Nock assembly for arrows

• US 5,823,902 A
• Filed: 10/08/1997
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elmer F. Guest, Leon A. Eckert
• Original Assignee: Elmer F. Guest, Leon A. Eckert
• Inventors: Guest, Elmer F., Eckert, Leon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ricci, John A.
• Application Number:
  US08/946,705
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 473/578, 473/216, 403/348, 403/349
• US Class Current: 473/578
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 6/06 Tail ends, e.g. nocks, fletching

Abstract

A nock assembly for an arrow having a rearwardly facing bore. The nock assembly includes an adapter and a nock. The adapter is mounted within the bore of the arrow, so that it is coaxial with the central longitudinal axis of the arrow. The adapter is fixed to the arrow in a predetermined angular position about the arrow axis relative to the vanes of the arrow. The adapter has a socket and a second rear opening to the socket. The nock has a head end and a bifurcated tail end. The nock is removably mounted to the adapter so that the head end of the nock is located within the socket of the adapter and the bifurcated tail end is outside of the socket. The nock assembly includes a pair of resiliently bendable locking pins that extend laterally from the head end of the nock and a forward end wall contained within the socket of the adapter, and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the arrow. The forward end wall has an aperture and a forward surface. The head end of the nock which contains the locking pins extends through the aperture so that the pins are in front of the forward surface of the forward end wall. The forward surface of the forward end wall has a pair of cam surface which taper gradually forward from the lateral portions of the aperture to a pair of depressions in the cam surface for causing the pins to bend when the nock is rotated relative to the adapter and for biasing the nock forwardly relative to the adapter. This retains the locking pins in the depression for maintaining the nock in a locking position relative to the adapter. A detent is also located at the rear end of the adapter and at the forward end of the tail end of the nock.

Claims

1. A nock assembly, for an arrow, the arrow having a shaft and at least one vane, the shaft having an outer cylindrical surface, a central longitudinal shaft axis, a bore which extends along said axis, and a first rear opening to the bore, the vane being fixed to the outer cylindrical surface, which nock assembly comprises:

(a) an adapter for being fixed to said shaft within the bore at the first rear opening in a predetermined angular position about said shaft axis relative to the vane, said adapter having a socket which has an inner cylindrical surface, said adapter having a rear end, a rearwardly facing surface at the rear end of the adapter, and a second rear opening to the socket in said rearwardly facing surface, said adapter having a forward end, a wall at said forward end which is perpendicular to the shaft axis, said wall having an aperture and a forward surface, said aperture having a central portion and a lateral portion;

(b) a nock having a head end, a tail end which has a rearwardly facing notch, and a central longitudinal nock axis which is coaxial with said shaft axis, said nock being removably mounted to said adapter so that said head end is located within said socket and said tail end is located outside of said socket, said head end having an outer cylindrical surface and a reduced forward portion, said tail end having a forwardly facing surface at the juncture of said tail end and said head end so that said forwardly facing surface abuts said rearwardly facing surface when said head end is fully located within said socket, said nock being rotatable about said central longitudinal nock axis within said socket relative to said adapter between a predetermined locking position and a predetermined non-locking position; and

(c) retaining means for releasably locking the head end of said nock in said predetermined locking angular position, said retaining means comprising;

(1) at least one resiliently bendable locking pin which extends laterally and outwardly from the reduced portion of said head end of the nock, said pin being spaced from said inner cylindrical surface when said reduced portion is within said socket, said reduced portion extending freely through said central portion and said locking pin is forward of and aligned with said lateral portion when said nock is in said predetermined non-locking position;

(2) detent means on said adapter for releasably retaining the locking pin when said nock is in said predetermined locking angular position, said detent means comprising a depression in said forward surface for receiving said locking pin, said depression being spaced from the lateral portion of said aperture, said pin being forward of and aligned with said depression when said nock is in said predetermined locking position;

a portion of said forward surface being a cam surface which tapers gradually forward from the lateral portion of said aperture to said depression so that when said nock is rotated about said shaft axis from said non-locking position to said locking position, said pin slides along said cam surface from the lateral portion of said aperture to said depression, said pin having a rearward surface which is rearward of said cam surface when said head end is fully located within said socket and said nock is in said non-locking position so that said pin bends forwardly as it slides along said forward surface, thereby biasing said nock forwardly relative to said adapter and creating a resistance to rotational movement of said nock relative to said adapter when said pin is in said depression.

2. A nock assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein one of said forwardly facing surface and said rearwardly facing surface has a depression and the other of said forwardly facing and said rearwardly facing surface has a protrusion for engaging said depression when said nock is in said locking angular position relative to said adapter for providing additional locking of said nock in said locking angular position.

3. A nock assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the tail end of said nock has a slot spaced forwardly of said rearwardly facing notch and a dividing wall between said slot and said rearwardly facing notch, said dividing wall having a hole which extends from said rearwardly facing notch to said slot, said aperture enabling an elongated animal scent impregnated insert to be introduced into said slot through said hole so that a portion of said insert lies within said hole for retaining said insert within said slot.

4. A nock assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein the forward end of said slot has a rearwardly facing surface which contains a cavity for receiving said insert for providing with said hole a two point support for said insert.

5. A nock assembly, for an arrow, the arrow having a shaft and at least one vane, a central longitudinal shaft axis, a bore which extends along said axis, and a first rear opening to the bore, the vane being fixed to the outer cylindrical surface, which nock assembly comprises:

(a) an adapter for being fixed to the shaft within the bore at the first rear opening in a predetermined angular position about said shaft axis relative to the vane, said adapter having a socket, a rearwardly facing surface, and a second rear opening to the socket in said rearwardly facing surface;

(b) a nock having a head end, a tail end which has a rearwardly facing notch, and a central longitudinal nock axis which is coaxial with said shaft axis, said nock being removably mounted to said adapter so that said head end is located within said socket and tail end is located outside of said socket, said tail end having a forwardly facing surface at the juncture of said tail end and said head end so that said forwardly facing surface abuts said rearwardly facing surface when said head end is fully located within said socket; and

(c) retaining means for releasably locking the head end of said nock within the socket so that the nock is in a predetermined locking angular position about the shaft axis relative to the adapter and the vane and is in a predetermined position lengthwise of the shaft axis relative to the second opening, said retaining means comprising;

(1) biasing means for biasing said nock forwardly relative to said adapter; and

(2) detent means at said rearwardly facing and forwardly facing surfaces for functioning in cooperation with said biasing means for releasably retaining said nock in said locking angular position relative to said adapter.

6. A nock assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein said detent means comprises a depression in one of said forwardly facing surface and said rearwardly facing surface and a protrusion in the other of said forwardly facing surface and said rearwardly facing surface for engaging said depression when said nock is in said locking angular position relative to said adapter.

7. A nock assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein the tail end of said nock has a slot spaced forwardly of said rearwardly facing notch and a dividing wall between said slot and said rearwardly facing notch, said dividing wall having an aperture which extends from said rearwardly facing notch to said slot, said aperture enabling an elongated animal scent impregnated insert to be introduced into said slot through said aperture so that a portion of said insert lies within said aperture for retaining said insert within said slot.

8. A nock assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein the forward end of said slot has a rearwardly facing surface which contains a hole for receiving said insert for providing a two point support for said insert.

9. A nock assembly, for an arrow, the arrow having a shaft and at least one vane, the shaft having an outer cylindrical surface, a central longitudinal shaft axis, a bore which extends along said axis, and a first rear opening to the bore, the vane being fixed to the outer cylindrical surface, which nock assembly comprises:

(a) an adapter for being fixed to the shaft within the bore at the first rear opening in a predetermined angular position about said shaft axis relative to the vane, said adapter having a socket and a second rear opening to the socket;

(b) a nock having a head end, a tail end which has a rearwardly facing notch, and a central longitudinal nock axis which is coaxial with said shaft axis, said nock being removably mounted to said adapter so that said head end is located within said socket and tail end is located outside of said socket, said tail end having a slot spaced forwardly of said rearwardly facing notch and a dividing wall between said slot and said rearwardly facing notch, said dividing wall having an aperture which extends from said rearwardly facing notch to said slot, said aperture enabling an elongated animal scent impregnated insert to be introduced into said slot through said aperture so that a portion of said insert lies within said aperture for retaining said insert within said slot; and

(c) retaining means for releasably locking the head end of said nock within the socket so that the nock is in a predetermined locking angular position about the shaft axis relative to the adapter and the vane and is in a predetermined position lengthwise of the shaft axis relative to the second opening.

10. A nock assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the forward end of said slot has a rearwardly facing surface which contains a hole for receiving said insert for providing a two point support for said insert.