Triggerless release aids and laser-equipped pneumatic training aid for safe drawing of the bowstring

• US 20030159682A1
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tog-IP, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bernard M. Pellerite
• Inventors: Pellerite, Bernard M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,945,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 124/35.2
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/1469 Bow-string drawing or releasing devices F41B5/1473 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/1476 Devices for archery training
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 1/35 for illuminating the target , e.g. flash lights

Abstract

An adjustable bowstring release device comprised of three handle designs and a two piece catch that captures the bowstring for the purpose of safe drawing and releasing of the bowstring. The archer can pull any of the three handles to get the bow fully drawn with a straight wrist and with 3, 4, or 5 fingers evenly pulling on the handle. In the past with similar release devices, in order to safely draw the bow, the archer had to pull mainly with just one finger. Once safely at full draw, by laterally rotating the handle, the archer can loose the bowstring.

A pneumatic tube that is secured to the bow and bowstring with an arrow and piston inside for safe drawing and firing of an archery bow. When the archer looses the string and it drives the arrow forward, the piston creates pneumatic air resistance like a hand operated bicycle pump. This resistance is sufficient to prevent damage to the bow and/or its components from loosing the string without an actual arrow on the string. Normal loosing the string without an arrow on it is called “dry-firing” and would damage the bow and/or its components. This tube is attached to a bracket that is affixed to a mounting block that can be fastened to the front of the bow at the standard stabilizer mounting hole. There is also a laser mounted in the end of the tube, which can be turned on by the archer and projects a laser light on the target. This light is automatically turned off as the bow is fired, thus showing the archer exactly where an actual arrow would have hit. This device can be used without removing the arrow rest and is used in practice and to identify and then rectify any release flaws and other shooting maladies.

Claims

1. A unique safe draw archery bowstring release device of a type having a handle for pulling back the string, a unique linking middle section, a hood that houses a 2 part catch mechanism, made up of a hooked end piece with a flat lower section, the latter of which rides against the side of a cam that'"'"'s held stationary. The bowstring is retained by means of the hooked end of the catch, or an attached (optional) rope. The bowstring is released by rotating the handle laterally until the cam disengages the lower flat part of the hooked piece, allowing the bowstring to disengage the hooked end of the catch.

2. The archery bowstring release device of claim 1 is uniquely rendered safe and cannot release the bowstring accidentally until the middle section called the link is coupled together with the handle after the bow is fully drawn. That coupling only takes placed when the archer laterally rotates the handle counterclockwise (always assuming a right handed archer) until a unique spring loaded piston in a hole in the handle lines up with a slot or hole in the bottom of the link section. At this point the piston springs up into this hold, thereby linking the handle to the catch or firing mechanism, thereby enabling the archer to reverse his lateral rotation and release the bowstring. This manner of drawing and releasing the bowstring prevents accidental misfires while trying to draw the bow and/or injury to the archer as was often the case with similar release mechanisms without the linking section.

3. As described in claim 2, this method also causes the release of the bowstring to be a surprise to the archer so as to eliminate the common problems of anticipation of the triggering mechanism or catch releasing the bowstring, thereby causing the archer to flinch or jerk at the moment of release, as is common with devices with conventional trigger mechanisms.

4. As mentioned in claim 1, the catch which facilitates both the capture and retention of the bowstring and also it'"'"'s release is made up of a hooked piece which has a bottom section with one flat side that narrows down to an edge. The other end of this hooked piece is hooked shaped and captures the string or string loop or optional rope that attaches to the catch and is looped around the bowstring and is retained by the end of the hook. As the handle is engaged to the link as in claim 2 and the archer reverses the rotation to clockwise, the cam, (which is held in position by an axle and a set screw, the latter preventing it from rotating around the axle), also rotates until the edge of the bottom section of the hook, which retains the bowstring, slips off the end of the cam. To change the angle of the cam very slightly and accurately, and therefore change the amount of rotation on the handle needed to release the string, there is a unique cam locking feature which consists of a set screw through the diameter of the cam, which locks the cam to the axle. Also, there is a unique micro-adjust mechanism which consists of a round knob affixed to the end of the axle on the bottom of the hood which can be slightly rotated and locked down to quickly and exactly reset or adjust the handle travel in order to quicken or slow down the time it takes to affect the release of the bowstring, relative to the handle rotation.

5. As mentioned in claim 1, the hood holds 2 axles (top and bottom) in place on which rotates the two part catch mechanism. The hook is on the top axle and the cam is on the bottom axle. Said hood is uniquely and automatically returned to the ready to draw position after the bowstring is released. (This position is necessary to attach the hook to the string before drawing the bow again.) The hood is returned to the above position by means of a small elastic band attached to the bottom section of the hook, then passed through a slot in the back of the hood and affixed to the back side of the link.

6. Another similar safe draw bowstring release device has a handle section with finger rests or holds for the thumb and fingers, and a hood that houses a 2 part catch mechanism as in claim 1. The difference being that there is no link or middle section. In order to draw the bowstring safely, the handle needs to be fully rotated counterclockwise (for right-handed archers), which prevents accidentally release or injury while drawing the bowstring back. The ;

unique feature for safely drawing with this device is that there is a pad, or radius or rest under the little finger hold or radius. This permits the archer to grip the handle with thumb, index, middle and ring fingers and place the little finger knuckle under the handle securely which rotates or cocks the release handle counterclockwise, making release of the bowstring impossible while drawing it back. Once the bow is fully drawn and archer is ready to shoot, the little finger is moved from the knuckle rest position on the bottom side of the handle, which allows the handle to be rotated clockwise and release the bowstring, without accident or injury. This device has an optional thumb and 3 finger version as above, except there is no little finger rest and the archer uses the ring finger knuckle placed under the handle to keep the device safe until the full draw position. Once ready to shoot, the ring finger is moved from beneath the handle, which allows clockwise rotation and therefore release of the string.

7. Another safe draw release device as discussed in claim 6 has the same hood and catch mechanism as claim 1 and claim 6. The unique feature is the design of the handle as was the case in claim 6. This uniquely designed handle has 2 index finger holds or rests. The first is much higher than the second. When the archer wishes to draw safely, the index finger is placed on top of the first high finger hold and the middle and ring fingers (and optionally, the little finger) are placed on lower finger holds. This naturally places more pressure on the high index finger hold while drawing the bowstring with the hand in a normal gripping position with thumb and fingers around the handle. This pressure on the above index hold rotates the device counterclockwise to the safe draw position until the archer is ready to shoot, as in claim 6. Once ready, the archer moves his index finger off the high finger hold and down and to the right side of the high hold to another lower index finger hold, which is on a similar level as the other finger holds. this allows the handle to rotate laterally to the clockwise, firing position.

8. An archery training device that attaches to the bow and consists of a pneumatic tube with an arrow attached to the string on one end and a piston on the other. As the string is drawn back and released the arrow drives forward into the stationary tube and the piston which fits the inside diameter of the tube tight enough to create resistance. This resistance does two things:

1.) Lets the bowstring down slow enough as not to damage the bow, which would happen if the bow was drawn and fired without an arrow to absorb the bow'"'"'s energy. 2.) The forward driving piston causes a considerable air blast which is channeled through a small hole in the end plug. A unique feature of this device is that ahead of the end plug there is another section of tubing that houses a small laser with an on/off button. Said laser is secured at one end and a hollow sleeve with one closed end fits over the back end of the laser. There is a lever affixed to the sleeve that protrudes on the outside of the tube so the archer can pull back on the lever which slides the sleeve over the on/off button on the laser housing. This depresses the button and turns on the laser, which projects an intense light on the intended target. The archer can then practice aiming and firing a bow without arrows and without damage to the bow or injury to the archer. The laser dot is turned off automatically when the bowstring is released and the air blast from the piston hits the sealed flat end of the sleeve that covers the laser on/off button and said sleeve is blown forward off and away from the on/off button. The archer can then tell where he was aiming and predict where a real arrow would have gone by noting at what point and at what location on the target the laser dot when off. The archer then can slide the lever back to turn on the laser light and repeat the above process over and over, noting any jerking or lateral movement of the laser light just before it goes off. This allows the archer opportunity to change his style or method of shooting so that the light goes out while on target smoothly. As an option, the laser may be affixed to the exterior of the pneumatic tube with a bracket or clamp and manually turned on and off.

9. The device described in claim 8 has a unique bracket that attaches the pneumatic tube to the front of the bow. A small block with a bolt hole in it is secured to the front of the bow with a bolt at a right angle to and below the handle in a hole designed to screw on a front stabilizer. This hole is common on all modern bows of high quality. Two opposing sides of said block have a groove in them that allows a vertical bracket with several adjustment holes to be affixed to either side (for right or left-handed archers.) This bracket rises at a slight (10°

or more) angle in relationship to the bow handle. This angles the bracket away from the archer'"'"'s hand so as not to interfere with said hand. On the top end of said bracket is affixed a clamp that secures around the pneumatic tube and keeps it in place while the bow is drawn and fired. This unique holding block and bracket is easily removed and replaced on most bows. A unique removable end plug is drilled and tapped to accept the bow'"'"'s stabilizer that normally would be screwed directly into the front of the bow. This allows the archer to use a bow stabilizer while the device in claim 8 is secured to the bow. A hexagonal clamp with set screws for tightening the clamp around and securing the pneumatic tube to the top end of the bracket is secured to the bracket with fasteners (bolts, or screws, etc.)