Arrow fletching device with plate clamp

• US 8,286,953 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2009
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bohning Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Bohning Company Limited
• Inventors: Barnes, Mike, Mowery, Richard F., Leedy, Denny M., Voice, Dale E.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, GEORGE BINH MINH
• Application Number:
  US12/487,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20100320665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 269/38, 269/57, 269/279, 269/289.R, 269/302.1, 269/900, 292/811
• US Class Current: 269/38
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 11/02 Assembly jigs
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 6/06 Tail ends, e.g. nocks, fletching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53961 with work-holder for assembly

Abstract

An arrow fletching device with plate clamp, as well as features and aspects thereof, provides an arrow builder the means to accurately and repeatedly position fletching against the shaft of an arrow, without a spring loaded butterfly clamp component, and securely hold the fletching thereto until a bond is attained between the fletching and arrow shaft via an adhesive. Exemplary embodiments of an arrow fletching device with a plate clamp are, generally, jig apparatuses operable to precisely position an arrow shaft relative to an arrow fletching. More particularly, exemplary embodiments of an arrow fletching device comprise a plate component, in lieu of a spring-loaded butterfly clamp, useful for receiving, positioning and retaining fletching against the shaft of an arrow. Advantageously, the use of a plate component with a specifically profiled slot operable to receive and position a fletching reduces the steps required to adhere a fletching to an arrow shaft as well as mitigates the probability of improper installation of the fletching.

Claims

1. A device for positioning and installing a fletching along a shaft, the device comprising:

a jig base component operable to receive a shaft and maintain said shaft on a particular plane; and

a plate component operable to be slideably coupled to the jig base component and comprising a slot having fixed dimensions for receiving a fletching, wherein when the plate component is slideably coupled to the jig base component the slot is parallel to said particular plane such that the base of a fletching received into the slot is held in communication with said shaft received into the jig base component.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said plate component comprises a series of tabs extending downward in a plane less than or equal to 90 degrees from the plane defined by its top surface.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said tabs are operable to interfere with said jig base component when said plate component is in communication with said jig base component such that said plate component is prevented from inadvertent repositioning.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein, via a magnetic force, said plate component is prevented from inadvertent repositioning when in communication with said jig base component.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said jig includes an upper receptacle and a lower receptacle for receiving the shaft, the upper receptacle and the lower receptacle cooperating to define the particular plane.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the upper receptacle and the lower receptacle of said jig base component can be adjusted thereby defining a different plane.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein jig base component further comprises:

a front wall; and

wherein said upper receptacle is slideably mounted to said front wall to allow the upper receptacle to be adjusted thereby modifying the plane at which the shaft is maintained.

8. An apparatus to facilitate the positioning and attachment of fletching along an arrow shaft, the apparatus comprising:

a jig base component operable to receive an arrow shaft and securely position said arrow shaft on a particular plane, wherein the arrow shaft may be mechanically received by a lower receptacle receiving a first end of the shaft and an upper receptacle receiving the shaft at a point along the shaft distal from the first end;

at least one plate component defining a slot for receiving a fletching and being operable to slideably couple to said jig base component such that the base of a received fletching may be positioned along a plane parallel to said plane upon which said shaft is secured; and

a rotatable component that is integral with the lower receptacle such that when the rotatable component is rotated, the lower receptacle also rotates thereby causing said received shaft to also rotate without causing the shaft to substantially deviate from the particular plane.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the rotatable component is operable to be turned in set increments.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the upper receptacle and the lower receptacle can be adjusted relative to each other to modify the plane upon which a shaft is secured.

11. An apparatus to facilitate the attachment of a fletching to a shaft when the shaft has been secured in a position relative to a plane of the apparatus, the apparatus defining at least one slot operable to receive a fletching, hold the fletching in a particular configuration and press the base of the fletching against the shaft, wherein the at least one slot further comprises a fletching retention aspect along the interior surface of said slot such that an amount of resistance against the sides of a received fletching is provided to hold the fletching in a position within the at least one slot.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further defining an extension towards the shaft that further defines the slot.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the edge of the extension nearest the shaft is contoured.

14. A system to facilitate the mounting of fletching to a shaft, the system comprising:

a jig base having a front wall, a base, an upper deck and a rear wall;

an upper receptacle adjustably mounted to the front wall and operative to receive a portion of the shaft;

a lower receptacle rotatably mounted to the rear wall and integral to a rotation component; and

a plate defining a slot for receiving a fletching, the slot being structured so as to force the fletching into a desired orientation relative to the shaft when the plate is positioned on the upper deck of the jig base.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of plates that can be mounted to the upper deck of the jig base with each of the plurality of plates defining a slot configured to force the fletching into a different orientation relative to the shaft.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the plate further comprises a series of tabs extending downward in a plane less than or equal to 90 degrees from the plane defined by its top surface and that are operable to engage the upper deck of the jig base.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the lower receptacle is such that when the integrated rotation component is rotated, the shaft is also rotated.