstring.
Another object of this invention is to provide a compound bow enhancer for reducing hand shock.
Another object of this invention is to provide a compound bow enhancer to increase the speed-of-flight of the arrow as it is propelled forward.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more pertinent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention is a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is defined by the appended claims with a specific embodiment shown in the attached drawings. For purposes of summarizing the invention, the invention comprises a enhancer assembly for use with a conventional compound bow.
Conventional compound bows have a pulley or cam mounted at the ends of the bow limbs. A bowstring is connected to a pair of cables. The cables are threaded around respective cams mounted at the ends of the bow limbs, then cross over each other at the midportion of the bow and are then connected to the respective end of the other bow limbs.
In its preferred embodiment, the enhancer assembly of the invention comprises a non-metal enhancer having an elongated configuration with cable guides on its ends for receiving the cables. The enhancer is coupled at its midportion to one end of an elongated bracket. The other end of the elongated bracket is connected to the handle portion of the bow. The bracket serves to adjustably position the enhancer at a rest position proximate to the crossing cables such that the cable guides separate the cables from one another to prevent them from rubbing against one another.
During drawing of the bowstring, the bow limbs arc rearwardly. The cables, being stretched between the ends of the bow limbs, likewise move rearwardly to bend the enhancer rearwardly in the direction of the arcing bow limbs. Upon release of the bowstring, the bow limbs propel the bowstring (and arrow) forwardly. Simultaneously, the enhancer propels the crossing cables forwardly. As the cables are entrained within the cable guides, they remain separated at all times. Further, as the enhancer is composed of a non-metal, the back-and-forth movement of the enhancer after release, is significantly dampened. Hand shock and noise are therefore substantially minimized. Furthermore, an increase in arrow speed is achieved due to the increased dynamic efficiency.
Furthermore, it has been found that a significant increase in arrow speed can be obtained by “pre-loading” the enhancer. More particularly, by shortening the bracket to reposition the enhancer forwardly of its at normal at-rest position to a “pre-loaded” position, the enhancer is bent by the crossing cables into a slight arc rearwardly. Upon drawing of the bow, the enhancer arcs more rearwardly, and upon release, a meaningful increase in arrow speed can be achieved with only a negligible increase in draw length and draw weight.
As noted, the enhancer is preferably composed of a non-metal material such as a synthetic material preferably in the form of a fiberglass. The enhancer composed of a synthetic material such as fiberglass results in an enhancer that is resilient with essentially permanent memory. The permanent resiliency results in a enhancer that (1) is long-lasting for multitudes of flexes without fatigue, (2) is more bendable to greater arcs without fatigue or loss of memory, (3) minimizes hand-shock as is bent to an arcuate configuration and released to return to its at-rest position, (4) has a greater damping coefficient than metal resulting in faster damping without ringing, and (5) absorbs sound better than metal. In contrast, my prior vabraguard composed of metal as disclosed in my prior art patent, fatigued too quickly and lost memory due to the repetitive back-and-forth bending of the metal, produced significant hand-shock, and tended to “ring” thereby compromising the purpose of being a enhancer.
It is believed that many composites of synthetic materials may be employed such as those containing graphite or other strengthening materials. It is also believed that many orientations of the fibrous materials embedded in the composite may be employed. Currently, it is believed that the best implementation of the enhancer is achieved using compression molding of fiberglass in which the glass fibers run the full elongated length of the enhancer.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
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patent: 4407261 (1983-10-01), Elliott
patent: 4475723 (1984-10-01), Meyer
patent: 4519591 (1985-05-01), Bush et al.
patent: 4530490 (1985-07-01), Misumi et al.
patent: 4593674 (1986-06-01), Kudlacek
patent: 4596228 (1986-06-01), Smith
patent: 4834061 (1989-05-01), Chattin
patent: 5722385 (1998-03-01), Bunk
patent: 5983880 (1999-11-01), Saunders
patent: 6152124 (2000-11-01), Gallops
patent: 6178958 (2001-01-01), Gallops
Holland & Knight LLP
Vibraguard Corp.
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