Abstract:
A bow holder and carrier provides an adjustable holster coupled to a support member which can be symmetrically aligned with the center line of the human body that partially encircles and lies against the waist of a user. The adjustable holster is adaptively configured to accommodate differently sized compound bow types by the reconfiguring of adjustable rests, stops, supports and guides mounted within the holster. A slide track assembly provides a means to frictionally insert the adjustable holster onto and to remove the holster from the support member for ease of storage.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Bows are widely known to be used in the practice of hunting and archery, each activity requiring different levels of skill. Along with different skills, the hunter or archer may use bows with different configurations, different sizes and different types altogether depending on the target and on performance sought. Regardless of configuration, size or type, all bows will begin to weigh down its user when carried for a length of time. This affects a user&#39;s stamina making it difficult to carry in a shooting position, and furthermore, will affect the user&#39;s accuracy. To relieve the strain of carrying the bow in the hand some archers sling the bow over their shoulder, however, this method is cumbersome and inconvenient as it takes the bow out of the shooting position. Resting the bow on the ground is also inconvenient because the bow is again out of shooting position and the bow may gather debris picked up from the ground. 
         [0002]    Bow holsters or carriers have come into practice to aid in the carrying of bows in the upright position and off the ground. Such holsters are strapped around the waist and can be configured to carry a bow in different positions or arrangements. Some holsters will receive the lower end to the bow to bear the weight in an upright position. Other holsters latch onto the limb of the bow, where the latch is to one side of the waist of the archer, tucking the bow under one of the archer&#39;s arm and thus out of shooting position. 
         [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,807 (Lyon) discloses a bow holster for compound bows. The bow is secured by a system of straps: one strap connected to the belt of the user, a second strap configured as a holster in which the lower end of the bow may be deposited, and a third strap that wraps around the user&#39;s thigh with a function to hold the holster steady. The bow is supported at its bottom by the holster and, to maintain the bow in the upright position, again in the grip section of the bow by one of the user&#39;s hands. U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,743 (Burton) discloses another bow holster having an interlock system attached so a user&#39;s belt and off to one side of the user. The bow is tucked under one of the user&#39;s arms and out of shooting position. 
         [0004]    Bow holsters in the past have not been able to support the full weight of a bow in the upright position without some aid from a user, nor have they allowed the simultaneous use of either the right or left hand for shooting. Furthermore, bow holsters do not include an adaptability feature in the holster to accommodate the configuration of the bow end of different types, sizes and styles of bows. 
         [0005]    It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a holster for carrying the full weight of a bow while in an upright, shooting position. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bow holster that can be adjusted to receive differently configured bows. 
         [0006]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a bow holster that can be used to shoot with either hand without the need to transfer the holster from one side to the other. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a bow holster that aligns the centerline of a human body with a target. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention is intended to provide a flexible holster or holder for archery bows, where the bow is carried in the upright shooting position and capable of being operated simultaneously by either hand. The bow can be free standing in the upright position without the aid of the user&#39;s hands allowing the user to rest both arms or perform some other task with the user&#39;s hands. In further description, the particular apparatus may be described as a flexible support member for encircling the waist of a user with an adjustable holster or cradle extending therefrom to the front of the user. The support member may be symmetric around the centerline of the human body, or may be offset to the right or the left of the centerline, and the adjustable holster is disposed on the support member, aligned symmetrically with the centerline of the support member. The holster is adjustable to receive differently configured bows having sufficient clearance for compound bows as well as long and other types of bows. 
         [0008]    A waist strap or belt is entwined through the support member and wraps around the waist of the user to secure the support member against the user&#39;s body. The waist strap can be interwoven with belt slots on the support member, affixed by rivets, or by some other means. Another aspect of the invention includes a neck support that may be a strap or a harness that wraps around the back and neck of the user and is attached to the support member through a pair of support slots located on the upper portion of the support member to aid in supporting the weight of the bow and preventing the bow and holster from wobbling. Furthermore, in order to facilitate storing, packing, cleaning and transporting when the holster in not in use, the holster can be removed from the flexible support member and then reattached for subsequent use. 
         [0009]    The holster is adjustable in that a first cylindrical spacing means, such as a pin or threaded bolt, where a front section of the limb of the bow can rest against the support and the first cylindrical spacing means can be set at a plurality of differently spaced positions depending on the size, type or configuration of the bow. The holster also has one or more side supports located on each side of the holster. The side supports abut the lower end of the bow limb, as well as the lower cam of the bow, from both sides, in order to hold the lower end of the bow in place and prevent the bow from shifting within the holster. In addition, the holster slides into mounting slots located within the holster receiving plate that frictionally retains the holster into place. Utilizing both the first cylindrical spacing means and the side supports enables the holster to support the full weight of the bow while retaining the bow in the upright shooting position. 
         [0010]    Within the frictionally mounted holster there are also adjustable vertical bumpers positioned parallel to and equally spaced from the centerline, along the back wall of the holster and extending perpendicularly outward the support member. These vertical bumpers act as buffers for the sides of the cam and provide for a snug fit against the cam so that the cam does not wobble within the holster or slide side to side while providing adequate support to the bow. Furthermore, the side plates may have another corresponding set of holes for accepting a second cylindrical spacing means. The second cylindrical spacing means may be a threaded bolt that can be tightened or loosened to adjust the parallelity and rigidity against movement of the side plates. The second cylindrical spacing means extends between the side support plates, is in a parallel relationship to the support member while being perpendicular to the bow holder, for giving added support and adjustability for retaining the positioning of the bow for quick aiming and shooting. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a front plan view of the bow rest and carrier of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded front view of the holster portion of the present invention demonstrating the slideability of the holster or bow cradle onto the bow support member. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a partial sectional view of the holster portion of the present invention taken along Lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0015]    The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. The description is not intended in a limiting sense, and is made solely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention. The various features and advantages of the present invention may be more readily understood with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
         [0016]    Referring now to the drawings in detail, where like numerals refer to like parts or elements, there is shown in  FIG. 1  a body bow rest  10  having a support member  12 , an adjustable holster  14 , a waist strap  16 , belt slots  18 , neck or shoulder support strap  25 , and a pair of support strap slots  26 . Support member  12  is flexible and is configured to partially encircle and fit against the waist of the user. Support member  12  is also symmetrical, with the line of symmetry normally being aligned with the centerline of the human body. The invention also contemplates the user being able to relocate the support member  12  to the right or left to accommodate the user&#39;s preference for shooting hand, and for comfort. Adjustable holster  14  is coupled, in front of the user, to support member  12 , centered along the line of symmetry of support member  12 . Waist strap  16  is interwoven through the belt slots  18  and aid in securing the support member  12  to the waist of the user. 
         [0017]    Adjustable holster  14  is attached to support member  12  through the use of a pair of slide tracks  20 , a pair of slide rails  22 , a holster receiving plate  48 , mounting apertures  50  and a mounting stop  24  located at the lower end of slide tracks  20 . Slide rails  22  are configured to slide in and out of slide tracks  20 . Upon insertion of adjustable holster  14  onto support member  12  containing the holster receiving plate  48 , slide rails  22  slide within the bilateral sets of slide tracks  20  until reaching the lower end of the second set of slide tracks  20 . The adjustable holster  14  is frictionally held in this position, bottoming out against the mounting stop  24 , preferably due to the close tolerance of clearance between the slide rails  22  and the slide tracks  20  and mounting stop  24  against the holster receiving plate  48 . The mounting apertures  50  are used to fasten the holster receiving plate  48  permanently to the support member  12  by use of any known method, e.g., two-headed rivets, and the like. Support member  12  also includes support slots  26  for attaching a neck support strap  25  to the device for aiding the user in bearing the weight of and the appropriate positioning of the bow holder  10 . 
         [0018]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2-3 , there is shown an exploded and enlarged view of the adjustable holster  14 . The adjustable holster  14  comprises slide rails  22  which are the rearward portion of two parallel side plates, a first side plate  30  and a second side plate  32 , the side plates being mirror images of each other. The holster  14  is frictionally mounted to the holster receiving plate  48 , as described above, resulting in its being mounted in substantial perpendicular alignment to the support member  12 . 
         [0019]    One slide rail of slide rails  22  is preferably part of first side plate  30  and the other slide rail of slide rails  22  is preferably part of second side plate  32 . Each side plate of first side plate  30  and second side plate  32  has a plurality of adjustment holes  34 , each hole of the plurality of adjustment holes  34  of first side plate  30  being coaxially aligned with a corresponding hole of the plurality of adjustment holes  34  of second side plate  32 . A first cylindrical spacing means  36  for supporting a limb of a bow is placed through any one of the plurality of adjustment holes  34  of first side plate  30  and through a correspondingly spaced hole of the plurality of adjustment holes  34  of second side plate  32 . The first cylindrical spacing means  36  can be moved interchangeably rearward or forward between the plurality of adjustment holes  34  to account for different types, sizes and configurations of bows to be held by the holster  14 . The first cylindrical spacing means  36  can be a threaded screw inserted through a hollow elongated spacer of predetermined length to create the proper internal lateral spacing between the side rails  30 ,  32  and a wing-nut or like loosening and tightening device at the opposite end of the threaded screw for securing the various elements in position. 
         [0020]    A side guide support  38  coupled to side plate  30  and a side guide support  39  coupled to side plate  32  support the lower end of the bow and the cam of a bow from each side. The side guide supports  38 ,  39  are approximately half the length of the holster  14  and give additional support to the lower end of the bow and cam along with a pair of vertical bumpers  46 . 
         [0021]    A second cylindrical spacing means  40  may be used in conjunction with stiffener apertures  42 ,  44 . The stiffener hole  42  is defined by first side plate  30  and is coaxially aligned with stiffener hole  44  that is defined by second side plate  32 . The second cylindrical spacing means  40  is placed through the two apertures  42 ,  44  and may be tightened or loosened to adjust the parallelity of each side plate  30 ,  32  to each other, and rigidity and perpendicularity of the side plates  30 ,  32  to the receiving plate  48  and the underlying support member  12 . The second cylindrical spacing means  40  can be a threaded screw inserted through a hollow elongated spacer of predetermined length to create the proper internal lateral spacing between the side rails  30 ,  32  and a wing-nut or like loosening and tightening device at the opposite end of the threaded screw for securing the various elements in position. The adjustability of the spacing means  40  allows for additional vertical flexibility to the bow if needed by loosening and gives added rigidity when tightened completely holding the bow firmly in place with little or no wobble. 
         [0022]    The cam of the bow is held vertically between the first and second cylindrical spacing means  36 ,  40  by a pair of vertical bumpers  46  and the side guide supports  38 ,  39  which hold the cam substantially parallel to the first and second side plates  30 ,  32 . The cam is perpendicular to the first and second cylindrical spacing means  36 ,  40 . The relation of the side guide supports  38 ,  39 , the vertical bumpers  46  and the mounting stop  24  create an inward force on the cam of the bow to maintain the parallelity of the cam with the bow holder  14  preventing the wobble that could occur in other bow holsters. 
         [0023]    The vertical bumpers  46  extend from the first cylindrical spacing means down to the lower end of the holster  14 , in order to give parallel support along the entire length of the holster  14 . The length of the vertical bumpers  46  allows for any size bow to be supported outward and substantially perpendicular to the support member  12  while still being accommodated by the adjustability of the cylindrical spacing means  36 ,  40 . The side guide supports  38 ,  39  are adjustable upwards and downwards by means of adjusting screws  52  within slots  54  in each of the side plates  30 ,  32 . [See, FIG.  3 .]. The adjustment up or down of the guide supports  38 ,  39  creates a snug fit against the sides of the cam of a bow at the rear of the holster  14 . Further, side guide supports  38 ,  39  are adjustable to prevent the cam or pulley wheel of the compound bow from getting caught within the holster  14  when extracting the bow from the holder or carrier. The vertical bumpers  46  are positioned parallel to the centerline of support plate  12  and are also configured to act as a buffer against the cam to prevent the bow from moving from wobbling side to side within the holster  14 . 
         [0024]    The bow holder  14  may be attached to the support member  12  by using a downward force to slide the holster  14  onto a holster receiving plate  48  that includes a plurality of mounting apertures  50  that are used to fasten the plate  48  to the support member  12 . The mounting apertures  50  can accept any permanent type fastening means, e.g., two-headed rivets, and the like, that lock the bow holder  14  onto the support member  12 . The holster  14  slidingly engages the receiving plate  48  and is frictionally held in position once engaged so that the holster is not easily removed until the user is ready to disassemble the bow rest  10 . The holster  14  is removed by using an upward force to slide the holster upward with the slide rails  22  moving out of the slide tracks  20  entirely disengaging the holster  14  from the holster receiving plate  48 . 
         [0025]    The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as being illustrative and not restrictive, with the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing detailed description, as indicating the scope of the invention as well as all modifications which may fall within a range of equivalency which are also intended to be embraced therein.