Patent Publication Number: US-5423553-A

Title: Fletch check test arrow

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The instant invention relates generally to archery equipment and more specifically it relates to a fletch check test arrow. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Numerous archery equipment have been provided in prior art that are adapted assist people who shoot with bows and arrows at targets. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a fletch check test arrow that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices. 
     Another object is to provide a fletch check test arrow that will instantly show an archer if a fletching will touch an arrow rest and a bow, so that when released would cause the arrow to make a very erratic flight. 
     An additional object is to provide a fletch check test arrow, in which the fletching can be adjusted on a short shaft using a rotatable nock to obtain maximum fletching clearance, so that all subsequent arrows can be manufactured accordingly. 
     A further object is to provide a fletch check test arrow that is simple and easy to use. 
     A still further object is to provide a fletch check test arrow that is economical in cost to manufacture. 
     Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. 
     To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the instant invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a front perspective view taken in the direction of arrow 2 in FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 2A is a front elevational view taken in the direction of arrow 2A in FIG. 2, showing a straight vane fletching. 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view taken in the direction of arrow 3 in FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view taken in the direction of arrow 4 in FIG. 1, showing a right helical vane fletching. 
     FIG. 4A is a rear elevational view similar to FIG. 4, showing a left helical vane fletching. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view with parts broken away and in section as indicated by arrow 5 in FIG. 1, showing the press fit uni-bushing of the rotatable nock assembly. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1 through 5 illustrate a fletch check test arrow 10, comprising a short shaft 12 with a component 14 for blunting a forward end 16 of the short shaft 12. A fletching 18 is affixed about the short shaft 12 near the forward end 16 thereof. A nock 20 is on a rearward end 22 of the short shaft 12. When the nock 20 engages a serving portion of a bowstring, it will instantly show an archer if the fletching 18 is touching a grip portion of a bow having an arrow rest, thereby causing a very erratic flight if released. 
     The short shaft 12 is of a proper length to extend across the distance between the serving portion of the bowstring and the grip portion of the bow having the arrow rest. The fletching 18 will immediately be in position without the archer having to draw back the nock 20 on the bowstring. 
     The blunting component 14 is a plastic cap member 24 having a top surface 26 and a depending side skirt 28, which fits over the forward end 16 of the short shaft 12. The fletching 18 includes three vanes 30 radially attached to the short shaft 12 near the forward end 16 thereof. The nock 20 consists of a head 32 having a longitudinal slot 34 therein, in which the serving portion of the bowstring can enter the slot 34. 
     An assembly 36 between the head 32 of the nock 20 and the rearward end 22 of the short shaft 12, is for axially rotating the short shaft 12 about the head 32 of the nock 20 to obtain maximum clearance of the fletching 18 at the grip portion of the bow having the arrow rest, so that all subsequent standard arrows can be manufactured accordingly. 
     The axially rotating assembly 36 consists of the short shaft 12 being a hollow tube 38. A cylindrical uni-bushing 40 is press fit onto the head 32 of the nock 20. The cylindrical uni-bushing 40 is inserted into the rearward end 22 of the hollow tube 38 of the short shaft 12, to allow the head 32 of the nock 20 to rotate three hundred and sixty degrees in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. 
     The vanes 30 of the fletching 18 can be in a straight formation, as shown in FIGS. 2A, in a right helical formation, shown in FIGS. 4 and in a left helical formation, shown in FIG. 4A. 
     OPERATION OF THE INVENTION 
     To use the fletch check test arrow 10, the following steps should be taken: 
     1. Place the slot 34 in the head 32 of the nock 20 on the serving portion of the bowstring. 
     2. Allow the short shaft 12 to extend across the distance between the serving portion of the bowstring and the grip portion of the bow having the arrow rest. 
     3. Turn the short shaft 12 longitudinally either clockwise or counterclockwise, by rotating the rearward end 22 on the cylindrical uni-bushing 40. 
     4. When the vanes of the fletching 18 are clear and not touching the grip portion of the bow having the arrow rest, the head 32 of the nock 20 is in its proper position with respect to the fletching 18. 
     5. All subsequent standard arrows can now be manufactured accordingly in this fashion. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 
     10 fletch check test arrow 
     12 short shaft 
     14 blunting component 
     16 forward end of 12 
     18 fletching 
     20 nock 
     22 rearward end of 12 
     24 plastic cap member for 14 
     26 top surface of 24 
     28 depending side skirt of 24 
     30 vane of 18 
     32 head of 20 
     34 slot in 32 
     36 axially rotating assembly 
     38 hollow tube for 12 
     40 cylindrical uni-bushing 
     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. 
     While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.