Patent Publication Number: US-5249565-A

Title: Cam-controlled, swinger arrow rest

Description:
BACKGROUND AND FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an arrow rest for securement to a side wall of a window of an archery bow. More particularly, the invention is directed to an arrow rest assembly which is fastened to the bow window side wall in a manner such that the arrow rest may be slidably positionable against or spaced from the side wall, and is also rotatable in a vertical plane to assume a selectable angle or pitch, in which attitude the assembly may then be firmly and simply locked. 
     Arrow rests of the prior art have taken both simple as well as relatively complex forms. The structural materials adopted have also varied greatly. The art is replete with diverse designs of combination arrow rests and side designs of combination arrow rests and side supports. Relatively simple yet highly effective structures are described in C. Saunders U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,699 and in C. Saunders U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,007. The entire disclosure of these patents is hereby specifically incorporated herein by reference, to the extent not inconsistent herewith. 
     Many of the combination arrow rests and side support arrow rests of the prior art lack versatility or practical repositioning capability for accommodating the particular archer, or for adapting the arrow rest to the unique characteristics of a specific fletched arrow shaft. Many rely on fixed settings which can be varied or modified only with considerable inconvenience or difficulty. Few lend themselves to simple adjustments in lateral positioning and/or annular orientation. For the most part it becomes almost only fortuitous if a given arrow rest proves more than merely acceptable to a particular user. Adjustments to improve the operation or to adapt the arrow rest to individual archer&#39;s requirements have usually been difficult or even impossible. As a result, archers have often felt constrained to &#34;settle for&#34; or use arrow rests which do not ensure to them optimum results. 
     It is, therefore, a principal aim of the present invention to provide a combination arrow rest and side support assembly which may be readily and simply mounted in selectable spacing from the side of the window wall and which may also be rotated to assume a preferred angular mode. Additionally the arrow rest of the present invention is characterized in that the arrow rest and arrow shaft guide are responsive to forces impressed thereagainst by the arrow shaft on its release from the bow to swing toward the window wall to minimize interference with the arrow feathers or flutings. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention constitutes, in combination, an arrow rest and side support with a bow-mounted support plate. The support plate is shiftable and selectively positionable outwardly from a window wall of the bow to which the plate is fastened. The support plate is also pivotally adjustable in a plane paralleling the bow window side wall. The arrangement described lends multiple degrees of freedom to the fine positioning and to the angular orientation of the arrow rest itself. 
     The combination arrow rest and side support is carried on a vertically extending rod which is sleeved in a tubular bushing carried by the mounting plate so that the rest and side support are pivotal in a horizontal arc. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention the element in which the arrow shaft rests is bent upon itself to define a loop which lies in a vertical plane. 
     A related feature of the invention is that the arrow side support or abutment post is mounted on the arrow rest and is positionable therealong. The assembly is provided with a locking device for firmly securing the post in any preferred position along the length of the arrow rest. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention the mounting plate of the assembly is carried on and secured to an elongate post which is slidably sleeved within a through axial bore in a threaded shaft, the latter being in turn fastened in the window wall of the bow and extending normally thereof. 
     A related feature of the invention is that the assembly-carrying post may be locked against both axial thrust and sliding movement within, and also against rotational displacement with respect to the bored and threaded bow-mounted shaft. 
     It is an important structural feature of the arrow rest that it is biased to a stand-by or ready position by means of a spring which bears upon a cam carried on a pivotable rod which supports the arrow rest on a mounting plate. The plate is fastened, in turn, to the wall of the window of the bow. 
     A related feature of the invention is that the arrow rest, with the side support, is momentarily displaced toward the wall of the bow window as a result of frictional forces impressed by the arrow shaft when the shaft is propelled from the bow. 
     The arrow rest assembly of the present invention is further characterized in that rotational force impressed by a biasing spring acting on an arrow rest supporting rod acts effectively to return the rest to a ready or stand-by mode once the arrow shaft has left the bow. 
     One preferred embodiment of the invention features a band or single-leaf type flat spring which bears upon a rest-carried, rod-mounted cam to bias the arrow rest and side support to a stand-by position, prior to flight release of the arrow shaft from the bow. 
     A related feature of the invention is that bowstring-impelled travel of the arrow shaft along and in contact with the arrow rest and side support of the assembly acts through a cam to impress distortion forces on a spring which stresses the arrow rest and side support. 
     In accordance with the practice of the present invention spring-generated bias forces may be varied by adjusting the orientation and/or the spacial contour of a spring-engaged cam carried by the arrow rest assembly. 
     In one embodiment of the invention the cam form permits the arrow shaft engaging components to assume two different stable modes including a ready mode and a mode in which the assembly is displaced toward the side wall of the bow window. 
     In another embodiment of the invention the mounting plate is attached to a post secured, in turn, to the window side wall of the bow. 
     Yet another feature of the arrow rest of the invention is that it may be secured in place by means of double-faced adhesive tape, or in any other preferred manner. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective fragmentary view of a center portion of a bow showing a cam-controlled swinger arrow rest assembly, according to the present invention, mounted in the window zone of an archery bow, with an arrow shaft supported and in place; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view depicting the several principal mechanical elements of the arrow rest and side support of the invention, and the manner of assembly; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view, partly broken away, of the assembly of FIG. 1, with the arrow in a rest position; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially on the lines 4--4 of FIG. 1 and showing the disposition of the arrow support arm, the rod and cam attached thereto, and the biasing spring as fastened to the support plate of the assembly; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the lines 5--5 of FIG. 1 and indicating schematically the initiation of the pivotal displacement of one embodiment of the cam of the assembly acting resiliently against the stressing biasing spring and momentarily distorting the latter; 
     FIG. 6 is sectional view taken substantially on the lines 6--6 of FIG. 1 and showing the arrow-shaft-engaging side bar of the assembly and indicating the mode of attachment to and sliding abutment on the arrow shaft support arm; 
     FIG. 7 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 6, but depicting a modified embodiment of the spring-engaging cam, the cam and spring being shown as they appear when the arrow is at a &#34;rest&#34; position, with a first facet face of the cam in abutment against the spring; and 
     FIG. 8 is a view showing schematically the structure of FIG. 7 with the cam of FIG. 7 in a second &#34;stable&#34; position assumed when the side bar support has been forcibly laterally displaced by the arrow shaft. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT 
     The aims and objects of the invention are accomplished by providing, for archery use, a plate-mounted combination generally horizontal arrow rest support arm and a shaft-abutting, vertical side support or leg. The arm and leg assembly is pivotally secured to a sleeved shaft journaled for articulation arcuately against the bias of a spring mounted on a plate which is in turn fastened to the archery bow at a side window wall thereof. The plate is, in turn, mounted for selective adjustable positioning either against or displaced laterally from the bow sidewall. Additionally, the assembly mounting plate may be rotated in an arc defining a vertical plane which generally parallels the window wall of the archery bow, thus ensuring several degrees of freedom of adjustment for the entire arrow rest and support assembly. 
     An important feature of the arrow rest of the invention is the provision of a cam and spring arranged to bias the arrow-shaft-abutting side support or leg to hold the arrow shaft in an at rest or ready mode. Lateral forces derived from lateral shifting of the arrow shaft during its release from the bow act upon the side support to displace the latter toward the window wall of the archery bow. Concurrently, the sleeved support shaft of the arrow rest rotates, and a cam mounted and fixed on the rod or shaft stresses resiliently against the plate-mounted spring. Upon flight release of the arrow shaft from the bow, the spring pressure stressing the cam is effective to return the arrow rest and support assembly to its stand-by mode. 
     In a second embodiment of the invention the cam is contoured to define two distinct stable or &#34;at rest&#34; facets or faces. In this arrangement the arrow rest and support assembly assumes a second stable rest position when shifted arcuately by the arrow shaft and against the pressure of the cam-engaging spring. The assembly may then be &#34;reset&#34; manually to a &#34;ready&#34; or stand by mode. 
     Referring now to the drawings, for purposes of disclosure, and not in any limiting sense, one preferred embodiment of the combination arrow rest and arrow shaft support and guide assembly 20 of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, secured in a window zone 24 of an archery bow 30, to the sidewall 32 thereof. A mounting plate 36 of the assembly 20 is preferably of a unitary construction and includes a body section 40 joined to a generally rearwardly extending arm 42 integrally joined at an end 46 thereof through an offset flange 50 to an inwardly-displaced second plate-like section 52. 
     A bolt 56 having a shaft 58, and an enlarged head 60 secured in the body 40 of the plate 36, extends through a cooperating through bore 62 in the window wall 32 of the bow 30. A locking nut assembly 66 secures the shaft 56 in selectable positions, laterally and rotationally, in a manner such as is described in detail in Saunders patent application Ser. No. 07/710,463, filed Jun. 5, 1991 and allowed Feb. 13, 1992. The entire disclosure of that patent application is hereby specifically incorporated herein by reference, to the extent it is not inconsistent herewith. The plate-like section 52 of the mounting plate 36 carries a bushing 70. In the particular embodiment of the invention shown, the bushing 70 is unitary with the plate 36 itself, constituting a tubular end section of the plate. The same marginal portion 52 of the mounting plate 36 is also formed, in an area immediately above an upper end 72 of the bushing 70, with a cut-away zone 76. A band-like leaf spring 80 is secured to the plate 52 by means of an adhesive, by riveting, or other suitable techniques, to be second plate-like section 52 to extend into the cut-away zone 76, as shown in FIG. 2. 
     Referring further to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the arrow rest and guide assembly 20 includes a slide bar structure 84 on which an arrow shaft 88 is slidably supported. In the embodiment of the invention depicted, the structure 84 includes a lower arm 90 extending generally horizontally and integrally joined at one end to an upwardly-directed shaft 94. At its opposite end 96 the arm 90 is bent upwardly and reversely upon itself to form an upper arm 100 which overlies the lower arm 90 and is disposed generally parallel thereto. 
     Mounted on and slidably positionable along the trombone-like upper and lower arms 100 and 90 of the arrow rest assembly is an upward extending leg 104 against which the arrow shaft 88 bears upon being shot from the bow 30. The leg 104 is formed at a mid-region thereof with a through diametric bore 106 through which the upper arrow support arm 100 passes. At its lower extremity the leg 104 is formed with a downwardly opening groove 110 which embracingly receives the lower arm 90 of the slide bar structure and slides therealong as the leg 104 is moved to a desired location along the lineal expanse of the upper arm 100. The leg 104 is readily adjustably positionable. 
     In the particular embodiment of the invention shown, the upper section 114 of the leg 104 is bored and threaded axially, in communication with the horizontal, diametric bore 106. A set screw, not shown, is advanced through the vertical threads interiorly of the leg 114 to engage the upper arm 100 and lock the leg 104 in selectable locations along the arm 100. 
     As indicated schematically in FIG. 2, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the shaft 94 of the arrow support bar assembly 84 is sleevedly received within and projects upwardly through the bushing 70 of the plate 52. Mounted on the shaft 94 in a lineal zone thereof coinciding with the cut-away area 76 of the plate 52 is a cam 118. As shown in FIG. 4, a flat face 120 of the cam 118 is in substantially contiguous contact with an offset extension 124 of the spring blade 80. A set screw 126 holds the cam 118 fixed on the shaft 94. 
     When an arrow is shot from the bow 30 the arrow shaft 100 bears laterally against the leg 104 and causes the arrow rest arm 90 to pivot clockwise, as indicated in FIG. 5. At the same time, the cam 118 moves through an arc so that a forward end portion or tip 130 of the cam 118 bears against and forcibly yet resiliently displaces or deforms the extending leaf 124 of the z-shaped spring. When the arrow has left the bow, the bias force of spring leaf 124 returns the cam and the cam and the arm 124 connected thereto to its resting, dormant, or stand-by mode. 
     A second embodiment of the camming mechanism is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The cam 118a there depicted is formed with two separate angled flat faces 120a and 120b. Each represents a stable, rest position. FIG. 7 shows the physical configuration which exists when the arrow shaft is ready for release. During propulsion of the arrow in flight, the shaft 88 bears against the leg 104 pivoting the cam clockwise and temporarily distorting the spring leaf 124 as the apex 134 pivots about the shaft 94, as indicated in FIG. 8. The cam face 120b comes to rest against the spring blade 124, and the assembly is again stable, with the arms 100 and 90 and leg 104 assembly displaced toward the side wall 82 of the bow window. It is necessary merely manually forcibly to pivot the assembly to cause it to assume its initial mode, pictured in FIG. 7. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, details and arrangement of the various elements of the invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. It is, therefore, intended to include within the appended claims all such variations and modifications.