Abstract:
Fall away arrow rests for archery bows. The rests have an arm with an arrow-supporting feature and an arm-associated axle which pivots the arm to displace the arrow-supporting feature between a first, arrow-loading position and a second, more elevated, arrow-launching position. The arrow support arm can be adjusted vertically, laterally, and in fore-and-aft directions relative to a riser or other rigid bow component on which the rest is mounted. One or more dampers can be advantageously attached to arrow rest structural members to reduce shock and vibrations, including noise, as the arrow support arm displaces the arrow-supporting feature between its first and second positions, especially as an arrow is launched from the bow.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION 
     The priority of provisional application No. 60/879,909 is claimed. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to novel, improved arrow rests for compound bows. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Arrow rests are employed to hold the arrow in position until a bow is fired. This makes for a more accurate shot than positioning the arrow with the archer&#39;s hand does. 
     Three types of arrow rests are available: shoot-thru, containment, and fall-away. 
     Shoot-thru rests have the disadvantage that a fletch may contact the rest as the arrow passes through it. This can disrupt the flight of the arrow, leading to an inaccurate shot, and can damage the fletch. Also, there is nothing to keep the arrow from falling off the rest. 
     Some containment rests also allow the fletching to contact the rest, leading to fletch damage and an inaccurate shot when the bow is fired. Containment rests designed to eliminate fletch-and-rest contact require precise nock and fletching alignment and can be difficult to use. 
     Unlike shoot-thru rests, fall-away rests hold the arrow firmly in position until the bow is fired. At this point, drop out of the path of the arrow, eliminating fletch clearance problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Disclosed herein are new and novel arrow rests of the fall-away type. 
     One important advantage of these arrow rests is that they employ a construction which allows them to be mounted to a wide variety of bows. 
     They also have a wide range of adjustment features, allowing performance to be optimized for the particular bow with the rest is employed. 
     The arrow rests of the present invention are rock solid, and they have bearings which make operation of the rests smooth and quiet. 
     Adjustable stops allow the arrow-supporting arm of the rest to be positioned to support the arrow at the optimum height when the bow is drawn and to insure that the arm does not hit the shelf of the arrow rest when the arrow leaves the bow and the arm returns to its initial position. Other adjustment features can be employed to insure that the bow string moves in a straight line when the bow is fired, instead of being pulled toward the side of the bow as is common with some bows. 
     The rest is furthermore constructed such that it can be optimally located both vertically and horizontally with respect to the bow when it is mounted to the riser of the bow. This, together with coarse and fine adjustments, allow the initial angle, stroke, and height of the arrow-supporting arm to be adjusted to suit the archer. 
     The arrow-supporting arm accepts an easily and quickly added Teflon, or comparable, support, further quieting the bow when the arrow is fired. 
     Significant additional quieting and smoothness of operation is obtained by mounting elastomeric shock and vibration dampers to the rest in locations providing for optimum damping. 
     Operation of the arrow rest is typically effected by tying a string between a member coupled to the arm for rotation therewith and the cable slide or buss cable of a compound bow. The string can be attached to the rest at any of multiple locations, allowing one to optimize the pressure required to cause the arm to drop and the speed with which that occurs. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a compound bow equipped with a fall-away arrow rest; the rest embodies and is constructed in accord with the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  but to an enlarged scale; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the rest and a fragment of the bow; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the rest, looking from the front toward the rear of the rest; 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of an arrow-supporting component of the rest; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view, looking at the front of the rest; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of the rest and an arrow fitted onto the arrow-supporting component of the rest; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the rest and arrow with the arrow-supporting arm of the rest rotated upwardly to elevate the arrow to its firing position; 
         FIG. 9  is a vertical section presented primarily to show the details of a coil spring mechanism which restores the arrow-supporting arm of the rest from its firing position to its downwardly rotated, arrow-loading position when an arrow is fired; 
         FIG. 10  is an end view of a stationary cap with features which allow one of multiple, different tensions on the coil spring to be selected; and 
         FIG. 11  shows the riser of the bow and an elastomeric pad which can be installed on the riser shelf to reduce shocks and impacts in those circumstances in which the archer elects to have the arrow-supporting arm rest on the shelf of the riser. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Important features of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings. This list is not to be taken as all-inclusive. 
     Referring now to the illustrations,  FIGS. 1 and 2  depict a compound bow  20  equipped with a fall-away arrow rest  22 , an optical sight  24 , and a modular stabilizer  26 . 
     Bow  20  is of conventional construction. It has a riser  28 , upper and lower limbs  30  and  32 , cams  34  and  36  at the far ends of limbs  30  and  32 , buss cables (collectively identified by reference character  38 ), a bow string  40 , and a cable slide  42  mounted on an elongated guide  44 . 
     Arrow rest  22  includes brackets  50  and  52 , an arrow support and stabilizing arm  54 , an axle housing  55 , and a transversely extending axle (or shaft)  56 , which is rotatable in but fixed lengthwise of housing  55 . The proximate end  57  of arm  54  is assembled to axle  56  for rotation therewith. 
     An elongated slot  58  in support bracket  50  allows the rest to be adjusted in a fore-and-aft direction with respect to the riser  28  of bow  20 ; i.e., in the directions indicated by double-headed arrow  60  in  FIG. 3 . A first, releasable, threaded fastener  62  secures bracket  50  in the position to which it is adjusted. 
     The arrow  64  being fired (see  FIGS. 7 and 8 ) is supported from the free, distal end  66  of arm  54  directly in a V-shaped notch  67  or in an optional, notched, snap-on arrow support component  68  made of Teflon or other material with a low coefficient of friction. 
     The bracket  52  of arrow rest  22  is secured to bracket  50  by a second, releasable, threaded fastener  70 , which extends through a vertically elongated slot  72  in bracket  52 . This allows the initial position at which arrow  64  is loaded onto arrow support  54  to be vertically adjusted as appropriate for a particular bow and arrow. 
     The supporting component  54  for arrow  64  can also be adjusted laterally with respect to the riser  28  of the bow on which fall-away rest  22  is mounted, in this exemplary embodiment of the invention. Specifically, axle housing  55  is attached to a laterally extending arm  78  of bracket  52  (see  FIG. 5 ), by which arrow-supporting component  54  is supported by a third, releasable, threaded fastener  80  (see  FIG. 6 ). The fastener extends through a laterally elongated slot  82  in the upper part of the axle housing. Axle housing  55  can accordingly be moved laterally relative to bracket  502  as shown by the double-headed arrow  84  in  FIG. 6 . Axle  56  and arrow-supporting arm  54  are shifted in the same direction and for the same distance to locate the arrow-supporting component  54  in the desired lateral location. Tightening the fastener then retains axle housing  55  and, therefore, arrow support  54  in the selected lateral location. 
     Stops  86  and  88  (see  FIG. 6 ) limit: (1) the downward rotational movement of arrow support  54  and arrow-supporting element  66  (or 68) to a rest position in which arrow  64  is loaded onto the rest to ready bow  20  for a shot, and (2) the rotational, upward movement of the arm and concomitant elevation of arrow  64  to its firing (or launch) position ( FIG. 8 ) effected when the bow is drawn. These stops are threaded through non-rotatable axle housing  55  into complementary, radially oriented, slanted slots formed in axle  56  (the recess in which upper stop  88  is seated is identified in  FIG. 9  by reference character  89 ). When the end of the stop reaches the bottom of the companion recess, the axle  56  is locked against further rotation. 
     An arm  90  (see  FIG. 3 ) is attached to that end of shaft  56  opposite arrow support  54  and rotates with the shaft. Arm  90  is tied to cable slide  42  (or a buss cable  38 ) by an inelastic string  92 . The cable slide option is shown in the drawings. 
     String  92  is trained through a selected one of the three apertures  94 ,  96 ,  98  in arm  90 . When the bow is drawn, cable slide  42  moves in the direction indicated by arrow  100  in  FIG. 1 . This pulls on the upper end of arm  90 , rotating axle  56  counterclockwise (as shown in  FIG. 4 ), rotatably displaces arrow support  54  notch  67  (or  68 ) from its initial, arrow-loading position to the elevated position from which the arrow is launched (see  FIG. 8 ). 
     Before the bow is fully drawn, string  92  becomes taut; and further movement of cable slide  42  and buss cables  38  is thereby prevented, a condition known as “lock-up”. However, the archer will continue to draw the bow until full draw is reached, typically an additional 2-4 (or more) inches. 
     The three apertures  94 ,  96  and  98  in arm  90  allow the archer to choose the distance the cable slide  42  and buss cables  38  travel before bow  20  locks up. With string  92  tied through the lowest hole  98 , bow  20  will lock up the fastest when it is drawn. As the string attachment point is moved upwardly to aperture  96  and then aperture  94 , the lock-up time increases; and the distance the bow string  40  moves from lock-up to full draw increases because the string travels further before lock-up, whereas the draw of the bow remains unchanged irrespective of the point at which lock-up occurs. 
     String  92  can, as an alternative, be tied through an aperture  102  in a second arm  103  which also rotates with shaft  56 . Arm  103  is located at the opposite end of the shaft from arm  90 , and it is an integral element of the pivotable arrow support  54 . String attachment arm  102  accommodates bows in which there is a tendency for a string such as that identified by reference character  92  to pull sideways as the bow is drawn. 
     A finer adjustment of the point at which lock-up occurs can be made by: (a) loosening a fastener  104  which extends through one integral element  106  of arm  90  and is threaded into a complementary, also integral, arm element  108  on the opposite side of shaft  56 , (b) rotating arm  90  relative to shaft  56 , and (c) retightening fastener  104 . This couples arm  90  to shaft  56 , fixing the angle through which the shaft and arrow support  54  can rotate over the full pull of string  92 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , as bow  20  is drawn and shaft  56  rotates, a coil spring motor  110  in arrow rest housing  52  is wound. To this end, one end of the spring is attached to shaft  56 ; and the opposite end is fitted into one of the multiple apertures  112  in a stationary end cap  114  (see also,  FIG. 10 ). 
     When bow  20  is drawn and bow string  40  subsequently released, arrow  64  is propelled in the direction indicated by arrow  116  in  FIG. 8 . As the arrow gathers speed, it is initially supported by support  54  to stabilize the arrow. Shortly thereafter, however, spring  110  begins to unwind, rotating shaft  56  and arrow support arm  54  downwardly toward its initial, arrow-loading position, thus moving it out of the way of the fletches  118  on the arrow  64  being fired from the bow. As discussed above, this is important both from the viewpoint of accuracy and that of avoiding damage to the fletches. 
     The particular aperture  112  in which the complementary end of spring  110  is installed determines the tension imposed upon the spring as it is wound and, as a consequence, the speed with which arm  54  is restored toward its initial position when the bow strong  40  is released. By providing multiple points as shown in  FIG. 10 , an optimum tension in the wound spring  110  can be realized. This ensures that the arrow rest arm  54  moves out of the way of the arrow with sufficient rapidity to avoid contact between it and the arrow fletches while, at the same time, avoiding the imposing of unnecessary stresses on components of bow  20 . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 9 , shaft  56  is mounted and supported in sealed bearings  120  and  122 . Needle and ball bearings are preferred as they provide for smooth and quiet operation of the arrow rest. 
     The archer may prefer that the pivotable arrow support  54  fall onto and rest on the shelf  124  of bow riser  28  when the support is in its initial, arrow-loading position rather than being stopped above the shelf by lower stop  86 . For these individuals, a pad  126  of elastomeric material with a set of nodes  128  may be installed on the riser shelf  124  (see  FIG. 11 ). Pad  126  significantly reduces the shock and vibration imposed on bow  20  when it is fired. 
     Another option that the archer may prefer is to stop the restoring arrow support component  54  just as that component reaches shelf  124 . This can be achieved by outward (or inward) adjustment of lower stop  86 . 
     Elastomeric, shock/vibration dampers  130  and  132  are mounted on fall-away arrow rest  20  in the locations shown in  FIG. 7 . These dampers are of the character described in the above-cited &#39;046 patent. Dampers  130  and  132  make a significant contribution to smooth and quiet operation of bow  20 , particularly when an arrow is launched from the bow. 
     The principles of the present invention may be embodied in forms other than the one specifically disclosed herein. Therefore, the present embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description; and all changes which come with the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced herein.