CA2216441A1 - Crossbow bow string drawing device - Google Patents
Crossbow bow string drawing device Download PDFInfo
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- CA2216441A1 CA2216441A1 CA002216441A CA2216441A CA2216441A1 CA 2216441 A1 CA2216441 A1 CA 2216441A1 CA 002216441 A CA002216441 A CA 002216441A CA 2216441 A CA2216441 A CA 2216441A CA 2216441 A1 CA2216441 A1 CA 2216441A1
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- Prior art keywords
- arm
- crossbow
- housing
- bow string
- respect
- Prior art date
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F41—WEAPONS
- F41B—WEAPONS FOR PROJECTING MISSILES WITHOUT USE OF EXPLOSIVE OR COMBUSTIBLE PROPELLANT CHARGE; WEAPONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F41B5/00—Bows; Crossbows
- F41B5/14—Details of bows; Accessories for arc shooting
- F41B5/1442—Accessories for arc or bow shooting
- F41B5/1469—Bow-string drawing or releasing devices
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- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Crystals, And After-Treatments Of Crystals (AREA)
Abstract
A device to draw the bow string of a crossbow is disclosed, the device being intended for use in conjunction with crossbows of the type including a longitudinal barrel having a recessed track therein.
The device comprises a housing and an elongate arm both extendable from and rectilinearly movable with respect to the housing in at least one direction coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the arm. The arm is further provided with a fork for engaging the crossbow bow string, as well as an aligning pin slidingly receivable within the cross bow track such that the path of travel of the arm is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track.
The device comprises a housing and an elongate arm both extendable from and rectilinearly movable with respect to the housing in at least one direction coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the arm. The arm is further provided with a fork for engaging the crossbow bow string, as well as an aligning pin slidingly receivable within the cross bow track such that the path of travel of the arm is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track.
Description
CR~SSRQW ~OW STRTNG nRAWIN~ P~VIC~
This applieation is a eontinuation-in-part of the eo-penctinc3 applieation Serial Mo. 0~/533,267, filed Septernber 25, 1995 rhe present invention relates c3eneral1y to erossl~ow bow string drawin~J deviees and partieularly to a manually operable deviee for drawinc3 tlle bow s~ring o~ a crossbow of t}le tyl~e ineluding a longitudinal }~arrel llavinc3 a reeessed lrac)c tllerein lile deviee is removal)ly engageable with the erossl~o~ and ineludes an arln rectilinearly nloveable in at least a first direetion eoaxial ~ith its own longitudinal axis, the arm beinc] meehanieally driven by a hancl lever.
Means are provicled at one encl of tlle arm for engaging the bow string such ~llat movement of the arm -- tnrou~Jh operation of the nand lever -- wlll -orce the bow string into tlle clra~n position lur~her provide~l are ali(3ninc3 Ineans slidin~ly engageable ~/ith tl~e track SUC~ at tlle patll of travel of ~lle arm is substalltially parallel to tlle loncJi~u~inal axis of the ~rack ~ erossbo~l ~ypiea]ly eoln~rises bo~h a stoc)c and a riser portion whicl~ includes a l~arrel or traek ~herelrl ~he arro~/ (nlore eol~lonly referre(l to as a bolt) is r)laeed prior ~o firing ~t one end of tl~is asseml)lage is the ~o~
r)orliorl, ~}liCI~ in nlodel-n eross~)ows ineludes separa~e opL)osiny, transversely-e~tendiny, arc~ate liln)~s ~ e string runs over the barrel between the ends of both limbs, such that drawing the string forces each limb into a flexed position of extreme tension and potential energy. ~or this reason, the act of drawing the bow string requires great physical exertion.
It is commonplace in modern crossbows that the bow string tension be compounded. This is achieved by a bow string which actually cornprises several strings connected both to each other as well as the limbs of the bow via a set of pulleys. The benefit of compounding is that it increases the force with which a bolt is fired.
Unforturlately, an added result of compounding is that the draw wei~}~t -- the amount of force which must be applied to bring the bow string from its relaxed position into its drawn position -- is raised to around 150 lbs.
As a general rule, it is extremely difficult for a person of average physical stren~th to draw unaided a bow string requiring 150 lbs. of force, even though most crossbows are provided with a foot stirrup at one end thereof to increase the leverage which can be applied against this force. These limitations notwithstanding, some states have by statute restricted the use of crossbows for huntin~ purposes to individuals with docurnented physical har,dicaps. Not surprisingly, drawing unaided a modern compGund crossbow is virtually impossible for these persons.
Several and varled solutions to the problem of drawing a crossho-~ have been presented by the prior art, some of which au~ment an individual's physical strength.
Accordin~ to one such solution, a lever arm is provided which is renlGvably attached to the forward end of the bow.
Pivotally connected to this lever arm and extending at an acute anqle therefrom is a second arm engageable at its free end with the bow string. As the lever arm ls de~ressed towards the crossbow body, the second arm is correspondinqly forced towards the rear of the crossbow.
This action results in the bow string being driven into the drawn position. A second force-augmenting prior art device comprises a length of rope or chord with handles provided at either end thereof. T~,JO hooks are moveably disposed along the rope between the handles. In operation, the center of the rope is laid over the butt of the crossbow stock such that equal lengths of rope drape freely on either side thereof. Each hook is subsequently attached to a segment of the bow string on either side of the stock.
By then manually pulling the handles towards the butt end of the bow, the string is pulled into the drawn position.
Finally, Choma, U.S. Patent No. 5,220,906, discloses an electrically operable, battery-powered device according to which a movable shaft is driven between retracted and extended positions with respect to a housing removably connected to the front end of a crossbow. The shaft includes at the free end thereof a fork which engaqes and draws the bow strinq as the shaft is driven into ~he extende<l position.
Of the manually operable prior art devices, none provide a sufficient mechanical advantage to effectively reduce tlle physical exertion required to overcome the 150 lb. ciraw ~~eight of a compo~nd crossbo~" partlcularly for individuals having physical handicaps. Neither do these devices permi~ an individual us~r to safely disenya~e the how string from its drawn position. Ins~ead, a clrawn how must be cockecl and fired; an action which may be damaging to elther or both of the crosshow and the bolt. And while the clevice o~ Choma does enahle relatively effortless drawing and reLaxiny of the bow string, the complexity of the electrically-operated drive mechanism makes the device both expensive to manufacture and subject to breakdown.
Moreover, the Choma device is prone to power loss due to degeneration of the battery through repeated use. Though the commercial embodiment of this device incudes recharging means, this does not overcome the problems associated with power failure occurring when the bow string is between the drawn and relaxed positions. In such instances, there is simply no way of safely releasing the bow string.
Moreover, these prior art devices are prone to develop unwanted lateral play in the device during drawing of the bow string. As a consequence of such play, the bow string is cockecl in a state of unequal tension on either side of the crossbow body. This results in inaccurate crossbow st-ooting performance.
Accorctingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for the relatively effortless drawing of a bow string through sirnple, manually operahle mechanical means.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a how string drawing device wherein the how string may be effortlessly drawn and disengaged by an individual user.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide for a bow string drawiny device wherein the bow string may be drawn with a uniform tensisn on elther side of the crosshow stock.
These an~l other objecls of this invention are accomplished according to a bow-string drawing device for use in connection with a crossbow of the type including a recessed track therein. The device comprises a housing having an elongate arrn extendable therefrom. The arm has first and second ends and is rectilinearly movable with respect to the housing in at least one direction coaxial with- the longitudinal axis of the arm. The arm further includes means for engaging the crossbow bow string, as well as aligning means slidingly receivable within the track of the crossbow such that the path of travel of the arm is substantially paral.lel to the longitudinal axis of the trac~.
Accordlng to another feature of the present invention, the aligning means comprise a pin. According to still another feature of this invention, the means for en~agi.ng the crossbow bow strinc3 comprise a fork having spaced-apart tines, and a reinforcing bar securely retaining the tines in a fi~ed position with respect to each other. The for~ may be selectively longitudinally extendable and longitudinally retractable with respect to the arm, in order that the present invention may be adjusted to accommodate crossbows with a variety of barrel lengths. Also according to this fea~ure, the pin pro~ects from the reinforci.ng bar.
Accordirlg to one feature of ~he present invention, the arm may further include a plurality of holes therei.n in order to decrease the overall weight of this inventive device. The first end of the arm may also include a cut-out portion oriented towarcls both the first end and the upper surface of the arm. 'llhe cut-out portion prevents interference between the f.i.rst end of the arm and various hardware appendecl to the cross},ow, ~c,r e~ample, a telescopic s.i.~ht, during operation of the present invention.
According to yet another feature of the present invention, the device includes a rnanually operable lever provided on the housing, and teeth provided on the arm. A
drive mechanism is also pro~ided by which the lever is in mechanical communication with the teeth, such that operation of the lever effects rectilinear movement of the arm in the at least one direction wlth respect to the housin~J. The drive mecllanism may further be selectively adjustahle, such t~lat operation of the drive mechanism will cause rectilinear movement of the arm in either of two directions, thereby permitting the crosshow bow string to be drawn or disengaged as desired. According to one feature of the present invention, the drive mechanism comprises ratchet means and the teeth define grooves arranged seriatim along the longitudinal axis of the arm.
According to these and other emhodiments disclosed herein, the inventive crossbow how string drawing device enables even an individual user having physical limitations to manually draw or disengage a crosshow bow string both safely and easily.
I'igure IA is a right-side perspective view of the present invention;
E'igure lB is a left-sicte perspective view of the present invention;
E~igure 2 is a detailed perspective view of the rneans for engaging the how string and the aligning means of the present invention;
E'igure 2A is a frontal view o~ the means for engging the bow string and the aligning means of the present invention;
Figure 2B is a ~ottom view of the means for engaging the ~o-~ string and the aligning means of the present inventioni Figure 3 is a detailed elevation of the mounting elements employed in the present invention;
Figure 9 is a detailed elevation of the mounting elements of the present invention in functional engagemer-t with a crossbow;
Figure 5A is a lateral cross-sectlon detailing the forward drive mechanlsrrl of the present invention;
Figure 5B is a lateral cross-section detailing the rearwarct drive mechanism of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a perspective vlew of the present invention shown in functional engagement with a crossbow;
Figure 6A is a cross-sectional view of the present invention shown in Figure 6 taken along line I-I; and ~igure 7 is a perspective view of the present invention shown in functional engagelllent ~lith a crossbo~
wherein the bow string is in the drawn position.
Referring now to the drawings, the device lO of the present invention is designed to be a man-portable crossbow bow-st~rin~ drawir~y d~vic~ wllic'TI is opera~le ~y an individual user. As shown in ~igures lA and lB, device lO
generally comprises a hollo~/ housing 20 including a hand lever 27 pivotall.y clisposecl ~hereon, and an elongate arm 30 having first 31a ancl second 31b encTs. ~longate arm 30 extends tl~rougll passageway 21 providecl in housing 20 and is lec~ili.nearly movea,ble with respect to housin~ 20 in at of the crossbow with which it is to be used. ~referably, the length of arm 30 is be~ween 29 and 36 inches, in order to accommodate a variety of crossbow barrel lengths. Of course, th~ minilnum preferred length is such as to allow the device to be detachably engaged with the fronc end of a crossho~ hile simultaneously permitting arm 30 to extend sufficiently far so tllat the bow string to he both drawn and cocked. In the preferred form, an outwardly projecting detent 35 is also clisposed on one of lateral surfaces 33.
When arm 30 is fully extencled in the forward direc~ion, detent 35 al~uts the rear surface of housing 20, thus preventing un~anted over-e~tension of the arm. Opposing lateral surfaces 33 and lower surface 32b are further characterized by a number of holes 39 which are preferable simply for decreasing the overall weight of device 10. As sho~n, holes 39 are equldistant in order to simultaneously preserve the structural integrity of arm 30. Ho~lever, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the frequency and/or size of holes 39 will vary depencling on both the lengtil of arm 30, as well as the material from whicil it is fabricated. Front end 31a of arm 30 is characterized by a narrower lateral profile colnprising cut-out pGrtiOn 39, which iS oriented so as to open towards hoth front end 31a and upper surface 32 of the arm. The function o~ this cut-out portion 39 is e~plained in greater detai' herein.
Disposed at front end 31a of arm 30 are means for engaging the bow strin~l comprisin~, as shown, a ~ow strin~ fork ~0 having parallel, spaced-apart tines 91. At the end of each tine 91 is ~rovided a notch 92 of suf~icient size and depth to securel~ bul: releasingly accommodate a bow scr ng during operation of ~:his inventive device. (~igures 2, 2A, and 2B.~ ln the illust-rated form, fork 90 is suhctantially "U"-shaped unitary strucl:ure of rnetal or poly!ller; the least a first direction coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the arm. In the most preferred embodimen~:, explaine~t in greater detail herein, arm 30 is rectilinearly moveable in two directions, comprising forward and reverse movelnent thereof. Guide platforms 22 in the interior of housing 20 both partially define passageway 21 and securely retain the arm in its rectilinear position . (Figure 5A. ) First end 31a of arm 30 further includes means for engaging the crossbow bow string. Accordin~ to the illustrated form, both housing 20 and second end 31b of arm 30 are provided with means for securely engaging a shoulder harness or strap (not shown), in order that the devlce 10 miyht be more easily portable. Such nleans comprise eyelets or loops 25, 35 affixed to each of the housing 20 and arm 30, respectively, the shoulder harness disposed therebetween.
Still referring to l iyures lA and lB, housing 20 is preferabl y manufactured from metal, ABS plastic, fiberglass, or some equivalently strong material. Iland lever 30, the function of which is described in greater detail herein, is pivotally connected to housing 20 and pro jects upwardly therefrolll. Fin 23, disposed imlllectiately behind hand lever 27, prevents the excessive rearward movelment of the hand lever d~lring operat ion thereof .
Pro jecting vertically downwarcl from each side of housing 20 are rigid pins 29 whose f~lr-lction is also described more completely below. ~s shown, pins 29 may be formed integral with t-he housing to increase their strength.
~rm 30 preferably comprises a hollow, elongate beam having spaced-apart first 31a and second 31b ends, as well as lateral surfaces 33, iower surface 32b, and an upper surface 32a on which is provided a plurality of teel~h 3 6 .
The length of arm 30 may be varied, depending upon the si ~e distance between each of the tines 91 being about 2 inches in order to avoid interference between fork 90 and the crossbow's bow string cocking mechanisln (not shown). A
hori~ontally oriented reinforcing bar 93 connects tines 91, preventing the unwanted lateral separatlon thereof during use. Threaded shaft 9~ provides the mounting connection between fork qO and arm 30; a correspondingly threaded bore 37 being provided in arm 30 for receiving shaft 94 therein.
Bolt 50 provides for secure engagement between shaft 99 and arm 30. In the most preferred forrn, threaded shaft 94 is several inches in length and may be selectively extended away from or retracted into arm 30, for reasons ex~lained herein.
Still referring to Figures 2, 2A, and 2B, the present invention also preferably includes alignlng means sl.idingly receivable within track 112 of crossbow 100 (shown in FicJure 6) such that the path of travel of arm 30 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of track 112. As shown, aligning means may take the form of a pin 95 depending substantially perpendicularly from reinforcing bar 43 of fork 90. Pin 95 may be formed inteyrally with reinforci.n~ bar 43, or manufactured separately and affixed by suitable means, such as weldlng. As with other components of the present invention, pin 95 may be manufactured from metal, ABS plastic, fiberc~lass, or some equivalentl.y strong material. As will be appreciated with reference to the following disclosures, the aligninc3 means is not limited to the particular emhocliment herein described.
Referring now to ~igures 3 and 4, Ineans for detachably engaging the presen~ invention to a crossbow incl.ude opposi.nc3 brackets 60~ and 60L3. Brackels 60A and 60B have identical conf1guratlons; each bracket comprising a curvilinear len~th of metal terminating at one end in a cylindrical sheath 65 and defining at an opposite end a generally flat foot-portion 61. This curvilinear shape also provides an inherent spring-force in each bracket 60A
and 60B which resists deformation of the brackets during operation of this invention ~i.e., when brackets 60A and 60B are subject to stress imparted by the bow string during drawing). As shown in Figure 9 brackets 60A and 60B are oriented such that their curved portions are opposed with each curve opening away from the barrel 110 of the crossbo-/. In assembly each bracket 60A and 60B is mated to one of crossbow limbs lOS. (Figure 9.) Commonly these limbs 105 are already detachably mounted to the crossbow riser 111 by means of bolts 106 Each foot portion 61 therefore preferably includes correspondingly spacecl bores 62 for receiving bolts 106. It will be appreciated that the clistance between each bracket 60A and 60B when assembled to the crossbow must be sirnilar to the pre-existing distance between each of the crossbow limbs lOS
in order to avoid interference with the firing of a bolt.
For purposes of interconnecting device 10 with brackets 60A
and 60B each sheath 65 includes a vertically orlented bore 66 t~ierethrough which snugly receives one of pins 2 projecting from housing 20.
Turnirlg now to Figures 5A and SB the drive mechanislrl of ~he present invention preferahly colnprises ratchet Ineans such as may he ~ound ln a typical autornobile jac~. The operation of such ratchet Illeans is well ~nown to inclllcle leadir)g 71 and trailing 72 pawls independently pivotall~ connectecl to base portion 28 of hand lever 27.
Pawls 7l and 72 are further interconnected by a ratcher spring 75. At one end of both pawls 71 and 72 are provided tips 71a and 72a, respectively, whlch tips are engageable with any of the teeth 36. 'I'he drive mechanism is preferably selectlvely adjustable, providing for both the forward and rearward rectilinear movement of arm 30. To this end, direction control lever 7~, pivotally attached to housing 20, is selectively positionable between a first "forward"
orientation (Figure 5A) and a second "reverse" orientation (Figure 5B) controlling of the direction of movement of arm 30. Dlrection control lever 78 includes a plate 79 extending perpendicularly therefrom, which plate ls engageable with upper region 76 of ratchet spring 75 when control lever 7~ is in the "forward" orientation. As shown in Figure 5A, when direction control lever 78 is in the "forward" orientation, plate 79 applies downward force on upper region 76 of ratchet spring 75; thereby placing spring 75 in a condition of tension. Consequently, both pawls 71 and 73 are urged towards constant engagement wlth teeth 36. Referring now to the illustrations in Figures 5A
and SB depicting in phantom lines both pawls 71 and 72, as ~lell as hand lever 27, it will be seen that when hand lever 27 is operated, each pawl 71 and 72 will engage only the next most rearward tooth 36a. On the other hand, when direction control lever 7~ ls disposed in the "rearward"
orientation, ratchet spring 75 is relaxed and, correspondingly, leading pawl 71 is not urged towards engagement with teeth 36. As a re~ult, operation of hand lever 27 causes each pawl 71 and 72 to engage the next most forward tooth 36.
~till referring to l'igures 5A and SB, teeth 36 according to the preferred embodiment are recessed and oriented perpendicular to to the longituclinal axis of arm 30 so as to define grooves therebetween. Teeth 36, shown in cross-section, are arranged seriatim; each successive groove defining both a sloped transitional surface 37 and a vertically-orientecl surface 38. As will be appreciated from the drawings, vertical surface 3~ securely confronts tips 71a and 72a of both leading 71 and trailing 72 pawls, thereby preventing the forcibl.e movernent of arm 30 in an undesired direction as the bow string is moved into the drawn position. Relatedly, transitional surface 37 facilitates movement of each pawl 71 and 72 towards the next successive groove as the arm is moved in either direction. Alternately, however, teeth 36 may co!nprise any of a number of configurations known to those of skill in the art. For example, teeth 36 may be raised, rather than recessed, with respect to upper surface 32 of arm 30.
Of course, it will be understood that the drive mechanism of this invention need not comprise a ratchet system identical to that disclosed, and a nu~ber o~
alternate means apparent to those skilled in the art will provide a silnilar ~and-operable mechanical acvantaye WittlOUt departing from the broader aspects of trlis invention.
With reference now to Fi~ures 6 throuyh 7, operation of the present invention will be better understood. Accordinq to use of brackets 60~ and 60B as disclosed herei.n, clevlce lO is securel~ attac!-ecl to the forward end 101 of a crossbow 100 by Ineans of pir,s 29, each of which are positioned within one of ~he sheat~.s ~5, such that notches 92 on fork qO lie in appro~ nately ~he salne plane as bow string ]15 and pin 95 is slidingly received within track ll2. (~igure 6A.) Ti,e device lO s~!ould be ori.ented such ~:hat operating hanc1 lever 27 in the "forw~rd"
drive ~ositior- (as e~plainecl) wiLl cause extens;Gr,- of arlr 30 towards the crossbow. By repeated operatiGn of hancl lever 27, the ratchet means of the drive mechanism causes arm 30 to move towards the crossbow along the longitudinal axls of barrel 110. As this occurs, notches 92 on fork 90 capture bow string 115, retaining it in place until bow string 115 is forced into the drawn position.
Simultaneously, pin 45 prevents unwanted lateral movernent of arm 30, thereby eliminating the development of unequal tension in the bow string 115 on either side of barrel 110.
Because of the fact that crossbows of various manufacture are characterized by tracks 112 of different depths, it is anticipated that pin 95 may be of any length sufficient to be slidingly received in track 112 and prevent unwanted lateral movement of arm 30 during operation of the present invention. Referring now to Figure 7, operation of hand lever 2~ continues until bow string 105 is in the fully drawn position and is engaged by the cocking mechanisln 120 on the bow. According to the most pref_rred form of this invention, tines 91 are sufficiently long such that they activate the crossbow' s safety switch (not shown) as the bow string is engaged by cocl~ing mechanism 120. Because of the "~"-shaped configuration of fork 40, i t will be appreciated that the present invention does not interfere with the operation of cocking rnechanism ' 20 . Sirnilarly, it will be noted that cut-out portion 39 ât first end 31a of arm 30 permits operation of device 10 wi_h crossbows havinc3 tel escoplc sights or other hardware mounted thereon, without arm 30 interferi ng therewith .
As ~reviously set forth, fork ~0 ls preferably extendably disposed wlthin arm 30, and is further selectively longitudinally extendable wi~h respect thereto.
By selectively acl j~is~i ng the distance from which fork 90 ext encis frolll arln 30, the present invent:iorl m~y be 1~
confiyured to accomlllociate crossbows havin~ ciifferent barrel Lengths.
In order to release the bow strlng, the above-described operation is done in reverse. That is, directlon control lever 7~ is positioned in the "reverse" orientation and hand lever 27 is operated to cause the withdrawal of ~ arm 30 away from cocking mechanlsm 120, as explained in greater detail elsewhere herein. Of course, great care must he exercised in releasing the bow string after it has been engagecl by coclcing mechanism 120, since this w.~ll require first trig~ering the crossbow's firing mechanism in order to release the bowstrinc,r from the cockiny mechanism.
It will be understood that the foregoing is rmerely illustrative of one embodimen~ of the present invention.
Many modlfications and alterations, all apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, are possible without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of this inventiorl as set forth in the appended clairns.
This applieation is a eontinuation-in-part of the eo-penctinc3 applieation Serial Mo. 0~/533,267, filed Septernber 25, 1995 rhe present invention relates c3eneral1y to erossl~ow bow string drawin~J deviees and partieularly to a manually operable deviee for drawinc3 tlle bow s~ring o~ a crossbow of t}le tyl~e ineluding a longitudinal }~arrel llavinc3 a reeessed lrac)c tllerein lile deviee is removal)ly engageable with the erossl~o~ and ineludes an arln rectilinearly nloveable in at least a first direetion eoaxial ~ith its own longitudinal axis, the arm beinc] meehanieally driven by a hancl lever.
Means are provicled at one encl of tlle arm for engaging the bow string such ~llat movement of the arm -- tnrou~Jh operation of the nand lever -- wlll -orce the bow string into tlle clra~n position lur~her provide~l are ali(3ninc3 Ineans slidin~ly engageable ~/ith tl~e track SUC~ at tlle patll of travel of ~lle arm is substalltially parallel to tlle loncJi~u~inal axis of the ~rack ~ erossbo~l ~ypiea]ly eoln~rises bo~h a stoc)c and a riser portion whicl~ includes a l~arrel or traek ~herelrl ~he arro~/ (nlore eol~lonly referre(l to as a bolt) is r)laeed prior ~o firing ~t one end of tl~is asseml)lage is the ~o~
r)orliorl, ~}liCI~ in nlodel-n eross~)ows ineludes separa~e opL)osiny, transversely-e~tendiny, arc~ate liln)~s ~ e string runs over the barrel between the ends of both limbs, such that drawing the string forces each limb into a flexed position of extreme tension and potential energy. ~or this reason, the act of drawing the bow string requires great physical exertion.
It is commonplace in modern crossbows that the bow string tension be compounded. This is achieved by a bow string which actually cornprises several strings connected both to each other as well as the limbs of the bow via a set of pulleys. The benefit of compounding is that it increases the force with which a bolt is fired.
Unforturlately, an added result of compounding is that the draw wei~}~t -- the amount of force which must be applied to bring the bow string from its relaxed position into its drawn position -- is raised to around 150 lbs.
As a general rule, it is extremely difficult for a person of average physical stren~th to draw unaided a bow string requiring 150 lbs. of force, even though most crossbows are provided with a foot stirrup at one end thereof to increase the leverage which can be applied against this force. These limitations notwithstanding, some states have by statute restricted the use of crossbows for huntin~ purposes to individuals with docurnented physical har,dicaps. Not surprisingly, drawing unaided a modern compGund crossbow is virtually impossible for these persons.
Several and varled solutions to the problem of drawing a crossho-~ have been presented by the prior art, some of which au~ment an individual's physical strength.
Accordin~ to one such solution, a lever arm is provided which is renlGvably attached to the forward end of the bow.
Pivotally connected to this lever arm and extending at an acute anqle therefrom is a second arm engageable at its free end with the bow string. As the lever arm ls de~ressed towards the crossbow body, the second arm is correspondinqly forced towards the rear of the crossbow.
This action results in the bow string being driven into the drawn position. A second force-augmenting prior art device comprises a length of rope or chord with handles provided at either end thereof. T~,JO hooks are moveably disposed along the rope between the handles. In operation, the center of the rope is laid over the butt of the crossbow stock such that equal lengths of rope drape freely on either side thereof. Each hook is subsequently attached to a segment of the bow string on either side of the stock.
By then manually pulling the handles towards the butt end of the bow, the string is pulled into the drawn position.
Finally, Choma, U.S. Patent No. 5,220,906, discloses an electrically operable, battery-powered device according to which a movable shaft is driven between retracted and extended positions with respect to a housing removably connected to the front end of a crossbow. The shaft includes at the free end thereof a fork which engaqes and draws the bow strinq as the shaft is driven into ~he extende<l position.
Of the manually operable prior art devices, none provide a sufficient mechanical advantage to effectively reduce tlle physical exertion required to overcome the 150 lb. ciraw ~~eight of a compo~nd crossbo~" partlcularly for individuals having physical handicaps. Neither do these devices permi~ an individual us~r to safely disenya~e the how string from its drawn position. Ins~ead, a clrawn how must be cockecl and fired; an action which may be damaging to elther or both of the crosshow and the bolt. And while the clevice o~ Choma does enahle relatively effortless drawing and reLaxiny of the bow string, the complexity of the electrically-operated drive mechanism makes the device both expensive to manufacture and subject to breakdown.
Moreover, the Choma device is prone to power loss due to degeneration of the battery through repeated use. Though the commercial embodiment of this device incudes recharging means, this does not overcome the problems associated with power failure occurring when the bow string is between the drawn and relaxed positions. In such instances, there is simply no way of safely releasing the bow string.
Moreover, these prior art devices are prone to develop unwanted lateral play in the device during drawing of the bow string. As a consequence of such play, the bow string is cockecl in a state of unequal tension on either side of the crossbow body. This results in inaccurate crossbow st-ooting performance.
Accorctingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for the relatively effortless drawing of a bow string through sirnple, manually operahle mechanical means.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a how string drawing device wherein the how string may be effortlessly drawn and disengaged by an individual user.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide for a bow string drawiny device wherein the bow string may be drawn with a uniform tensisn on elther side of the crosshow stock.
These an~l other objecls of this invention are accomplished according to a bow-string drawing device for use in connection with a crossbow of the type including a recessed track therein. The device comprises a housing having an elongate arrn extendable therefrom. The arm has first and second ends and is rectilinearly movable with respect to the housing in at least one direction coaxial with- the longitudinal axis of the arm. The arm further includes means for engaging the crossbow bow string, as well as aligning means slidingly receivable within the track of the crossbow such that the path of travel of the arm is substantially paral.lel to the longitudinal axis of the trac~.
Accordlng to another feature of the present invention, the aligning means comprise a pin. According to still another feature of this invention, the means for en~agi.ng the crossbow bow strinc3 comprise a fork having spaced-apart tines, and a reinforcing bar securely retaining the tines in a fi~ed position with respect to each other. The for~ may be selectively longitudinally extendable and longitudinally retractable with respect to the arm, in order that the present invention may be adjusted to accommodate crossbows with a variety of barrel lengths. Also according to this fea~ure, the pin pro~ects from the reinforci.ng bar.
Accordirlg to one feature of ~he present invention, the arm may further include a plurality of holes therei.n in order to decrease the overall weight of this inventive device. The first end of the arm may also include a cut-out portion oriented towarcls both the first end and the upper surface of the arm. 'llhe cut-out portion prevents interference between the f.i.rst end of the arm and various hardware appendecl to the cross},ow, ~c,r e~ample, a telescopic s.i.~ht, during operation of the present invention.
According to yet another feature of the present invention, the device includes a rnanually operable lever provided on the housing, and teeth provided on the arm. A
drive mechanism is also pro~ided by which the lever is in mechanical communication with the teeth, such that operation of the lever effects rectilinear movement of the arm in the at least one direction wlth respect to the housin~J. The drive mecllanism may further be selectively adjustahle, such t~lat operation of the drive mechanism will cause rectilinear movement of the arm in either of two directions, thereby permitting the crosshow bow string to be drawn or disengaged as desired. According to one feature of the present invention, the drive mechanism comprises ratchet means and the teeth define grooves arranged seriatim along the longitudinal axis of the arm.
According to these and other emhodiments disclosed herein, the inventive crossbow how string drawing device enables even an individual user having physical limitations to manually draw or disengage a crosshow bow string both safely and easily.
I'igure IA is a right-side perspective view of the present invention;
E'igure lB is a left-sicte perspective view of the present invention;
E~igure 2 is a detailed perspective view of the rneans for engaging the how string and the aligning means of the present invention;
E'igure 2A is a frontal view o~ the means for engging the bow string and the aligning means of the present invention;
Figure 2B is a ~ottom view of the means for engaging the ~o-~ string and the aligning means of the present inventioni Figure 3 is a detailed elevation of the mounting elements employed in the present invention;
Figure 9 is a detailed elevation of the mounting elements of the present invention in functional engagemer-t with a crossbow;
Figure 5A is a lateral cross-sectlon detailing the forward drive mechanlsrrl of the present invention;
Figure 5B is a lateral cross-section detailing the rearwarct drive mechanism of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a perspective vlew of the present invention shown in functional engagement with a crossbow;
Figure 6A is a cross-sectional view of the present invention shown in Figure 6 taken along line I-I; and ~igure 7 is a perspective view of the present invention shown in functional engagelllent ~lith a crossbo~
wherein the bow string is in the drawn position.
Referring now to the drawings, the device lO of the present invention is designed to be a man-portable crossbow bow-st~rin~ drawir~y d~vic~ wllic'TI is opera~le ~y an individual user. As shown in ~igures lA and lB, device lO
generally comprises a hollo~/ housing 20 including a hand lever 27 pivotall.y clisposecl ~hereon, and an elongate arm 30 having first 31a ancl second 31b encTs. ~longate arm 30 extends tl~rougll passageway 21 providecl in housing 20 and is lec~ili.nearly movea,ble with respect to housin~ 20 in at of the crossbow with which it is to be used. ~referably, the length of arm 30 is be~ween 29 and 36 inches, in order to accommodate a variety of crossbow barrel lengths. Of course, th~ minilnum preferred length is such as to allow the device to be detachably engaged with the fronc end of a crossho~ hile simultaneously permitting arm 30 to extend sufficiently far so tllat the bow string to he both drawn and cocked. In the preferred form, an outwardly projecting detent 35 is also clisposed on one of lateral surfaces 33.
When arm 30 is fully extencled in the forward direc~ion, detent 35 al~uts the rear surface of housing 20, thus preventing un~anted over-e~tension of the arm. Opposing lateral surfaces 33 and lower surface 32b are further characterized by a number of holes 39 which are preferable simply for decreasing the overall weight of device 10. As sho~n, holes 39 are equldistant in order to simultaneously preserve the structural integrity of arm 30. Ho~lever, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the frequency and/or size of holes 39 will vary depencling on both the lengtil of arm 30, as well as the material from whicil it is fabricated. Front end 31a of arm 30 is characterized by a narrower lateral profile colnprising cut-out pGrtiOn 39, which iS oriented so as to open towards hoth front end 31a and upper surface 32 of the arm. The function o~ this cut-out portion 39 is e~plained in greater detai' herein.
Disposed at front end 31a of arm 30 are means for engaging the bow strin~l comprisin~, as shown, a ~ow strin~ fork ~0 having parallel, spaced-apart tines 91. At the end of each tine 91 is ~rovided a notch 92 of suf~icient size and depth to securel~ bul: releasingly accommodate a bow scr ng during operation of ~:his inventive device. (~igures 2, 2A, and 2B.~ ln the illust-rated form, fork 90 is suhctantially "U"-shaped unitary strucl:ure of rnetal or poly!ller; the least a first direction coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the arm. In the most preferred embodimen~:, explaine~t in greater detail herein, arm 30 is rectilinearly moveable in two directions, comprising forward and reverse movelnent thereof. Guide platforms 22 in the interior of housing 20 both partially define passageway 21 and securely retain the arm in its rectilinear position . (Figure 5A. ) First end 31a of arm 30 further includes means for engaging the crossbow bow string. Accordin~ to the illustrated form, both housing 20 and second end 31b of arm 30 are provided with means for securely engaging a shoulder harness or strap (not shown), in order that the devlce 10 miyht be more easily portable. Such nleans comprise eyelets or loops 25, 35 affixed to each of the housing 20 and arm 30, respectively, the shoulder harness disposed therebetween.
Still referring to l iyures lA and lB, housing 20 is preferabl y manufactured from metal, ABS plastic, fiberglass, or some equivalently strong material. Iland lever 30, the function of which is described in greater detail herein, is pivotally connected to housing 20 and pro jects upwardly therefrolll. Fin 23, disposed imlllectiately behind hand lever 27, prevents the excessive rearward movelment of the hand lever d~lring operat ion thereof .
Pro jecting vertically downwarcl from each side of housing 20 are rigid pins 29 whose f~lr-lction is also described more completely below. ~s shown, pins 29 may be formed integral with t-he housing to increase their strength.
~rm 30 preferably comprises a hollow, elongate beam having spaced-apart first 31a and second 31b ends, as well as lateral surfaces 33, iower surface 32b, and an upper surface 32a on which is provided a plurality of teel~h 3 6 .
The length of arm 30 may be varied, depending upon the si ~e distance between each of the tines 91 being about 2 inches in order to avoid interference between fork 90 and the crossbow's bow string cocking mechanisln (not shown). A
hori~ontally oriented reinforcing bar 93 connects tines 91, preventing the unwanted lateral separatlon thereof during use. Threaded shaft 9~ provides the mounting connection between fork qO and arm 30; a correspondingly threaded bore 37 being provided in arm 30 for receiving shaft 94 therein.
Bolt 50 provides for secure engagement between shaft 99 and arm 30. In the most preferred forrn, threaded shaft 94 is several inches in length and may be selectively extended away from or retracted into arm 30, for reasons ex~lained herein.
Still referring to Figures 2, 2A, and 2B, the present invention also preferably includes alignlng means sl.idingly receivable within track 112 of crossbow 100 (shown in FicJure 6) such that the path of travel of arm 30 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of track 112. As shown, aligning means may take the form of a pin 95 depending substantially perpendicularly from reinforcing bar 43 of fork 90. Pin 95 may be formed inteyrally with reinforci.n~ bar 43, or manufactured separately and affixed by suitable means, such as weldlng. As with other components of the present invention, pin 95 may be manufactured from metal, ABS plastic, fiberc~lass, or some equivalentl.y strong material. As will be appreciated with reference to the following disclosures, the aligninc3 means is not limited to the particular emhocliment herein described.
Referring now to ~igures 3 and 4, Ineans for detachably engaging the presen~ invention to a crossbow incl.ude opposi.nc3 brackets 60~ and 60L3. Brackels 60A and 60B have identical conf1guratlons; each bracket comprising a curvilinear len~th of metal terminating at one end in a cylindrical sheath 65 and defining at an opposite end a generally flat foot-portion 61. This curvilinear shape also provides an inherent spring-force in each bracket 60A
and 60B which resists deformation of the brackets during operation of this invention ~i.e., when brackets 60A and 60B are subject to stress imparted by the bow string during drawing). As shown in Figure 9 brackets 60A and 60B are oriented such that their curved portions are opposed with each curve opening away from the barrel 110 of the crossbo-/. In assembly each bracket 60A and 60B is mated to one of crossbow limbs lOS. (Figure 9.) Commonly these limbs 105 are already detachably mounted to the crossbow riser 111 by means of bolts 106 Each foot portion 61 therefore preferably includes correspondingly spacecl bores 62 for receiving bolts 106. It will be appreciated that the clistance between each bracket 60A and 60B when assembled to the crossbow must be sirnilar to the pre-existing distance between each of the crossbow limbs lOS
in order to avoid interference with the firing of a bolt.
For purposes of interconnecting device 10 with brackets 60A
and 60B each sheath 65 includes a vertically orlented bore 66 t~ierethrough which snugly receives one of pins 2 projecting from housing 20.
Turnirlg now to Figures 5A and SB the drive mechanislrl of ~he present invention preferahly colnprises ratchet Ineans such as may he ~ound ln a typical autornobile jac~. The operation of such ratchet Illeans is well ~nown to inclllcle leadir)g 71 and trailing 72 pawls independently pivotall~ connectecl to base portion 28 of hand lever 27.
Pawls 7l and 72 are further interconnected by a ratcher spring 75. At one end of both pawls 71 and 72 are provided tips 71a and 72a, respectively, whlch tips are engageable with any of the teeth 36. 'I'he drive mechanism is preferably selectlvely adjustable, providing for both the forward and rearward rectilinear movement of arm 30. To this end, direction control lever 7~, pivotally attached to housing 20, is selectively positionable between a first "forward"
orientation (Figure 5A) and a second "reverse" orientation (Figure 5B) controlling of the direction of movement of arm 30. Dlrection control lever 78 includes a plate 79 extending perpendicularly therefrom, which plate ls engageable with upper region 76 of ratchet spring 75 when control lever 7~ is in the "forward" orientation. As shown in Figure 5A, when direction control lever 78 is in the "forward" orientation, plate 79 applies downward force on upper region 76 of ratchet spring 75; thereby placing spring 75 in a condition of tension. Consequently, both pawls 71 and 73 are urged towards constant engagement wlth teeth 36. Referring now to the illustrations in Figures 5A
and SB depicting in phantom lines both pawls 71 and 72, as ~lell as hand lever 27, it will be seen that when hand lever 27 is operated, each pawl 71 and 72 will engage only the next most rearward tooth 36a. On the other hand, when direction control lever 7~ ls disposed in the "rearward"
orientation, ratchet spring 75 is relaxed and, correspondingly, leading pawl 71 is not urged towards engagement with teeth 36. As a re~ult, operation of hand lever 27 causes each pawl 71 and 72 to engage the next most forward tooth 36.
~till referring to l'igures 5A and SB, teeth 36 according to the preferred embodiment are recessed and oriented perpendicular to to the longituclinal axis of arm 30 so as to define grooves therebetween. Teeth 36, shown in cross-section, are arranged seriatim; each successive groove defining both a sloped transitional surface 37 and a vertically-orientecl surface 38. As will be appreciated from the drawings, vertical surface 3~ securely confronts tips 71a and 72a of both leading 71 and trailing 72 pawls, thereby preventing the forcibl.e movernent of arm 30 in an undesired direction as the bow string is moved into the drawn position. Relatedly, transitional surface 37 facilitates movement of each pawl 71 and 72 towards the next successive groove as the arm is moved in either direction. Alternately, however, teeth 36 may co!nprise any of a number of configurations known to those of skill in the art. For example, teeth 36 may be raised, rather than recessed, with respect to upper surface 32 of arm 30.
Of course, it will be understood that the drive mechanism of this invention need not comprise a ratchet system identical to that disclosed, and a nu~ber o~
alternate means apparent to those skilled in the art will provide a silnilar ~and-operable mechanical acvantaye WittlOUt departing from the broader aspects of trlis invention.
With reference now to Fi~ures 6 throuyh 7, operation of the present invention will be better understood. Accordinq to use of brackets 60~ and 60B as disclosed herei.n, clevlce lO is securel~ attac!-ecl to the forward end 101 of a crossbow 100 by Ineans of pir,s 29, each of which are positioned within one of ~he sheat~.s ~5, such that notches 92 on fork qO lie in appro~ nately ~he salne plane as bow string ]15 and pin 95 is slidingly received within track ll2. (~igure 6A.) Ti,e device lO s~!ould be ori.ented such ~:hat operating hanc1 lever 27 in the "forw~rd"
drive ~ositior- (as e~plainecl) wiLl cause extens;Gr,- of arlr 30 towards the crossbow. By repeated operatiGn of hancl lever 27, the ratchet means of the drive mechanism causes arm 30 to move towards the crossbow along the longitudinal axls of barrel 110. As this occurs, notches 92 on fork 90 capture bow string 115, retaining it in place until bow string 115 is forced into the drawn position.
Simultaneously, pin 45 prevents unwanted lateral movernent of arm 30, thereby eliminating the development of unequal tension in the bow string 115 on either side of barrel 110.
Because of the fact that crossbows of various manufacture are characterized by tracks 112 of different depths, it is anticipated that pin 95 may be of any length sufficient to be slidingly received in track 112 and prevent unwanted lateral movement of arm 30 during operation of the present invention. Referring now to Figure 7, operation of hand lever 2~ continues until bow string 105 is in the fully drawn position and is engaged by the cocking mechanisln 120 on the bow. According to the most pref_rred form of this invention, tines 91 are sufficiently long such that they activate the crossbow' s safety switch (not shown) as the bow string is engaged by cocl~ing mechanism 120. Because of the "~"-shaped configuration of fork 40, i t will be appreciated that the present invention does not interfere with the operation of cocking rnechanism ' 20 . Sirnilarly, it will be noted that cut-out portion 39 ât first end 31a of arm 30 permits operation of device 10 wi_h crossbows havinc3 tel escoplc sights or other hardware mounted thereon, without arm 30 interferi ng therewith .
As ~reviously set forth, fork ~0 ls preferably extendably disposed wlthin arm 30, and is further selectively longitudinally extendable wi~h respect thereto.
By selectively acl j~is~i ng the distance from which fork 90 ext encis frolll arln 30, the present invent:iorl m~y be 1~
confiyured to accomlllociate crossbows havin~ ciifferent barrel Lengths.
In order to release the bow strlng, the above-described operation is done in reverse. That is, directlon control lever 7~ is positioned in the "reverse" orientation and hand lever 27 is operated to cause the withdrawal of ~ arm 30 away from cocking mechanlsm 120, as explained in greater detail elsewhere herein. Of course, great care must he exercised in releasing the bow string after it has been engagecl by coclcing mechanism 120, since this w.~ll require first trig~ering the crossbow's firing mechanism in order to release the bowstrinc,r from the cockiny mechanism.
It will be understood that the foregoing is rmerely illustrative of one embodimen~ of the present invention.
Many modlfications and alterations, all apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, are possible without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of this inventiorl as set forth in the appended clairns.
Claims (28)
1. A device to draw the bow string of a crossbow of the type including a longitudinal barrel having a recessed track therein, said device comprising:
a housing including an elongate arm extendable from said housing and rectilinearly movable with respect thereto in at least one direction coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said arm, said arm including means for engaging the crossbow bow string; and a manually operable drive mechanism comprising ratchet means provided in mechanical communication with said arm, such that operation of said drive mechanism effects rectilinear movement of said arm in said at least one direction with respect to said housing.
a housing including an elongate arm extendable from said housing and rectilinearly movable with respect thereto in at least one direction coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said arm, said arm including means for engaging the crossbow bow string; and a manually operable drive mechanism comprising ratchet means provided in mechanical communication with said arm, such that operation of said drive mechanism effects rectilinear movement of said arm in said at least one direction with respect to said housing.
2. The device of claim 1, said arm including teeth provided thereon, and said housing including a hand operated lever provided in mechanical communication with said teeth via said ratchet means.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein said arm further includes aligning means slidingly receivable within the track of the crossbow such that the path of travel of said arm is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein said means for engaging the crossbow how string comprise a fork having spaced apart tines, and a reinforcing bar securely retaining said tines in a fixed position with respect to each other.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein said aligning means comprise a pin projecting from said reinforcing bar.
6. A device to draw the bow string of a crossbow of the type including a longitudinal barrel having recessed track therein, said device comprising:
a housing and an elongate arm extendable from said housing and rectilinearly moveable with respect thereto in at least one direction coaxial with respect to the longitudinal axis of said arm, said arm including means for engaging the crossbow bow string, and aligning means slidingly receivable within the track such that the path of travel of said arm is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track.
a housing and an elongate arm extendable from said housing and rectilinearly moveable with respect thereto in at least one direction coaxial with respect to the longitudinal axis of said arm, said arm including means for engaging the crossbow bow string, and aligning means slidingly receivable within the track such that the path of travel of said arm is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein said aligning means comprise a pin.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein said means for engaging the crossbow bow string comprise a fork having spaced-apart tines, and a reinforcing bar securely retaining said tines in a fixed position with respect to each other
9. The device of claim 8, wherein said pin projects from said reinforcing bar.
10. A device to draw the bow string of a crossbow of the type including a longitudinal barrel having a recessed track therein, said device comprising:
a housing including a hand operated lever provided thereon;
an elongate arm extendable from said housing and rectilinearly movable with respect thereto in at least one direction coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said arm, said arm including teeth thereon and having first and second ends, one of said first or second ends being provided with means for engaging the crossbow bow string; and a drive mechanism by which said lever is provided in mechanical communication with sasid teeth, such that operation of said lever effects rectilinear movement of said arm in said at least one direction with respect to said housing and the crossbow bow string is engaged by said means for engaging the crossbow bow string and carried in the direction of movement of said arm.
a housing including a hand operated lever provided thereon;
an elongate arm extendable from said housing and rectilinearly movable with respect thereto in at least one direction coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said arm, said arm including teeth thereon and having first and second ends, one of said first or second ends being provided with means for engaging the crossbow bow string; and a drive mechanism by which said lever is provided in mechanical communication with sasid teeth, such that operation of said lever effects rectilinear movement of said arm in said at least one direction with respect to said housing and the crossbow bow string is engaged by said means for engaging the crossbow bow string and carried in the direction of movement of said arm.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein said drive mechanism is selectively adjustable such that said arm is rectilinearly movable in two directions with respect to said housing.
12. The device of claim 10, wherein said arm further includes aligning means slidingly receivable within the track such that the path of travel of said arm is substantially parallel to the longitudinal said of the track.
13. The device of claim 12, wherein said aligning means comprise a pin.
14. The device of claim 13, wherein said means for engaging the crossbow bow string comprise a fork opening towards the crossbow bow string and having spaced-apart tines, said fork further including a reinforcing bar securely retaining said tines in a fixed position with respect to each other.
15. The device of claim 14, wherein said pin projects from said reinforcing bar.
16. A manually operated device to draw the bow string of a crossbow, comprising:
a housing removably engageable with the forward end of the crossbow, said housing including a hand operated lever pivotally disposed thereon;
an elongate arm extending through said housing and rectilinearly movable with respect thereto in at least one direction coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said arm, said arm having first and second ends and at least upper and lower surfaces, at least one of said upper and lower surfaces having a plurality of teeth provided thereon, said arm further including means provided at said first end thereof for engaging the crossbow string; and a drive mechanism provided in said housing, said hand lever and said teeth being in mechanical communication via said drive mechanism, whereby pivotal movement of said hand lever results in rectilinear movement of said arm in said at least one direction with respect to said housing.
a housing removably engageable with the forward end of the crossbow, said housing including a hand operated lever pivotally disposed thereon;
an elongate arm extending through said housing and rectilinearly movable with respect thereto in at least one direction coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said arm, said arm having first and second ends and at least upper and lower surfaces, at least one of said upper and lower surfaces having a plurality of teeth provided thereon, said arm further including means provided at said first end thereof for engaging the crossbow string; and a drive mechanism provided in said housing, said hand lever and said teeth being in mechanical communication via said drive mechanism, whereby pivotal movement of said hand lever results in rectilinear movement of said arm in said at least one direction with respect to said housing.
17. The device of claim 16, wherein said arm further includes aligning means slidingly receivable within the track such that the path of travel of said arm is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track.
18. The device of claim 17, wherein said aligning means comprise a pin.
19. The device of claim 18, wherein said means for engaging the crossbow bow string comprise a fork opening towards the crossbow string and having spaced-apart tines, said fork further including a reinforcing bar securely retaining said tines in a fixed position with respect to each other.
20. The device of claim 19, wherein said pin projects from said reinforcing bar.
21. The device of claim 20 wherein said fork is further selectively longitudinally extendable and longitudinally retractable with respect to said arm.
22. The device of claim 21, wherein said arm further includes opposing lateral sides, said opposing lateral sides and said lower surface each having a plurality of holes therein.
23. The device of claim 22, wherein said first end of said arm includes a cut-out portion, said cut-out portion oriented towards both said first end and said upper surface of said arm.
24. The device of claim 23, wherein. said drive mechanism comprises ratchet means.
25. The device of claim 29, wherein said drive mechanism is selectively adjustable such that said arm is rectilinearly movable in two directions with respect to said housing.
26. The device of claim 25, wherein said teeth are recessed to define grooves arranged seriatim on said upper surface of said arm.
27. A manually operated device to draw the bow string of a crossbow, comprising:
a housing removably engageable with the forward end of the crossbow, said housing including a hand operated lever pivotally disposed thereon;
an elongate arm extending through said housing and being rectilinearly movable with respect thereto in two directions coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said arm, said arm having first and second ends and an least upper and lower surfaces, at least one of said upper and lower surfaces having a plurality of teeth provided thereon, said arm further including means provided at said first end thereof for engaging the crossbow bow string, said means comprising a fork opening towards the crossbow how string and having spaced-apart tines, each said tine including a notch therein opening towards the crossbow bow string, said fork further including a reinforcing bar securely retaining said tines in a fixed position with respect to each other; and a drive mechanism comprising ratchet means provided in said housing, said hand lever and said teeth being in mechanical communication via said drive mechanism such that pivotal movement of said hand lever results in rectilinear movement of said arm, wherein further said drive mechanism is selectively adjustable such that said rectilinear movement of said arm may be effected in either of said two directions with respect to said housing.
a housing removably engageable with the forward end of the crossbow, said housing including a hand operated lever pivotally disposed thereon;
an elongate arm extending through said housing and being rectilinearly movable with respect thereto in two directions coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said arm, said arm having first and second ends and an least upper and lower surfaces, at least one of said upper and lower surfaces having a plurality of teeth provided thereon, said arm further including means provided at said first end thereof for engaging the crossbow bow string, said means comprising a fork opening towards the crossbow how string and having spaced-apart tines, each said tine including a notch therein opening towards the crossbow bow string, said fork further including a reinforcing bar securely retaining said tines in a fixed position with respect to each other; and a drive mechanism comprising ratchet means provided in said housing, said hand lever and said teeth being in mechanical communication via said drive mechanism such that pivotal movement of said hand lever results in rectilinear movement of said arm, wherein further said drive mechanism is selectively adjustable such that said rectilinear movement of said arm may be effected in either of said two directions with respect to said housing.
28. A manually operated device to draw the bow string of a crossbow, comprising:
a housing including a hand lever pivotally disposed thereon;
an elongate arm extending through said housing and rectilinearly movable with respect thereto in two directions coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said arm, said arm having first and second ends and including a plurality of teeth, said arm further including means provided at said first end thereof for engaging the crossbow bow string, said means comprising a fork opening towards the crossbow bow string and having spaced-apart tines, each said tine including a notch therein opening towards the crossbow bow string, said fork further including a reinforcing bar securely retaining said tines in a fixed position with respect to each other, and wherein said arm further includes aligning means slidingly receivable within the track such that the path of travel of said arm is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track, said aligning means comprising a pin projecting from said reinforcing bar; and a drive mechanism comprising ratchet means, said hand lever and said teeth being in mechanical communication via said drive mechanism such that pivotal movement of said hand lever results in rectilinear movement of said arm.
a housing including a hand lever pivotally disposed thereon;
an elongate arm extending through said housing and rectilinearly movable with respect thereto in two directions coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said arm, said arm having first and second ends and including a plurality of teeth, said arm further including means provided at said first end thereof for engaging the crossbow bow string, said means comprising a fork opening towards the crossbow bow string and having spaced-apart tines, each said tine including a notch therein opening towards the crossbow bow string, said fork further including a reinforcing bar securely retaining said tines in a fixed position with respect to each other, and wherein said arm further includes aligning means slidingly receivable within the track such that the path of travel of said arm is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the track, said aligning means comprising a pin projecting from said reinforcing bar; and a drive mechanism comprising ratchet means, said hand lever and said teeth being in mechanical communication via said drive mechanism such that pivotal movement of said hand lever results in rectilinear movement of said arm.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US08/791,481 | 1997-01-27 | ||
| US08/791,481 US5823172A (en) | 1995-09-25 | 1997-01-27 | Crossbow bow string drawing device |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2216441A1 true CA2216441A1 (en) | 1998-07-27 |
Family
ID=25153871
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002216441A Abandoned CA2216441A1 (en) | 1997-01-27 | 1997-09-24 | Crossbow bow string drawing device |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2216441A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN108757257A (en) * | 2018-08-19 | 2018-11-06 | 侯文燕 | A kind of starter of gasoline starter |
-
1997
- 1997-09-24 CA CA002216441A patent/CA2216441A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN108757257A (en) * | 2018-08-19 | 2018-11-06 | 侯文燕 | A kind of starter of gasoline starter |
| CN108757257B (en) * | 2018-08-19 | 2024-04-26 | 侯文燕 | Starting device of gasoline starter |
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