US3337219A

US3337219A - Flight limiting arrow fletching

Info

Publication number: US3337219A
Application number: US311557A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles A Saunders
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-09-25
Filing date: 1963-09-25
Publication date: 1967-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 1984-08-22

Description

Aug. 22, 1967 c. A. SAUNDERS FLIGHT LIMITING ARROW FLETCHING Filed Sept. 25, 1963 INVENTOR.

United States Fatent Oflice 3,337,219 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 3,337,219 FLIGHT LIMITING ARROW FLETCHING Charles A. Saunders, 313 Morton Road, Columbus, Nebr. 68601 Filed Sept. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 311,557 13 Claims. (Cl. 273-1065) This invention relates to archery equipment and is directed in particular to an arrow fietching which finds utility in converting an ordinary arrow into a pom or flu-flu arrow. Arrows equipped with pom or flu-flu fietching have a much shorter trajectory than conventional arows and, accordingly, flu-flu arrows are preferred for trap, skeet and bird shooting. The flight distance of flu-flu type arrows being greatly limited by the drag effect of the special fietching are more readily recoverable than the conventional type arrow.

The prior art flu-flu fietching has consisted for the most part of spirally wound feat-her or feather-like structures encircling the tail end of the arrow shaft. Such structures are particularly susceptible to damage during use and in handling and the damage which occurs has an adverse effect upon the flight characteristics of the arrow. The present invention is directed to an improved flu-flu fletching which obviates the above disadvantages and others of the prior art devices.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved flu-flu or pom fietching. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved flu-fiu fietching which may be readily positioned near the tail end of the shaft of a convention-a1 arrow to convert that arrow into a flu-flu type arrow.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a substantially indestructible flu-flu fietching.

Additional objects and aims of the invention include the following: To provide an all-plastic flexible fietching having improved aerodynamic characteristics; to provide a fietching which is pressure responsive to yield readily and to deform responsively upon contact with the bow and then to recover without imparting distortional eflects to the arrow flight; to provide an arrow fietching which presents a smooth bearing and contacting surface to the bow as the arrow is shot therefrom; to provide an arrow fietching adapted to accommodate arrows of different diameters; to provide an arrow fietching defining a thinwalled air chamber between the fietching and the shaft of the arrow to permit ready flexing of the fietching as the fietching passes the bow; to provide an improved flu-flu fietching of an essentially frusto-conical configuration; and to provide an adapter for converting a conventional arrow to a flu-flu arrow.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of an arrow incorporating the fietching of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in side elevation of the fietching of FIGURE 1, unmounted;

FIGURE 3 is a view in front elevation, taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fletchinvention takes the form if an integral, one-piece lightweight fletching made entirely of a plastic material.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIGURE 1, for the purpose of illustrative disclosure, a preferred embodiment of the fietching 10 of the invention carried on an arrow 11. In the preferred embodiment depicted, and as shown more clearly in FIGURE 2, the flu-flu fietching 10 comprises a one-piece integral structure comprising an arrow shaft mounting sleeve 12, an enlarged cylindrical section 13 coaxial with the sleeve 12 and connected thereto through a frusto conical joinder or bevel 14, and a radially divergent lattice or skeleton 15 extending from said sleeve.

The lattice 15, or air flow impeding structure, which renders the fietching of the invention a flu-flu type fletching, consists of a plurality of spokes or ribs 16 radially spaced and extending rearwardly and outwardly of the cylindrical section 13 of the fietching. A plurality of longitudinally and radially spaced coaxial cylindrical sections or annular rings 17 are carried on the undersides of the ribs 16. The cylindrical sections 17 are coaxial with each other and with the axes of the cylinder 13 and the sleeve 12. The ribs 16, in combination with the cylindrical sections 17, define a family of concentric segmented annular orifices 18 circumferentially disposed about the axes of the sleeve and the cylinder (and thus, during use of the fletching, coaxial with the arr-ow shaft as well). The distribution and disposition of the ribs 16, the cylindrical section 17, and the associated segmented orifices 18, for a preferred embodiment of the invention, are depicted schematically in FIGURES 2 and 3. The lattice 15 of the fietching is of a readily flexible yet shaperetentive material and is preferably a plastic of the polyvinyl or similar type. Both natural latex and synthetic rubber-like polymeric materials such as the temperaturecompensated Geons may be used. Other appropriate plastics include the polyethylenes and the polypropylenes.

As the arrow carrying the fietching of the invention leaves the bow, the outer side surface of the lattice 15 bears against the central portion of the bow. It is important that this contact between the fietching and the bow does not give rise to undesirable deflection of the arrow from its intended flight path. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, several important structural features cooperate to render the fietching readily responsive to pressure applied laterally thereto to obviate or minimize any interference of the fietching with the arrow trajectory. One feature contributing to the pressureresponsive characteristics of the fietching is the thinwalled cylindrical section 13 connecting the sleeve 12 to the lattice 15. The internal diameter of the cylindrical section 13 is somewhat greater than the diameter of the arrow shaft to which the fietching is connected. As indicated in FIGURE 7, in a preferred embodiment of the invention an annular air space 19 separates the arrow shaft 11 from the cylindrical section 13 of the fietching. The provision of the space 19 between the fietching and the arrow shaft greatly increases the sensitivity of the fietching to laterally applied forces reducing the force which must be applied to the fietching to flatten its side to permit the arrow to proceed on its intended trajectory when released from the how.

Still another feature contributing to the ease with which the fietching, and particularly the lattice 15 of the fietching, is collapsed laterally upon contacting the bow is the structure of the ribs of the lattice. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, and as shown in FIGURE 4, the ribs 16, extending rearwardly and outwardly from the supporting cylindrical section 13, areof an inconstant cross section along their length, the crosssectional area being relatively small in the region of attachment of the ribs to the cylindrical section 13 and increasing outwardly toward the free ends 21 of the ribs. The particularly preferred construction described provides and serves the dual purpose of ensuring utmost pressure responsivity at the leading end 22 of the lattice structure while at the same time providing the necessary strength to maintain the enlarged end of the lattice in its intended spatial configuration.

As has been previously described, and as shown schematically in FIGURE 2, the cylindrical sections 13 of the lattice 15 are disposed internally of the supporting ribs 16. An important advantage of this structural arrangement is that the ribs 16 present a smooth outer surface 23 for contact against the bow as the arrow is shot therefrom. It is important that the contact between the fietching and the how be as gentle and as smooth as possible. Still another refinement of the lattice structure of the fietching of the invention consists of auxiliary ribs 24 supported on and connecting those cylindrical sections or annular rings 17 farthest removed from the region in which the lattice is connected to the supporting structure. These auxiliary ribs 24 serve the role of supplemental bearing surfaces as the fietching passes the bow. In addition they provide increased physical strengthening of the lattice.

The principal purpose and function of the frusto-conical lattice 15 of the fletching of the invention is to render an arrow to which the fietching is affixed a flu-flu arrow. To effectuate this purpose, the lattice of the fietching must constitute means offering controlled impedance to the flow of air therethrough. In the particular preferred embodiment of the invention depicted, the air flow passages are the segmented annular orifices 18 defined by the ribs 16 and the coaxial annular rings or cylindrical sections 17 of the lattice. As indicated in FIGURE 6, the cylindrical sections 17 are substantially rectangular in cross section. The upper and lower surfaces 25 and 26 are substantially horizontal. That is, the upper and lower surfaces 25 and 26 defined by the cylindrical sections 17 are in planes coaxial with the axis of the sleeve 12 and the enlarged cylindrical section 13. In a preferred embodiment of the invention and as indicated in FIGURE 6, the leading surface 27 of each cylindrical section 17 is angled slightly rearwardly of a vertical plane as viewed from the rib side of the lattice. The effect of this tilted surface 27 is to provide a backrake producing a drag effect on the arrow during flight. The drag effect contributes to rendering the arrow a flu-flu arrow.

The rearwardly and inwardly sweeping angle of the leading surface 27 of the annular rings or cylindrical sections 17 is also important in that air pressure against these surfaces during arrow flight gives rise to force vectors tending to press the sections radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the lattice thereby helping to obviate collapse of the walls of the lattice and contributing to retention of the frusto conical physical form. The angle at the apex of the rearwardly sweeping skeleton or lattice 15 and the diameter at the free end of the lattice are dictated by the drag effect desired and by the requirement of clearing the bow. A preferred angle is about 60 and a diameter about 1% inches. The overall length of the fietching is preferably about 2 inches and the height of the lattice is about one inch. In this preferred embodiment, ten ribs are used and four auxiliary ribs. In the light of the present disclosure and teachings one may make useful modifications of the fietching without exercise of the inventive faculty.

While there has been shown What is considered to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, many apparently differing embodiments of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the essential spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, to cover in the annexed claims all such changes and modifications as fall within the true scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an arrow having a shaft, an arrow-flight limiting device for rendering said arrow a flu-flu arrow, said device being adapted for positioning on said shaft of said arrow adjacent a tail end there-of and comprising:

a resilient flexible substantially cylindrical sleeve defining a through opening sized so as to be frictionally retained in position when placed on said shaft;

a thin-walled flexible tubular cylinder coaxial with said sleeve and having an internal diameter greater than the diameter of the tail end of the arrow shaft onto which said sleeve is placed to define an annular space between said cylinder and the shaft of said arrow;

a frustum joinder means comprising a flexible, thinwalled, tapered bevel joining said sleeve to an end of said cylinder to provide a unitary integral structure and to allow said cylinder to move out of coaxial alignment With said arrow shaft; and

a flexible frusto-conical lattice means for creating an aerodynamic drag constituting an integral coaxial extension of said cylinder extending rearwardly and outwardly thereof.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 and wherein said sleeve defines a tapered bore adapted for accommodating arrow shafts of various diameters.

3. In combination with an arrow having a shaft, an arrow-flight limiting device for rendering said arrow a flu-flu arrow, said device being adapted for positioning on said shaft of said arrow adjacent a tail end thereof and comprising:

a resilient flexible substantially cylindrical sleeve defining a through opening sized so that the sleeve is frictionally retained in position when placed on said arrow shaft;

a frustum joinder means comprising a flexible, thin- Walled, tapered bevel joining said sleeve to an end of said cylinder to provide a unitary integral structure and to allow said cylinder to move out of coaxial alignment with said arrow shaft; and

a flexible frusto conical lattice means for creating an aerodynamic drag constituting an integral coaxial extension of said cylinder extending rearwardly and outwardly thereof,

said lattice defining a family of radially spaced interrupted arcuate orifices providing controlled impedance to flow of air therethrough during flight of said arrow to limit linear flight distance of said arrow to constitute said arrow a flu-flu arrow.

4. In combination with an arrow having a shaft, an arrow-flight limiting device adapted to render said arrow a flu-flu arrow, said device being adapted for positioning on said shaft of said arrow adjacent a tail end thereof and comprising:

a resilient flexible substantially cylindrical sleeve defining a through opening sized so as to be frictionally retained in position when placed on said arrow shaft;

a thin-walled flexible tubular cylinder coaxial with said sleeve and having an internal diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of the tail end of the arrow shaft onto which said sleeve is placed to define an annular space between said cylinder and the shaft of said arrow;

a frustum joinder means comprising a flexible, thinwalled, tapered bevel joining said sleeve to an end of said cylinder to provide a unitary integral structure and to allow said cylinder to move out of coaxial alignment with said arrow shaft;

said lattice comprising a plurality of circu-mferentially spaced flexible ribs connected to the free end of said cylinder and extending rearwardly and outwardly therefrom; and

a plurality of flexible longitudinally and radially spaced coaxial annular rings carried by said ribs internally thereof, said annular rings being coaxial with said cylinder and said sleeve.

5. In combination with an arrow having a shaft, an arrow-flight limiting device adapted to render said arrow a flu-flu arrow, said device being adapted for positioning on said shaft of a said arrow adjacent a tail end thereof and comprising:

a frustum joinder means comprising a flexible, thinwalled, tapered bevel joining said sleeve to an end of said cylinder to provide a unitary integral structure and to allow said cylinder to move out of coaxial alignment with said arrow shaft and a flexible frusto conical lattice means for creating an aerodynamic drag constituting an integral coaxial extension of said cylinder extending rearwardly and outwardly thereof,

said lattice comprising a plurality of cirou'mferentially spaced flexible ribs connected to the free end of said cylinder and extending rearwardly and outwardly therefrom, and

a plurality of flexible longitudinally and radially spaced coaxial annular rings carried by said n'bs internally thereof, said annular rings being coaxial with said cylinder 'and said sleeve,

said ribs in combination with said annular rings defining a plurality of concentric, segmented annular orifices coaxial with the axis of said arrow shaft onto which said flight limiting device is positioned.

6. The structure as defined in claim 4 and wherein said ribs are of a cross-sectional area in-constant along their lengths, said cross sectional area of said ribs increasing progressivley as said ribs extend rearwardly and outwardly of said cylinder.

7. The structure as defined in claim 4 and further comprising opposed auxiliary ribs substantially coplanar with said rearwardly and outwardly extending ribs and centrally disposed between diametrically opposed pairs thereof, said auxiliary ribs being connnected to and carried by said annular rings and extending from an outermost ring to an intermediately positioned ring.

8. The structure as defined in claim 4 and wherein said annular rings are substantially rectangular in cross-section and wherein upper and lower surfaces of said rings define cylindrical planes substantially coaxial with said sleeve and said cylinder.

9. The structure as defined in claim 4 and wherein leading surfaces of said annular rings are tilted from a plane normal the axis of said sleeve to angle forwardly and upwardly with reference to flight direction of an arrow moving through a horizontal trajectory to provide force vectors tending to expand said annular rings radially outward of said axis of said sleeve to maintain said lattice in a distended form.

10. An axially symmetrical radially and rearwardly extending flight impedance sleeve-carried lattice adapted for attachment to the shaft of an arrow adj c nt a ta l end thereof to render said arrow a flu-flu arrow, said lattice comprising a resilient tubular sleeve having a principal longitudinal axis, said sleeve being sized to encircle and hold the shaft of an arrow; a plurality of elongated ribs extending rearwardly and outwardly from an end of said sleeve to define a truncated conical section coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said sleeve;

a plurality of coaxial longitudinally and radially spaced annular rings supported on said ribs on inner surfaces thereof, said rings being coaxial with said sleeve and integral with said ribs to define a frusto conical lattice,

said ribs and said rings of said lattice defining a plurality of concentric segmented annular slots constituting air flow restricting passages impeding the free passage of air therethrough to render said lattice an element limiting flight'distance of an arrow to which said lattice is attached.

11. The combination with an arrow having a shaft of an arrow-flight limiting device for rendering said arrow a flu-flu arrow, said device being adapted for positioning on said shaft of said arrow adjacent a tail end thereof and comprising:

a resilient flexible substantially cylindrical arrow shaft encircling and gripping sleeve defining a through opening sized so that the sleeve is frictionally retained in position when placed on said arrow shaft;

a flexible frusto conical lattice connected to and constituting an integral coaxial extesion of said sleeve and extending rearwardly and outwardly thereof;

said lattice comprising a plurality of laterally interconnected circumferentially spaced rearwardly extending flexible ribs, said ribs being of a cross-sectional area inconstant along their lengths, the cross-sectional area of said ribs increasing progressively as said ribs extend rearwardly and outwardly of said cylindrical sleeve.

12. The combination with an arrow having a shaft of an arrow-flight limiting device for rendering said arrow at flu-flu arrow, said device being adapted for positioning on said shaft of said arrow adjacent a tail end thereof and comprising:

a resilient flexible substantially cylindrical arrow shaft encircling and gripping sleeve defining a through opening sized so that the sleeve is frictionally retained in position when placed on an arrow shaft;

a thin-walled flexible tubular cylinder coaxial with said sleeve and having an internal diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of said tail end of the arrow shaft onto which said sleeve is placed to define an annular space between said cylinder and the shaft of said arrow;

annular Wall means joining said sleeve to an end of said cylinder to provide a unitary integral structure and to allow said cylinder to move out of coaxial alignment with said arrow shaft; and

a flexible frusto conical lattice means for creating an aerodynamic drag constituting an integral coaxial extension of said cylinder extending rearwardly and outwardly thereof.

13. The structure as defined in claim 12 and wherein said sleeve defines a tapered bore adapted for accommodating arrow shafts of various diameters.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,632,647 3/1953 Carlton 273-106 2,772,091 1 1/ 1956 Harris 27382 2,887,319 5/1959 Lay I 273l06.5 3,216,727 11/1965 Hunter 273-106.5 X

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. DELBERT B. LOWE, ANTON O. OECHSLE, M. R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner. Examiners-

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN ARROW HAVING A SHAFT, AN ARROW-FLIGHT LIMITING DEVICE FOR RENDERING SAID ARROW A FLU-FLU ARROW, SAID DEVICE BEING ADAPTED FOR POSITIONING ON SAID SHAFT OF SAID ARROW ADJACENT A TAIL END THEREOF AND COMPRISING: A RESILIENT FLEXIBLE SUBSTANTIALY CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE DEFINING A THROUGH OPENING SIZE SO AS TO BE FRICTIONALLY RETAINED IN POSITION WHEN PLACED ON SAID SHAFT; A THIN-WALLED FLEXIBLE TUBULAR CYLINDER COAXIAL WITH SAID SLEEVE AND HAVING AN INTERNAL DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE TAIL END OF THE ARROW SHAFT ONTO WHICH SAID SLEEVE IS PLACED TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN SAID CYLINDER AND THE SHAFT OF SAID ARROW; A FRUSTUM JOINDER MEANS COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE, THINWALLED, TAPERED BEVEL JOINING SAID SLEEVE TO AN END OF SAID CYLINDER TO PROVIDE A UNITARY INTEGRAL STRUCTURE AND TO ALLOW SAID CYLINDER TO MOVE OUT OF COAXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID ARROW SHAFT; AND A FLEXIBLE FRUSTO-CONICAL LATTICE MEANS FOR CREATING AN AERODYNAMIC DRAG CONSTITUTING AN INTEGRAL COAXIAL EXTENSION OF SAID CYLINDER EXTENDING REARWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY THEREOF.