US20080242456A1

US20080242456A1 - Helical arrow fletching

Info

Publication number: US20080242456A1
Application number: US11/695,097
Authority: US
Inventors: Steven Harsh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-04-02
Filing date: 2007-04-02
Publication date: 2008-10-02

Abstract

An arrow fletching system has at least one vane or feather that is helically shaped. The helical vane or feather makes a sharp deviation of at least one-eighth, but no more than one-fourth (¼) of an inch from the longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft. The helical vane or feather improves the flight of the arrow by reducing the amount of sound emitted during flight. Additionally, the helical vane or feather causes a high rate of rotation of the arrow during flight to increase the stability during flight, thereby enabling increased accuracy and increasing the rate of speed of the arrow. Also, the helical vane or feather provides an improved surface and shape for the user to grasp, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of the arrow.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates generally to an arrow fletching system for an archery arrow shaft. More particularly, this invention relates to an arrow fletching having at least one archery vane or feather mounted to the sleeve in a right-to-left helical configuration.
2. Description Of The Related Art
Conventional arrows used for archery have vanes and feathers mounted on an arrow shaft. The vanes or feathers stabilize the archery arrow and rotate the arrow during flight. The vanes or feathers are mounted directly to the shaft at an end portion of the archery arrow.
The prior art arrow vane or feather configurations are either right handed, left handed, or straight with respect to an arrow shaft longitudinal axis. However, these configurations provide less stabilization for an arrow during flight. Additionally, these prior art arrow vanes are known to emit a whistling sound during flight and scare away game.
There is an apparent need for an archery vane configuration which, when the arrow is in flight, causes rotation of the arrow shaft about the longitudinal axis at a high rate in order to impart maximum stability to the arrow shaft. In this way, flight accuracy of the arrow is enhanced for the entire flight.
There is an apparent need for an archery arrow fletching system that includes at least one helically-shaped archery vane or feather mounted and secured with respect to an archery arrow longitudinal axis. There is also an apparent need for a fletching system configured to reduce the sound produced by an archery arrow during flight. Further, there is a need for a fletching system configured to increase the stability of an archery arrow during flight as the arrow speed increases.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A general object of this invention is to provide a helical archery vane or feather mounted to an outer surface of an arrow shaft.
Another object of this invention is to overcome one or more of the problems described above.
The above and other objects of this invention can be attained through a fletching system including helical archery vanes that are pre-formed and then mounted to a longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft. The archery vane or feather is aligned and mounted in a helical configuration with respect to the arrow shaft longitudinal axis.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of an arrow shaft having helical vanes.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the end portion of the arrow shaft illustrating the helical shape of the vanes or feather.

FIG. 3 is a view in section of the end portion of the arrow shaft, illustrating the extent of the deviation of the helical vanes or feathers from the longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the arrow shaft illustrating the feather or vane helical deviation from the center axis.

In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention that is illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific term so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, an arrow fletching system 10 includes an arrow shaft 100, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The arrow shaft 100 may comprise a metal, an alloy, a plastic, graphite or a composite material, and any other suitable material. The arrow shaft 100 has a generally tubular configuration with an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter.
The fletching system 10 includes at least one archery vane 40 or feather mounted to an outer surface of a sleeve 20. Preferably, the archery vane 40 or feather is adhesively mounted to the outer surface. The archery vane 40 or feathers can be mounted or attached to sleeve 20 using any suitable mounting or connecting methods.
In the preferred embodiment of this invention, each archery vane 40 or feathers is skewed or angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft 100. The archery vane 40 or feather is mounted in an unparallel or offset configuration using a jig. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the archery vane 40 or feather is helical along the arrow shaft 100, extending radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft 100.
FIG. 1 illustrates a plurality of vanes 30. Preferably, but not necessarily, three or four vanes 40 or feathers are positioned on or attached to the arrow shaft 100 in a circumferential relation on the outer surface of arrow shaft 100. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, for preferred embodiment of this invention, three vanes 40 are positioned equally about the circumference of the arrow shaft 100. Each vane 40 is positioned 120 degrees from each of the two other vanes 40. It is apparent to one skilled in the art that more or less than three archery vanes 40 can be positioned about or on the arrow shaft 100.
The vane 40 includes a generally tapered profile extending from a leading, narrow end to a trailing, wide end. The vane 40 includes a defined profile as shown in FIG. 2 or can have any other suitable defined profile 35 similar to a shape of any conventional vane that provides acceptable aerodynamic flight characteristics.
As illustrated in FIG. 4, the helical shape of each of the vanes 40 is defined to have at least a one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch deviation from the longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft 100. Looking at FIG. 3, the arrow vane 40 is shown with the measurement of at least one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch deviation along the longitudinal axis of the vane 40 and arrow shaft 100.
While certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in detail, it is to be understood that various modifications may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A fletching for an archery arrow shaft comprising: a flexible vane or feather having a generally tapered profile extending from a narrow end to a wide end, and said vane or feather integrated with a perimeter of, said archery arrow shaft, positioned flush with the perimeter of the flexible vane or feather, wherein the flexible vane or feather extends helical with a longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft.

2. The arrow shaft of claim 1, wherein said flexible helical vane or feather extends deviates at least one-eighth (⅛) but no more than one-fourth (¼) of an inch from the longitudinal axis of said arrow shaft.