Abstract:
A layout device is used with an archery bow. The bow has a riser and a pair of flexible limbs extending oppositely from the riser. The layout device includes a frame with an arm configured for coupling with the riser. The arm has a longitudinal axis. An axial adjustment mechanism is carried by the frame, and is movable relative to the frame in a direction generally orthogonal to the longitidinal axis. A laser is carried by the axial adjustment mechanism. The laser is rotatable at least approximately 180° about a rotation axis extending generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to archery equipment, and, more particularly, to the use of lasers with archery equipment. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Devices are known which provide improved accuracy for individuals target shooting and hunting with archery equipment. For example, bow sights have long been used to provide improved accuracy of an archery bow. A rear sight may be in the form of a bow string mounted peep sight having a small hole which is aligned with a forward sight pin mounted on the bow riser for substantially increasing the accuracy of the bow. As a further example, the front sight may be in the form of multiple, vertically aligned horizontal pins mounted in a frame to protect the pins. These multi-pin sights have proliferated in the last few years, especially in the hunting arena, where the distance to a target can vary as much as from 10-60 yards. Optical lenses defining a scope sight may also be used to provide improved accuracy. Yet still, it is also known to use a laser sight which is aligned at a fixed position relative to the riser of the bow to project a laser beam and ultimately a red dot onto a target. 
   When shooting an archery bow, the trajectory of an arrow must be accurately predicted if an archer is to have confidence in accurate shot placement on a target. The above-mentioned improvements in sights for bows assist in accurately projecting the point of impact at which the arrow is to strike. However, whether the sights are in the form of pin sights, optical lens sights or laser sights, they all assume that the physics of the archery bow are correct during use. Unless the various components making up the archery bow are properly aligned relative to each other, the dynamics of the bow during use may cause force vectors in unknown or undesired directions to exert lateral or other undesirable forces on the arrow causing inaccuracy of a shot. 
   Heretofore, aligning an archery bow has generally been done through visual alignment and/or mechanically through the use of squares, etc. Although these techniques may be used to avoid gross misalignment of the archery bow, they nonetheless are imprecise and do not ensure exact positioning of the components of the archery bow relative to each other to provide maximum accuracy. 
   What is needed in the art is a method of aligning or “laying out” an archery bow so that all critical components are properly positioned relative to each other to ensure maximum accuracy. What is further needed in the art is a layout device for use with an archery bow that ensures that all critical parts of the bow affecting the flight path of the arrow lie in a common plane. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a layout device for an archery bow with a laser which is aligned with a travel path of the arrow, and rotated 360° to ensure that all critical parts of the bow are in a common plane. 
   The invention comprises, in one form thereof, a layout device for use with an archery bow. The bow has a riser and a pair of flexible limbs extending oppositely from the riser. The layout device includes a frame with an arm configured for coupling with the riser. The arm has a longitudinal axis. An axial adjustment mechanism is carried by the frame, and is movable relative to the frame in a direction generally orthogonal to the longitidinal axis. A laser is carried by the axial adjustment mechanism. The laser is rotatable at least approximately 180° about a rotation axis extending generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. 
   The invention comprises, in another form thereof, an archery bow assembly including a bow having a riser and a pair of flexible limbs extending oppositely from the riser. The bow has a longitudinal axis. A layout device is coupled with the riser. The layout device includes a laser which is rotatable at least approximately 180° about a rotation axis extending generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. 
   An advantage of the present invention is that critical components of the archery bow may be precisely located relative to each other to ensure maximum accuracy. 
   Another advantage is that only some or all of the components of the archery bow may be checked using the layout device of the present invention. 
   Yet another advantage is that the layout device of the present invention provides both coarse and fine axial adjustment of the laser relative to a reference axis. 
   A further advantage is that the laser is rotatable in a 360° arc. 
   A still further advantage is that the laser has an on-board power supply in the form of a battery to eliminate the need for electric cables, etc. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an archery bow including an embodiment of a layout device of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of the layout device shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an embodiment of an archery bow  10 , incorporating an embodiment of a layout device  12  of the present invention. 
   In the embodiment shown, bow  10  is a compound bow, but may be differently configured depending upon the application. For example, bow  10  may be a recurve or other type of bow. Bow  10  includes a riser  14  and a pair of flexible limbs  16  extending oppositely from riser  14 . At the distal end of each limb  16  is a single cam wheel  18 , defining a pair of cam wheels known as a twin cam (or hatchet cam) bow. At least one string  20  wraps around cam wheels  18  and biases limb  16  to a preloaded state. An arrow rest  22  coupled with riser  14  supports an arrow  24 . Arrow  24  has a rear end with a nock  26  which is engaged with string  20 . Bow  10  has a longitudinal axis  27  defined by riser  14  and limb  16 . 
   Layout device  12  is coupled with riser  14  using any suitable attachment methods. In the embodiment shown, a mount  28  of conventional design is attached to riser  14 . Mount  28  typically is used to connect with and carry a sight (not shown), also of conventional design, which allows a user to sight bow  10  on a selected target for launching arrow  24  toward the target. A typical sight may be in the form of a pin sight or optical lens scope. Mount  28  includes a locking knob  29  allowing the sight to be mounted and dismounted from bow  10 . 
   Similarly, layout device  12  may be mounted and dismounted from bow  10  using mount  28  (or other suitable mount in the event mount  28  is not present). Layout device  12  includes a frame  30  with an arm  32  having a male dovetail arrangement for coupling with mount  28 . Arm  32  has a longitudinal axis  34 , and may be slid along longitudinal axis  34  within mount  28  to a desired mounting position prior to tightening locking knob  29 . Arm  32  is also slidably mounted within frame  30  at an opposite end thereof using another locking knob  36 . 
   Frame  30  includes a first body portion  38  and a second body portion  40  which are coupled together, such as by using threaded fasteners  42 . First body portion  38  and second body portion  40  can be manufactured as an integral or monolithic part; however, for manufacturing purposes are formed as two parts which are fastened together in the embodiment shown. First body portion  38  includes a female dovetailed recess which receives arm  32 , as described above. Second body portion  40  includes a cylindrical opening  44 , which receives a cylinder  46 , as will be described in more detail hereinafter. A transversely extending ball  48 , in communication with cylindrical opening  44 , carries a spring biased ball portion of a ball and detent arrangement, including ball  48 , compression spring  50  and set screw  52 . 
   Cylinder  46  includes a plurality of axially spaced annular detents  54  which selectively engage spring biased ball  48  within cylindrical opening  44 . The ball and detent arrangement of spring biased ball  48  and annular detents  54  defines a coarse axial adjustment of cylinder  46 , relative to longitudinal axis  34  of arm  32  and longitudinal axis  27  of bow  10 . The number and spacing of annular detents  54  may be selected, depending upon a particular application. 
   Cylinder  46  has an end in which is formed a bore  56  for receiving plunger  58 . Plunger  58  is provided with suitable structure for connecting with laser  60 . In the embodiment shown, Plunger  58  has a pair of parallel tangs  62  for engagement with laser  60 . A set screw  59  is threaded into a hole  61  formed in cylinder  46 . Set screw  59  is threaded into hole  61  to extend into keyway  63  formed in plunger  58 . Set screw  59  prevents relative rotation between cylinder  46  and plunger  58 . 
   Laser sight  60  is configured to mount with plunger  58 , whether through structure suitable for mounting with tangs  62 , or otherwise. Laser  60  includes an on-board electrical power source which rotates with laser  60  during rotation, thereby eliminating the need for electrical cables, etc. In the embodiment shown, laser  60  includes an electrical power source in the form of one or more batteries (not shown). 
   A threaded rod  64  threadingly engages with an end of plunger  58  opposite from tangs  62 . Cylinder  46  has a smaller threaded opening formed generally coaxial with bore  56  which is sized to threadingly receive threaded rod  64 . An adjustment knob  66  threadingly engaged with the opposite end of threaded rod  64  allows threaded rod  64  to be rotated within the threaded opening formed in cylinder  46 . Rotation of threaded rod  64  thus causes axial movement of plunger  58  and laser  60  relative to longitudinal axes  34  and  27 . A compression spring  68  provides tension between second body portion  40  and adjustment knob  66  to hold threaded rod  64  at a desired position. Threaded rod  64  defines a fine axial adjustment of laser  60  relative to longitudinal axes  34  and  27 . 
   During use, layout device  12  is mounted to bow  10  by placing arm  32  within mount  28  and locking arm  32  relative to riser  14  using locking knob  29 . Laser  60  is axially adjusted along the longitudinal axis of cylindrical opening  44  relative to a desired reference point using the coarse axial adjustment defined by the ball and detent arrangement  48 ,  54  and the fine axial adjustment defined by threaded rod  64 . For example, laser  60  may be aligned relative to arrow rest  22  and arrow  24 . Laser  60  is then rotated about rotation axis  70  of cylinder  46  in a 360° arc to ensure that other relevant reference points also lie in common plane of arrow rest  22  to maximize accuracy of arrow  24  during flight. Set screw  59  prevents relative rotation between plunger  58  and cylinder  46 , and in turn causes relative rotation between cylinder  46  and second body portion  40  upon rotation of laser  60 . Laser  60  may be rotated along the shaft of arrow  24 , string  22  and cam wheels  18 . Further, laser  60  may be adjusted relative to an edge of a limb  16  and traced along the edge or centerline of one or both limbs to ensure that the limbs are in line with the longitudinal axis of the bow, either when the bow is in a relaxed state or in a drawn state. Thus, while axially adjusting laser  60  and rotating laser  60  about an arc of at least 180°, preferably in a full circle of 360°, any desired reference point may be checked to ensure maximum accuracy of archery bow  10  during use. 
   While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.