Compound bow stringing

The cables on a compound bow are provided at the ends thereof with double ears, hooks or anchors whereby a new bow string may readily be applied before the old string is removed or severed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Bows for shooting arrows for target practice, for hunting, or for warfare 
have been known since before the dawn of recorded history. Conventional 
bows comprise a resilient length of wood or the like deformed from 
straight position and having a bow string secured to the ends. An arrow is 
positioned with its rear end on the string and the balance of the arrow 
along the center of the bow. The arrow and string are then pulled back and 
released for propulsion of the arrow. Such bows have a marked disadvantage 
in that the greatest tension, and hence the greatest propulsive effect are 
when the bow is bent to its greatest bending position. This makes it very 
difficult to hold an arrow in ready position, and it is inefficient in 
propelling the arrow in that the greatest force comes at the start, with 
the forced subsequently decreasing when it would be better for the force 
to increase insofar as propulsion efficiency is concerned. 
Many of the problems of conventional bows have been solved by the use of 
compound bows which are well known in the art. Compound bows have a 
non-bending center section for gripping by the hand, and resilient outer 
ends which may be of metal, wood, or fiberglass reinforced resin. Pulleys 
are mounted at the ends of the bows, and cables are laced back and forth 
under tension through the pulleys with ends thereof provided with anchors 
of some sort for receipt of a bow string. Restringing of such bows is 
rather difficult, since it is not an easy thing to deflect the bow ends 
sufficiently, as to cause a reduction in the cable tension required for 
the restringing or destringing of the bow. 
Articles generally known as bow stringers or bow string changers have been 
developed comprising a wire or cord with devices at either end that are 
designed to grab the cables adjacent to the ends and thru operator 
leverage bring and hold the cables ends closer together allowing reduced 
tension on the bow string for removal and restringing. Use of such a bow 
stringer requires the archer to carry this extra part, and also costs him 
an expenditure of $3.00 to $6.00 and up simply for an aid in stringing his 
bow. 
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of and 
structure for restringing a compound bow without the necessity of carrying 
the extra part. 
Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide anchors 
on the cables of a compound bow capable of simultaneously mounting two bow 
strings. Accordingly, all that is necessary is to step on the old bow 
string to relax the bow, thereby bringing the anchor points closer 
together, whereby a new bow string can be installed. Subsequently, the 
second bow string is stepped on to relax the bow while the old bow string 
is removed. 
In accordance with the principles of the present invention the existing 
anchors on the ends of the cable of a compound bow are replaced by anchors 
having double hooks or bow string retention areas for the simultaneous 
receipt of two bow strings.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE 
Referring now to the drawings in greater particularity there will be seen a 
compound bow 10 of generally conventional construction including a rigid 
center or hand gripping portion 12 and outer flexible or resilient ends or 
arms 14. A pulley 16 is mounted at the outer extremity of each arm by 
means of a bracket 18. A pair of cables 20 are mounted on the bow, each 
having one end secured adjacent one extremity of the bow (not shown) and 
having looped over the opposite pulley. Up to this point the bow is of 
conventional construction for a compound bow. The cable conventionally is 
nylon covered steel, but any sort of cable suitable for compound bows is 
suitable for use with the present invention. 
Each end of the cables 20 is provided with an anchor 22. For purposes of 
distinction in FIGS. 1 and 4, where both anchors are shown, one anchor is 
designated as 22A and the other as 22B, although both are identical. 
As specifically illustrated herein each anchor 22 comprises a die casting 
as of zinc alloy cast directly on the end of a respective cable. As best 
seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 each anchor comprises a central longitudinal sleeve 
or ferrule 24 which receives the appropriate cable end. It will be 
understood that the anchor could be of other material and suitably secured 
to the cable. The anchor is laterally symmetrical (FIG. 5) and comprises a 
left hook 26A and a similar right hook 26B. Each hook comprises a 
generally flat plate section 28 diagonally arranged relative to the 
ferrule or sleeve 24 with the end thereof relatively remote from the cable 
20 closest to the longitudinal center line of the anchor and the opposite 
end spaced further from the center line. The opposite or free end 30 is in 
each instance rounded and is spaced from the ferrule 24 by a recess 32 
which extends also down the sides of the plates 28 as shown at 34. A 
trapezoidal projection 36 is left at the extremity of each anchor as an 
incident to casting of the metal in the die. 
The compound bow 10 is strung with a conventional compound bow string 38 
having loops 40 at both ends. Such bow strings are sometimes made of 
cotton and sometimes of plastic, and which is used is immaterial to the 
present invention. In FIGS. 2-4 the suffixes A and B are used to designate 
different bow strings, and in FIG. 2 a single bow string 38A is shown with 
one loop 40A thereof received over the corresponding hook 26A of the 
anchor 22A. If the bow string should become worn, or if it is otherwise 
desired to replace the bow string, then the bow is placed in a position 
shown in FIG. 4, and the archer's foot 42 is placed against the 
mid-section of the bow string 38A, while an upward force is exerted by the 
archer's hand in the position indicated by the arrow 44. This flexes the 
resilient end portions 14 of the bow and pulls the anchors 22A and 22B 
closer together. Accordingly, a second bow string 38B may be looped over 
the hook 40B (FIG. 3), and it will be seen in FIG. 4 that the bow string 
38B is longer than the distance between the two anchors 22A and 22B, 
whereby the loop 40 at the opposite end readily may be secured over the 
second hook portion of the anchor adjacent thereto. 
Tension on the bow is then relaxed and the two strings will be pulled out 
in immediate contiguity to one another as shown in FIG. 3. It is then only 
necessary to step on the new bow string and again to lift the center 
portion of the bow to cause bending of the extremities of the bow toward 
one another, whereby the old bow string may be removed in exactly the 
opposite procedure of installation of the new one. 
Although hook like structures heretofore have been used for securing the 
bow strings on a compound bow, to the best of my knowledge there has never 
heretofore been a double hooked anchor permitting installation of two bow 
strings at the same time. The specific example of the anchor as herein 
shown and described is exemplary only, and any bulk cable and that allows 
two bow strings to be mounted at the same time is the essential feature. 
The anchor has been described as being symmetrical, and this provides 
better balance, and hence better action of the bow. It provides better 
alignment of the cable center line and the center of the anchor. 
The method of compound bow stringing as herein shown and described is the 
fastest and most efficient way of restringing. As is known, and hence not 
illustrated herein, nocking points are often applied to a bow string to 
aid the archer in accurately positioning the rear end of an arrow on the 
string for shooting different distances, etc. The present method and 
article allow ready switching of strings back and forth for different 
purposes, such having been so difficult as to be ignored in the past. 
Separate bow stringers or bow string changers are unnecessary, thereby 
avoiding the necessity of carrying a separate piece which readily may be 
lost. It is also unnecessary to provide accessories on the bow ends or 
limbs to relax tension for restringing. The present method of bow 
stringing also helps to impress on the archer's mind that he should change 
his string when it starts to fray and should not wait for the string to 
break. This is easy enough for an archer to do with the present 
restringing method, and avoids the dangers of ripping cable ends if a bow 
string is used too long and allowed to break. 
It will be understood that it is not important to the method of restringing 
whether the first end of the second bow string is attached before or after 
flexing of the bow. The second end is of course attached with the bow 
flexed. Similarly, it is not essential that the bow be flexed a second 
time for removal of the first bow string. If the bow string has started to 
show wear and should be discarded in any event, then the first bow string 
may be cut for removal without flexing the bow a second time. It is 
obviously easiest to flex the bow as illustrated in FIG. 4 by displacing 
the bow string away from the bow, but at least from a theoretical 
standpoint the bow string could be displaced toward the bow, or laterally 
thereof, the only requirement being that the ends of the bow be pulled in 
toward one another whereby the anchors on the cables are moved closer 
together. 
The specific example of the invention as herein shown and described is for 
illustrative purposes. Various changes will no doubt occur to those 
skilled in the art and will be understood as forming a part of the present 
invention insofar as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended 
claims.