Method and apparatus for horizontal casting of an archery bow

An apparatus and method for casting a hand bow in a horizontal orientation, to provide reduced forearm slap, increased accuracy, and reduced grip arm fatigue. The horizontal orientation also enables the bow assembly to be used in seated and prone positions, as well as when standing. A grip member having a rearwardly facing alignment channel is mounted or formed on the riser of the bow. The channel is configured to receive and engage the metacarpal head area or another portion of the grip hand so as to form a horizontal pivot axis. The pivot axis is positioned in substantially the same plane as the primary plane of the bow assembly, thereby minimizing development of torque when the bowstring is drawn. A bracket assembly is provided for mounting an arrow rest and sights for use in the horizontal orientation.

BACKGROUND
 a. Field of the Invention
 The present invention relates generally to archery bows, and more
 particularly, to a method and apparatus for casting an archery hand bow in
 a horizontal orientation, as opposed to the conventional vertical
 orientation.
 b. Related Art
 The historical relationship between the stringed stick and mankind is well
 documented. The discovery of the "Ice Man", frozen in time in the
 Italian-Austrian Alps with his cedar shafts and yew wood hand bow,
 accentuates the role that the bow and arrow has played in the colonization
 of our planet earth. Time has honored the hand bow with relatively few
 changes in the design and in the techniques that are used to practice the
 art.
 The basic hand bow was formed of an elongated section of wood fashioned
 with a central handgrip, was tensioned end-to-end by a length of sinew or
 other string-like material. Modifications in the curvature and length of
 the riser and limbs have occurred over time and have given rise to more
 highly developed forms. These bows are generally referred to as "long
 bows" and "recurve bows".
 More recent developments have employed cables, pulleys and eccentric
 wheels, in combination with composite materials, to enhance the power,
 speed, draw-weight, holding and shooting properties of bows, while
 reducing the overall dimensions of the assemblies. This has led to the
 creation of a new style of archery bow, termed, the "compound bow."
 Yet another type of bow that has been developed is the "crossbow," which
 typically employs a compound type bow mounted to a firearm style
 butt/stock section. The butt/stock section includes a locking trigger
 mechanism for the purpose of mechanically holding the draw-weight of the
 bowstring at full draw, independent of the archer, until the triggering
 mechanism is operated. Crossbows are therefore "cock-and-shoot" devices
 that differ greatly from hand bows in which the drawn string is held by
 the archer's hand. While the present invention may be useful with respect
 to crossbows in some embodiments, it is directed primarily to use with
 hand bows and so the following description will focus primarily on the
 latter.
 When using a hand bow, conventional methods call for casting the bow in a
 vertical or near vertical orientation. This follows time-honored practice,
 but is the source of several problems. For example, when vertically
 casting a hand bow, considerable forearm slap is exerted by the bowstring
 against the archer's grip arm. Not only is forearm slap painful to the
 archer, but it exerts detrimental torque and transfers destabilizing
 forces to the arrow, thus adversely effecting the accuracy and the speed
 of the arrow. Attempts to reduce forearm slap by moving the handgrip off
 centerline from the plane of the bow riser and limbs (e.g., by modifying
 the riser so that the grip is off-set to one side of the plane) result in
 the development of detrimental side torque forces during operation. Thus,
 in the absence of a satisfactory solution, archers are commonly forced to
 wear forearm protectors in order to reduce the effects of forearm slap and
 interference.
 Additional disadvantages shared by conventional, vertically-cast hand bows
 include the following:
 (a) There is considerable difficulty operating a hand bow while seated or
 lying down, and in high and low trajectories, due to bow length and limb
 interference with surrounding obstacles, such as the archer's body, the
 ground, a tree stand, tree branches, and so on.
 (b) The target must be acquired off-hand, due to the fact that the
 protruding limbs of a vertically held bow prohibit the use of a
 stabilizing rest to assist in steadying the bow for target acquisition and
 accuracy.
 (c) The vertical alignment of the wrist causes the forearm to rotate 90
 degrees relative to the shoulder, increasing the tendency of the arm to
 bend at the elbow when the bow is drawn, and also increasing upper arm
 fatigue in use. This has the effect of reducing the maximum draw weight of
 a bow that can be used by an individual archer and/or the duration for
 which it can be used by the archer without having to rest. Furthermore,
 accuracy tends to deteriorate rapidly with increased fatigue of the grip
 arm, since the entire grip arm must be raised and lowered in fine
 increments in order to adjust the aim.
 (d) Accuracy further suffers because the vertically held handgrip rests
 against the soft, fleshly crotch of the hand, between the thumb and
 forefinger. The natural flexibility and "give" of the muscles and tendons
 in this area allow the bow to move or wobble slightly when drawn. Also,
 accuracy again tends to decrease with fatigue, as the muscles of the hand
 become tired and relax, tending to further soften the tissues against
 which the bow rests.
 (e) The archer's field of view is greatly reduced by the obstructions
 caused by the vertical bow riser and the accessories that are attached to
 the riser, such as the arrow rest, sight mount, and arrow quiver, all of
 which are generally mounted along the plane of the riser.
 A number of prior attempts have been made at addressing one or more of the
 above problems, however, none has been successful in achieving more than a
 partial solution. For example, several types of "pistol grip" or "wrist
 rocket" type bows have been proposed, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat.
 No. 4,957,093 (Hamlett) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,566,853 (Larm). Both of these
 references show bows that employ a pistol grip mounted perpendicular to
 and below the plane of the bow riser and limbs. Although such grip
 positioning reduces the problem of a forearm slap and presents the bow in
 a generally horizontal orientation, the offset position of the grip causes
 this to transmit excessive side torque to the riser and limbs of the bow,
 to the extent that forearm protectors and pivoting grip interfaces are
 resorted to in an attempt to minimize and counteract this effect.
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,968 (Hollingsworth) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,308
 (Sheffield), in turn, describe bows having horizontal bow grips,
 positioned parallel to and below the plane of the riser and limbs. Like
 the pistol grip devices described above, this arrangement suffers from the
 development of extreme side torque loads, again causing de-stabilizing
 forces and forcing the use of forearm protectors and compensation
 structures. For example, the Sheffield bow employs a bowstring alignment
 shaft to assist in compensating for side torque during drawing of the
 bowstring; as soon as this string is released, however, the torque becomes
 unbalanced and adversely influences the launch of the arrow.
 A great many other variations on bows, grips and handles are known in the
 art, including those shown in the following references: U.S. Pat. No.
 4,766,874 (Mishioka), U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,595 (Hefforn), U.S. Pat. No.
 5,853,000 (Torgerson), U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,014 (Darlington), U.S. Pat. No.
 5,853,001 (Vyprachtichy), U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,361 (Vyprachtichy), U.S.
 Pat. No. 4,343,286 (Thacker), U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,796 (Dehlbom), U.S. Pat.
 No. 4,889,102 (Martin), U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,875 (Martin), U.S. Pat. No.
 4,457,287 (Beddington), U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,621 (Scrobell), U.S. Pat. No.
 3,834,368 (Geiger), U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,689 (Barnett), U.S. Pat. No.
 4,252,100 (Rickard), U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,645 (Simonds), U.S. Pat. No.
 5,260,284 (Pujos, et al) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,959 (Savage). All of
 these, however, suffer from the disadvantages of vertical bows and bows
 with offset/off center-line grips, as been described above.
 Accordingly, there exists a need for an apparatus and method for gripping
 an archery hand bow that eliminates the forearm slap which is caused by
 the bowstring. Furthermore, there exists a need for such an apparatus and
 method in which the wrist is aligned in a horizontal orientation so as to
 obtain maximum benefit of the musculo-skeletal structure of the grip arm.
 Still further, there exists a need for such an apparatus and method that
 will place the bow in engagement with a firm, stable portion of the grip
 arm/hand so as to achieve maximum stabilization of the bow when drawn.
 Still further, there exists a need for such an apparatus and method which
 enables a hand bow to be operated from standing, seated and prone
 positions. Still further, there exists a need for such an apparatus and
 method which allows a stabilizing rest to be used to assist the archer in
 target acquisition and shot accuracy. Still further, there exists a need
 for such an apparatus and method which will minimize visual obstructions
 and will present the archer with improved field of view. Still further,
 there exists such a need for such an apparatus and method which will
 provide the archer with protection from being injured by a hunting
 broad-head as this is released and shot from the bow.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention has solved the problems cited above, and is a bow
 assembly for being cast in a horizontal orientation. Broadly, the bow
 assembly comprises a bow body having a riser, limbs and bowstring that
 define the primary plane of the assembly, and a grip member on the riser
 of the bow body, the grip member comprising a horizontally extending
 alignment channel for engaging a portion of a user's grip hand so as to
 define a generally horizontal pivot axis between the grip member and the
 hand, the channel being positioned so that the pivot axis is formed
 proximate and substantially parallel to the primary plane of the bow
 assembly, so as to minimize development of torque about the pivot axis as
 the bowstring is moved rearwardly towards the drawn position.
 The alignment channel in the grip member may comprise a generally concave
 channel portion for receiving and engaging a ball portion of the user's
 grip hand. The generally concave channel portion may comprise a
 horizontally elongate, generally concave channel portion for receiving a
 metacarpal head portion of the user's grip hand at the base of a plurality
 of fingers of the hand.
 The horizontally extending alignment channel may be located proximate the
 rearward edge of the riser. The grip member may further comprise a
 rearward surface having the alignment channel formed therein, an upper
 surface contoured for engaging the fingers of the user's grip hand, and a
 lower surface contoured for engaging the thumb of the user's hand. The
 assembly may further comprise a thumb rest which extends downwardly below
 the grip member for engaging the thumb of the user's grip hand so as to
 stabilize the bow assembly as the bowstring is moved rearwardly towards
 its drawn position.
 The grip member may be formed as a separate piece that is mounted to the
 riser, or it may be formed integrally with the riser.
 The bow assembly may further comprise means for supporting an arrow rest in
 a horizontal orientation parallel to the primary claim of the assembly.
 The means for supporting the arrow rest may comprise a bracket assembly
 mounted to the riser, the bracket assembly having a rearwardly extending
 attachment portion with the arrow rest mounted thereto. The bracket
 assembly may further comprise an upwardly extending attachment portion
 having at least one sighting aid mounted thereto in a horizontal
 orientation above and parallel to the primary claim of the assembly. The
 bracket assembly may further comprise a thumb rest portion which extends
 downwardly from the riser for engaging a thumb of the user's grip hand.
 The invention also provides an apparatus for mounting to a bow body so as
 to form a bow assembly for being cast in a horizontal orientation, the bow
 body having a riser, limbs and bowstring that define a primary plane of
 the assembly, the apparatus comprising a grip member which is mountable on
 the riser of the bow body, the grip member comprising a horizontally
 extending alignment channel for engaging a portion of a user's grip hand
 so as to define a generally horizontal pivot axis between the grip member
 and the hand, the alignment channel being positioned so that when the grip
 member is mounted on the riser the pivot axis is formed proximate and
 substantially parallel to the primary plane of the bow assembly, so as to
 minimize development of torque about the horizontal pivot axis as the bow
 string is moved rearwardly towards the drawn position.
 The invention further provides a method for casting a bow assembly in a
 generally horizontal orientation, the bow assembly including a bow body
 having a riser, limbs and bowstring that define a primary plane of the
 assembly, the method comprising the steps of providing a grip member on
 the riser, the grip member having a horizontally extending channel portion
 formed therein, and engaging the horizontally extending channel portion
 with the portion of the user's grip hand so as to define a generally
 horizontal pivot axis between a grip member and a hand, the alignment
 channel being positioned so that the pivot axis is formed proximate and
 substantially parallel to the primary plane of the bow assembly, so as to
 minimize development of torque about the horizontal pivot axis as the
 bowstring is moved rearwardly towards a drawn position.
 The step of engaging the horizontally extending channel portion of the
 user's grip hand may comprise engaging a generally concave portion of the
 channel portion with the ball portion of the user's grip hand.
 The method may further comprise the steps of moving the bowstring
 rearwardly to a drawn position with an arrow in nock position on the bow
 assembly, and pivoting the bow assembly about the horizontal axis which is
 defined by the grip member and the ball portion of the grip hand so as to
 aim the arrow in the nock position, by moving the bow string alternately
 in upward and downward directions with the bowstring in the drawn
 position.
 These and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent
 from reading of the following detailed description with reference to the
 associated figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
 a. Overview
 The present invention provides a method and apparatus in which a hand bow
 is cast in a horizontal orientation, with the wrist being held horizontal
 and the grip established in substantially the same plane as that of the
 riser and limbs. The fingers of the grip hand are held open, with a
 portion of the hand resting in engagement with the rearward face of the
 grip member. In a preferred embodiment, the grip member includes a
 contoured channel for engaging the metacarpal head portion of the hand in
 a stable interfit therewith. The channel is located along the rearward
 edge of the riser so as to be in the same place as the riser. Since the
 grip is thus formed in the same plane as the primary plane of the bow
 assembly, development of undesirable torque due to the bowstring being
 drawn is greatly reduced or eliminated.
 Moreover, when held in this manner, the bow is supported by the relatively
 firm area at the ends of the metacarpal bones, rather than being held in
 the relatively fleshy, flexible crotch of the hand as in prior art
 configurations. Also, the bones of the arm and shoulder are loaded
 efficiently in compression, so that there is less tendency for the elbow
 to bend, thus making it easier for the archer to hold the bowstring in a
 drawn position for an extended period of time. Still further, as will be
 described in greater detail below, this arrangement enables the assembly
 to be very easily and precisely aimed, by simply pivoting or rocking the
 horizontally held bow against the metacarpal ridge of the hand.
 When held in this manner, the bowstring clears the forearm when released,
 thus eliminating the forearm slap and related problems described above.
 The horizontal orientation of the bow also removes most of the
 obstructions from the shooter's field of view, and the bow may be raised
 and lowered without being constrained by the length of the limbs.
 Furthermore, this orientation makes it possible for a hand bow to be
 operated with the archer in prone and seated (for example, seated in a
 wheel chair) positions, as well as when standing. Similarly, this
 orientation enables the archer to use a stabilizing rest (e.g., a tripod
 or stump) when acquiring the target and aiming.
 c. Structure
 The grip member of the present invention may be formed as a integral part
 of the riser section of a bow assembly, or as a separate piece which is
 mountable to an otherwise conventional riser so as to convert an existing
 hand bow to horizontal use; for purposes of illustration, this latter
 embodiment will be described in detail below.
 Accordingly, FIG. 1 shows a hand bow assembly 10 which includes a generally
 conventional riser section 12 having first and second limbs 14a, 14b
 mounted to its outer ends. The riser 12 is shown as a separate piece to
 which the two limbs are attached, which is the typical construction in
 modern bows; it will be understood, however, that in some instances the
 riser, as this term is used in this description and the appended claims,
 will be formed integrally with the limbs or may simply be a central
 portion of one continuous "limb" or stick. Also in a conventional fashion,
 a cam wheel 16 and pulley 18 are mounted to the outer ends of the limbs
 and support the bowstring 20; the bowstring may be suitably formed from a
 conventional multi-strand loop, and may include a metal tab 21 for
 engaging the rearward end of the arrow when in the nock position. A cable
 guard 22 is attached the forward legs of the cables, with the forward end
 of the support for the guard being mounted to the riser section 12.
 The components thus far described may be provided in the form of a
 conventional compound bow, such as a model MQ32 compound bow available
 from Matthews Archery, Inc. of Sparta, Wis., USA. However, it will be
 understood that the components may be of any suitable manufacture and may
 be formed of any materials suitable for use in archery and in compound
 archery bows, such as wood, aluminum, graphite, fiberglass, laminated
 fiber-resin materials, and composite materials, for example.
 With further reference to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the grip member 30 of
 the present invention is mounted to the riser section 12 in a location
 somewhat to one side of the middle of the riser, but still in a common
 plane with the riser. In the embodiment which is illustrated, the grip
 member is mounted on the left side of the riser section for use by the
 grip hand of a right-handed person, however, it will be understood that a
 "mirror image" grip member may be mounted towards the right side of the
 riser for use by a left-handed person, or grip members may be provided on
 both sides if desired.
 As can be seen in FIG. 4 and also in FIG. 6, the grip member in this
 embodiment is a somewhat rectangular member having a U-shaped
 cross-section. A slot 32 is formed along the forward edge of the grip
 member, between upper and lower flange portions 34, 36 and is configured
 for receiving the rearward edge of the riser section 12 in close-fitting
 engagement therewith. In this way, the grip member may be permanently or
 temporarily affixed to the riser section, as by an adhesive, fasteners or
 in any other suitable manner. It will be understood that in some
 embodiments, however, the upper and lower web portions may be abbreviated
 or even dispensed with, with only the rearward surface of the member being
 present; alternatively, in other embodiments, the grip member may be
 formed by affixing side plates to the riser so that these extend
 rearwardly in a spaced apart manner so as to define the channel area.
 As can be seen with further reference to FIG. 6, the vertically extending
 rearward web 38 of the grip member includes an alignment channel 40 formed
 in its rearward surface. The alignment channel is generally concave and is
 contoured to correspond to the metacarpal head area 42 of the user's hand;
 as a result, the channel is preferably deepest in the area at the
 metacarpal head of the index finger (thereby forming the generally concave
 depression or socket 40 shown in FIG. 7), and is somewhat shallower for
 the metacarpal heads of the other fingers. The alignment channel is
 preferably configured to receive the metacarpal head area all across the
 palm as is shown, however, in some embodiments the channel may be formed
 to engage the metacarpal heads of less than all the fingers, such as only
 those of the index and middle fingers, for example.
 With further reference to FIG. 6, it will be observed that the metacarpal
 channel 40 lies directly behind and in the plane of the riser 12, which in
 turn corresponds to the main plane 43 defined by the limbs and bowstring
 of the assembly. Consequently, when the metacarpal ridge of the hand
 engages the channel this forms a pivot axis between the two which extends
 in a generally horizontal direction. Since this axis lies substantially on
 the main plane of the bow assembly, this reduces or eliminates the
 undesirable side-torque forces that are generated in devices where the
 grip is offset from the plane of the assembly, as has been described
 above.
 As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 8, the upper flange 34 of the grip member is
 also preferably provided with a channel 44 and ridge 46 for receiving the
 index finger itself, and may be contoured for the remaining fingers as
 well, and the lower web portion 38 preferably includes a channel area 48
 and ridge 50 for the user's thumb. These features aid the user carrying
 and initially positioning the hand bow assembly but are not directly
 related to the primary function of the grip member, which is to bear
 against the ball of the hand as described above. The channels and ridges
 on the upper and lower flange portions may therefore be considered
 somewhat optional, and may not be present in all embodiments.
 In the embodiment which is illustrated, the grip member is suitably formed
 of hardwood, cut to shape on a CNC machine and then smoothed and finished.
 It will be understood, however, that the grip member may be formed of any
 suitable material, including various forms of plastics, rubber, metals,
 laminated fiber-resin materials and composite materials, for example.
 For the preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the figures, the grip
 member 30 may suitably have the following approximate dimensions:
 length-10 cm, height-2.75 cm, depth-4.5 cm, maximum depth of channel-1.0
 cm. The width of the riser slot is sized to match the thickness of the
 riser itself, e.g., 1.4 cm for use with the riser of the model of bow
 noted above. These dimensions have been found suitable for use by a male
 shooter having hands of an average size and shape, dimensions for other
 sizes and configurations may be within the following approximate ranges: