Archery bow string prop

A bow string prop for archery bows comprising an elongated, rigid member having an inner end adapted to frictionally engage the handle portion of the bow and an outer end adapted to engage the bow string to hold the string in a drawn condition. The bow may be tensioned by use of the archer's foot and leg muscles with relatively little effort by the user, and once the bow string is fully drawn the bow prop is interposed and retained between the bow and the bow string retain the bow string under tension and the bow flexed. The bow is aimed and fired in the usual manner as drawing the bow string slightly further back allows the prop to fall to the ground, and the arrow is released in the normal manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The sport of archery requires the archer to exert a relatively large force 
during string-pull back to adequately draw the bow to a fully tensioned 
condition for firing an arrow. This is especially true of compound bows 
wherein the bow string circumscribes eccentric wheels rotatably mounted on 
the ends of the bow's limbs and a large force must be applied by the 
archer's arms during the initial stages of string pull-back. Consequently, 
even after firing just a few shots, muscle fatigue and cramping in the 
archer's arms and shoulders are often experienced which leads to 
inaccuracy and prevents the archer from taking extensive target practice. 
A variety of attachments or accessories for archery bows, hereinafter 
referred to as bow string props, have been proposed to prevent muscle 
fatigue and improve firing accuracy. One version of such a bow string prop 
consists of one or more elongated members affixed at one end to the bow 
wherein the opposite end, or ends, include a handle to support the archers 
hand when the bow string is drawn back as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 
3,512,512 and 3,794,012. Such devices assist the archer in steadying the 
bow when the bow is flexed and the bow string is under tension and enables 
the archer to improve firing accuracy. However, the elongated member does 
not prevent muscle fatigue as the bow must be cocked solely by use of the 
archer's arms and the elongated member does not releasably maintain the 
bow in the full drawn ready-to-shoot condition. 
Another version of a bow string prop permits use of the archer's foot and 
leg muscles during string pull-back to reduce muscle strain in the 
archer's arms as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,895,621 and 3,794,012. 
Such patents also assist the archer in steadying the bow during aiming and 
firing as the bow string prop releasably maintains the bow string under 
tension and the bow flexed. However, such bow string props comprise a 
trigger release mechanism which incorporates a complicated and expensive 
construction. Another problem with the devices of the aforementioned 
patents is that the bow string props must be affixed to the bow which 
alters the construction of the bow which is not permissible under 
tournament rules and is an inconvenience for the user. Also, the method of 
releasing an arrow is materially altered, as the draw hand is supported 
rather than being in a "free" condition during release of an arrow which 
is not permitted in archery competition. 
It is an object of the invention to provide a bow string prop for archery 
bows adapted to assist the archer during string pull-back to permit the 
archer to utilize the bow for extended periods of time, such as when 
taking target practice, without sustaining muscle fatigue or cramping in 
the arms. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a bow string prop for archery 
bows adapted to assist the archer during string pull-back and retain the 
bow in a full drawn ready-to-shoot condition without effort by the archer, 
yet is neither permanently affixed to the bow nor alters the standard 
method of releasing an arrow. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a bow string prop which 
permits the bow to be cocked primarily by forces applied by the archer's 
foot and leg muscles whereby once the bow is 90% drawn the prop is 
interposed and frictionally retained between the bow and the bow string to 
releasably maintain the bow flexed and the bow string under tension in a 
ready-to-shoot condition. 
Yet a further another object of the invention is to provide a bow string 
prop for archery bows wherein the prop is frictionally retained between 
the bow and bow string to maintain the bow in a ready-to-shoot condition 
wherein just prior to release of an arrow, the prop falls to the ground so 
as not to obstruct or hinder the firing process. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a bow string prop which 
incorporates a simple, light weight construction that is easy to use, 
adapted for strong bows, and is inexpensive to manufacture. 
In the practice of the invention the bow string prop is adapted to be 
utilized in conjunction with an archery bow having a pair of limbs 
extending in opposite directions from a handle and having a bow string 
extending between the outer ends of the limbs. The prop is particularly 
useful with compound bows wherein eccentric wheels are rotatably mounted 
on the ends of the limbs, about which the bow string extends, requiring a 
large amount of force during the initial stages of string pull-back. 
The bow string prop comprises an elongated member formed of a strong, light 
weight rigid material having an inner end provided with a notch for 
receiving a portion of the bow adjacent the handle, a central portion, and 
an outer end. The outer end is deflected normal to the general plane of 
the central portion and includes a pair of substantially spaced fingers 
each having an aligned V-shaped notch extending in the opposite direction 
than that of the bow receiving notch adapted to receive the bow handle. 
In use, the bow is cocked by placing one foot on the bow string while 
pulling upwardly on the bow. Once the bow string is 90% drawn, the prop is 
interposed and retained between the bow handle and the bow string by the 
force created by the flexed bow and the tensioned bow string on the prop 
to releasably maintain the bow in a 90% drawn ready-to-shoot condition. 
The arrow may be laid on the rest of the partially drawn bow in the usual 
manner. The arrow is projected simply by drawing the bow string slightly 
further back to allow the prop to drop to the ground prior to releasing 
the bow string. As the leg muscles are used to cock the bow, muscle 
fatigue and cramping in the archer's arms is greatly reduced permitting 
the archer to hold the bow steadier when firing for improved accuracy and 
to take extended practice. 
The bow string prop incorporates a simple construction which is inexpensive 
to manufacture, simple to use, and useable with strong bows. Also, as the 
string prop is neither affixed to the bow nor alters the standard firing 
method of the archer, the archer may utilize the bow without the prop for 
practice to further develop archery skills.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference to the drawings, a bow string prop incorporating the 
inventive concepts is generally indicated at 10. The bow string prop 10 is 
adapted to be utilized in conjunction with an archery bow to reduce muscle 
fatigue and cramping in the archer's arms. This permits the archer to take 
shooting practice for long hours without experiencing muscle strain. While 
the bow prop 10 is adapted to be utilized with various types of bows, the 
prop is particularly useful with compound bows wherein a large amount of 
force must be applied by the archer during the initial stages of string 
pull-back. 
In FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 a typical compound archery bow with which the bow prop 
10 is adapted to be employed is generally indicated at 12 and includes an 
extension 14 having a handle or hand grip portion 16 formed thereon. An 
upper resilient limb 18 is attached to the extension and a lower resilient 
limb 20 is attached to the lower extension 19. The limbs 18 and 20 are 
usually formed of spring steel. Eccentric wheels 22 are rotatably mounted 
to the extreme outer ends of the limbs 18 and 20 for receiving a cable 24 
having a bow string 26 attached to the ends thereof. An arrow rest 28 is 
affixed to the hand grip 16 for supporting an arrow 30 having an arrow 
head 32 at one end, a nock 34 formed in the opposite end for receiving the 
bow string 26, and guide feathers 36. 
The bow string prop 10 is formed of a light weight, rigid material such as 
steel, aluminum, laminated wood, reinforced plastic, or the like, and 
comprises a substantially flat elongated portion 38 having an inner end 
portion 40. The portion 40 is provided with a notch 42 in the end thereof 
of a sufficient dimension for receiving a portion of the bow's handle 16. 
The opposite, or outer end, of the prop 10 is deflected substantially 
normal to the general plane of the portion 38 at 44 and includes a pair of 
spaced fingers 46 each provided with an aligned V-shaped notch 48 on the 
outer side thereof. The V-shaped notches 48 extend in the opposite 
direction than that of the inner end notch 42 and define a bow string 
support adapted to receive the bow string 26. 
As illustrated in FIG. 4, the bow 12 is cocked by the archer placing one 
foot on the bow string 26 while pulling upwardly on the bow's riser 14, 
and once the bow string 26 is fully drawn, the prop 10 is interposed and 
retained between the bow's handle 16 and the bow string 26 to releasably 
maintain the bow 12 flexed and the bow string under tension in a 90% drawn 
ready-to-shoot condition, FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. In this condition the notch 42 
receives the rear side of the handle 16 and the V-shaped notches 48 
receive the bow string 26, as best appreciated in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
Upon the bow being cocked to the 90% drawn ready-to-shoot condition of 
FIGS. 2, and 4, the arrow 30 may be laid in position whereby the arrow is 
supported by the arrow rest 28 and the nock 34 receives the bow string 26 
between the prop's fingers 46, FIGS. 1 and 2. It should be noted that the 
fingers 46 are sufficiently spaced to permit access by the archer's 
fingers for conveniently grasping the bow string 26 in the normal manner, 
or to permit a bow string release mechanism to be easily applied. To fire 
an arrow, the archer simply draws the bow string 26 slightly further back, 
allowing the prop 10 to fall to the ground, then releases the bow string 
26 in the usual manner to project the arrow 30. 
As the archer primarily utilizes the leg muscles to apply force to cock the 
bow 12, muscle fatigue and cramping in the archer's arms and shoulders are 
prevented or greatly reduced which enables the archer to practice shooting 
for an extended duration longer than would be possible without the bow 
prop 10. 
Because the prop 10 is neither affixed to the archer's bow nor alters the 
normal aiming and release process of the archer, the prop 10 aids in 
developing the archer's skill and preventing muscle strain. Also, as the 
prop 10 does not support the archer's draw hand and is released just 
before firing, the prop 10 is legal for use in competition as well as for 
hunting game. 
The bow string prop 10 may be manufactured in a variety of lengths to 
accommodate various archer's needs. Also, the bow string prop incorporates 
a simple, light weight construction which is of economical manufacture, 
easy to use, and is dependable over extended periods of usage. 
It is to be appreciated that various modifications to the inventive 
concepts may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing 
from the spirit and scope of the invention.