Abstract:
An arrow rest that is rotated out of the flight path of an arrow when the arrow is shot. Rotating the arrow rest out of the flight path prevents disruption to the accuracy and speed of the arrow.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to an arrow rest for a bow or other similar type of weapon or equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fall away arrow rest. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Arrow rests are attached to bows to provide a surface to support an arrow during loading, drawing and shooting of the arrow. Arrow rests are often attached to a bow above the bow shelf and grip. Some arrow rests also allow for vertical and/or horizontal adjustment of the arrow rest. 
     There are generally two types of arrow rests, namely stationary arrow rests and fall away arrow rests. Stationary arrow rests do not move after they are attached to the bow and adjusted for accuracy. As the bowstring is drawn and released, the arrow will move away from the bow and through or across the stationary arrow rest. Arrows typically have fletching around the rear of the arrow shaft, or end opposite the arrow head, to help make the flight of the arrow more stable and accurate. As the fletching reaches the stationary arrow rest, the fletching may contact a part of the stationary arrow rest which can affect the accuracy and speed of the arrow. 
     Another type of arrow rest is called a fall away arrow rest. Fall away arrow rests can often be attached to the bow and adjusted much like stationary arrow rests. However, the part(s) of the fall away arrow rest supporting the arrow is moved away from the flight path of the arrow when the bowstring is released to ensure that neither the arrow nor the fletching contacts the arrow rest. 
     One example of a fall away arrow rest is the Medusa Max arrow rest made by Bowfinger Archery, Inc., which is shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . The arrow rest  10  seen in  FIGS. 1-3  includes an enclosure  12  that rotatably supports a rod  14 . One end of the rod  14  is attached to a launcher  16 . The other end of the rod  14  is rotatably supported by the enclosure  12  and is attached to an activator  18 . The activator  18  is located in a cavity  20  of the enclosure. A housing cap (now shown) encloses the cavity and has a hole for the rod  14 , such that a portion the end of the rod extends out of the housing cap. A wheel (not shown) is attached to the end of the rod  14 . A cord (not shown) is attached to the wheel at one end and to the bowstring (not shown) at the second end. When the bowstring (not shown) is drawn, e.g. to shoot an arrow, the bowstring will pull the cord which in turn will rotate the wheel and, thereby, the rod  14 . Rotation of the rod  14  will cause rotation of the launcher  16 . 
     An arrow can be loaded on the launcher  16  when the launcher is in the lowered position, as seen in  FIG. 1 . The launcher  16  may then be moved to the upright position, as seen in  FIG. 2  or the arrow may be loaded after the launcher is in the upright position. The launcher  16  can be moved from the lowered position to the upright position by drawing the bowstring (not shown), manually moving the launcher or manually rotating the wheel. 
     Wrapped around the rod  14  is a torsion spring  22 . A first end  24  of the spring  22  is located and held by a slot  26  in the projection  28  of the activator  18 . A second end  30  of the spring  36  is held by a slot (now shown) in the cover (not shown) that encloses the cavity  20 . The spring  22  urges the activator to rotate clockwise (when describing direction, the direction described is in relation to the view of the referenced drawing(s)) and, thereby, the launcher  16  towards the rest position. 
     The launcher  16  is selectively held in the ready position in part by the activator  18  and a latch  32 . One end of the latch  32  is pivotally attached to the enclosure  12  in the cavity  20 . The bottom surface of the latch  32  includes a first arcuate surface  34  and a second arcuate surface  36  separated by a protrusion  38 . The activator  18  includes a projection  28  and a shelf  40 . The shelf  40  only extends part way up the activator  18  such that the activator can rotate about the rod  14  without interfering with the latch  32 . 
     A pin  42  extends from the shelf  40  of the activator  18 . When the launcher  16  is in the rest position, as seen in  FIG. 1 , the pin  34  does not engage the latch  32  and the latch rests against a part of the enclosure  12 . As the activator  18  is rotated counterclockwise, to move the launcher  16  from the rest position to the ready position, the pin  42  engages the first arcuate surface  34 . 
     Continued rotation of the activator  18 , against the urging of the spring  22 , will cause the pin  42  to engage the second arcuate surface  36 . Once the force causing the counterclockwise rotation of the activator  18  is released, the pin  42  will be held by the protrusion  38  against the urging of the spring  22 , to hold the launcher  16  in the ready position as seen in  FIG. 2 . 
     When the bow (not shown) is drawn, by pulling on the bowstring (not shown), a cord (not shown) connected to the bowstring and wheel (not shown) will rotate the wheel counterclockwise. Because the wheel is attached to the rod  14 , rotation of the wheel will cause rotation of the rod. Rotation of the rod  14  will cause rotation of the activator  18  until the projection  28  of the activator contacts the end of the latch  32 . As seen in  FIG. 3 , the shape of the projection  28  and end of the latch  32  are such that when they are in contact the latch is raised off of the pin  42 . 
     The torque from the spring  22  is such that when the bowstring (not shown) is released, the spring will cause the activator  18 , and shelf  40  with pin  42 , to rotate clockwise faster than gravity will cause the latch  32  to fall. Therefore, the pin  42  will not be caught by the second arcuate surface  36  or the protrusion  38  and the launcher  16  will be returned to the rest position before the fletching of the arrow has passed through the area of the arrow rest. This provides a clear path for the arrow. 
     The cavity  20  also includes a rubber pad  44  to stop the rotation of the activator  18  when the launcher  16  is being moved to the rest position by the spring  22 . 
     Another example of a fall away arrow rest is the DOA arrow rest made by Arizona Archery Enterprises, Inc., which is shown in  FIGS. 4-7 . The arrow rest  46  seen in  FIGS. 4-7  includes an enclosure  48  that rotatably supports a rod  50 . One end of the rod  50  is rotatably attached to and extends through a cavity  52  in the enclosure  48 . 
     A housing cap (not shown) encloses the cavity  52  and has a hole for the rod  50 , such that the end of the rod extends out of the housing cap. The end of the rod  50  that extends from the housing cap is attached to a launcher  54 . Rotation of the launcher  54  will cause rotation of the rod  50 . 
     An arrow can be loaded on the launcher  54  when the launcher is in the horizontal or rest position, as seen in  FIG. 4 , and then moved to the ready position, as seen in  FIGS. 5-6 . The launcher  54  is moved from the rest position to the ready position by pushing down on the thumb latch  56  on the launcher  54 . 
     An activator  58  is attached to the rod  50  in the cavity  52  of the enclosure  48 . A spring  60  is located between the activator  58  and the enclosure  48 . A first end  62  of the spring  60  is secured to the enclosure  48 . A second end  64  of the spring  60  is secured to the activator  58 , such that the activator is urged in a counterclockwise direction. A rubber pad  66  is held in a shelf  68  of the cavity  52  such that when the launcher  54  is in the rest position, as seen in  FIG. 4 , the activator  58  rests against the rubber pad. 
     A latch  70  is pivotally attached to a wall of the cavity  52 . A spring  72  urges the latch  70  into contact with the activator  58 . When the activator  58  is rotated clockwise, against the force of the spring  60 , the oblong shape of the activator pushes the latch  70  away compressing the spring  72 . When the activator  58  is rotated such that the flat end  74  of the activator reaches a notch  76  in the latch  70 , the flat end will engage the notch. Because the spring  60  is urging the activator  58  in a counterclockwise direction, the activator  58  is held by the notch  76 . Thereby, the rod and launcher  54  are held in the ready position as seen in  FIG. 5 . 
     The activator  58  does not extend beyond the plane of the shelf  68  in the cavity  52  so as not to interfere with the hammer  78 , seen in  FIGS. 6-7 , when the activator rotates. The hammer  78  is pivotally attached to the shelf  68  of the cavity  52  by a rod  80 . A spring  82  is located between the hammer  78  and the shelf  68 . A first end  84  of the spring is secured in a hole of the shelf  68 . A second end  86  of the spring  82  is located in a hole in the hammer  78  such that the hammer is urged towards the latch  70 . Latch  70  is long enough to engage the activator  58  and be engaged by the hammer  78 , but the hammer and activator cannot directly contact each other. 
     The rod  80  extends through the enclosure  48 . A wheel (not shown) is attached to the rod  80  extending out of the enclosure  48 . A cord (not shown) is attached to the wheel at one end and to the bowstring (not shown) at the second end. When the bowstring is drawn, e.g. to shoot an arrow, the bowstring will pull the cord which in turn will rotate the wheel and, thereby, the rod  80 , clockwise. Rotation of the rod  80  will cause rotation of the hammer  78  away from the latch  70  as seen in  FIG. 6 . 
     When the bowstring is released, a cord will release its pull on the wheel and thereby the rod  80 . The release of the rod  80  will allow the spring  82  to rotate the hammer  78  towards and into the latch  70 . The impact will cause the latch  70  to be pushed down and compress the spring  72 . The movement of the latch  70  frees the flat side  74  of the activator  58  from the notch  76  as seen in  FIG. 7 . This will allow the spring  60  to rotate the activator  58  back towards the rubber pad  66 . Because the spring  60  is stronger than the spring  72 , the flat side of the activator  58  will rotate past the notch  76  before the latch  70  contacts the activator  58  again. The launcher  54  will therefore, be returned to the rest position before the fletching of the arrow has passed through the area of the arrow rest. This provides a clear path for the arrow. 
     Other examples of a fall away arrow rest can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,701,643 and 6,789,536. 
     However, such fall away arrow rests suffer from many disadvantages. For example, the above fall away arrow rests are not optimized and require many parts, which increases the cost of the arrow rest due to the cost of the many parts and increased labor costs to install all of the parts. The additional number of parts also increases the risk of malfunction. 
     Some of the arrow rests, e.g. DOA, make loud clicking noise when moved to the ready position and/or when an arrow is shot and the rest is moved to the rest position. Such noise can scare away prey during hunting. Some arrow rests, rely on gravity, e.g. Medusa Max, and if the bow is not held upright, for example to avoid an obstacle during hunting, or if moisture or debris enter the cavity, the arrow rest may not function correctly. 
     It will be understood by those skilled in the art that one or more aspects of the foregoing invention can meet certain objectives, while one or more other aspects can lead to certain other objectives. Other objects, features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in the descriptions of the disclosed embodiments, and will be readily apparent hereinafter to those skilled in the art. Such objects, features, benefits and advantages will be apparent from the above as taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures and all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view of a prior art arrow rest in the rest position with the cover removed. 
         FIG. 2  is an elevation view of the prior art arrow rest of  FIG. 1  in the ready position with the cover removed. 
         FIG. 3  is an elevation view of the prior art arrow rest of  FIG. 1  in the drawn position with the cover removed. 
         FIG. 4  is an elevation view of another prior art arrow rest in the rest position with the cover and hammer removed. 
         FIG. 5  is an elevation view of the prior art arrow rest of  FIG. 4  in the ready position with the cover and hammer removed. 
         FIG. 6  is an elevation view of the prior art arrow rest of  FIG. 4  in the drawn position with the cover removed. 
         FIG. 7  is an elevation view of the prior art arrow rest of  FIG. 4  immediately after the bowstring is released with the cover removed. 
         FIG. 8  is a side elevation view of the arrow rest in accordance with the present invention attached to a bow. 
         FIG. 9  is a side elevation view of the arrow rest in the down position. 
         FIG. 10  is a front elevation view of the arrow rest of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a rear elevation view of the arrow rest of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 12  is another side elevation view of the arrow rest of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 13  is a front elevation view of the arrow rest of  FIG. 9  in the partially up position. 
         FIG. 14  is a rear elevation view of the arrow rest of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 15  is a side elevation view of the arrow rest of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 16  is another side elevation view of the arrow rest of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 17  is a front elevation view of an alternative embodiment of an arrow rest in the down position. 
         FIG. 18  is a front elevation view of the arrow rest of  FIG. 17  in the partially up position. 
         FIG. 19  is a side elevation view of the arrow rest of  FIG. 17  in the partially up position with a fastener removed from the knob. 
         FIG. 20  is a side elevation view of the arrow rest of  FIG. 9  with the knob and cover removed and in the down position. 
         FIG. 21  is a side elevation view of the arrow rest of  FIG. 20  with the knob and cover removed and in the partially up position. 
         FIG. 22  is a side elevation view of the arrow rest of  FIG. 20  with the knob and cover removed and in the up position. 
         FIG. 23  is an elevation view of the inside of a cover. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The arrow rest  88 , as seen in  FIGS. 8-11 , includes a frame  90  for attaching the arrow rest to a bow (B). For example, the frame  90  may include a slot  92 . The slot  92  is sized to receive fastener that extends through the slot and into an opening in the bow (B) to attach the arrow rest  88  to the bow. The slot  92  allows the arrow rest  88  to be adjusted along the length of the slot. Other means are known in the art for attaching an arrow rest to a bow, the use of which would not defeat the spirit of the invention. 
     The arrow rest  88  also includes means for adjusting the arrow rest vertically  94  and means for adjusting the arrow rest horizontally  96 . For example, the means for adjusting the arrow rest vertically  94 , as seen in one embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 , includes a fixed frame member  98 , a movable frame member  100  and a fastener  102 . The fixed frame member  98  includes a threaded hole (not shown). The fastener  102  extends through a slot  104  in the movable frame member  100  and into the threaded hole. The slot  104  is sized such that the shank of the fastener  100  may extend through, but the head is prevented from passing through the slot. 
     As seen in  FIG. 10 , the movable frame member  100  includes a tongue  106  that resides in a groove (not shown) in the fixed frame member  98 . When the fastener  102  is loosened, the movable frame member  100  may move along the groove in the fixed frame member  98  to allow the arrow rest  88  to be adjusted. When the desired position of the arrow rest is obtained, the fastener  102  can be tightened, clamping the fixed frame member  98  to the movable frame member  100 . Although a tongue and groove relationship is shown, other means for adjusting an arrow rest vertically and horizontally are known in the art, e.g. a gear and pinion, the use of which would not defeat the spirit of the invention. A similar structural relationship is provided for the means for adjusting the arrow rest horizontally  96 . 
     The frame  90  of arrow rest, as seen in  FIGS. 10-11 , includes a housing  108  that rotatably supports a shaft  110 . An arrow support member  112  is attached to a first end of the shaft  110 . A second end of the shaft  110  is attached to a knob  114 . In the embodiment seen in  FIG. 9 , a threaded insert  116  is screwed into a threaded bore in the knob  114  to attach the knob to the shaft  110 . The portion of the shaft  110  that receives the knob  114  may have a blind bore (not shown) to receive the threaded insert to more securely attach the knob to the shaft. 
     As seen in  FIG. 9 , the knob  114  has a passage  118  for attaching a cord  120  to the arrow rest. One end of the cord  120  is inserted through the passage  118 . The passage  118  goes through an opening for a fastener  121  in the knob  114 . The shaft of the fastener  121  includes a flat side  122  such that when the fastener is rotated so that the flat side is aligned with the passage  118 , the passage is uninterrupted and the card  120  may pass there-through. Once the cord  120  is in the passage  118 , the fastener  121  can be rotated so that the flat end  122  is not aligned with the passage to pinch and hold the cord to the knob  114 . 
     Although in one embodiment, the cord  120  is attached to the arrow rest  88  by the shaft of the fastener  121 , other means for attaching a cord to an arrow rest are known in the industry, the use of which would not defeat the spirit of the invention. For example, as seen in  FIG. 19 , the knob  114  includes an opening  125  for the fastener  121  such that the fastener is countersunk in the knob when tightened. The passage  118  passes through the opening  125  such that part of the cord  120  is exposed in the opening. 
     When a fastener  121 , or fastener with a washer, is placed in the opening  125  and tightened, the head of the fastener, or washer, will secured the cord  120  to the knob  114 . By way of another example, the cord  120  can be held to the knob  114  by an enlarged end  123  which can be added to the cord to prevent the cord from being pulled through the passage as seen in  FIG. 9 . There are many ways of adding an enlarged end to a cord, e.g. a knot, nut, washer, cable ends, etc., the use of which would not defeat the spirit of the invention. The other or second end of the cord  120  is attached to the bowstring (BS) of a bow (B), as seen in  FIG. 8 , such that when the bowstring is drawn, the cord will be pulled away from the arrow rest thereby rotating the knob  114 . 
     In embodiment seen in  FIGS. 9-12 , the arrow support member  112  has a base  124  with a groove  126  with two holes  128  in the groove. The portion of the shaft  110  attached to the arrow support member  112  has a flat side  130  with a plurality of holes  132 . The flat side  130  of the shaft  110  is set in the groove  126  of the arrow support member  112 . The two holes  128  of the arrow support member  112  are matched up with two of the plurality of holes  132  in the shaft  110  and a fastener is inserted into the holes  128 ,  132  to attach the shaft  110  to the arrow support member  112 . The plurality of holes  132  in the shaft  110  allow further adjustment of the arrow rest  88 . There are other means for allowing adjustment to the arrow support member know in the art, e.g. providing a bore in the knob  114  such that the shaft  110  can be adjusted through the bore, the use of which would not defeat the spirit of the invention. 
     Extending from the base  124  of the arrow support member  112  is a pair of upright arms or extensions  134 . In the embodiment seen in  FIGS. 9-12 , the arms  134  are spaced closer together at the base  134  than at their opposite ends. This spacing makes it easier to load an arrow shaft between the arms  134  at the top while at the same time providing less play between the arrow shaft and the arms when the arrow shaft is seated lower in the arrow support member  112 . 
     As seen in  FIGS. 9-12 , the arrow support member also has a roller  136  extending between and rotatably connected to the arms  134 . The roller  136  helps reduce friction when the arrow is released because the roller  136  will rotate during the short period of time the arrow support member  112  is in contact with the arrow shaft before the arrow support member rotates out of contact as will be discussed further below. 
     The arrow support member  112  is generally movable to and between three positions, namely, a down position, as seen in  FIGS. 9-12 , a partially up position, as seen in  FIGS. 13-16 , and an up position as seen in  FIG. 22 , although any number of positions could be used, e.g. just a down and up position, without defeating the spirit of the invention. 
     The arrow support member  112  can be rotated from the down position to the partially up position in a number of ways. One way to move the arrow support member  112  is by drawing the bowstring, e.g. to shoot an arrow. This will pull the cord  120  which in turn will rotate the knob  114 . The knob  114  will rotate the shaft  110 , which will rotate the arrow support member  112 . Another way to move the arrow support member  112  is by manually rotating the arrow support member  112  or the knob  114 . In one embodiment seen in  FIGS. 9-12 , the knob includes a thumb lever  138 . 
     In another embodiment seen in  FIGS. 17-19 , the shaft  110  includes a thumb lever  140 . The thumb lever  140  could be directly attached to the shaft  110  or could be attached, or integrally formed with, the base  124  of the arrow support member  112 . Having a way to rotate the arrow support member  112  with the thumb of the hand the user is using to hold the bow can be advantageous. Therefore, placing a thumb lever, for example, within reach of a user&#39;s thumb is a desired feature. 
     As seen in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 10-12 , the diameter of the roller  136  is slightly larger than the thickness of the arms  134 . The larger diameter of the roller  136  helps hold an arrow shaft within the arrow support member  112  when in the down position and while being moved to the partially up position. 
     In another embodiment seen in  FIGS. 17-18 , the arrow support member  112  includes a groove  143  in the base  124  of the arrow support member. The groove  143  helps hold an arrow shaft within the arrow support member  112  when in the down position and while being moved to the partially up position. 
     When in the partially up position, a bar  142  extends generally over the open end of the arrow support member  112  to prevent the arrow shaft from falling out of the arrow support member, e.g. if a branch hits the loaded arrow while changing positions during hunting. 
     The housing  108  includes a chamber  144  as seen in  FIGS. 20-22 . A removable cover  146  encloses or covers the chamber  144  and provides selective access to the chamber when desired. For example, the cover  146  as seen in  FIG. 23  has bores  148  sized to allow fasteners can be inserted at least partially through the bores and into threaded holes  150  in the housing  108  to attach the cover over the chamber  144  and to the housing  108 . The cover may also have blind bores  152  that are sized and shaped to receive pins  154  on the housing  108  to help properly orient the cover  146  when attaching it to the housing. The pins  154  also help prevent any play in the cover  146  due to tolerances in, for example, the threaded holes  150  and bores  148  for the fasteners and to prevent wear of the same. Other means are known in the art to attach a cover to a housing, e.g. threading the cover on the housing, the use of which would not defeat the spirit of the invention. 
     A portion of the shaft  110  extends through in the chamber  144 . A cam or rotor  156  is attached to the portion of the shaft  110  in the chamber  144  by, for example, a pin (not shown) that extends through the cam and into a blind bore (not shown) in the shaft. Other means are known for attaching a cam to a shaft, e.g. gluing, integrally forming, etc., the use of which would not defeat the spirit of the invention. 
     A biasing member  158  is located on the shaft  110 . The biasing member  158  is shown in  FIGS. 20-22  as a torsion spring, but could include other types of springs, e.g. mechanical or pneumatic, shocks, dampers or elastic or compressible members known in the industry, the use of which would not defeat the spirit of the invention. A first or cam end (not shown) of the biasing member  158  is attached to the cam  156 . For example, the cam end of the biasing member  158  can be held or retained in a bore (not shown) of the cam  156 . A second or stationary end  160  of the biasing member  158  is attached to the arrow rest  88  such that the stationary end does not move with respect to rotation of the cam  156 . 
     In one embodiment seen in  FIG. 23 , the cover  146  includes a recess  162  to accommodate the biasing member  158  when the cover is attached to the housing  108 . The cover  146  can also include a slot  164  to hold the stationary end  160  of the biasing member  158 . In the embodiment seen in  FIG. 23 , the cover is rotated such that the slot  164  is lined up with the stationary end  160  of the un-torqued biasing member  158  (as seen in  FIG. 20 ). In this position the cover will not be correctly lined up with the housing  108 . Then, with the stationary end  160  of the biasing member  158  in the slot  164  of the cover  146 , the cover is rotated to the correct orientation such that the pins  154  are received in the blind bores  152 . Screws are inserted in bores  148  of the cover  146  and bores  150  in the housing  158  to secure the cover to the housing. When secured, the biasing member  158  will be torqued and urging the shaft  110  clockwise (as seen in  FIGS. 20-22 ) and, thereby, the arrow support member  112  towards the down position. 
     A bar or finger  166  is pivotally attached to a wall of the chamber  144 . One end of the finger  166  is urged into contact with the cam  156  by a compressible member  168  located between the wall of the chamber and the finger  166 . The compressible member  168  is shown in  FIGS. 20-22  as a compression spring, but could include other types of springs, e.g. mechanical or pneumatic, shocks, dampers or elastic or compressible members known in the industry, the use of which would not defeat the spirit of the invention. 
     The exterior profile of the cam  156  includes a notch or indent  170 . As the shaft  110  is rotated counterclockwise, and the cam  156  thereby, against the urging of the biasing member  158 , towards the partially up position, the finger  166  rides against the exterior of the cam  156  as seen in  FIG. 20 . When the cam  156  is rotated such that the finger  166  reaches the notch  170 , the compressible member  168  will push the finger into the notch as seen in  FIG. 21  such that the finger engages the notch. Because the biasing member  158  is urging the cam  156  clockwise, the finger  166  will selectively hold the cam and the arrow support member  112  in place. In this shaft  110  and cam  156  orientation, the arrow support member  112  is in the partially up position. 
     When the bowstring is drawn, the cord  120  will be pulled in direction “d” as seen in  FIG. 16 . The cord  120  will in turn cause the knob or lever  114  to rotate counterclockwise. The rotating of the knob  114  will cause rotation of the shaft  110 . Rotation of the shaft  110  will cause rotation of the cam  156  and arrow support member  112  in a counterclockwise direction as seen by comparing  FIGS. 20-22 . Rotation of the cam  156  will cause a projection  172  of the cam  156  to contact the finger  166 , pushing the finger out of the notch  170  against the urging of the compressible member  168 , as seen in  FIG. 22 , thereby disengaging the finger from the notch. The knob  114 , shaft  110 , cam  156  and arrow support member  112  will be prevented from turning any further, when the projection  172  pushes the finger  166  into contact with a wall of the chamber  144 . In this shaft  110  and cam  156  orientation, the arrow support member  112  is in the up position. 
     When the bowstring is released, the tension on the cord  120  will be released, which will in turn allow the biasing member  158  to rotate the cam  156  clockwise towards the down position. In the embodiment seen in  FIGS. 20-22 , the biasing member  158  is strong enough to rotate the cam  156  clockwise such that the notch  170  passes the finger  166  before the compressible member  168  urges the finger back into contact with the cam thereby returning the arrow support member  112  to the down position. This provides a clear path for the arrow and fletching. 
     If, however, the bowstring is drawn and the arrow support member  16  is rotated to the up position, but the bowstring is not released and is instead returned in a controlled manner to the undrawn position, the arrow support member will return to the partially up position. The controlled return of the bowstring from the drawn to the undrawn position will counteract the urging of the biasing member  158  and allow the compressible member  168  to push the finger  166  into the notch  170  of the cam  156 . 
     The arrow rest  88  also includes a deceleration mechanism. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 20-22 , the decelerations mechanism includes a pair of bumpers or rubber bushings  174  attached to a wall of the chamber  144 . As the biasing member  158  is rotating the cam  156 , which is shown in one embodiment as having an oblong profile, towards the down position, an extension  176  of the cam will contact the first bumper  174 . The force of the biasing member  158  and momentum caused by the rotation of the cam  156  will cause the extension  176  to compress and slide past the first bumper, while decelerating or slowing the rotation of the cam. The cam  156  will continue rotation until the extension  176  contacts the second bumper  174  wherein the first and second bumpers will then cooperate to selectively hold the extension there-between and the cam  156 , shaft  110  and arrow support member  112  in the down position as seen in  FIG. 20 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 20-22 , the bumpers  174  are made from rubber, e.g. rubber washers, rubber sleeves, etc., and also help prevent the cam from making a loud noise when being rapidly returned from the up position to the down position. 
     Although the invention has been herein described in what is perceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments set forth above. Rather, it is recognized that modifications may be made by one of skill in the art of the invention without departing from the spirit or intent of the invention and, therefore, the invention is to be taken as including all reasonable equivalents to the subject matter of the appended claims and the description of the invention herein.