Sighting device for archery bows

The device includes an elongated body in the form of a metal strip that is secured to one side of an archery bow. At the rear end of the body there is a laterally extending arm on which is mounted a rotatable disc having a number of sight openings therein, the sight openings being at differing distances from the disc's axis of rotation. Detent means assures that whatever sight opening is selected remains in position, yet readily permits another sight opening to be selected for a different shooting range. At the front end of the elongated body is another laterally extending arm, this arm having a plurality of vertically oriented threaded apertures into any one of which can be threaded a pin provided with a bead or ball on its upper end. By properly selecting the particular sighting opening at the rear and by properly adjusting the height of the bead or ball at the front, the bowman is able to control quite accurately the course of the arrow.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates generally to archery bows, and pertains more 
particularly to an adjustable sighting device therefor. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Various bow sights have been contrived in the past for the purpose of 
improving the accuracy with which an archer shoots an arrow. Some of these 
bow sights have been permanently incorporated into the bow itself. Others 
function as attachments. Obviously, where the device is intended primarily 
for target practice, the need for a rapidly achieved adjustment is not too 
important, although the need for precision is obviously present. However, 
where a bowman engages principally in hunting, it is imperative that the 
particular sighting device he is using be adjusted quickly as well as 
accurately. Otherwise, his quarry is apt to escape. Hence, there are 
various shortcomings as far as prior art sighting devices are concerned. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a sighting 
device for achery bows that will be found useful by archers who hunt 
and/or engage in target practice. 
Another object of the invention is to virtually eliminate guesswork in the 
precise aiming of an arrow. 
A further object of the invention is to enable my device to be adjusted 
rapidly for different shooting distances. 
A further object is to provide a bow sighting device which is lightweight, 
easily mounted on any bow, and which is also aesthetically attractive. 
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a bow sight that is 
inexpensive to manufacture, rugged and long-lasting. 
Briefly, my invention envisages an elongated body of strip material which 
is secured to one side of a conventional bow. Integral with the rear end 
of the elongated body is a laterally directed arm upon which is mounted a 
rear sight. More specifically, the rear sight comprises a shaft rotatably 
carried by the rear arm, the shaft having mounted thereon a disc provided 
with a number of sight openings located at differing distances from the 
disc's axis of rotation. A smaller set of detent openings in the disc 
coact with a detent pin mounted on the rear arm so as to maintain the 
selected sight opening in its selected position. At the forward end of the 
elongated body is another laterally extending arm, this arm having a 
number of threaded vertical apertures so that a sighting pin can be 
threaded into a selected aperture and adjusted vertically so that the bead 
or ball at its upper end can be initially positioned with respect to a 
first sighting opening at the rear. The threaded apertures are at 
different distances from the rear disc and also at slightly different 
angles with respect thereto by reason of being at different locations 
along the forwardly disposed arm.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Inasmuch as my sighting device 10 can be used with virtually any type of 
conventional bow, only a portion of a bow 12 has been depicted in FIGS. 1 
and 2. As a practical matter, however, it can be stated that my sighting 
device 10 has been attached to a compound bow, and has performed very 
successfully thereon. As is generally known, compound bows utilize rather 
elaborate pulley and cable systems for the purpose of achieving an optimum 
drawstring tension, especially under full draw conditions. The complexity 
of such pulley-cable systems militates against the showing of a complete 
bow. At any rate, the fragmentarily shown bow 12 includes a handle portion 
14, an arrow rest 16 immediately above and a sighting window 18 curving 
upwardly from the arrow rest. 
The device 10 includes an elongated body 22 in the form of a metal strip. 
For the sake of description, the rear end of the elongated body 22 will be 
given the reference numeral 24 and its forward end the reference numeral 
26. Extending rearwardly from the forward end 26 is a mounting panel 28 
having several holes 30 formed therein. Three bolts 32 are used to fasten 
the device to the bow 12. These bolts 32 extend through the holes 30 and 
the frame portion of the bow adjacent the sighting window 18, nuts and 
washers at 34 holding the device 10 in place. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 
and 2, the sighting device 10 in the illustrative situation is attached to 
the right side of the bow 12. 
At the rear end 24 is an integral arm 36 which extends laterally from the 
body 22 at this end. The arm 36 is formed with an untapped hole 38 in 
which is journaled a threaded shaft 40. 
Mounted on the threaded shaft 40 is a circular disc 42 having five sight 
openings 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d and 44e formed therein. The openings 44 are 
spaced at varying distances with respect to the axis of rotation of the 
shaft 40. Stated somewhat differently, the hole pattern for the sight 
openings 44 is what might be best described as constituting a segment of 
an involute. More will be said presently concerning the role played by 
these openings 44. 
Angularly oriented beneath the sight openings 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d and 44e 
are five detent holes 46a, 46b, 46c, 46c and 46e, respectively. By means 
of a detent pin 48 projecting rearwardly from the arm 36 whatever sight 
opening 44 is selected by rotating the disc 42 will be retained in its 
selected position by reason of the engagement of the detent pin 48 in the 
particular detent hole associated therewith. In other words, the detent 
holes 46a, 46b, 46c, 46d and 46e are angularly aligned with the sight 
openings 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d and 44e, respectively, so that whatever sight 
opening 44 is vertically thereabove will be retained in that selected 
position. 
Assisting in the holding of the disc 42 in an adjusted position is a coil 
spring 50 that encircles the threaded shaft 40. A wing nut 52 threaded on 
the shaft can be tightened to whatever degree is needed in order to pull 
the shaft 40 forwardly so that the detent pin 48 extends into the 
appropriate detent hole 46. Sufficient tightening of the wing nut 52 can 
completely compress the spring 50, and for all intents and purposes 
positively retain the disc 42 in its adjusted position. However, when the 
nut 52 has not been tightened to any extent, the disc 42 can be manually 
pulled rearwardly to overcome the biasing action of the spring 50, thereby 
causing the particular detent hole 46 to move sufficiently rearwardly from 
the end of the detent pin 48 so that the disc 42 is released and can be 
rotatably adjusted to bring a different opening 40 into the bowman's line 
of sight. 
At the forward end 26 is another laterally extending arm 54, this arm 
residing in a generally horizontal plane in contradistinction to the 
generally vertical plane in which the rear arm 36 lies. The arm 54 has a 
mounting flange 56 which is attached to the panel 28 by means of a pair of 
screws 57 and nuts 58. The arm 54 and its flange 56 constitute an L-shaped 
member. 
From FIG. 3 it will be seen that the arm 54 has a plurality of vertically 
oriented tapped or threaded apertures 60 formed therein. Some of the 
apertures 60 are at different distances from the rear disc 42 and others 
are at different distances from the forward end 26 of the elongated body 
22. 
A sighting pin 62 can be located in any one of the tapped apertures 60. The 
sighting pin 62 comprises a bead or ball 64 at the top, a threaded 
intermediate shank 66 and a bottom knurled knob 68, the knob 68 enabling 
the pin to be rotated so that its bead or ball 64 can be raised or lowered 
so as to position the bead or ball relative to the various sight openings 
in the circular disc 42 at the rear. A jam nut 70 is threaded and carried 
on the shank 66 and when tightened against the underside of the arm 54 
retains the sighting pin 62 in whatever adjusted condition it has been 
placed. 
Inasmuch as my sighting device 10 can be attached to virtually any 
conventional bow, it should be pointed out that initially the elongated 
body 22 can be clamped to the side of the bow 12 in order to establish an 
initial datum or preliminary alignment as far as the intended line of 
sight for the shortest shooting distance that is expected. This can be 
readily done by using two small C-clamps (not shown). After clamping the 
device 10 to the bow 12 in the approximately correct position, then the 
disc 42 is rotatably adjusted so as to position the sight opening 44a, 
this being the opening nearest the axis of rotation, into view. Then the 
sighting pin 62 is rotated to raise or lower, as the case may be, the 
front bead 64 in order to cause it to appear at the center of the sight 
opening 44a, this procedure being followed, say, when aiming an arrow at a 
bull's-eye fifteen yards away. 
After accomplishing the foregoing, then my sighting device 10 can be 
permanently fastened to the bow 12 by means of the several bolts 32 and 
nuts 34. Of course, to do this, holes must first be drilled through the 
bow 12 at the proper locations and the bolts 32 inserted therethrough. 
Quite obviously, the front bead 64, which has been adjusted as outlined 
above, will remain in the same position for shooting any distance from the 
nearest distance, which has been suggested as being fifteen yards, to the 
greatest distance which is typically fifty-five yards. If desired, 
however, the sighting pin can be shifted to one of the other threaded 
apertures 60, in order to improve the azimuth correction. In other words, 
the arrow to be shot should be parallel, both horizontally and vertically, 
to the line of sight as determined by the rear and front sight 
adjustments. A range of from fifteen to fifty-five yards, it can be 
mentioned, is considered to be the maximum range normally expected for 
which most shooting, either at a target or at game, will be done. 
Inasmuch as five sight openings 44 are provided, this number provides 
settings approximating ten yard intervals, starting with the previously 
mentioned fifteen yards. Thus, with the sight opening 44a selected, then 
the previously mentioned range of fifteen yards will be realized. On the 
other hand, with the sight opening 44b selected and moved into position 
above the axis about which the disc 42 is rotated, then a range of 
twenty-five yards will be adjusted for. The next opening 44c will provide 
thirty-five yards, the succeeding opening 44d forty-five, and the 
remaining opening 44e, which is located the greatest distance from the 
shaft 64 or axis of disc rotation, will provide a fifty-five yard range. 
It will be appreciated that once the initial or minimum shooting distance 
is adjusted for, then the archer can readily readjust the device 10 to 
obtain the other shooting distances. All he need do is pull the disc 42 
sufficiently rearwardly, compressing the coil spring 50 in the process, to 
disengage the detent hole 46a from the detent pin 48. He can then rotate 
the disc 42, while retracted, to bring whatever sight opening 44b, 44c, 
44d or 44e into view. Release of the disc 42 will cause the detent pin 48 
to engage in the particular detent hole 46b, 46c, 46d or 46e that is then 
in alignment. 
It is expected that there will be slight variations with respect to the 
different distances that should be adjusted for, depending largely on the 
kind of arrow, the pound rating of the bow, the weight of the arrows, and 
the manner in which the archer releases the bowstring. However, while 
these are initial variables, they can readily be accounted for as far as a 
given situation is concerned. Consequently, my sighting device enables the 
bow, once initially adjusted, to be aimed at a target at different 
distances. When the target is a swiftly moving animal, it is imperative 
that the readjustment by the hunter be rapidly achieved. This can be 
accomplished by simply pulling the disc 42 rearwardly and angularly 
shifting the sight openings 44 so as to bring the most appropriate opening 
into alignment between the archer's eye and the bead or ball 64. With the 
front bead 64 seen in the center of the particular rear sight opening 44 
that has been selected, the arrow will be properly aimed and will hit the 
desired target with a high degree of precision, whether stationary or 
moving. 
Of course, if it is planned that the distance or range will always be the 
same, the user can elect to tighten the wing nut 52 sufficiently so that 
the coil spring 50 is fully compressed; this will firmly anchor the disc 
42 to such an extent that it will be for all intents and purposes fixedly 
mounted and will not vibrate or make any noise when the arrow is released. 
It will be understood, it is believed, that while the sighting pin 62 has 
been shown positioned in a central and most forward tapped aperture 60, 
any of the various threaded apertures 60 can be selected, however, to take 
care of horizontal or azimuth angles. In this regard, the most appropriate 
position for the sighting pin 62 will be influenced largely by the manner 
in which the bow 12 is held by a particular archer. The point to be made 
is that the bowman does have an initial choice as far as any horizontal 
adjustment is concerned, this being in addition to the precise vertical 
adjustment that is made possible by adjusting the rear disc 42 and by 
adjusting the forwardly disposed sighting pin 62. Stated somewhat 
differently, by using a tapped aperture 60 to either side of that in which 
the sighting pin 62 has been shown will introduce a small horizontal 
angular correction that can be relied upon to make the line of sight 
parallel to the arrow and its intended flight path. 
It will be recognized that the sighting device 10, as illustrated, is for a 
right-handed shooter. For a left-handed shooter the arms 36 and 54 would 
extend in opposite directions.