US3566853A

US3566853A - Archery bow with unobstructed sight window

Info

Publication number: US3566853A
Application number: US865370A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth O Larm
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-10-10
Filing date: 1969-10-10
Publication date: 1971-03-02
Anticipated expiration: 1988-03-02

Abstract

A bow including a rigid metal elongated member having limbs attached to each end thereof so that the axes of the limbs lie generally in a common plane and the central member is offset laterally from said plane to provide an unobstructed view of the target area and a pistol-grip type handle affixed to the central member and lying generally in the common plane.

Description

O United States Patent [111 3,566,853

[72] Inventor Kenneth O.Larm 3,040,728 6/1962 Nieman 124/24 7200 Pleasant Ave. South, Minneapolis, 3,412,725 11/1968 124/30 Minn. 55423 3,491,739 1/1970 124/23 [21] A N 365,370 2,665,679 1/1954 Gaskell 124/24 [22] Filed Oct. 10, 1969 FOREIGN PATENTS [451 Patented Mar-2,1971 747,692 12/1966 Canada 124/23 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham [54] ARCHERY BOW WITH UNOBSTRUCTED SIGHT Assistant Examiner-William R. Browne WINDOW Atrorney-Merchant & Gould 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[ 1 1 ABSTRACT: A bow including a rigid metal elongated [50] member having limbs attached to each end thereof so that the 41, 30 axes of the limbs lie generally in a common plane and the central member is offset laterally from said plane to provide an [56] References cued unobstructed view of the target area and a pistol-grip type UNITED STATES PATENTS handle affixed to the central member and lying generally in 2,714,377 8/1955 Mulkey 124/24 the common plane.

'PATENTED m 21971 3; 5 6; 853

INVENTOR. llama-r O. 4017M ARCHERY BOW WITH UNOBSTRUCTED SIGHT WINDOW BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention In archery, the bow is traditionally gripped lightly with one hand and the shaft of the arrow is placed on an arrow rest affixed to the side of the bow immediately above the gripping hand. Because the portion of the bow which is being gripped lies generally in a common plane with the string and the arrow, a substantial portion of the target area is obscured. In tournament shooting and the like where targets are apt to be placed at substantial distances from the archer and a plurality of targets, placed relatively close together, are utilized, it is not uncommon for an archer to become confused and shoot at the wrong target.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the prior art, many attempts have been made to produce bows with unobstructed views of the target area. However, in general these bows are unsatisfactory. One such prior art bow has a generally Z-shape with the limbs extending at a slight angle to the direction of the string (as viewed from the front or back) and the handle portion of the bow extending somewhat transversely to the direction of the string. This bow is unsatisfactory because a torque is produced in the limbs and the limbs are extremely difficult to manufacture, unless they are formed of metal or the like. Further, the archer must alter his normal grip to compensate for the angle of the handle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to an improved bow including a longitudinally extending base member having limbs affixed thereto with the longitudinal axes of said limbs lying generally in a common plane and a central portion of said base means offset from said common plane to form an unobstructed sighting area with a handle affixed to said central portion so as to lie generally in said common plane and below said sighting area.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved bow having a substantially unobstructed sighting area.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved bow which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved bow having a handle thereon which can be altered to fit the grip of the archer without affecting the characteristics of the bow.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved bow with replaceable limbs so that the basic structure can be utilized for a variety of purposes, such as hunting, indoor target shooting, outdoor target shooting, etc.

These and other objects of this invention will-become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanying specification, claims and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved bow, portions thereof removed;

FIG. 2 is a view of the new bow in front elevation, portions thereof removed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view as seen from the line 3-3 ofFIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded view illustrating the means of connecting the limbs to the base member of the improved bow.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the FIGS. the numeral generally designates a longitudinally extending base member which may be formed from any suitable rigid material having the required strength and in this embodiment is formed from tubular steel. The base member 10 has elongated plates 11 and 12 affixed to opposite ends of the base member 10, by welding or the like, so as to present slightly arcuate surfaces directed at an angle generally away from the base member 10. The elongated plates 11 and 12 are positioned so that the longitudinal axes thereof lie in a common plane and the ends nearest each other converge while the extended ends are divergent. Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the base member 10 extending between the plates 11 and 12 is bent slightly forwardly at the central portion thereof, designated by the number 13. Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the base member 10 extends in a generally arcuate configuration between the plates 11 and 12 so that the central portion 13 is transversely offset from the common plane including the longitudinal axes of the plates 11 and 12.

A pair of

limbs

20 and 21, which may be formed of any suitable resilient material and any desired shape in this embodiment are formed of glass laminated onto wood, such as lemonwood or the like, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art and are provided with a slightly curved portion adjacent one end thereof. The slightly curved ends of the

limbs

20 and 21 are positioned adjacent the outwardly directed surfaces of the plates 11 and 12, respectively, with pieces of resilient material, such as neoprene, rubber, or the like, designated .22 and 23, respectively, sandwiches therebetween. Second pieces of

material

24 and 25, similar to the

pieces

22 and 23, are positioned on the outer surface of the limbs 20 and.2l and slightly arcuate shaped

plates

26 and 27 are positioned in overlying relationship thereon. Each of the

plates

26 and 27 and the pieces of

material

22, 23, 23, and

25, and the plates 11 and 12 affixed to the base member 10 have pairs of holes therethrough which are aligned to allow the insertion of bolts 28 therethrough. The

limbs

20 and 21 are clamped to the plates 11 and 12, respectively, so that the longitudinal axes thereof generally lie in the common plane including the longitudinal axes of the plates 11 and 12. Thus, the

limbs

20 and 21 are clamped fixedly in position and are easily removable and replaceable with limbs which are new or have different characteristics. Further, the pieces of

resilient material

22, 23, 24 and 25 reduce the amount of noise produced by the bow during shooting.

An irregularly shaped plate 30 is fixedly attached to the base member 10 at the central portion 13 so as to extend transversely from the base member 10 into and somewhat beyond the common plane including the longitudinal axes of the

limbs

20 and 21. With the bow held in the proper upright position the plate 30 is oriented generally horizontally and a pistol-grip type handle 31 is affixed to the underside thereof so as to extend downwardly generally in the common plane including the longitudinal axes of the

limbs

20 and 21. The handle 31 may be removably attached to the plate 30 so that a handle 31 which fits the grip of the archer may be affixed to the bow. It should be noted that the handle 31 and plate 30 do not affect the shooting'characteristics of the bow and, therefore, the handle 31 can be constructed sufficiently small to accommodate substantially any hand with no adverse effects. As is well known in the art, prior art bows are built with the handle forming a portion of the bow and reducing the size of the handle greatly affects the characteristics of the bow.

A tubular element 35 is fixedly attached to the central portion 13 of the base member 10 so as to extend generally horizontally outwardly therefrom in spaced relation above the plate 30. The element 35 has internal threads so that an arrow rest 36 can be threadedly engaged therein. The arrow rest 36 includes a flat disc affixed to a threaded shaft so as to be oriented in a generally vertical direction parallel with the common plane of the limbs-20 and 21 and a tab 37 is affixed to the outwardly directed surface of the disc. The tab 37 extends angularly outwardly from the disc 36 and is adjustable so that the extended end thereof is spaced from the disc a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the arrows being used. During shooting the arrow rests on the tab 37 and the disc 36 acts as a guide. The position of the disc 36 relative to the common plane including the longitudinal axes of the limbs and 21 is adjustable so that the bow will accommodate arrows with a variety of diameters corresponding with the characteristics of the limbs affixed to the base member 10. For example, the archer may desire a hunting bow, in which case the

limbs

20 and 21 will be constructed so that the bow has a relatively large draw strength (such as 50 or 60 pounds) and the arrows being used will have a larger diameter. If the archer desires an indoor target bow the limbs will be constructed with a much lower draw strength (such as to pounds) and the arrows will be of a much smaller diameter.

The plate 30 is provided with a forwardly directed internally threaded opening in which a balancing weight can optionally be engaged. The balancing weight 40 can be provided with any desirable length of shaft, in the usual manner, to provide the bow with the desired weight and balance. In addition, a forwardly directed loop 41 is formed in the plate 30, which loop 41 can be utilized to support the bow from a hanging hook or the like during nonuse. Because the base member 10 and the plate 30 are formed of a relatively rigid material, such as steel or the like, many other features can be conveniently provided without affecting the characteristics of the bow. For example, in the present embodiment a small forwardly directed knob 42 is affixed to the handle 31 and is adapted to have a cord, strap, or the like, affixed thereto after it is wrapped around the wrist of the archer, which cord or strap acts as a safety device to prevent the archer from dropping the bow during shooting. It should be understood that all of these features affixed to the plate 30 are optional, but are illustrated to provide an indication of the versatility and convenience of the present bow.

Thus, an improved bow is described which is much simpler to manufacture since the base member is formed of a metal or the like which can be quickly-and easily formed by machines, whereas, in the prior art the base or central portion of bows is constructed solely of the same material as the limbs and much labor is needed to form the central portion correctly. Further, because the base member of the present bow is formed of metal or the like many attachments can be readily made without weakening the bow or altering the characteristics thereof. In addition to the above, the present bow is constructed with a large unobstructed target viewing area which eliminates target errors and can greatly improve the marksmanship of the archer. Further, the bow is constructed so that a variety of limbs can be affixed thereto and a variety of arrows can be accommodated for various types of shooting, such as hunting, target shooting, etc.

I claim:

1. An improved bow comprising:

a. a longitudinally extending base means formed of relatively rigid material;

b. a pair of elongated limbs formed of resilient material with a string receiving notch at one end of each of said limbs; a bow string;

0. means affixed to the ends of said base means for fixedly clamping one end of each of said pair of limbs with the limbs extending longitudinally outwardly and the string receiving notches positioned at the outermost ends of the limbs, said limbs lying generally in a common plane formed by the bow limbs and said how string;

d. said base means having a generally central portion offset laterally from the common plane forming an unobstructed sight area which is in the common plane; and

e. a handle affixed to and extending laterally outwardly of said offset central portion of said base means and positioned to lie substantially in said common plane.

2. An improved bow as set forth in claim 1 wherein the handle includes a plate affixed to the central offset portion of said base means and extending generally transversely therefrom with a pistol grip affixed to the lower side thereof and extendingadownwardly therefrom generally in the common plane.

. An improved bow as set forth in claim 1 wherein the clamping means includes an outwardly directed surface adjacent each end of the base member and second members having mating surfaces, said second members being removably affixed to said base member with each limb sandwiched between one of said outwardly directed surfaces and the mating surface.

4. An improved bow as set forth in claim 3 including resilient strips of material sandwiched between each limb and the adjacent surfaces.

5. An improved bow as set forth in claim 1 wherein the base means is formed from steel.

6. An improved bow as set forth in claim 1 wh including an adjustable arrow rest affixed to the central portion of the base means and extending transversely into the common plane.

7. An improved bow as set froth in claim 1 including an adjustable arrow rest affixed to the offset portion of the base means.

8. An improved bow comprising:

a. a longitudinally extending base means formed of relatively rigid material;

b. a pair of elongated limbs formed of resilient material with a string receiving notch at one end of each of said limbs;

c. a bow string;

d. each of said pair of limbs being fixedly attached to said means with the limbs extending longitudinally outwardly and the string receiving notches positioned at the outermost ends of the limbs, said limbs lying generally in a common plane formed by the bow limbs and said bow string;

e. said base means having a generally central portion offset laterally from the common plane and forming an unobstructed sight area which is in the common plane; and

f. a handle affixed to and extending laterally outwardly of said offset central portion of said base means and positioned to lie substantially in said common plane.

Claims

1. An improved bow comprising: a. a longitudinally extending base means formed of relatively rigid material; b. a pair of elongated limbs formed of resilient material with a string receiving notch at one end of each of said limbs; a bow string; c. means affixed to the ends of said base means for fixedly clamping one end of each of said pair of limbs with the limbs extending longitudinally outwardly and the string receiving notches positioned at the outermost ends of the limbs, said limbs lying generally in a common plane formed by the bow limbs and said bow string; d. said base means having a generally central portion offset laterally from the common plane forming an unobstructed sight area which is in the common plane; and e. a handle affixed to and extending laterally outwardly of said offset central portion of said base means and positioned to lie substantially in said common plane.

2. An improved bow as set forth in claim 1 wherein the handle includes a plate affixed to the central offset portion of said base means and extending generally transversely therefrom with a pistol grip affixed to the lower side thereof and extending downwardly therefrom generally in the common plane.

3. An improved bow as set forth in claim 1 wherein the clamping means includes an outwardly directed surface adjacent each end of the base member and second members having mating surfaces, said second members being removably affixed to said base member with each limb sandwiched between one of said outwardly directed surfaces and the mating surface.

8. An improved bow comprising: a. a longitudinally extending base means formed of relatively rigid material; b. a pair of elongated limbs formed of resilient material with a string receiving notch at one end of each of said limbs; c. a bow string; d. each of said pair of limbs being fixedly attached to said means with the limbs extending longitudinally outwardly and the string receiving notches positioned at the outermost ends of the limbs, said limbs lying generally in a common plane formed by the bow limbs and said bow string; e. said base means having a generally central portion offset laterally from the common plane and forming an unobstructed sight area which is in the common plane; and f. a handle affixed to and extending laterally outwardly of said offset central portion of said base means and positioned to lie substantially in said common plane.