US3846998A

US3846998A - Machine for testing and straightening arrows

Info

Publication number: US3846998A
Application number: US00387124A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Lock
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-08-09
Filing date: 1973-08-09
Publication date: 1974-11-12
Anticipated expiration: 1991-11-12

Abstract

A machine is provided for testing the straightness of arrows, for localizing and measuring any want of straightness, and for mechanically correcting any defect of this nature that may be discovered. The machine desirably includes a central stand on which a deflection meter is mounted, together with a straightening lever. A trackway in the form of spaced, parallel horizontal bars is provided. Arrow supporting and rotating carriages are mounted on the trackway with freedom for independent adjustment toward and from the central stand. Each carriage includes two side by side rollers and means for operating the rollers in unison to turn an arrow engaged by the meter and to sustain the arrow during straightening.

Description

United States Patent [1 Lock [451 Nov. 12, 1974 1 MACHINE FOR TESTING AND STRAIGHTENING ARROWS [76] Inventor: William E. Lock, ll780 Michael Rd., Central Point, Oreg. 97501 [22] Filed: Aug. 9, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 387,124

[52] US. Cl. 72/34, 72/386 [51] Int. Cl B2ld 3/16 [58] Field Of Search 72/34, 386

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,060,365 4/1913 Rowe 72/386 2,389,206 11/1945 McKinney et ill 72/34 2,876,822 3/1959 Groves 72/34 3.143.158

8/1964 'Sundquist et al. 72/386 Primar E.\'aminerRichard .l. Herbst Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Clarence M. Crews [57] ABSTRACT A machine is provided for testing the straightness of arrows, for localizing and measuring any want of straightness, and for mechanically correcting any dcfect of this nature that may be discovered. The machine desirably includes a central stand on which a deflection meter is mounted, together with a straightening lever. A trackway in the form of spaced, parallel horizontal bars is provided. Arrow supporting and rotating carriages are mounted on the trackway with freedom for independent adjustment toward and from the central stand. Each carriage includes two side by side rollers and means for operating the rollers in unison to turn an arrow engaged by the meter and to sustain the arrow during straightening;

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures- MACHINE FOR TESTING AND STRAIGHTENING ARROWS This invention relates to archery and more particularly to a machine that tests used arrows for straightness, and straightens arrows found to be bent.

In modern archery the shafts of arrows generally take the form of aluminum tubing which is likely to become bent in use. Each arrow shaft is initially straight and is of uniform internal and external diameter, although one set of arrows may differ from another in internal diameter, external diameter, and/or wall thickness. All such arrows are freely bendable within their elastic limits, and any of them can be objectionably deformed if strained beyond its elastic limit. Straightening of a deformed arrow shaft demands deformation beyond its elastic limit. Since the .object of archery contests is to test and compare the skill of contestants, it is very important, in the interest of fairness, to make sure that the contestants compete under equal conditions, This means that all arrows used by acontestannwhether previously usedor not, must be absolutely straight.

Sinceused arrows are frequently found tobe bent, it is important that each used arrow be tested for straightness and that it be straightened if found to be defective.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a light, readily transportable, efficient and accurate arrow testing and straightening machine.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing forming part of this specification,

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of the operating parts of ,my'novel machine, with an arrow in position for testing'and straightening;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the-structure of FIG. 1 and of the arrow of FIG. 1, together with an outline of the tray which forms an unitary part of the machine;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in front elevation, on a much larger scale than FIGS. 1 and 2, showing particularly the operatinginstrumentalities for testing and indicating straightness or want of straightness of an arrow, and for correcting want of straightness;

FIGS. 4, and 6 are transverse sectional views taken on the lines 4-4, 55 and 66, respectively, of FIG. I, looking in the direction of the arrows, the views being all on a somewhat larger scale than FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view, on a considerably smaller scale thanFIG. 1, showing the carrying case which forms an unitary part of the machine in a closed and latched condition.

My novel machine 10, as seen in FIG. 7, includes, as an unitary part thereof, a carrying case 12. The case 12, which may be made of plywood or any other suitable sheet material, includes a tray portion 14 which comprises a bottom wall 16, a low front ,wall 18, end walls which increase uniformly in height from front to rear, and a rear wall 22 whose height is desirably onehalf of the total height of the case.

As seen in FIG. 7, the tray 14 is complemented by a cover 24 which includes a top wall 26, a front wall 28, a rear wall 30, and end walls 32.

The rear walls of the tray and cover, which are desirably'of equal height, are connected through hinges 34.

The front walls are equipped with complementary 2 members of latches 36. The top wall of the cover is equipped with a carrying handle 38. I

The operating mechanism within the case 12 isall supported from a rigid metallic base plate 40, which plate is affixed to the bottom wall 16 of the tray.

Through fixed, rigid,

upstanding plates

42, 44 and 46, two spaced, parallel, horizontal trackway members, desirably in the form of hollow

rigid tubes

48,48, are fixedly supported.

Identical carriages 50 are slidingly supported on the trackway members 48 at opposite sides of the centrally located plate 44. Since the carriages are identical a description of one will be equally applicable to the other.

Each carriage 50 includes two vertically disposed parallel plates 52 which are secured to one'another by headed machine screws 54 but are spaced at fixed distances from one another by sleeves 56 that are interposed between the plates and surroundthe shanks of the respective screws 54. Each carriage desirably includes two bearing sleeves 58 that surround the respective shafts 48 and extend between, through, and well beyond, both plates 52.

At their upper ends the plates 52 support, between them inner and

outer pulleys

60 and 62, upon'which an elastic belt 64, desirably in the form of a flat rubber band, is trained under tension. The outer pulley includes a knurled wheel 66 through which the belt may be finger-driven.

Inner and outer rollers 68 and 70' are revolublysupported by the plates 52, being disposed side by side but spaced from one another between the

pulleys

60 and 62. The lower run of the belt 64 is an idle run, but'the upper run bears frictionally against the lower sides of

rollers

68 and 70. The

rollers

68 and 70, which always turn in unison, in the direction oppositeto that in which the pulleys 62 are operated, serve to support between them an end portion of an arrow 72. The opposite end of the arrow may be similarly supported by the like structure of the other carriage. By operation of the pulleys 62 in unison the arrow may be turned in either direction desired. There is no exacting requirement as to how nearly in unison the pulleys must be operated. Generally the turning of either one will turn the arrow.

The arrow shaft obviously extends from carriage to carriage through the testing station. At the testing station a spring-urged plunger 74 is caused to bear yieldingly downward, but lightly, against the upper surface of the arrow shaft. v

The plunger 74 forms a conventional part of a conventional gauge 76. The gauge is mounted on a central standard 78. Through a rack and pinion connection (not shown) an indicator hand is turned relative to a graduated dial 81. If the arrow is straight the initial reading of the instrument will depend upon the thickness of the arrow shaft, and the reading willbe maintained throughout a full revolution of the arrow. Uniformity of reading will indicate that no straightening is required.

If the arrow is not straight a full revolution of the.

When the limits have been determined, the arrow is turned to produce the top limit reading (convex side of arrow up) and a rigid lever 82, pivotally mounted on the standard 78 by means of a screw 84, washers 86, and a wing nut 88, is swung down for a distance believed to be sufficient to cause the next test reading to be consistently at the halfway mark-in other words, to straighten the arrow. The arrow may then be tested again in the same way and further correction may be similarly made, if required.

The corrective treatment should desirably be made at the point of greatest deviation. This may be estimated initially by visualinspection if the defect is a pronounced one. Otherwise it may be determined by testing the arrow at various points along the length of its shaft before taking any corrective action. Similar tests and similar correction may be made at different points lengthwise of the shaft until the arrow is found to be straight.

The rear arm of the lever 82 is connected to a projection 90 on the lower portion of the standard 78 through an elastic member, illustratively a rubber band 92, so that the forward, arrow-bending arm of the lever is automatically maintained in an out-of-the-way, upperlimit-of-movement position when not in active use. 7

If, as in the illustrative case, the lever 82 is too long to be housed in-the case 12, in its normal position, it can be readily detached along with the rubber band 92 for separate storage in the case 12. Removal and re- 7 placement of the lever can be very quickly effected.

The need for removing the lever can, of course, be obviated by shortening the lever or by enlarging the case, but the relationships illustrated have been found most practical.

l have described what I believe to be the best embodiment of my invention. What I desire to cover by letters patent, however, is set .forth in the'appended claims.

1 claim:

1. An arrow testing and straightening machine for testing straightness and directly, manually correcting deviations from straightness of arrow shafts composed of freely bendable, metallic tubing, comprising, in combination,

a. a stand located at a central deflection detecting and straightening station;

b. a fixed, straight, horizontal trackway constructed and arranged to extend at opposite sides of the deflection detecting and straightening station;

c. a pair of cooperative arrow supporting carriages mounted on said trackway at opposite sides of said station with freedom for individual adjustment along the trackway toward and from said central station, each of said carriages including a pair of side by side rollers adapted jointly to support an arrow shaft segment between them, and means constructed and arranged to operate the rollers of each carriage in unison for turning a roller supported arrow;

d. a sensitive, deflection detecting, magnifying and indicating instrument of the dial type mounted on the stand and comprising a plunger, spring pressed downward to bear downward against'the upper side of the arrow shaft being tested, and

e. a manually operable deflection correcting means at said station,-engageable with the upper side of the carriage-bridging arrow shaft, and movable freely in a downward direction to deform the arrow shaft beyond its elastic limit, the space beneath the carriage-bridging arrow shaft being free of obstruction so that the arrow shaft can be freely deformed to any extent dictated by thev judgment of the operator.

2. An arrow testing and straightening machine as set forth in claim 1 in which the deflection detecting and indicating means comprises a spring loaded plunger, a graduated dial, a rotary indicating pointer associated with said dial, and means for rotatively operating the indicating pointer from the plunger.

3. An arrow testing and straightening machine as set forth in claim 1 in which each carriage includes a manually operable belt-driving wheel at the front of the carriage, a cooperative belt-supporting wheel at the rear of the carriage, a belt trained on said front and rear wheels, and a pair of intermediate, arrow-supporting wheels engaged and driven in unison by the upper reach of the belt.

4. An arrow testing and straightening machine as set forth in claim 3 in which the belt has the form of a tensed elastic band.

5. An arrow testing and straightening machine as set forth in claim 1 in which the manually operable, deflection correcting means includes a rigid lever, means on the stand supporting the lever for rocking movement in a vertical plane, and elastic means connecting a first or inactive arm of the lever to the stand under tension and thereby biasing a second or active arm of the lever to a normal, idle position above the level normally occupied by an arrow which is jointly supported by the carriages.

6. An arrow testing and straightening machine as set forth in claim 1 in which a rigid supporting frame is provided for the trackway and the central stand, and a carrying case is attached to the frame and thereby made an unitary and permanent part of the machine,.

said carrying case being of right prismatic form and comprising body and cover portions having hingedly connected rear walls of equal height, and complementary end walls of variable height with the back wall of the body exceeding in height the front wall of the body by a substantial amount and with the front wall of the cover exceeding in height the back wall of the cover by substantially the same amount, the construction and arrangement being such that the full height of the carrying case is adequate to contain the complete machine, but the restricted height of the front wall of the tray makes fully and freely accessible the means for operating the arrow shaft turning rollers.

Claims

1. An arrow testing and straightening machine for testing straightness and directly, manually correcting deviations from straightness of arrow shafts composed of freely bendable, metallic tubing, comprising, in combination, a. a stand located at a central deflection detecting and straightening station; b. a fixed, straight, horizontal trackway constructed and arranged to extend at opposite sides of the deflection detecting and straightening station; c. a pair of cooperative arrow supporting carriages mounted on said trackway at opposite sides of said station with freedom for individual adjustment along the trackway toward and from said central station, each of said carriages including a pair of side by side rollers adapted jointly to support an arrow shaft segment between them, and means constructed and arranged to operate the rollers of each carriage in unison for turning a roller supported arrow; d. a sensitive, deflection detecting, magnifying and indicating instrument of the dial type mounted on the stand and comprising a plunger, spring pressed downward to bear downward against the upper side of the arrow shaft being tested, and e. a manually operable deflection correcting means at said station, engageable with the upper side of the carriagebridging arrow shaft, and movable freely in a downward direction to deform the arrow shaft beyond its elastic limit, the space beneath the carriage-bridging arrow shaft being free of obstruction so that the arrow shaft can be freely deformed to any extent dictated by the judgment of the operator.

6. An arrow testing and straightening machine as set forth in claim 1 in which a rigid supporting frame is provided for the trackway and the central stand, and a carrying case is attached to the frame and thereby made an unitary and permanent part of the machine, said carrying case being of right prismatic form and comprising body and cover portions having hingedly connected rear walls of equal height, and complementary end walls of variable height with the back wall of the body exceeding in height the front wall of the body by a substantial amount and with the front wall of the cover exceeding in height the back wall of the cover by substantially the same amount, the construction and arrangement being such that the full height of the carrying case is adequate to contain the complete machine, but the restricted height of the front wall of the tray makes fully and freely accessible the means for operating the arrow shaft turning rollers.