US3794012A

US3794012A - Archery bow with collapsible bow arm rest

Info

Publication number: US3794012A
Application number: US00327870A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Ramsey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-01-29
Filing date: 1973-01-29
Publication date: 1974-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 1991-02-26

Abstract

Two collapsible bow arm rests extending between upper and lower limbs of a bow and a pull handle assembly located rearwardly of the bow mid-portion that is releasably mounted to a bow string secured to the ends of the bow. Each bow arm rest includes a front beam and a back beam, the back of the front beam being pivoted to the front of the back beam. The front of each front beam is pivoted by a pivotal connection to a butt plate assembly that is secured to a bow limb. Each butt plate assembly includes a butt plate that bears against the rear surface of a bow limb. The back of each back beam is pivoted to the pull handle assembly. A locking arrangement is provided that locks the front and back beams against relative movement when they are aligned. The butt plate assemblies are mounted to the bow limbs for forward-rearward adjustment to correspondingly adjust the forward-rearward position of the pivotal connections between the butt plate assemblies and the front beams. The butt plates are adjustably mounted on the remainder of the butt plate assemblies to enable the butt plates to bear flush against the rear surfaces of the bow limbs. The front and back beams are folded away from the forward-rearward center line of the bow-bow string assembly when the bow is undrawn and the beams are so dimensioned that the junctures between the backs of the front beams and the fronts of the back beams are either adjacent the bow limbs or the bow string when the beams are folded. Flexible grasping fingers attached to the front beam releasably grasp the bow limbs or the bow string when the beams are folded.

Description

States Patent [191 Ramsey [451 Feb. 26., 1974 ARCHERY BOW WITH COLLAPSIBLE BOW ARM REST [76] Inventor: James C. Ramsey, P.O. Box 36,

Lincoln, N. Mex 88338 [22] Filed: Jan. 29, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 327,870

[52] US. Cl 1.24/24 R, 124/30 A, 124/41 [51] Int. Cl. F411) 5/00 [58] Field of Search. 124/24, 30 R, 30 A, 30 B, 40,

Primary Examiner-'-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-William R. Browne Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kimmel, Crowell & Weaver 5 7 ABSTRACT Two collapsible bow arm rests extending between upper and lower limbs of a bow and a pull handle assembly located rearwardly of the bow mid-portion that is releasably mounted to a bow string secured to the ends of the bow. Each bow arm rest includes a front beam and a back beam, the back of the front beam being pivoted to the front of the back beam. The front of each front beam is pivoted by a pivotal connection to a butt plate assembly that is secured to a bow limb. Each butt plate assembly includes a butt plate that bears against the rear surface of a bow limb. The back of each back beam is pivoted to the pull handle assembly. A locking arrangement is provided that locks the front and back beams against relative movement when they are aligned. The butt plate assemblies are mounted to the bow limbs for forward-rearward adjustment to correspondingly adjust the forwardrearward position of the pivotal connections between the butt plate assemblies and the front beams. The butt plates are adjustably mounted on the remainder of the butt plate assemblies to enable the butt plates to bear flush against the rear surfaces of the bow limbs. The front and back beams are folded away from the forward-rearward center line of the bow-bow string assembly when the bow is undrawn and the beams are so dimensioned that the junctures between the backs of the front beams and the fronts of the back beams are either adjacent the bow limbs or the bow string when the beams are folded. Flexible grasping fingers attached to the front beam releasably grasp the bow limbs or the bow string when the beams are folded.

29 Claims, 22 Drawing Figures PATENTED F5828 I974 SHEEI 1 BF 6 FIG. .3 5

FIG. 2

PATENTEDFEBZB-W 3,794,012

' SHEET 5 UP 6 ARCHERY BOW WliTliii CULLAPSEBLE BOW ARM REST BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In my patent application Ser. No. 238,911 filed Mar. 28, 1972 there is disclosed a collapsible bow arm rest for a bow and bow string assembly that acts as a brace for archers. Its purpose is to relieve the strain of the bows pull on the archers bow arm after he has brought the bow to full draw and is trying to hold the bow steady to take careful aim with his arrow at his mark. Without such a rest brace, and especially if the bow is a strong one as are most hunting bows, when the archer gets his bow string drawn back to full draw the pull of the bow on the string causes his bow arm to tremble and wobble requiring considerable effort to steady the bow enough to permit his making good aim and release with his arrow.

This tension can cause a lot of bad faults in an archer such as snap shooting by releasing his arrow the instant he has drawn it back more or less to the area of full draw even though he has not steadied his bow hand enough to come to good aim with his arrow. Also, the length he draws his arrow back each time is not very consistent, which hinders his being able to shoot well.

This type of bow arm rest device should be legal in hunting game with the bow in any bow hunting area, or in shooting fish, since the bow, held in bow hand, is pushed out away from the body by the bow arm in the normal manner, the bow string and the arrow nocked on the bow string are drawn back to full draw by the drawing hand and the fingers of the drawing hand in the normal manner, and the bow string and the nocked arrow are released in the normal manner by the mere relaxation of the drawing fingers. Only for a few seconds, when the arrow is at full draw, does the rest device come into play to relieve the strain of the bow on the archers bow arm while he takes steady aim with his arrow and releases it.

This collapsible bow arm rest is an especially desirable and needed shooting aid for those older archers who like to hunt various big game animals with a bow. The game laws of most states require that in order to legally hunt such animals with a bow the hunter must with his bow be able to cast his broadhead arrow on level ground a minimum of 130 yards and up to 165 yards in some cases. These requirements call for an elderly person to use a comparatively strong bow in his hunting which may make it difficult for him to hold his drawn bow steady while aiming and releasing his arrow at his mark. However, with this type of bow arm rest, once the archer has his bow drawn back to full draw he can hold his arm steady while he takes good aim and makes a good release with his arrow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A first aspect of this invention is concerned with providing an improved bow arm rest arrangement over that disclosed in my patent application Ser. No. 238,91 I which will better attain the objectives set forth above. This is accomplished by providing an upper collapsible bow arm rest brace and a lower collapsible bow arm rest brace. When the bow is brought to full draw, the collapsible bow arm braces are also brought to full draw by the archer's three drawing fingers hooked ahead of a pull handle, which three fingers are also hooked about the bow string to also draw back the bow string and the arrow.

The collapsible bow arm braces each include hinged beams which are unfolded, drawn back, straightened out and locked securely into full drawn position by the three drawing fingers. The instant this happens, a butt plate at the fore end of the upper rest is pressed solidly against the belly of the upper bow limb, preferably about 2 inches above the upper end of the bow handle, and a butt plate at the fore end of the lower rest is pressed solidly against the belly of the lower bow limb, preferably a bit below the lower end of the bow handle. The pull of the bow string against the three drawing fingers curled about it causes the crotch of the thumb and forefinger of the drawing hand to draw foreward against a crotch rest at the back of the pull handle. This causes the three drawing fingers and the thumbforefinger crotch on the drawing hand and the two rest braces to take up the stress of the bows pull, thereby relieving the bows tension on the archers bow arm, which allows him to take steady, careful aim with his arrow and make a good release. The length of the archers arrow draws are consistent for all shots thus allowing him to make consistent anchoring with his drawing hand which does much to insure accuracy with his bow and arrows.

In making a shot, the drawing fingers are merely relaxed, releasing the bow string and the nocked arrow, with the drawing hand still held at the thumb-forefinger crotch against the crotch rest on the pull handle. After a shot, the hinged beams are unlocked and folded again to lie between the bow string and the bow limbs.

The upper beams are folded upwardly and the lower beams are folded downwardly so as to not interfere with each other in their folded condition. When in their unfolded locked condition, the bearing of the rest braces against the upper and lower bow limbs provides an effective mechanism to relieve the tension on the archers bow arm as described above.

A second aspect of this invention is concerned with an adjustability of a bow arm rest of the type disclosed in application Ser. No. 238,911 which will enable it to be adjusted in accordance with the dimensions of the bow with which it is utilized. This is accomplished by mounting the butt plate for forward-rearward adjustment with respect to the butt plate assembly on which the butt plate is mounted.

A third aspect of this invention is concerned with ensuring that the butt plate of the bow arm rest of the type disclosed in application Ser. No. 238,91 1 is always bearing flush against the belly of the bow to thus ensure a maximum efficiency of the bow arm rest. This is accomplished by adjustably mounting the butt plate with respect to the remainder of the butt plate assembly.

A fourth aspect of this invention is concerned, in a bow arm rest of the type disclosed in application Ser. No. 238,911, with an arrangement for retaining the beams in their folded condition when the bow is undrawn. This is accomplished by so constructing the beams that their juncture, when the beams are folded, is adjacent to the bow or the bow string and by providing a releasable grasping device on one of the beams that releasably grasps the bow or the bow string.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. l is a side elevation of an assemblage of the bow, the bow string and the bow arm rests in the undrawn position;

FIG. 2 is a view of a butt plate assembly mounted to a bow limb that forms a part of the assemblage of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view of the butt plate assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of part of the assemblage of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view to an enlarged scale of a pull handle assembly of the assemblage of FIG. 4 showing it mounted on the bow string and connected to the back beams of the bow arm rests;

FIG. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the parts of the pull handle assembly of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the pull handle assembly of FIG. 8 showing the parts connected to each other;

FIG. 10 is a partially sectional view of a connection between the back beam and the front beam of a bow arm rest showing the beams in unlocked position;

FIG. 11 is a section taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 10 but showing the beams in locked position;

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the assemblage in drawn position;

FIG. 14 is a view taken on the line 14-14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a view of a variant ofa butt plate assembly mounted to a bow limb;

FIG. 16 is a view of another variant of a butt plate assembly mounted to a bow limb;

FIG. 17 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing a variant of a pull handle assembly;

FIG. 18 is a section taken on the line 18-18 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a side elevation of the assemblage of this invention showing a grasping device for enabling the bow arm rests to releasably grasp the bow limbs;

FIG. 20 is a section taken on the line 20-20 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a side elevation of the assemblage of this invention showing a grasping device for enabling the bow arm rests to releasably grasp the bow string; and

FIG. 22 is a section taken on the line 22-22 of FIG. 21.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, the bow 10 includes an upper limb 12, a lower limb 14, and a bow handle 16 secured to and located between the two limbs at the bow midportion. The upper and lower limbs are rearwardly of the bow handle 16. An arrow rest 18 is located on one side of the top of the bow handle 16 at its juncture with the upper limb 12 in the approximate center of the bow. A bow string 20 is secured to and extends between the remote ends of the

limbs

12 and 14 rearwardly of the bow.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a rod 22, preferably rectangular in cross-section, is located alongside the upper limb 12 on the side of the upper limb opposite the side on which the arrow rest 18 is located a short distance, as, for example, 2 inches, above the bow handle 16, so as to extend forwardly and rearwardly of the upper bow limb. An identical rod 22 is located alongside the lower limb 14 on the side of the lower limb opposite the side on which the arrow rest 18 is located just a bit below the bottom of the bow handle 16.

A plurality of holes 26, spaced longitudinally of the rods 22, extend transversely through the rods. A butt plate 28 is adjustably mounted to each rod 22 by a bolt 30 extending through the butt plate and through a selected hole 26 and by a nut 32 threaded onto the bolt 30 and bearing against the rod 22.

As shown in FIG. 3, the butt plate 28 has a hole 34 through which the bolt 30 extends and an arcuate slot 36 located rearwardly of the hole 34 and having a curvature whose center coincides with the hole 34. A pin 38 extends through the slot 36 and into that hole 26 that is next to and rearward of the hole 26 that accommodates the bolt 30. Each butt plate 28 has a projection 39 that extends laterally of its associated rod 22 and bears against the bow belly that is on the rear surface of the bow. A back hook 40 is formed on each butt plate projection and a front hook 42 is bolted into the hole 26 that is just forward of the back of the bow that is on the front surface of the bow. An elastic band 44 extends from each back hook 40 about the adjacent bow limb and about a bar 22 rearwardly of a front hook 42, as seen in FIG. 2, to secure the bars 22 onto the

bow limbs

12 and 14, the front hooks 42 retaining the bands 44 in place. If desired, screws (not shown) may be inserted through the holes 26 located between the bolt 30 and the hook 42 and threaded into the bow limb to assist the band 44 in securing the bars 22 on the

bow limbs

12 and 14. A strip of soft padding may be placed between the

bow limbs

12 and 14 and the rods 22 and the butt plates 28 to prevent the rods and butt plates from marring the bow limbs. Instead of the band 44, a small coil spring, having rings at its opposite ends mounted to the

hooks

40, 42 may be used. As a further alternative, a strong cord may be utilized.

Referring to FIG. 4, the front of a front beam 46 is pivoted to the back of each rod 22 on a bolt 47, the beam 46 for the upper rod 22 extending upwardly of the back of this rod and the beam 46 for the lower rod 22 extending downwardly of the back of this rod. The backs of the upper and lower front beams 46 respectively have a flat top and a flat bottom 48 that lie in planes parallel to the front beam axes. The upper front beam 46 has a slot 49 that is inclined upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the longitudinal axes of this beam. The lower front beam 46 has a slot 49 that is inclined downwardly and rearwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis of this beam.

Referring to FIGS. 5-7, a pull handle 50 is mounted to the mid-section of the bow string 20. The pull handle 50 has a heightwise and lengthwise extending shallow groove 52 that receives the bow string 20. A bit above midway of the length of the front face of the pull handle 50 there is located a pit S4. Extending lengthwise and heightwise of the base of the pit 54 is a narrow strip 56 of soft material. A pair of

bow string keepers

58 and 60 are respectively mounted to the top and bottom of the pull handle 50 and extend forwardly thereof. As shown in patent application Ser. No. 238,91 1 each bow string keeper is formed of spaced resilient fingers located on opposite sides of the groove 52 so as to releasably retain the bow spring 26 between the fingers in the groove. The bow string has knots 62 above and below each of the keepers S8 and 60 to thereby releasably mount the pull handle 56 to the bow string and prevent the pull handle from slipping up and down the bow string. Additional knots 64 are located on the bow string 20 adjacent the top and the bottom of the pit 54.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and '9, a channel 66 is formed in a side of the pull handle 50, and a bracket 6% is secured in the channel 66 by screws 76. The channel 66 and the bracket 68 are so dimensioned that the bracket 68 has an upper arm 72 that extends upwardly and forwardly of the top part of the pull handle 56, and a lower arm 74 that extends downwardly and forwardly of the bottom part of the pull handle 50. The back of an upper back beam 76 is pivoted to the front of the finger 72 by a bolt 77.

Referring to FIGS. III and III, the front of the back beam 76 is formed into a housing having a ceiling 78 and a pair of spaced flanges fill and 32 that depend downwardly of the ceiling 78 and that receive the back of the upper front beam 46. The upper front beam 46 and the upper back beam 76 are pivotally connected to each other by a pin 84 that extends through the

flanges

80 and 32 and is slidably received in the upper slot 49.

The back of a lower back beam 76 is pivoted to the front of the finger 74 by another bolt 77. The front of the lower back beam 76 and its connection to the lower front beam 46 is identical to the construction of the front of the upper back'beam 76 and its connection to the upper front beam 46 except for the parts of the lower beams being inverted from the parts of the upper beams.

The fronts of the back beams 76, the backs of the front beams 46 and the slots 49 are so dimensioned that when the pins 84 are at the backs of the slots 49, as in FIG. It), the surfaces 46 of the backs of the front beams are spaced from the ceilings 78 of the back beam housings when the front and back beams lie on parallel axes and the rounded back ends 86 of the front beams 46 can clear the ceilings 76 when the front and back beams swing with respect to each other about the axes of the pins 84. When the pins 84 are at the fronts of the inclined slots 49, as seen in FIG. I2, the back of the upper front beam 46 is wedged upwardly and the back of the lower front beam 46 is wedged downwardly so that the surfaces 46 bear against the housing ceilings 78 when the upper and

lower beams

46 and 76 lie on parallel axes to thus constrain the beams against relative movement.

When the bow III is not in use, it is in the FIG. I position with the

upper beams

46 and 76 extending upwardly and the

lower beams

46 and 76 extending downwardly. In using the bow, the archer nocks the back of an arrow 68 into the pit 54. The arrow is notched at its back so that it straddles the bow string 20 and bears against the soft strip 66 as indicated in FIG. 7. While the archer is grasping the bow handle I6 with his bow hand, he grasps the pull handle 56 and the bow string 26 with his drawing hand with the base of his thumb bearing against a crotch rest 90 and his three drawing fingers (the forefinger, the second finger and the third finger) extending over the front of the pull handle 50 and the bow string 20 (see FIGS. 13 and I4). The fore finger and the second finger straddle the arrow 88. The front of the arrow at this time is seated on the arrow shelf 18 and the parts are in the FIGS. I and 4 position.

The archer now pulls back with his drawing arm to cause the drawing fingers of his drawing arm to pull back on the bow string 26 and the pull handle 50 thus drawing back the arrow 88. At the same time, the archer pushes forwardly against the bow handle 16 with his bow hand. These movements cause the upper and lower front beams 46 to respectively swing downwardly and upwardly about the axes of the bolts 47 and the upper and lower back beams 76 to respectively swing downwardly and upwardly about the axes of the bolts 77 until the

upper beams

46, 76 and the

lower beams

46, 76 are in alignment with each other. The archer pulls back sufficiently to enable the pins 84 to bear against the backs of the slots 49, at which time the arrow 88 is about one-half inch further back in the bow than its shooting position. The archer now eases the pulling force of his drawing arm a bit so that the forward pull of the bow string 20 causes the crotch of his thumb and forefinger (see FIG. I4) to push against the crotch rest '96 of the pull handle 50 to thus push the pull handle assembly formed by the pull handle 56 and the

arms

72 and 74, the arrow 68, and the back beams 76 forwardly until the pins 84 are seated against the fronts of the slots 49 in the FIG. 12 position with the

beams

46 and 76 constrained against relative movement. This brings the parts to the FIG. I3 position wherein the bow arm rest is locked in shooting position with the upper and lower butt plates 26 respectively forced solidly against the upper bow limb I2 and the lower bow limb I4. As a result, the

beams

46 and 76 cannot move forwardly and the pull on the bow string by the pushing bow arm causes the three stressed drawing fingers holding the bow string to pull the thumbforefinger crotch of the drawing hand tight against the crotch rest and thus cause the three drawing fingers, the thumb-forefinger crotch of the drawing hand and the two rests formed by the

beams

46, 76 to take up the stress of the bows pull. This relieves the bows tension on the archer's bow arm and allows him to take steady, careful aim with his arrow and make a good release with the length of his arrow draws consistent for all shots thus doing much to insure accuracy in shooting. In making his shot, the archer merely relaxes his drawing fingers andmoves them out of the way of the bow string 26 and the arrow 88 while the thumb-forefinger crotch is still retained against the crotch rest 90 of the pull handle 56 so that the bow string 20 moves forwardly out of the

string keepers

58 and 66.

After making his shot, the archer pulls the back beams 76 rearwardly with his drawing fingers to move the pins 64 to the backs of the slots 49 (FIG. I0) and provide clearance between the backs of the beams 46 and the fronts of the beams 76. He may then respectively raise and lower the upper and

lower beams

46 and 76 to the FIG. 4 position, this movement being augmented by forwardly directed pressure exerted on the crotch rest 94). The archer then mounts the pull handle 50 to the bow string 26 by the string keepers 5% and 60.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the bow arm rests constituted by the rods 22, the front beams 46, and the back beams '75, by bearing against both the upper limb I2 and the lower limb 14 of the bow I0,

provide an effective brace to relieve the tension on the archers bow arm when the bow is drawn. By placing the bolts 30, the pins 38 and the hooks 42 in selected holes 26 in the rods 22, the effective lengths of the bow arm rests may be adjusted as needed in accordance with the dimensions of the bow. By adjusting the positions of the pins 38 in the slots 36 about the axes of the holes 34, each butt plate projection 39 may be adjusted so as to bear flush against the belly of its associated bow limb.

FIG. shows a variant of the arrangement for mounting the front beams 46 to the

bow limbs

12 and 14. In this arrangement, a rod 92 is pivoted to each front beam 46 by the bolt 47. A housing 94, slidably mounted on each rod 92 for forward-rearward movement, has a laterally projecting butt plate 96 that bears against the belly of its associated bow limb. A back hook 96 is formed on the end of the butt plate 96 remote from the rod 92. A front hook 98 is formed at the front of the housing 94 so as to be located forwardly of the

bow limbs

12 and 14 and so as to project away from the bow limbs. Elastic bands 44 secure the housings 94 to the

bow limbs

12 and 14 by extending from each back hook 96 about the adjacent bow limb and about its associated housing 94 rearwardly of its associated front hook 98. A set screw 100 is threaded into each housing 94 and is engageable with a selected one of a series of indentations 102 that are spaced lengthwise of the rod 92. The bow arm rests may be adjusted by moving the rods 92 lengthwise of the housings 94 to desired positions and then tightening the set screws 100 so that they engage the indentations 102 that correspond to the selected positions.

FIG. 16 shows a simplified arrangement for mounting the front beams 46 to the

bow limbs

12 and 14 which does not afford an adjustment of the bow arm rests. Herein each front beam 46 is pivoted by the bolt 47 to a rod 102 which has an integral butt plate 104 having a back hook 106 thereon. A front hook 108 is also integral with each rod 102. The butt plates, the back hooks and the front hooks are located in the same relative positions with respect to the bow limbs that are described above and the rods 102 are similarly secured to the bow limbs by the elastic bands 44.

FIGS. 17 and 18 show a modified pull handle 110 having sockets formed in the top and bottom parts of its front that receive upper and

lower arms

112 and 1 14 that are secured in the sockets by screws 116 and that project forwardly of the pull handle. The backs of the back beams 76 are pivoted to the fronts of the arms I12 and 114 by the bolts 77. In all other respects, the pull handle 110 is identical to the pull handle 50.

FIGS. 19 and show an arrangement wherein the front beams 118 of the bow arm rests are shorter than the back beams 120. As described above, the front beams are pivoted to the rods 22 and the back beams are pivoted to the

arms

72 and 74 of the pull handle 50 assembly. The backs of the front beams and the fronts of the back beams are pivoted to each other by pins 122. In the undrawn condition of the bow, the pivotal junctures of the front and back beams are located adjacent the

bow limbs

12 and 14 wherein flexible rubber fingers 124 attached to the fronts of the back beams 120 releasably grasp the

bow limbs

12 and 14 to retain the front and back beams in the collapsed FIG. 19 position. When the bow string 20 is drawn, the fingers 124 are readily released from the bow limbs.

FIGS. 21 and 22 show an arrangement wherein the front beams 125 of the bow arm rests are longer than the back beams 126. As described above, the front beams are pivoted to the rods 22 and the back beams are pivoted to the

arms

72 and 74 of the pull handle 50. The backs of the front beam and the fronts of the back beams are pivoted to each other by pins 128. In the undrawn condition of the bow, the pivotal junctures of the front and back beams are located adjacent the bow string 20 wherein soft flexible fingers attached to the front of each back beam 126 releasably grasp the bow string 20 to retain the front and back beams in the collapsed FIG. 21 position. When the bow string 20 is drawn, the fingers 130 are readily released from the bow string.

I claim:

1. In combination: a bow member having upper and lower limbs that are rearwardly of the bow member mid-portion; a bow string member, secured to the opposite ends of the bow member, and extending rearwardly of the bow member, movable between an undrawn position relatively close to the bow member and a drawn position relatively remote from the bow member; an upper butt plate assembly, secured to the upper limb, that includes an upper butt plate bearing against the rear surface of the upper limb; an upper front beam pivoted at its front by a pivotal connection to the upper butt plate assembly for heightwise movement and ex tending upwardly of the upper butt plate assembly in said undrawn position; a lower butt plate assembly, secured to the lower limb, that includes a lower butt plate bearing against the rear surface of the lower limb; a lower front beam pivoted at its front by a pivotal connection to the lower butt plate assembly for heightwise movement and extending downwardly of the lower butt plate assembly in said undrawn position; a pull handle assembly located on the bowstring rearwardly of the bow member mid-portion in both said drawn and undrawn positions and adapted to be located proximate to and at least in part rearward of the mid-portion of the bow string member in said drawn and undrawn positions; an upper back beam pivoted at its back to the upper part of said pull handle assembly for heightwise movement and extending upwardly of the pull handle assembly in said undrawn position; a lower back beam pivoted at its back to the lower part of said pull handle assembly and extending downwardly of said pull handle assembly in said undrawn position; connecting means connecting the back of the upper front beam to the front of the upper back beam so that the upper front and back beams are folded upwardly in said undrawn position; connecting means connecting the back of the lower front beam to the front of the lower back beam so that the lower front and back beams are folded downwardly in said undrawn position; means so constructing said connecting means as to permit the upper front and back beams and the lower front and back beams to unfold and move into alignment in response to the rearward movement of the bow string member from said undrawn to said drawn position and a corresponding rearward movement of the pull handle assembly; and locking means effective to respectively lock the back of the upper front beam and the front of the upper back beam and the back of the lower front beam and the front of the lower back beam against relative movement when the upper beams and the lower beams are in their respective alignments.

2. The combination of claim ll further comprising: means mounting the butt plate assemblies for forwardrearward adjustment with respect to said upper and lower limbs to thereby adjust the forward-rearward positions of said pivotal connections.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein each butt plate assembly comprises: a rod located alongside one of said bow limbs that extend longitudinally forwardly and rearwardly of said one of said bow limbs; a housing, having the butt plate extending therefrom, movably mounted on the rod for forward-rearward movements; means for adjustably securing the housing on the rod in a selected forward-rearward position and means securing the rod-housing assemblage to one of said bow limbs, said pivotal connection being located at the rearmost end of the rod; whereby said pivotal connection may be adjusted in accordance with the forwardrearward position of the housing on the rod.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein a back hook is formed on the butt plate; wherein a front hook is formed on the housing that is forward of one of said bow limbs; and wherein the means securing said assemblage to said one of said bow limb comprises a securing member hooked on said back hook and extending about said one of said bow limbs and the housing so as to extend about the housing rearwardly of the front hook.

5. The combination of claim 2 wherein each butt plate assembly comprises: a rod located alongside a bow limb and extending longitudinally forwardly and rearwardly of the bow limb; a series of rod holes spaced longitudinally of the rod; at least one removable connector extending through a selected rod hole located rearwardly of the limb connecting the butt plate to the rod; and means securing the rod-butt plate assemblage to one of the bow limbs, said pivotal connection being located at the back of the rod; whereby the rearward positioning of said pivotal connection may be adjusted in accordance with the selected rod hole through which the connector extends.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said butt plate is mounted on said rod for adjustment about the axis of said connector to thereby adjust the butt plate so that it bears flush against the rear of the bow limb.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said butt plate has a butt plate hole through which said connector extends and an arcuate slot whose center of curvature coincides with the center of said butt plate hole; a pin extending through said slot into a rod hole located rearwardly of the rod hole through which the connector extends.

8. The combination of claim 5 wherein a back hook is formed on the butt plate; a front hook is mounted in a rod hole that is forward of the front side of the bow limbs; and wherein the means securing said assemblage to one of the bow limbs comprises: a securing member hooked on said back hook and extending about one of the bow limbs and the rod so as to extend about the rod rearwardly of the front hook.

9. The combination of claim ll further comprising a back hook formed on each butt plate; a front hook on each butt plate assembly that is formed of its associated bow limb; and a securing member hooked over the back hook and extending about the associated bow limb and about the front hook so as to secure the butt plate assembly to the associated bow limb.

10. The combination of claim l further comprising means adjustably mounting each butt plate so that each of the butt plates may be adjusted to bear flush against the rear of its associated bow limb.

ill. The combinationof claim 10 wherein each butt plate assembly comprises: a rod located alongside its associated bow limb and extending longitudinally and rearwardly of the bow limb; at least two rod holes spaced longitudinally of the rod; a butt plate hole in the butt plate; a removable connector extending through the forwardmost of said rod holes and the butt plate hole to connect the butt plate to the rod; an accurate slot in the butt plate, located rearward of the butt plate hole, whose center of curvature is the same as the center of the butt plate hole; and a pin extending through the slot and the rearwardmost of said rod holes.

12. The combination of claim ll wherein said pull handle assembly comprises: a pull handle; a channel in a side of the pull handle; a bracket secured in the channel; said bracket having an upper arm that extends forwardly of the top part of the pull handle and a lower arm that extends forwardly of the bottom part of the pull handle; and wherein the front of the upper arm is pivotally connected to the back of the upper back beam and the front of the lower arm is pivotally connected to the back of the lower back beam.

113. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pull handle assembly comprises a pull handle; upper and lower sockets formed in the top and bottom part of the front of the pull handle; and upper and lower arms respectively secured in said upper and lower sockets projecting forwardly of the pull handle; and wherein the front of the upper arm is pivotally connected to the back of the upper back beam and the front of the lower arm is pivoted to the back of the lower back beam.

14. The combination of claim ll further including grasping means mounted on one of the upper beams and on one of the lower beams that releasably grasps said bow member when the beams are in a folded.

15. The combination of claim 14 wherein the front beams are shorter than the back beams and wherein said junctures are located adjacent the bow limbs of the bow member when the beams are folded as aforesaid; and wherein the grasping means comprises: flexible fingers attached to the back beams that releasably grasp the bow limbs when the beams are folded as aforesaid.

16. The combination of claim 14 wherein the front beams are longer than the back beams and wherein said junctures are located adjacent the bow string member when the beams are folded as aforesaid; and wherein the grasping means comprises: flexible fingers attached to the back beams that releasably grasp the bow string member when the beams are folded as aforesaid.

117. The combination of claim ll wherein each butt plate assembly comprises: a rod located alongside a bow limb and extending forwardly and rearwardly of the bow limb on which each of said butt plates is integrally formed, a back hook integrally formed on and extending outwardly from said butt plate, a front hook integrally formed on and extending outwardly from said rod forwardly of the bow limb; and a securing member hooked on said back hook and extending about the bow limb and the rod so as to extend about the rod rearwardly of said front hook.

18. in a combination: a bow having upper and lower limbs that are rearwardly of the bow mid-portion; a

bow string secured to the opposite ends of the bow and extending rearwardly of the bow, movable between an undrawn position relatively close to the bow and a drawn position relatively remote from the bow; at least one butt plate assembly, secured to the bow, that includes a butt plate bearing against the rear surface of the bow; a front beam pivoted at its front by a pivotal connection to the butt plate assembly for heightwise movement and extending in a heightwise direction away from the butt plate assembly in said undrawn position; a pull handle assembly located on the bowstring rearwardly of the bow mid-portion in both said drawn and undrawn positions and adapted to be located proximate to and at least in part rearward of the mid-portion of the bow string in said drawn and undrawn positions; a back beam pivoted at its back to the upper part of said pull handle assembly for heightwise movement and extending in said heightwise direction from the pull handle assembly in said undrawn position; connecting means connecting the back of the front beam to the front of the back beam so that the front and back beams are folded in said heightwise direction in said undrawn position; means so constructing said connecting means to cause the front and back beams to unfold and move into alignment in response to the rearward movement of the bow string from said undrawn position to said drawn position and a corresponding rearward movement of the pull handle assembly; locking means for locking the back of the front beam and the front of the back beam against relative movement when the beams are in alignment; and means mounting the butt plate assembly for forward-rearward adjustment with respect to the bow to thereby adjust the forward-rearward position of said pivotal connection.

19. The combination of claim 18 wherein the butt plate assembly comprises a rod located alongside the bow and extending longitudinally forwardly and rearwardly of the bow; a series of rod holes spaced longitudinally of the rod; at least one removable connector extending through a rod hole located rearwardly of the bow connecting the butt plate to the rod; and means securing the rod-butt plate assemblage to the bow; said pivotal connection being located at the back of the rod, whereby said pivotal connection may be adjusted with respect to the bow by varying the selected rod hole through which the connector extends.

20. The combination of claim 19 wherein said butt plate is mounted on said rod for movement about the axis of said connector to thereby adjust the butt plate so that it bears flush against the rear of the how.

21. The combination of claim 20 wherein said butt plate has a butt plate hole through which said connector extends and an accurate slot whose center of curvature is the same as the center of said butt plate hole; and a pin extending through said slot into a rod hole located rearwardly of the rod hole through which the connector extends.

22. The combination of claim 19 wherein a back hook is formed on the butt plate; wherein a front hook is mounted in a rod hole that is forward of the bow limb; and wherein the means securing said assemblage to the bow limb comprises: a securing member hooked over said back hook and extending about the bow limb and the rod so as to extend about the rod rearwardly of the front hook.

23. The combination of claim 18 wherein each butt plate assembly comprises: a rod located alongside the bow and extending longitudinally forward and rearwardly of the bow; a housing, having the butt plate extending therefrom, and being movably mounted on the rod for forward-rearward movement; means for adjustably securing the housing to the rod in a selected forward-rearward position; and means securing the rod housing assemblage to the bow limb; said pivotal connection being located at the back of the rod, whereby the position of said pivotal connection may be varied with respect to the bow in accordance with the forward-rearward position of securement of the housing on the rod.

24. The combination of claim 23 wherein a back hook is formed on the butt plate; wherein a front hook is formed on the housing that is forward of the bow limb; and wherein the means securing said assemblage to the bow limb comprises: a securing member hooked on said back hook and extending about the limb and the housing so as to extend about the housing rearwardly of the front hook.

25. In a combination that comprises: a bow having upper and lower limbs that are rearwardly of the bow mid-portion; a bow string secured to the opposite ends of the bow, and extending rearwardly of the bow movable between an undrawn position relatively close to the bow and a drawn position relatively remote from the bow; at least one butt plate assembly, secured to the bow, that includes a butt plate bearing against the rear surface of the how; a front beam pivoted at its front by a pivotal connection to the butt plate assembly for heightwise movement and extending in a heightwise direction away from the butt plate assembly in said undrawn position; a pull handle assembly located rearwardly of the bow mid-portion in both said drawn and undrawn positions and adapted to be located proximate to and at least in part rearward of the midportion of the bow string in said drawn and undrawn positions; a back beam pivoted at its back to the upper part of said pull handle assembly for heightwise movement and extending in said heightwise direction from the pull handle assembly in said undrawn position; connection means connecting the back of the front beam to the front of the back beam so that the front and back beams are folded in said heightwise direction in said undrawn position; means so constructing said connecting means as to cause the front and back beams to unfold and move into alignment in response to the rearward movement of the bow string from said undrawn position to said drawn position and a corresponding rearward movement of the pull handle assembly; and locking means effective to lock the back of the front beam and the front of the back beam against relative movement when the beams are in alignment; and means for selectively positioning the butt plate so that the butt plate bears flush against the rear of one of said bow limbs.

26. The combination of claim 25 wherein said at least one butt plate assembly further comprises: a rod located alongside the bow and extending longitudinally and rearwardly of the bow; at least two rod holes spaced longitudinally of the rod; a butt plate hole in the butt plate; a removable connector extending through the forwardmost of said rod holes and the butt plate hole to connect the butt plate to the rod; an accurate slot in the butt plate, located rearward of the butt plate hole, whose center of curvature is the same as the center of the butt plate hole; and a pin extending through the slot and the rearwardmost of said rod holes.

27. In a combination that comprises: a bow member having upper and lower limbs that are rearwardly of the bow member mid-portion; a bow string member secured to the opposite ends of the bow member and extending rearwardly of the bow member, movable be tween an undrawn position relatively close to the bow member and a drawn position relatively remote from the bow member; at least one butt plate assembly, secured to the bow member that includes a butt plate bearing against the rear surface of the bow member; a front beam pivoted at its front by a pivotal connection to the butt plate assembly for heightwise movement and extending in a heightwise direction away from the butt plate assembly in said undrawn position; a pull handle assembly located rearwardly of the bow member mid-portion in both said drawn and undrawn positions and adapted to be located proximate to and at least in part rearward of the mid-portion of the bow string member in said drawn and undrawn positions; a back beam pivoted at its back to the upper part of said pull handle assembly for heightwise movement and extending in said heightwise direction from the pull handle assembly in said undrawn position; connecting means connecting the back of the front beam to the front of the back beam so that the front and back beams are folded in said heightwise direction in said undrawn position; means so constructing said connecting means as to cause the front and back beams to unfold and move into alignment in response to the rearward movement of the bow string member from said undrawn position to said drawn position and a corresponding rearward movement of the pull handle assembly; and locking means effective to lock the back of the front beam and the front of the back beam against relative movement when the beams are in alignment; the connection between the back of the front beam and the front of the back beam is located adjacent said bow member; and a grasping means mounted on one of the said beams for releasably grasping said bow member when the beams are folded.

28. The combination of claim 27 wherein the front beam is shorter than the back beam; and wherein the grasping means comprises: flexible fingers attached to the back beam which releasably grasp one of said bow limbs when the beams are folded.

29. The combination of claim 27 wherein the front beam is longer than the back beam and wherein said connection of the front and back beams is located adjacent the bow string member when the beams are folded as aforesaid; and wherein the grasping means comprises: flexible fingers attached to the back beam that releasably grasp the bow string member when the beams are folded

Claims

1. In combination: a bow member having upper and lower limbs that arc rearwardly of the bow member mid-portion; a bow string member, secured to the opposite ends of the bow member, and extending rearwardly of the bow member, movable between an undrawn position relatively close to the bow member and a drawn position relatively remote from the bow member; an upper butt plate assembly, secured to the upper limb, that includes an upper butt plate bearing against the rear surface of the upper limb; an upper front beam pivoted at its front by a pivotal connection to the upper butt plate assembly for heightwise movement and extending upwardly of the upper butt plate assembly in said undrawn position; a lower butt plate assembly, secured to the lower limb, that includes a lower butt plate bearing against the rear surface of the lower limb; a lower front beam pivoted at its front by a pivotal connection to the lower butt plate assembly for heightwise movement and extending downwardly of the lower butt plate assembly in said undrawn position; a pull handle assembly located on the bowstring rearwardly of the bow member mid-portion in both said drawn and undrawn positions and adapted to be located proximate to and at least in part rearward of the mid-portion of the bow string member in said drawn and undrawn positions; an upper back beam pivoted at its back to the upper part of said pull handle assembly for heightwise movement and extending upwardly of the pull handle assembly in said undrawn position; a lower back beam pivoted at its back to the lower part of said pull handle assembly and extending downwardly of said pull handle assembly in said undrawn position; connecting means connecting the back of the upper front beam to the front of the upper back beam so that the upper front and back beams are folded upwardly in said undrawn position; connecting means connecting the back of the lower front beam to the front of the lower back beam so that the lower front and back beams are folded downwardly in said undrawn position; means so constructing said connecting means as to permit the upper front and back beams and the lower front and back beams to unfold and move into alignment in response to the rearward movement of the bow string member from said undrawn to said drawn position and a corresponding rearward movement of the pull handle assembly; and locking means effective to respectively lock the back of the upper front beam and the front of the upper back beam and the back of the lower front beam and the front of the lower back beam against relative movement when the upper beams and the lower beams are in their respective alignments.

2. The combination of claim 1 further comprising: means mounting the butt plate assemblies for forward-rearward adjustment with respect to said upper and lower limbs to thereby adjust the forward-rearward positions of said pivotal connections.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein each butt plate assembly comprises: a rod located alongside one of said bow limbs that extend longitudinally forwardly and rearwardly of said one of said bow limbs; a housing, having the butt plate extending therefrom, movably mounted on the rod for forward-rearward movements; means for adjustably securing the housing on the rod in a selected forward-rearward position and means securing the rod-housing assemblage to one of said bow limbs, said pivotal connection being located at the rearmost end of the rod; whereby said pivotal connection may be adjusted in accordance with the forward-rearward position of the housing on the rod.

9. The combination of claim 1 further comprising a back hook formed on each butt plate; a front hook on eAch butt plate assembly that is formed of its associated bow limb; and a securing member hooked over the back hook and extending about the associated bow limb and about the front hook so as to secure the butt plate assembly to the associated bow limb.

10. The combination of claim 1 further comprising means adjustably mounting each butt plate so that each of the butt plates may be adjusted to bear flush against the rear of its associated bow limb.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein each butt plate assembly comprises: a rod located alongside its associated bow limb and extending longitudinally and rearwardly of the bow limb; at least two rod holes spaced longitudinally of the rod; a butt plate hole in the butt plate; a removable connector extending through the forwardmost of said rod holes and the butt plate hole to connect the butt plate to the rod; an accurate slot in the butt plate, located rearward of the butt plate hole, whose center of curvature is the same as the center of the butt plate hole; and a pin extending through the slot and the rearwardmost of said rod holes.

12. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pull handle assembly comprises: a pull handle; a channel in a side of the pull handle; a bracket secured in the channel; said bracket having an upper arm that extends forwardly of the top part of the pull handle and a lower arm that extends forwardly of the bottom part of the pull handle; and wherein the front of the upper arm is pivotally connected to the back of the upper back beam and the front of the lower arm is pivotally connected to the back of the lower back beam.

13. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pull handle assembly comprises a pull handle; upper and lower sockets formed in the top and bottom part of the front of the pull handle; and upper and lower arms respectively secured in said upper and lower sockets projecting forwardly of the pull handle; and wherein the front of the upper arm is pivotally connected to the back of the upper back beam and the front of the lower arm is pivoted to the back of the lower back beam.

14. The combination of claim 1 further including grasping means mounted on one of the upper beams and on one of the lower beams that releasably grasps said bow member when the beams are in a folded.

17. The combination of claim 1 wherein each butt plate assembly comprises: a rod located alongside a bow limb and extending forwardly and rearwardly of the bow limb on which each of said butt plates is integrally formed, a back hook integrally formed on and extending outwardly from said butt plate, a front hook integrally formed on and extending outwardly from said rod forwardly of the bow limb; and a securing member hooked on said back hook and extending about the bow limb and the rod so as to extend about the rod rearwardly of said front hook.

18. In a combination: a bow having upper and lower limbs that arc rearwardly of the bow mid-portion; a bow string secured to the opposite ends of the bow and extending rearwardly of the bow, movable between an undrawn position relatively close to the bow and a drawn position relatively remote from the bow; at least one butt plate assembly, secured to the bow, that includes a butt plate bearing against the rear surface of the bow; a front beam piVoted at its front by a pivotal connection to the butt plate assembly for heightwise movement and extending in a heightwise direction away from the butt plate assembly in said undrawn position; a pull handle assembly located on the bowstring rearwardly of the bow mid-portion in both said drawn and undrawn positions and adapted to be located proximate to and at least in part rearward of the mid-portion of the bow string in said drawn and undrawn positions; a back beam pivoted at its back to the upper part of said pull handle assembly for heightwise movement and extending in said heightwise direction from the pull handle assembly in said undrawn position; connecting means connecting the back of the front beam to the front of the back beam so that the front and back beams are folded in said heightwise direction in said undrawn position; means so constructing said connecting means as to cause the front and back beams to unfold and move into alignment in response to the rearward movement of the bow string from said undrawn position to said drawn position and a corresponding rearward movement of the pull handle assembly; locking means for locking the back of the front beam and the front of the back beam against relative movement when the beams are in alignment; and means mounting the butt plate assembly for forward-rearward adjustment with respect to the bow to thereby adjust the forward-rearward position of said pivotal connection.

20. The combination of claim 19 wherein said butt plate is mounted on said rod for movement about the axis of said connector to thereby adjust the butt plate so that it bears flush against the rear of the bow.

23. The combination of claim 18 wherein each butt plate assembly comprises: a rod located alongside the bow and extending longitudinally forward and rearwardly of the bow; a housing, having the butt plate extending therefrom, and being movably mounted on the rod for forward-rearward movement; means for adjustably securing the housing to the rod in a selected forward-rearward position; and means securing the rod-housing assemblage to the bow limb; said pivotal connection being located at the back of the rod, whereby the position of said pivotal connection may be varied with respect to the bow in accordance with the forward-rearward position of securement of the housing on the rod.

25. In a combination that comprises: a bow having upper and lower limbs that are rearwardly of the bow mid-portion; a bow string secured to the opposite ends of the bow, and extending rearwardly of the bow movable between an undrawn position relatively close to the bow and a drawn position relatively remote from the bow; at least one butt plate assembly, secured to the bow, that includes a butt plate bearing against the rear surface of the bow; a front beam pivoted at its front by a pivotal connection to the butt plate assembly for heightwise movement and extending in a heightwise direction away from the butt plate assembly in said undrawn position; a pull handle assembly located rearwardly of the bow mid-portion in both said drawn and undrawn positions and adapted to be located proximate to and at least in part rearward of the midportion of the bow string in said drawn and undrawn positions; a back beam pivoted at its back to the upper part of said pull handle assembly for heightwise movement and extending in said heightwise direction from the pull handle assembly in said undrawn position; connection means connecting the back of the front beam to the front of the back beam so that the front and back beams are folded in said heightwise direction in said undrawn position; means so constructing said connecting means as to cause the front and back beams to unfold and move into alignment in response to the rearward movement of the bow string from said undrawn position to said drawn position and a corresponding rearward movement of the pull handle assembly; and locking means effective to lock the back of the front beam and the front of the back beam against relative movement when the beams are in alignment; and means for selectively positioning the butt plate so that the butt plate bears flush against the rear of one of said bow limbs.

27. In a combination that comprises: a bow member having upper and lower limbs that arc rearwardly of the bow member mid-portion; a bow string member secured to the opposite ends of the bow member and extending rearwardly of the bow member, movable between an undrawn position relatively close to the bow member and a drawn position relatively remote from the bow member; at least one butt plate assembly, secured to the bow member that includes a butt plate bearing against the rear surface of the bow member; a front beam pivoted at its front by a pivotal connection to the butt plate assembly for heightwise movement and extending in a heightwise direction away from the butt plate assembly in said undrawn position; a pull handle assembly located rearwardly of the bow member mid-portion in both said drawn and undrawn positions and adapted to be located proximate to and at least in part rearward of the mid-portion of the bow string member in said drawn and undrawn positions; a back beam pivoted at its back to the upper part of said pull handle assembly for heightwise movement and extending in said heightwise direction from the pull handle assembly in said undrawn position; connecting means connecting the back of the front beam to the front of the back beam so that the front and back beams are folded in said heightwise direction in said undrawn position; means so constructing said connecting means as to cause the front and back beams to unfold and move into alignment in rEsponse to the rearward movement of the bow string member from said undrawn position to said drawn position and a corresponding rearward movement of the pull handle assembly; and locking means effective to lock the back of the front beam and the front of the back beam against relative movement when the beams are in alignment; the connection between the back of the front beam and the front of the back beam is located adjacent said bow member; and a grasping means mounted on one of the said beams for releasably grasping said bow member when the beams are folded.

29. The combination of claim 27 wherein the front beam is longer than the back beam and wherein said connection of the front and back beams is located adjacent the bow string member when the beams are folded as aforesaid; and wherein the grasping means comprises: flexible fingers attached to the back beam that releasably grasp the bow string member when the beams are folded.