Arrowhead with extendable blades

An arrow has an arrowhead with fixed cutting blades and extendable blades located adjacent the fixed blades. The blades are mounted on a tubular body having longitudinal slots accommodating the blades. A nose attached to the forward end of the body retains the fixed blades on the body. Pins pivotally connect the extendable blades on the body. A ring releasably holds the extendable blades in the slots.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to projectiles, such as arrows usable with large 
game bows having heads with a plurality of fixed blades and expandable 
blades. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Conventional arrows have arrowheads with one or more fixed blades. The 
cutting ability of these arrows is limited which often results in a 
superficial wound or a wound causing the hunted game to slowly bleed to 
death or suffer. Also, conventional arrows have a tendency to pass through 
the game or other target resulting in lost arrows. The term "game" refers 
to wild animals, fowl and fish. Conventional arrows are not effective in 
hunting wild turkeys, as they pass through or remain in the turkeys 
without achieving execution. The wounded turkeys can survive a 
considerable period of time before death or prey of an animal. 
Prior arrowheads have been provided with movable cutting blade structure 
that cooperates with one or more fixed blades to cut game or a target. For 
example, B. H. Steinbacher, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,568,417, discloses an 
arrowhead assembly having fixed blades and a pair of pivoting blades 
located between the fixed blades. The pivoting blades move in a rearward 
direction to an open position when the arrowhead enters the game or 
target. Additional hunting arrows having extendable cutting blades are 
shown by E. P. Cox in U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,657 and R. S. Vocal in U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,615,529. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention comprises an arrowhead for a target and hunting arrow that 
has a plurality of fixed first blades with front cutting edges and a 
plurality of pivoting second blades that move from a closed folded 
position to an open extended position as the arrowhead penetrates the 
target or game. The second blades increase the cutting action of the 
arrowhead and prevent the arrowhead from passing through the target or 
game. The combined cuts of the first and second blades cause rapid 
hemorrhaging of the game with quick death. 
The arrowhead has a tubular body adapted to be connected to a shaft of an 
arrow. The body has longitudinal first slots accommodating the first 
blades. A nose mounted on the forward end of the body retains the first 
blades on the body. A plurality of longitudinal second slots extend into 
the body adjacent the first slots accommodate second blades. The first and 
second blades are flat knife blades located in close side-by-side 
relationships. Pins pivotally connect the second blades to the body to 
allow the second blades to swing rearwardly out of the second slots to 
extendable positions. The body has stops that are engaged by the second 
blades to limit the swinging of the second blades rearwardly to their full 
extended positions. An annular member, such as a resilient ring, surrounds 
the body to hold the second blades in the second slots. 
In use, when the arrowhead hits the target or game, the nose and fixed 
first blades penetrate the surface of the target and cut slits therein. 
The forward ends of second blades then contact the target and swing 
rearwardly away from the body and penetrate the target. The forward motion 
and penetrate the target. The forward motion of the arrowhead causes the 
second blades to open to the full extended positions. The forward cutting 
edges of the second blades track the slits and increase the cutting of the 
target. The extended second blades also prevent the arrowhead from passing 
through the target or game. 
The arrowhead is strong in construction with a light weight that does not 
alter the longitudinal or concentric balance of the arrow. The movable 
second blades are confined within the body of the arrowhead during the 
flight of the arrow so that they do not effect arrow flight or catch on 
twigs, branches, leaves, or like obstructions in the field.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an arrowhead of the invention 
indicated generally at 12 attached to a forward end of an arrow 10. Arrow 
10 is used for target shooting or large game hunting. The term "game" 
refers to animals, fowl and fish including, but not limited to, deer, elk, 
bear, moose, fox, rabbits, coyote, turkey and rodents. Arrowhead 12 causes 
more rapid hemorrhaging of the game resulting in quicker death than a 
conventional hunting arrowhead. Arrowhead 12 also prevents arrow 10 from 
passing through the target or game minimizing arrow loss and wounded game. 
Arrow 10 has an elongated tubular shaft 11 attached to arrowhead 12. Shaft 
11 is an elongated metal or plastic tubular structure that has threads at 
the forward end thereof. Arrowhead 12 has a cylindrical tubular body 13 
with a threaded rear end 14 that is attached to the forward end of shaft 
11. Body 13 is an elongated metal tube that is rotated relative to shaft 
11 to remove arrowhead 13 from shaft 11. Body 13 has an annular shoulder 
15 that engages the forward end of shaft 11 to hold arrowhead 12 securely 
on shaft 11. The forward end 13A of body 13 is tapered inwardly and 
attached to a conical-shaped nose 19. Nose 19 has a rearwardly extended 
threaded end 20 that is accommodated by a threaded bore in the forward end 
of body 13, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 11. The outside surface of nose 19 
tapers forwardly to a point 48. The surfaces have opposite flats for 
accommodating a tool used to turn end 20 into body 13. 
A plurality of fixed blades or knives 16, 17 and 18 are secured to body 13. 
Each blade 16, 17, 18 has a generally triangular shape with a forward 
knife edge 16A, 17A, 18A that tapers downwardly and inwardly toward nose 
19 of body 13. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, three blades 16, 17 and 18 are 
circumferentially spaced apart about 120 degrees and project radially 
outwardly from body 13. Blades 16, 17 and 18 circumferentially balance the 
arrowhead so they are identical in structure and are located in radial 
planes that intersect at the center of body 13. Arrowhead 12 can also have 
other blade arrangements and structures. The longitudinal inner edges of 
blades 16, 17 and 18 extend into longitudinal grooves or first slots 37, 
38 and 39 in body 13 and are mounted on body 13, as seen in FIG. 14. Blade 
17 has an inwardly directed tab 41 extended through a slot 42 in body 13 
at the rear end of groove 38. Tab 41 has a short projection or hook 43 
that extends rearwardly in the passage of body 13. Projection 43 engages 
the inner surface of body 13 to hold blade 17 in groove 37. The forward 
end 44 of blade 17 fits under an annular skirt 46 of nose 18. Skirt 46 
surrounds an annular pocket 47 accommodating the forward end 13A of body 
13 and the forward end of blade 17. Blades 16 and 18 are identical to 
blade 17. Pocket 47 is an annular recess concentric with the longitudinal 
axis of nose point 48 for the forward ends of blades 16, 17 and 18. Nose 
18, when connected to body 13 in conjunction with the tabs 41 and 
projections 43, holds blades 16, 17 and 18 in fixed positions on body 13. 
Blades 16, 17 and 18 can be removed from body 13 by turning nose 19 off 
body 13. Each blade can then be pivoted upward out of grooves 37, 38 and 
39 and extracted from body 13. New blades can be then be mounted on body 
13 by inserting tab 41 through slot 42 and moving the blade 17 down into 
groove 37. Nose 19 turned onto body 13 holds the forward ends of the 
blades on body 13. 
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, body 13 has a plurality of elongated, generally 
longitudinal second slots 21, 22 and 23 that extend adjacent fixed blades 
16, 17 and 18. Slots 21, 22 and 23 are parallel to fixed blades 16, 17 and 
18 and extend from the forward end of body 13 to the back end of body 13 
adjacent shoulder 15. Slots 21, 22 and 23 extend along chord planes 
parallel to the radial planes of grooves 37, 38 and 39. The slots 21, 22 
and 23 and grooves 37, 38 and 39 are in close side-by-side relationship to 
locate the adjacent just and second blades close to each other. Each slot 
21, 22 and 23 accommodates a movable or pivoting blade 24, 25 and 26. The 
number of slots and pivoting blades corresponds to the number of fixed 
blades of arrowhead 12. Preferably, arrowhead 12 has three slots 21, 22 
and 23 accommodating three pivoting blades 24, 25 and 26 adjacent fixed 
blades 16, 17 and 18. The rear end of each blade 24, 25, 26 is pivoted to 
body 13 with a bolt or pin 27, 28, 29, as seen in FIG. 10. Pins 27, 28 and 
29 are located in bores in body 13 and extend through holes adjacent the 
rear ends of blades 24, 25 and 26. Pins 27, 28 and 29 are located normal 
to blades 24, 25 and 26 allowing the blades 24, 25 and 26 to swing or, as 
shown by arrow 48, pivot between a closed or folded position and an open 
or extended position. Blades 24, 25 and 26 have rounded rear ends allowing 
the blades to pivot in slots 21, 22 and 23. Blades 24, 25 and 26 engage 
the back walls of slots 21, 22 and 23 when the blades are in the extended 
position. The back walls of slots 21, 22 and 23 function as stops limiting 
backward movement of blades 24, 25 and 26. Blades 24, 25 and 26 have a 
close fit within slots 21, 22 and 23 when the blades are in the closed 
position. Each blade 24, 25 and 26 is free to pivot to its open position 
as the arrowhead moves into the target or game. 
Referring to FIG. 6, pivoting blade 25 has a generally flat plate 31 with a 
knife edge 32 on its forward side. When plate 31 is in the extended 
position, knife edge 32 extends outwardly and rearwardly. Knife edge 32 
can be at a 45-degree angle relative to the axis of body 13. The rear 
portion of plate 31 has a hole 33 for accommodating pin 28, as seen in 
FIG. 10. Returning to FIG. 6, plate 31 has a rounded rear end allowing the 
plate to pivot in slot 22. The rear portion of plate 31 engages the back 
wall of slot 22 when blade 25 is in the extended position. This stops the 
backward movement of blade 25. Plate 31 has a generally triangular shaped 
head 34 with a flat front face 36. Head 34 projects outwardly and 
forwardly from the tapered front portion of body 13. As seen in FIG. 6 and 
11, the forward point 34 of blade 25 is behind or rearwardly of the 
cutting edge 17A of fixed blade 17. The back side of plate 31 is below the 
outer surface of body 13 rearwardly of the tapered front portion of body 
13 when blade 25 is in the closed position. Plate 31 is held in slot 22 
with a ring or annular member 51. As shown in FIG. 9, ring 51 is an 
elastic band or O-Ring of resilient material, such as rubber or plastic, 
that is expanded over the inner end of body 13 so it has an inner diameter 
smaller than the diameter of body 13. As seen in FIG. 11, body 13 has an 
annular groove 52 adjacent the back portions of fixed blades 16, 17 and 18 
for accommodating ring 52. In use, ring 51 holds blades 24, 25 and 26 in 
slots 21, 22 and 23 as shown in FIG. 8. The forward end 34 of each blade 
21, 22 and 23 is located rearwardly of the cutting edges of the fixed 
blades 16, 17 and 18 to allow the fixed blades to cut and enter the target 
before the movable blades 24, 25 and 26 pivot to their open positions. 
When blades 24, 25 and 26 pivot open ring 51 expands and breaks thereby 
allowing blades 24, 25 and 26 to move to their full open positions as 
shown in FIG. 4. Pivoting blades 24 and 26 are identical in structure and 
function to blade 25. 
In use, pivoting blades 24, 25 and 26 are moved to their closed position by 
locating them into slots 21, 22 and 23. Ring 51 is slipped over the rear 
end of body 13 and located in annular groove 52 so that blades 24, 25 and 
26 are held in body 13 during the shooting of arrow 10. Heads 34 of blades 
24, 25 and 26 extend outwardly and rearwardly from the front portion of 
body 13 when the blades are in their folded position. When arrow 10 hits 
the target or animal nose 19 and the front portions of fixed blades 16, 17 
and 18 will first penetrate the surface of the target and cut slits 
therein. Flat front faces 36 of pivoting blades 24, 25 and 26 will then 
engage the surface of the target. The forward force of arrow 10 will cause 
blades 24, 25 and 26 to track the slits made by blades 16, 17 and 18 and 
pivot outwardly and rearwardly to their expanded position, as shown in 
FIGS. 2 and 4, exposing knife edges 32. The rear portions of blades 24, 25 
and 26 engage the back walls of slots 21, 22 and 23 to hold the blades in 
their expanded position. Knife edges 32 additionally cut the target or the 
game as the arrowhead moves into the target. The additional cutting of the 
game increases hemorrhaging of the game, resulting in a quick, humane 
death. The spread blades 24, 25 and 26 also will prevent arrow 10 from 
passing through the target or game thereby minimizing arrow loss. Pivoting 
blades 24, 25 and 26 cut along planes that are adjacent and parallel to 
the cutting planes of fixed blades 16, 17 and 18. When removing arrow 10 
from the target or game, blades 24, 25 and 26 pivot inwardly and 
forwardly. This facilitates removal of arrow 10 from the target or game. 
While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of the 
arrowhead with extendable blades, it is understood that changes in 
materials, size, shape, and arrangement of structure may be made by those 
skilled in the art without departing from the invention. The invention is 
defined in the following claims.