Patent ID: 8375928

Claim:
A crossbow comprising: a stock member having a tailstock and a barrel; a bow portion having a first limb member, a second limb member, and a bowstring, wherein the first limb member and the second limb member extend transversely on opposite sides from the stock member and the bowstring extends between the first limb member and the second limb member; a trigger assembly associated with the stock member for selectively holding and releasing the bowstring a bowstring drawing mechanism comprising: a drive shaft; a ratchet gear assembly carried on the drive shaft that permits the rotation of the drive shaft in a first rotational direction and selectively prohibits the rotation of the drive shaft in a second rotational direction; a drive gear assembly operatively coupled to the drive shaft, wherein a drive gear is carried on the drive shaft and the drive gear is meshingly engaged with a spur gear that is operatively coupled to a pinion shaft and the rotation of the drive shaft in the first rotational direction causes the rotation of the spur gear in the second rotational direction; a clutch mechanism carried on the pinion shaft and operatively coupled to the spur gear; a drawing assembly operatively connected between the pinion shaft and the bowstring, wherein the drawing assembly can selectively engage the bowstring to move the bowstring between a cocked position and an un-cocked position, wherein the clutch mechanism permits the pinion shaft to be rotated in the first direction to controllably return the bowstring to the relaxed position and prevents the over-cranking of the bowstring drawing mechanism.