Compound archery bow

• US 5,024,206 A
• Filed: 12/16/1988
• Issued: 06/18/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wayne L. Lester
• Original Assignee: Wayne L. Lester
• Inventors: Lester, Wayne L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Application Number:
  US07/285,652
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 124/24 R, 124/23 R, 124/DIG. 1, 124/86, 124/88
• US Class Current: 124/23.1
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/0094 Non-traditional bows, e.g. having hinged limbs or non-stave geometry
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/10 Compound bows compound crossbows F41B5/123
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/105 Cams or pulleys for compound bows
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 124/90 Limb tip rotatable element structure

Abstract

A compound bow having a handle, upper and lower limbs, and a bowstring. Upper and lower pulleys are mounted on the bow. Each pulley has a helical groove of three turns, one turn having a different diameter from the other two. Tension cables travel around two of the three turns of the pulleys. As the bowstring is drawn, the pulleys rotate 360 degrees, and the cables unwind from one turn and wind onto a different turn.

Claims

1. A compound archery bow assembly, comprising:

a handle having an upper end and a lower end;

an upper limb having an upper end and a lower end, the upper limb being pivotably connected to the upper end of the handle at a pivot point between the upper and lower ends of the upper limb;

a lower limb having an upper end and a lower end, the lower limb being pivotably connected to the lower end of the handle at a pivot point between the upper and lower ends of the lower limb;

a bowstring strung between the upper end of the upper limb and the lower end of the lower limb, the bowstring being movable between an undrawn position and a fully drawn position;

an upper pulley mounted on the handle and having a helical groove that makes three turns around the upper pulley, the diameter of one of the turns being different from the diameters of the other turns;

a lower pulley mounted on the handle and having a helical groove that makes three turns around the lower pulley, the diameter of one of the turns being different from the diameters of the other turns;

an upper tension cable connected to the upper limb above the pivot point and traveling around the lower pulley and connected to the upper end of the lower limb; and

a lower tension cable connected to the lower limb below the pivot point and traveling around the upper pulley and connected to the lower end of the upper limb.

2. A compound archery bow assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the upper and lower limbs are recurved.

3. A compound archery bow assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the upper and lower pulleys are sized so that the upper and lower pulleys rotate 360 degrees as the bowstring is drawn from the undrawn position to the fully drawn position.

4. A compound bow assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the upper tension cable is attached to the lower pulley and the lower tension is attached to the upper pulley.

5. A compound archery bow assembly, comprising:

a handle;

an upper limb having an upper end and a lower end, the upper limb being connected to the handle ;

a lower limb having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the lower limb is connected to the handle;

an upper pulley mounted on the upper end of the upper limb and having a helical groove that makes three turns around the upper pulley, the first and third turns being generally circular and having the same diameter, and the second turn being generally elliptical, the long axis of the second turn being longer than the diameters of the first and third turns;

a lower pulley mounted on the lower end of the lower limb and having a helical groove that makes three turns around the lower pulley, the first and third turns being generally circular and having the same diameter, and the second turn being generally elliptical, the long axis of the second turn being larger than the diameters of the first and third turns;

a bowstring strung between the upper pulley and the lower pulley;

an upper tension cable connected to the upper limb and traveling around the lower pulley and attached to the lower end of the bowstring; and

a lower tension cable connected to the lower limb and traveling around the upper pulley and attached to the upper end of the bowstring.

6. A compound bow assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein the upper and lower pulleys are sized so that the upper and lower pulleys rotate 360 degrees as the bowstring is drawn from the undrawn position to the fully drawn position.

7. A compound bow assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein the upper tension cable is attached to the lower pulley and the lower tension cable is attached to the upper pulley.

8. A compound archery bow assembly, comprising:

a handle having an upper end and a lower end;

an upper limb, having an upper end and a lower end, connected to the upper end of the handle at a pivot point between the upper and lower ends of the upper limb;

a lower limb, having an upper end and a lower end, connected to the lower end of the handle at a pivot point between the upper and lower ends of the lower limb;

a bowstring connected between the upper end of the upper limb and the lower end of the lower limb, the bowstring being movable between an undrawn position and a fully drawn position;

an upper pulley mounted on the handle and having a helical groove that makes three turns around the upper pulley, the diameter of the third turn being shorter than the diameters of the other turns;

a lower pulley mounted on the handle and having a helical groove that makes three turns around the lower pulley, the diameter of the third turn being shorter than the diameters of the other turns;

an upper tension cable extending from the upper end of the upper limb around the lower pulley and to the upper end of the lower limb, the upper tension cable being located in the second and third turns of the lower pulley when the bowstring is in the undrawn position, and the upper tension cable being located in the first and second turns of the lower pulley when the bowstring is in the fully drawn position; and

a lower tension cable extending from the lower end of the lower limb around the upper pulley and to the lower end of the upper limb, the lower tension cable being located in the second and third turns of the upper pulley when the bowstring is in the undrawn position, and the lower tension cable being located in the first and second turns of the upper pulley when the bowstring is in the fully drawn position.