Cocking winch apparatus for a crossbow, crossbow system including the cocking winch apparatus, and method of using same
First Claim
1. A cocking winch apparatus for attaching to a crossbow and for use in cocking the crossbow, said apparatus comprising:
- a winch body having an upper portion, a lower portion and a central portion interconnecting the upper and lower portions, the upper portion of the winch body having a front end, a rear end and two opposed side portions and having a hollow chamber formed therein and a cylindrical passage formed laterally therethrough between the side portions, the lower portion of the winch body comprising an alignment member projecting forwardly below the upper portion and having a non-round cross-sectional shape, wherein the winch body is removably securable to a crossbow stock by aligning the winch body with the stock and inserting the alignment member into a correspondingly-shaped hole formed in the stock;
a cylindrical support shaft extending through the cylindrical passage of the winch body;
a first take-up spool and a second take-up spool mounted on opposed end portions of the support shaft outside of the winch body;
a ratchet wheel mounted on the support shaft between the first and second take-up spools, the ratchet wheel disposed in the hollow chamber of the winch body and having a plurality of teeth formed therearound;
a pawl having a first end disposed in the hollow chamber of the winch body and pivotally attached to the winch body, and a second end opposite the first end, the pawl having a tooth formed thereon for selective engagement between adjacent teeth of the ratchet wheel;
a spring for biasing the pawl towards the ratchet wheel;
a handle member operatively attachable to one of the take-up spools,a tensioning cable having a first end attached to the first take-up spool, a second end attached to the second take-up spool, and a central portion between the first and second ends; and
a bowstring hook member having a slot formed in a lower portion thereof to receive a bowstring of the crossbow, wherein the central portion of the tensioning cable passes through a portion of the bowstring hook member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A crossbow having a bowstring cocking winch apparatus, a cocking winch apparatus usable with a crossbow, and a method of operating the apparatus are described. The cocking winch apparatus includes a projecting alignment member having a non-round cross-sectional shape, where the alignment member is removably securable to a butt portion of a crossbow stock by inserting the alignment member into a correspondingly-shaped hole formed in the stock. The cocking winch apparatus provides a straight and balanced draw to the crossbow bowstring, enabling a user to easily cock the bowstring by rotating a handle to draw the bowstring back, and to place it in cocked position in the crossbow trigger mechanism.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A cocking winch apparatus for attaching to a crossbow and for use in cocking the crossbow, said apparatus comprising:
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a winch body having an upper portion, a lower portion and a central portion interconnecting the upper and lower portions, the upper portion of the winch body having a front end, a rear end and two opposed side portions and having a hollow chamber formed therein and a cylindrical passage formed laterally therethrough between the side portions, the lower portion of the winch body comprising an alignment member projecting forwardly below the upper portion and having a non-round cross-sectional shape, wherein the winch body is removably securable to a crossbow stock by aligning the winch body with the stock and inserting the alignment member into a correspondingly-shaped hole formed in the stock; a cylindrical support shaft extending through the cylindrical passage of the winch body; a first take-up spool and a second take-up spool mounted on opposed end portions of the support shaft outside of the winch body; a ratchet wheel mounted on the support shaft between the first and second take-up spools, the ratchet wheel disposed in the hollow chamber of the winch body and having a plurality of teeth formed therearound; a pawl having a first end disposed in the hollow chamber of the winch body and pivotally attached to the winch body, and a second end opposite the first end, the pawl having a tooth formed thereon for selective engagement between adjacent teeth of the ratchet wheel; a spring for biasing the pawl towards the ratchet wheel; a handle member operatively attachable to one of the take-up spools, a tensioning cable having a first end attached to the first take-up spool, a second end attached to the second take-up spool, and a central portion between the first and second ends; and a bowstring hook member having a slot formed in a lower portion thereof to receive a bowstring of the crossbow, wherein the central portion of the tensioning cable passes through a portion of the bowstring hook member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A cocking winch apparatus for attaching a crossbow and for use in cocking the crossbow, said apparatus comprising:
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a winch body having an upper portion, a lower portion and a connecting portion interconnecting the upper and lower portions, the upper portion of the winch body having a front end, a rear end and two opposed side portions and having a hollow chamber formed therein and a cylindrical passage formed laterally therethrough between the side portions, the lower portion of the winch body comprising a projecting alignment member having a non-round cross-sectional shape, wherein the alignment member is removably securable to a crossbow stock by inserting the alignment member into a correspondingly-shaped hole formed in the stock; a cylindrical support shaft extending through the cylindrical passage of the winch body; a first take-up spool and a second take-up spool mounted on opposed end portions of the support shaft outside of the winch body; a ratchet wheel mounted on the support shaft and disposed in the hollow chamber of the winch body; a pawl having a first end disposed in the hollow chamber of the winch body and pivotally attached to the winch body, and a second end extending outside of the winch body, the pawl having a medial tooth formed thereon for selectively engaging between teeth of the ratchet wheel, a handle member operatively attachable to one of the take-up spools, a tensioning cable having a first end attached to the first take-up spool, a second end attached to the second take-up spool, and a central portion between the first and second ends; and a bowstring guide assembly comprising a frame, a plurality of front pulleys and a plurality of rear pulleys, the pulleys being rotatably attached to the frame, wherein the central portion of the tensioning cable passes around the rear pulleys of the bowstring guide assembly.
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6. A crossbow system comprising in combination, a crossbow and a cocking winch apparatus operatively attachable to the crossbow,
said crossbow comprising: -
a stock having a front end and a rear end with a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, wherein the front end defines a shooting direction, the front end comprising a main beam having a horizontal slot formed therein, and the rear end having a non-round shaped hole formed therein and a channel extending from the shaped hole inwardly into the stock; a bow comprising a first limb and a second limb, wherein the first limb and the second limb are operatively attached to the front end of the stock in a manner in which the first limb and the second limb extend outwardly away from one another in substantially opposite directions, and a main bowstring extending between the outer ends of the limbs; and wherein said cocking winch apparatus comprises; a winch body having an upper portion, a lower portion and a connecting portion interconnecting the upper and lower portions, the upper portion of the winch body having a front end, a rear end and two opposed side portions and having a hollow chamber formed therein and a cylindrical passage formed laterally therethrough between the side portions, the lower portion of the winch body comprising a projecting alignment member having a non-round, cross-sectional shape, wherein the alignment member is removably securable to the crossbow stock by inserting the alignment member into said non-round shaped hole in the stock; a cylindrical support shaft extending through the cylindrical passage of the winch body, a first take-up spool and a second take-up spool mounted on opposed end portions of the support shaft outside of the winch body, a ratchet wheel mounted on the support shaft and disposed in the hollow chamber of the winch body, a pawl having a first end disposed in the hollow chamber of the winch body and pivotally attached to the winch body, and a second end extending outside of the winch body, the pawl having a medial tooth formed thereon for selectively engaging between teeth of the ratchet wheel, a handle member operatively attachable to one of the take-up spools, a tensioning cable having a first end attached to the first take-up spool, a second end attached to the second take-up spool, and a central portion between the first and second ends; and a bowstring hook member having a slot formed in a lower portion thereof to receive the bowstring, wherein the central portion of the tensioning cable passes through a portion of the bowstring hook member. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of cocking a crossbow, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a cocking winch apparatus which has a winch body, a bowstring hook member and a tensioning cable, the winch body having an alignment member, the bowstring hook member comprising a bowstring guide assembly comprising a frame, a pair of front pulleys and a pair of rear pulleys, the respective front and rear pulleys being rotatably attached to the frame, wherein a central portion of the tensioning cable passes through a portion of the frame proximate the rear pulleys of the bowstring guide assembly; b) providing the crossbow which has a crossbow stock, a bowstring and a bowstring latch mechanism, the crossbow stock having a shaped opening formed therein; (c) engaging the cocking winch apparatus with the crossbow stock by aligning the winch body with the crossbow stock and inserting the alignment member of the winch body into the shaped opening formed in the crossbow stock which is configured to accept the alignment member therein; d) engaging the bowstring hook member with the bowstring of the crossbow, with the bowstring in a released position thereof; (e) operating the cocking winch apparatus to draw the bowstring hook member and the engaged bowstring rearwardly towards the bowstring latch mechanism; and f) engaging the bowstring with the bowstring latch mechanism.
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Specification