Mechanical guns and projectors – Spring – Bow
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-21
2004-04-06
Ricci, John A. (Department: 3712)
Mechanical guns and projectors
Spring
Bow
Reexamination Certificate
active
06715479
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compound bows used in archery, including dual and single cam compound bows. More particularly the present invention relates to a buss cable positioner for laterally locating the buss cables out of the way of the area of space used for the arrow and for sighting. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a buss cable positioner which eliminates limb torquing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Simple archery bows are composed of a bow member (or back) characterized by a handle having connected thereto on each side thereof a flexibly resilient limb, and a bow string connected with opposite ends of the bow member. The archer places the nock of an arrow against the nocking point of the bow string and then draws the bow string, thereby causing the bow member to resiliently flex at the limbs. This flexing of the bow member supplies tension to the bow string and stores potential energy (draw energy). When the bow string is released, the tension of the bow string applies a force to the arrow, whereupon the potential energy of the bow member is captured by the arrow in the form of kinetic energy. While such an archery bow has the advantage of being simply constructed, it suffers from the need of the archer to continuously supply draw pull to keep the bow member resiliently flexed. Another serious disadvantage is the essentially instantaneous application of bow string force upon the arrow at the moment the bow string is released, with consequent degredation of accuracy due to the imparted shock. An improved example of a simple archery bow using springs to reduce bow string shock is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,606 to Peck.
These problems have been addressed in the past with varying degrees of success, wherein it is an object to provide an archery bow having a draw pull let-off feature, while yet providing a high level of draw energy for imparting ample speed to the arrow when released. In this regard, compound archery bows have been devised toward addressing this object, generally utilizing a rigging of the bow string with respect to one or more cams or pulleys which are rotatively mounted with respect to the bow member via buss cables. As the bow string is pulled back, the limbs of the bow member are caused to resiliently flex, while rotation of the cams or pulleys as the bow string is pulled back causes the force on the bow string to be high during pull back of the bow string and then let-off as the maximum draw point is achieved. Examples of such compound bows are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,397 to Remick, U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,267 to Simonds et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,824 to Jennings, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,374 to Miller. Imaginative and interesting variations on this principle are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,463 to Colley et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,580 to Butterfield, U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,638 to Alexander, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,377 to Mulkey.
As the bow string is drawn, the limbs of the bow resiliently bend in a bow plane which bisects the bow member. The arrow, bow sights, and bow string are all located in, or closely centered in, this plane; and, problematically, so, too, are the buss cables. While the nock of the arrow engages the nocking point of the bow string so that there is no conflict in position therebetween, this is not the case for the buss cables. Since the buss cables fall in the bow plane between the bow string and the bow member, they conflict positionally with the arrow and the bow sights. Accordingly, it is necessary to move the buss cables laterally with respect to the bow plane so that they are out of the way of the arrow and the bow sights.
FIGS. 1 and 1B
depict a conventional compound bow
10
. The bow string
12
is strung between the limbs
16
a,
16
b
of the bow member
14
. The bow string
12
lies substantially on the bow plane P (see FIG.
1
B), wherein the bow plane is aligned with the bow string and bisection of the bow member
14
. Buss cables
18
a,
18
b
are positioned between the bow member
14
and the bow string
12
in a narrow zone centered on the bow plane P. The buss cables
18
a,
18
b
are laterally repositioned a distance D (see
FIG. 1B
) with respect to the bow plane P via a slide-type positioner
20
in order to get the buss cables out of the way of the arrow and the sights of the compound bow at the arrow nocking point a lateral distance D′. The rod
22
of the slide-type buss cable positioner
20
is connected with the bow member
14
and is located at a position laterally displaced with respect to the bow plane P (wherein in
FIG. 1B
the bow plane is at the bow string). The slide
24
of the slide-type positioner
20
has a concave rod seat which slidingly interfaces with the rod
22
. Opposite the rod seat, the slide
24
has two concave cable guides for receiving, respectively, each of the buss cables
18
a,
18
b
at the desired distance D from the bow plane.
In operation, as the bow string is drawn back, the buss cables interact with the cam
26
(or cams in two cam compound bows) to cause the limbs to be resiliently bent toward each other in the bow plane. The buss cables are prevented from encroaching too near the bow plane by action of the slide-type positioner
20
, so that an arrow and the sights of the compound bow are not interfered therewith.
Problematically, however, the buss cables have been forced laterally with respect to the bow plane by the slide-type positioner
20
. This lateral displacement results in a force F perpendicular to the bow plane P (see FIG.
1
B). This perpendicular force F is transmitted in one direction to the handle of the bow member
14
and in the opposite direction to the limbs
16
a,
16
b,
resulting in a limb torque off the bow plane P. This limb torque results in inaccuracy in arrow aiming, since the bow string is not precisely being tensioned in the bow plane by the limbs. Further, the slide-type positioner
20
suffers from associated vibration, noise and frictionally introduced hesitation effects as the slide moves along the rod (see arrow S) in concert with buss cable travel associated with the peripheral contact of the buss cables with the cam(s).
Accordingly, what yet remained needed in the art was a positioner for buss cables which effects lateral repositioning of the buss cables, but, optimally, did not introduce any limb torque.
A major breakthrough in compound bow technology was forwarded by Paul H. Bunk in his U.S. Pat. 5,722,385, the entire disclosure of which is hereby herein incorporated by reference. Bunk addressed the issue of buss cable positioner limb torque by providing a guide member which serves to move the buss cables out of the way or the arrow, yet ensures the limbs see no torque.
According to Bunk, and as shown at
FIG. 2
, a torqueless buss cable positioner
100
is characterized by a guide member
122
pivotally mounted to a compound bow
102
. The compound bow has a bow member
106
, a handle section
108
and limbs
110
a,
110
b.
Cams
112
a,
112
b
are rotatably connected, respectively, to the end of each of the limbs. The compound bow further includes a bow string
104
which is drawn back into the bow plane of the compound bow and a pair of buss cables
116
a,
116
b.
The guide member
122
includes a frame
126
, a first pulley set
128
connected to one end of the frame, a second pulley set
130
connected to the other end of the frame, and a third pulley set
132
connected preferably medially to the frame. The frame is shaped, such as for example by a curve, whereby the first and second pulley sets mutually define an alignment axis, but the third pulley set is laterally displaced relative to the alignment axis. The frame is optimally structured and mountably positioned relative to the bow member so that the grooved periphery of each of the first and second pulley sets is located generally at the bow plane and the grooved periphery of the third pulley set is laterally displaced off from the bow plane a distance determined by the re
Bunk Paul H.
Keefe Peter D.
Ricci John A.
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