Bow blind

A blind to be attached to a compound bow by a support rod threaded into the standard, threaded hole provided in the front of the bow to receive a stabilizer rod. The blind includes a central block supported at the end of the rod and having a threaded opening in its front surface to receive a standard stabilizer rod. Ribs radiate outwardly from the block to support the perimeter portions of a camouflage cloth spaced a short distance ahead of the bow.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to bow blinds for use on compound bows and 
particularly to bow blinds suitable for mounting in the threaded hole 
provided in the riser of compound bows to receive stabilizer rods. 
U.S Pat. No. 4,817,579 issued to Ralph R. Mathias shows a camouflage shield 
that can be mounted on a compound bow to hide the person using the bow 
from the sight of an animal being hunted. However, the shield is mounted 
on a special support that requires special holes to be drilled in the 
riser of the bow. In addition, the shield has a perimeter frame and a 
central frame member attached to the support structure, all of which add 
to the weight of the shield and make it difficult to carry through the 
woods. 
Another camouflage shield is illustrated in the "Original Trebark 
Catalogue" that has a lighter weight structure and uses radial ribs to 
stretch a rectangular piece of camouflage cloth attached only to the tips 
of the ribs. The ribs are supported by a central support member attached 
to the outer end of a stabilizer rod by means of a screw threaded into the 
end of the rod. Since stabilizer rods are not normally drilled and tapped 
to receive a screw, this has to be done for each stabilizer on which the 
shield would be mounted, and such stabilizers are anywhere from a few 
inches to a few feet long. That means that the shield could be several 
feet from the person using the bow, which would considerably reduce its 
ability to shield the person from view. 
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved 
bow blind that can be easily and quickly mounted on a compound bow and 
separated therefrom and can be easily carried with other equipment used by 
a bow hunter. 
Further objects will be apparent from the following description together 
with the accompanying drawings. 
In accordance with the present invention, a bow blind in the form of a 
camouflage sheet is supported by radial ribs attached to a main member 
connected by means of a rod to a compound bow. The rod is threaded to 
screw into the stabilizer hole that is a standard feature of compound 
bows, and the main member has a threaded hole in the surface that faces 
away from the bow to receive the stabilizer in it. This makes it 
unnecessary to drill and tap the outer end of the stabilizer and allows a 
standard stabilizer to be used. No matter what the length of the 
stabilizer, the blind is always spaced only a short distance ahead of the 
bow, which distance is determined by the length of the rod and is 
typically only a few inches. 
Still further objects and advantages of the invention will become readily 
apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains upon 
reference to the following detailed description.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 shows a compound bow 11 having a central riser 12 and limbs 13 and 
14 extending from it. At the end of the limb 13 is a transition wheel 16 
and at the end of the limb 14 is a similar transition wheel 17. These 
wheels are pulleys around which is wound the string 18 consisting of a 
central part 19 and two end parts 20 and 21. 
The riser has a hand grip 22 below which there is a hole 23 threaded to 
receive a separator 24 that extends to the rear of the riser and keeps the 
central part of the string 18 from touching the end parts 20 and 21. The 
threaded hole 23 extends all the way through the riser, and it is normally 
expected that the threaded end of a stabilizer rod 26 will be screwed into 
it. However, in accordance with this invention, a support rod 27 that is 
threaded in a like manner, at least at one end, is screwed into the 
threaded hole 23. In this embodiment, the rod 27 is threaded from end to 
end, and in order to hold it rigidly in place on the riser, a lock nut 28 
is provided. 
The other end of the threaded rod 27 is threaded into a central hole 30 in 
a central block 29. In this embodiment, the threaded hole extends all the 
way through the central block, and the stabilizer 26 is threaded into the 
front end of it to extend forward of the bow and of the entire blind 31. 
The rod 27 can be rigidly attached to the block 29 other than by being 
screwed into it. For, example, the block and rod can be made in one piece. 
The other parts of the blind are several rods, or ribs, of which only two 
ribs 32 and 33 are visible in this figure. One end of each of these ribs 
is inserted in a tight-fitting socket in the side of the block 29 so that 
the ribs 32 and 33 stick out radially in directions determined by the 
orientation of their respective sockets. Typically, these ribs are about 
the same dimensions as an arrow and are preferably made of hollow plastic 
tubing so as to remain resilient, to some degree, even in cold weather. 
The rib diameter can range from about 1/4" O.D. to about 1/2" O.D., and 
are preferably about 3/8" O.D. The wall thickness is preferably about 
1/16", making the I.D. 1/4" in the case of a 3/8" rib. The plastic ribs 
are easy to carry and provides sufficient strength to support a camouflage 
sheet 34, but it is possible to use other ribs instead of the hollow 
plastic ones. 
The sheet 34 has corner pockets to receive the ends of the rods. In this 
view only two of the pockets 36 and 37 are visible. 
FIG. 2 shows the block 29 as it would appear from the front in the absence 
of the sheet 34. Only a small part of each of the fabric-supporting rib is 
shown. These include parts of the ribs 32 and 33, as well as ribs 38 and 
39. In this embodiment the ribs 32 and 39 are diametrically opposite each 
other and in line with each other, and the ribs 33 and 38 are in line with 
each other and in the same plane as the ribs 32 and 39. 
In this embodiment the block 29 is circular, although it is not essential 
that it have that shape. At its center is the threaded hole 30, which, in 
this instance, extends all the way through the block. The stabilizer 26 
shown in FIG. 2 has been removed, but the end of the threaded rod 27 is 
visible in the threaded hole 30. 
FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of the block 29 through the centers of the 
ribs 33 and 38. As may be seen, one end of the rib 33 is inserted in a 
tight-fitting socket 42 and one end of the rib 38 is inserted in a 
corresponding, tight-fitting, socket 43. It is only necessary that these 
sockets fit tightly enough to prevent the ribs from falling out from their 
own weight. It is not necessary that they be so tight as to require a 
great deal of force to insert the ribs. The sockets and the ends of the 
ribs could be threaded, but this is also unnecessary. 
It will be seen in FIG. 3 that the thickness of the block 29 is sufficient 
to allow the support rod 27 to be threaded well into it to provide a 
stable connection between that rod and the main member. In the case of a 
threaded rod 27, that is threaded from end-to-end, it is preferable to 
provide a lock nut 41 to press against the back surface of the block 29 in 
order to make certain that the support rod will not loosen up. This is 
similar to the lock-nut 28 threaded against the front surface of the riser 
12 only a small portion of which is shown in this figure. 
The block 29 is sufficiently thick to allow a part of the threaded hole 23 
to receive the threaded end of a standard stabilizer 26 at sufficient 
depth to assure that the stabilizer is firmly held by the block 29. The 
block may be made of any number of materials. Nylon has been found to be 
quite satisfactory. If the block is a round disk, a diameter of about 3" 
is entirely satisfactory although the diameter can be made somewhat larger 
or smaller provided that it is not too heavy and that it allows sockets 42 
and 43 of sufficient diameter and depth to be formed in it. A thickness of 
about 5/8" is sufficient to provide good thread engagement between the 
threaded support rod 27 and the block and between the stabilizer rod 26 
and the block. Sockets 42 and 43 are just large enough in diameter to 
receive the ribs 33 and 38 securely, and are preferably about 3/4" deep to 
allow sufficient frictional engagement between each of the ribs 33 and 38 
and the main member. 
As shown in FIG. 4, which illustrates the surface of the blind facing the 
bow, the outline of the camouflage cloth 34 is rectangular and is taller 
than it is wide, as is required to shield a typical user from view. The 
cloth 34 has an opening 44 through which the hunter can sight and through 
which an arrow can pass. This opening is somewhat above the center of the 
blind 31 corresponding to the fact that the rod 27 fits into a threaded 
hole below the center of the bow 11 in FIG. 1 and below the level through 
which arrows pass when shot by the bow. 
FIG. 4 shows the pockets 36 and 37 and corresponding pocket 46 and 47 at 
the other corners. In this embodiment, all four of the ribs 32, 33, 38 and 
39 are the same length which is about 30" and therefore the outline of the 
cloth 34 is rectangular. However, it is within the scope of the invention 
to use different configurations other than the rectangular shape shown. 
In accordance with standard sewing practice, all four edges of the cloth 34 
are turned over and stitched with a line of stitches 48 to form a 
perimeter hem. 
As shown in FIG. 5, the pocket 37, which is typical of all of the pockets, 
is formed by placing a triangular piece of cloth 49 over the front area of 
the cloth 34 and holding it in place by a suitable line of stitching, 
which may be the line 48 that holds the edge hem of the entire cloth panel 
in place. In addition, smaller receptacles are formed by means of a line 
of stitching 51 and another line of stitching 52 along the diagonal edge 
of the triangular piece of cloth 49. Two other lines of stitching 53 and 
54 are spaced far enough apart to allow an end of any of the ribs to be 
inserted between them. The lines of stitching 53 and 54 help hold the 
cloth 34 more neatly in place on the rib that extends into that corner of 
the cloth, and the lines of stitching 51 and 52 prevent the rib from being 
inserted except into the open area between the stitch lines 53 and 54. 
I have described an improved bow blind of lightweight construction at a 
range to fit closely in front of the bow in use and to be easily attached 
to and detached from the bow and assembled and disassembled for 
convenience in carrying it through the woods. Further, it permits a 
standard stabilizer to be screwed into the hole in the central block of 
the blind without having to be modified in any way.