Abstract:
A damping mechanism to safely allow an archer to draw and release a bow without an arrow. The bow has one or more conventional attachment mounting holes in the handle provided by a manufacturer for mounting an arrow rest, stabilizer, archery sight or some other accessory. The damping mechanism includes a damping cylinder with a piston rod attached to the bow string and a clamp for mounting the damping cylinder to the bow using one or more of the attachment mounting holes.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus for protecting bows from being broken or damaged when the bow is drawn and released without an arrow. 
     2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
     It is common for archers to test the feel of a bow by drawing the bow without having an arrow in place and accidentally releasing the string from the full draw point, i.e., “dry firing” the bow. If the bow is a compound bow, the return of the string without the resistance of an arrow can be so rapid and with such force that the limbs, eccentrics, cables, string or riser may be damaged. Damage to the limbs is possible when the bow is a recurve bow. 
     There are various devices to allow archers to safely draw and release a bow without an arrow. These devices allow an archer to draw and release the bow without an arrow to build up strength or to improve technique and shooting form. 
     The prior art mechanisms that allow an archer to safely draw and release a bow without an arrow incorporate a damping device, such as a fluid cylinder, to slow the release of tension in the bow string by applying a resistance to the arrow. The damping device, i.e., a fluid cylinder, is attached to the bow, for example, with a bolt-and-clamp mechanism installed around the bow handle. This arrangement may damage the bow and requires removal of the arrow rest which an archer may not like if the arrow rest has been tuned. 
     The following patents are incorporated by reference herein: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,261,321, 4,605,223, 4,623,145, 4,708,341, 4,911,364, 5,002,035, 5,143,043, 5,297,533, 5,592,928 and 6,161,532. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a damping mechanism to permit an archer to safely draw and release a bow without an arrow that makes use of conventional threaded attachment points already present in a conventional bow. It is another object to provide a nocking structure for a damping mechanism that does not require the bow to be unstrung. Other objects and features of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. 
     The present invention provides a damping mechanism to permit an archer to safely draw and release a bow without an arrow. The damping mechanism is attached to the bow at one or more attachment mounting holes in a handle or riser of the bow conventionally provided for attachment of an arrow rest, stabilizer, sight, cable guard or the like threaded insert provided by a manufacturer for an assessory. The damping mechanism includes a damping cylinder and a means for mounting the damping cylinder to the bow. The means for mounting the damping cylinder has a clamping body with a longitudinal slit with means for compressing the clamping body at the slit on the damping cylinder. A fastener is provided for connecting the clamping body to one or more of the attachment mounting holes. An arrow-like piston rod of the damping cylinder occupies the place of an arrow and is attached to the bow string. The invention may also utilize a novel nock latch for securely and releasably attaching the bow string to the piston rod. 
     The invention summarized above comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated by the subjoined claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     In the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated, corresponding reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a compound bow having a damping mechanism in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial exploded perspective view showing the attachment of a means for mounting a damping cylinder to the arrow rest mount on a bow; 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing an alternative means for mounting a damping cylinder to the stabilizer mount on a bow; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of a compound bow, in phantom, showing the damping mechanism installed on the bow with the bow string drawn in full lines and with the bow string relaxed in broken lines; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a damping cylinder shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 and a hole through the piston rod for attaching the bow string to a piston rod of the damping cylinder; and, 
     FIG. 6 is a detailed view of a nock latch. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference character, FIG. 1 shows a compound bow  10  having a bow handle  12  and limbs  14 . Limbs  14  are attached to handle  12  by limb bolts  16 . Handle  12  includes a grip  18 , a bow window  20 , a conventional arrow rest mount  22  (see FIG. 2) and a conventional stabilizer mount  24 . Bow  10  also has a bow string  26  attached to a cable  28 . Bow string  26  passes over an idler wheel  30  and a cam  32 , in a one-cam compound bow, or over both cams in a two-cam compound bow. 
     A damping mechanism  34  in accordance with the present invention may be attached to bow  10  at arrow rest mount  22  as shown in FIGS. 1-2 and  4  or at stabilizer mount  24  as shown in FIG.  3 . With continuing reference to FIGS. 1-2 and  4 , damping mechanism  34  includes a damping cylinder  36  and a means for mounting  38  the damping cylinder. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, damping cylinder  36  includes a cylinder barrel  40  and a piston  42  with an elongated, arrow-like piston rod  44  which when used with bow  10  occupies the location which would be occupied by an arrow in normal firing of bow  10 . Cylinder barrel  40  has end caps  46 , one of which has a seal  48  through which piston rod  44  passes. The interior of cylinder barrel  40  is hollow and contains an elastic medium, for example a fluid such as air or other gas. Cylinder barrel  40  or piston rod  44  may have an orifice  50  therein to control the damping effect of damping cylinder  36 , as is known in the art. It will be appreciated that other fluids, such as liquids may be used as well as other damping means such as friction or springs. When bow  10  is draw and released without an arrow the energy stored in the bow is absorbed in a slow controlled manner by damping cylinder  36 , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
     Turning to FIG. 2, means for mounting  38  damping cylinder  36  has a hollow cylindrical clamp body  52 . Clamp body  52  has a longitudinal slit  54  bordered with a pair of longitudinal, outwardly extending flanges  56 , as shown. Clamp body  52  also has a longitudinal, outwardly extending flat  58 . Flat  58  is spaced from longitudinal flanges  56  by about ninety degrees of rotation about clamp body  52 , but it will be appreciated that other spacing may be used. A transverse bore  60  passes through clamp body  52  and flat  58  for receipt of a threaded fastener  62  providing means for joining clamp body  52  to bow  10 . Threaded fastener  62  can be passed through bore  60  and then seated in flat  58  for use as described below. 
     Hollow clamp body  52 , providing means for receiving damping cylinder  36 , is sized to snugly receive damping cylinder  36 , as shown in FIG.  1 . Longitudinal flanges  56  have one or more pairs of vertically aligned bores  66  extending therethrough. One of bores  66  in each pair may be threaded to receive a threaded fastener  68 . By tightening threaded fasteners  68  in the threaded one of bores  66 , clamp body  52  constricts on cylinder barrel  40  by pinching slit  54  partially closed, securely attaching damping cylinder  36  to bow  10 . Other means for constricting clamp body  52  at slit  54  will occur those skilled in the art, such as by passing a bolt through aligned bores  66  and attaching a nut. As the nut is tightened on the bolt, flanges  56  may be pressed together. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, clamp body  52  may be attached to bow  10  at arrow rest mount  22 , at stabilizer mount  24  or at some other analogous threaded opening conventionally provided on bow handle  12 . When means for mounting  38  damping cylinder  36  is attached to arrow rest mount  22 , flat  58  of clamp body  52  is held in abutment against bow window  20  and fastener  62  passed through transverse bore  60  for threaded engagement with arrow rest mount  22 . 
     When means for mounting  38  the damping cylinder is attached to stabilizer mount  24 , clamp body  52  is attached to a rod  70 , one end of which is tapped for threaded engagement with fastener  62 . Rod  70  passes in close sliding fashion through a hollow mounting block  72 . Mounting block  72  can be held in a selected position on rod  70  with a set screw  74  threaded through mounting block  72  for engagement with rod  70 . A bore  76  is provided through mounting block  72  transverse to rod  70  for receipt of a threaded fastener  78 . Threaded fastener  78  may be similar to threaded fastener  62  used for mounting clamp body  52  to rod  70 . To mount damping cylinder  36  through stabilizer mount  24 , clamp body  52  is attached to rod  70  with fastener  62  and rod  70  removed from mounting block  72 . Mounting block  72  is held in abutment against grip  18  and fastener  78  passed through bore  76  for threaded engagement with stabilizer mount  24 . After mounting block  72  is secured to stabilizer mount  24 , rod  70  is inserted into mounting block  72  and clamp body  52  positioned vertically such that damping cylinder  36  is in bow window  20 . Rod  70  is then locked in mounting block  72  with set screw  74 . If an archer does not want to remove a previously installed arrow rest (not shown) because it has been sighted in, damping cylinder  36  may be positioned above the arrow rest and piston rod  44  nocked high. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, bow string  26  of bow  10  may be received in piston rod  44  by passing bow string  26  through a transverse hole  80  provided therefor. However, this means for connecting the piston rod to the bow string, requires bow  10  to be unstrung so that an end of bow string  26  can be passed through hole  80 . It is preferred that a nock latch  82 , a representative one of which is shown in FIG. 6, be provided at the end of piston rod  44  for securing piston rod  44  to bow string  26 . As shown, piston rod  44  is bifurcated to form a nock  84 . Arms  86  of nock  84  have transverse, aligned bores  88 , at least one of which is threaded and through which a threaded fastener  90  passes. Bow string  26  is trapped between threaded fastener  90  and the base of nock  84  to securely connect piston rod  44  to bow string  26 . Nock latch  82  may take other forms, such as a clasp, etc., may be padded to prevent damage to bow string  26  and may be used with damping mechanisms not in accordance with the present invention. Such other mechanisms are discussed in the “Brief Summary of the Invention” section above and shown in the prior art references cited by the applicant to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 
     In view of the above, it will be seen that damping cylinder  36  is mounted to bow  10  with means for mounting  38  without injuring the bow by making use of mounts already provided on a convention bow for other attachments, e.g., arrow rest mount  22 , stabilizer mount  24 , etc. It will also be seen that the other objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.