Patent ID: 8852038

Claim:
An article comprising a shock-absorbing bolt for a crossbow, wherein the bolt comprises: (a) a rearward, outer shaft; (b) a forward, inner shaft slidably received in a forward end of the outer shaft, wherein the inner shaft or the outer shaft is arranged to limit forward movement of the inner shaft relative to the outer shaft and to retain a rearward portion of the inner shaft within the forward end of the outer shaft; (c) a forward flange attached to a forward end of the inner shaft, which forward flange has a forward surface with a transverse area that is greater than about three times larger than a transverse area of the outer shaft; (d) a rearward washer slidable along the inner shaft with the inner shaft passing through a hole in the rearward washer, wherein the outer shaft limits rearward movement of the rearward washer along the inner shaft; (e) a forward washer positioned between the forward flange and the rearward washer with the inner shaft passing through a hole in the forward washer; and (f) a viscoelastic shock absorber slidable along the inner shaft between the forward and rearward washers with the inner shaft passing through a hole in the shock absorber.