Archery arrow support

• US 5,025,773 A
• Filed: 09/26/1988
• Issued: 06/25/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Archer's Issue, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Archer's Advantage Incorporated
• Inventors: Hintze, Kurt, Hacker, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ricci, John A.
• Application Number:
  US07/248,735
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 124/24 R, 124/41 A, 124/86, 124/88, 124/24.1, 124/44.5
• US Class Current: 124/44.5
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/143 Arrow rests or guides

Abstract

An arrow rest for use with an archery bow comprises a mounting member attached to the bow handle and extending rearwardly thereof and a yoke adjustably and pivotably mounted to the rear end portion of the mounting member. The yoke defines a radially accesible opening having a central axis and a pair of pedestals are mounted to the yoke extending into the opening with the pedestals positioned to support an arrow. A resilient retaining member extends into the opening in substantially opposing relationship relative to the pedestals. The resilient retaining member is positioned to limit lateral movement of an arrow extending along the central axis of the yoke so that the arrow is maintained in the arrow rest prior to and during launch. The resilient retaining member flexes to one side in response to movement of an arrow into the arrow rest to allow the arrow to fall into place on the pedestals, whereupon the retaining member returns to its unflexed configuration to maintain the arrow in place.

Claims

1. An arrow rest for use with an archery bow for maintaining an arrow in a ready-to-launch position and for guiding the arrow from the bow upon launch, said arrow rest comprising:

a mounting member having a front end portion and a rear end portion with said mounting member being adapted to be mounted at its front end portion to the bow with its rear end portion positioned rearwardly of the bow;

a yoke defining a radially accessible opening having a substantially central axis;

means for adjustably mounting said yoke to said mounting member rear end portion to locate said yoke in a predetermined position relative to the bow;

first and second pedestals mounted to said yoke and extending into said opening on one side of said axis with said pedestals being positioned to support an arrow extending substantially along said central axis when the bow is in a vertically oriented arrow launching orientation; and

means for limiting lateral movement of an arrow resting on said pedestals, said means comprising a resilient retaining member mounted to said yoke on another side of said central axis opposing said first and second pedestals with said retaining member extending into said opening to a first position adjacent to and spaced from the arrow,

said resilient retaining member being adapted to flex as an arrow is moved radially into said yoke to allow the arrow to fall into position on said pedestals and thence to return to its unflexed configuration for limiting lateral movement of the arrow,

whereby prior to launch, a nocked arrow is loosely constrained within said arrow rest between said pedestals and said retaining member and during launch the arrow rests on and is guided from the bow by said pedestals without interference from said retaining member.

2. The arrow rest of claim 1 wherein said means for adjustably mounting said yoke to said mounting member comprises an elongated crossbar laterally movably mounted to said mounting member rear end portion with said yoke being mounted to said crossbar.

3. The arrow rest of claim 2 wherein said mounting member rear end portion defines a slot having a size and shape corresponding substantially to the cross-sectional shape of said crossbar and adapted to receive said crossbar within said slot in sliding cooperation with said slot, and wherein said mounting member further includes means for maintaining said crossbar in a preselected lateral position relative to said mounting member.

4. The arrow rest of claim 3 wherein said yoke is pivotally mounted to said crossbar and wherein said crossbar includes stop means positioned to restrict pivotal movement of said yoke between a first position and a second position, and spring means for yieldably biasing said yoke to said first position whereby said pedestals normally support the arrow with said yoke in said spring biased first position and during launch of the arrow, said yoke pivots in response to lateral flexing of the arrow to guide accurately the arrow from the bow.

5. The arrow rest of claim 4 wherein said resilient retaining member is radially adjustable relative to said central axis.

6. The arrow rest of claim 5 wherein said retaining member comprises a coil spring extending radially into said opening whereby said coil spring flexes in response to radial movement of an arrow into said central opening to allow the arrow to move into place on said pedestals whereupon said coil spring returns to its unflexed position with the pedestals and the retaining member limiting lateral movement of the arrow to maintain the arrow within the arrow rest.

7. The arrow rest of claim 6 wherein said opening is sized and shaped to pass the fletching of an arrow moving along said central axis.

8. An arrow rest for use with an archery bow for maintaining an arrow in a launch prone position and guiding the arrow from the bow upon launch, said arrow rest comprising:

a mounting member having first and second end portions and being adapted to mount at its first end portion to the bow handle with its second end portion extending rearwardly of the bow handle;

a yoke member defining a radially accessible opening having a central axis and including a pair of spaced pedestals extending into said opening and spaced to support the arrow, said yoke member further including a resilient retaining member mounted in substantially opposing relationship relative to said pedestals and extending into said opening to a position adjacent to and spaced from an arrow supported on said pedestals, said opening being sized and shaped to pass the fletching of an arrow moving along said central axis;

means for adjustably mounting said yoke member to said mounting member second end portion to locate said yoke member in a preselected position relative to said bow, said yoke member being pivotally attached to said means and being yieldably spring biased to a predetermined orientation about its point of pivotal attachment,

said resilient retaining member being adapted to flex as an arrow is moved radially into said yoke member to allow the arrow to fall into position on said pair of spaced pedestals and thence to return to its unflexed configuration for limiting lateral movement of the arrow,

whereby upon movement of an arrow into said opening, said resilient retaining member flexes to allow the arrow to fall into place upon said pedestals whereupon said resilient retaining member returns to its unflexed configuration wherein said retaining member and said pedestals loosely constrain and restrict lateral movement of the arrow to maintain the arrow in place within the arrow rest and, upon launch of the arrow, the arrow is supported on the pedestals and the yoke pivots about its point of pivotal attachment in response to lateral flexing of the arrow to guide the arrow accurately from the bow without interference from the retaining member.

9. In an archery bow of the type having an elongated bow body, a handle portion and a bowstring, the improvement comprising an arrow rest mounted to said bow and positioned between said handle portion and said bowstring, said arrow rest including a yoke member defining a radially accessible opening having an axis with said yoke member having at least two pedestals extending into said opening on one side of said axis and a resilient retaining member extending into said opening on another side of said axis in substantially opposing relationship relative to said pedestals, said pedestals being positioned to support an arrow thereupon with said resilient retaining member being positioned adjacent to and spaced from the arrow to restrict lateral movement thereof, said resilient retaining member being adapted to flex as an arrow is moved radially into said yoke member to allow the arrow to fall into position on said pair of spaced pedestals and thence to return to its unflexed configuration for limiting lateral movement of the arrow, said yoke member being substantially longitudinally movable relative to said bow body and yieldably biased to a preselected longitudinal positioned, whereby a nocked arrow is loosely constrained and held in place within said arrow rest between the pedestals and the retaining member prior to launch and the arrow is supported by said pedestals during launch with the arrow rest moving in response to lateral flexing of the arrow to guide the arrow accurately from the bow.

10. An arrow rest for use with an archery bow for receiving an arrow, maintaining the arrow in a launch prone position and guiding the arrow from the bow upon launch, said arrow rest comprising:

a yoke formed to define a radially accessible opening having a central axis extending substantially along the direction of intended arrow flight;

pedestal means mounted to said yoke and extending into said opening on one side of said central axis with said pedestal means being configured and positioned to support and guide an arrow from the bow upon launch;

a resilient retaining member mounted to said yoke and extending into said opening on another side of said central axis substantially opposing said pedestal means;

said resilient retaining member being adapted to flex in response to radial movement of an arrow into said opening to allow the arrow to fall into place on said pedestal means and thence to return to its unflexed configuration extending toward the shaft of the arrow to constrain the arrow within the yoke.