Arrow and method of making same

May 29, 1956 c. _R teller 2,747,876

ARROW AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

Filed Aug. 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

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ATTORNEY

May 29, 1956

Filed Aug. 12, 1953

c. R. TELLER 2,747,876

ARROW AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

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ATTORNEY

United States Patent Office

2,747,876

Patented May 29, 1956

2,747,876 ARROW AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Clarence Roy Teller, Duluth, Minn. Application August 12,1953, Serial No. 373,743 3 Claims. (Cl. 273—106.5)

This invention relates to arrows for target or hunting use, and to the method of making the same.

A principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a target or hunting arrow, the shaft of which is hollow and is comprised of laminated glass fiber cloth (“Fiberglas”) bonded into a unitary structure, the completed shaft combining the qualities of durability and strength with lightness and controlled uniformity of spine and weight. Arrows made in accordance with the invention possess the advantages of strength, uniform consistency and imperviousness to moisture. “Fiberglas” is a commercially available product of the Owens-Coming Fiberglas Corporation.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of improved means for mounting on such a shaft the nock, and for mounting on the other end of the shaft a tip or pile. These mountings are such as to dissipate the shock imparted to the arrow when the arrow is shot from a bow and when the arrow strikes an object.

A more specific object of the invention is to accomplish such mountings of the nock and the tip or pile by providing solid glass fiber plugs or the like in each end of the hollow laminated glass fiber cloth shaft, the ends of the shaft so provided with such plugs being then formed or shaped for mating in a suitable recess in the nock and in the pile respectively.

The invention has for a further object the provision of a method for making arrows of the type described.

Heretofore, arrows have been made of wood of several varieties, such as birch, fir, Port Orford cedar, and they have also been made of metal. Arrows made of wood have proved to be objectionable in many respects in that they will break easily, warp, fray, and being a fibrous product, are non-uniform in weight and balance, even when a set of arrows is all made of the wood from one tree or even from one part of one tree. Metal arrows have not proved satisfactory in many respects, due to their weight, cost, tendency to bend and stay bent on impact, and tendency to dent. It is a further object of the invention to overcome these disadvantages by providing a laminated glass fiber cloth shaft for an arrow with materially strengthened nock and pile mounting structures so that the arrows will not split or crack, nor will they break except under the most severe circumstances. Still further it is contemplated that such arrows may be manufactured economically and easily.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be made manifest in the following description and in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and la are elevational views of an arrow in accordance with the present invention, a portion of the hunting-type blade being broken away in Fig. la to illustrate the interior construction;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the ends of an arrow made in accordance with the invention, the tip end being in section so as to illustrate the interior construction;

Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged view showing the weave of the glass fiber cloth used in the construction of the arrow shaft;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing one method of mounting the nock to the hollow arrow shaft;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a modified form of mounting the nock to the shaft;

Fig. 6 is a view showing a modified construction for mounting a hunting arrow tip to the arrow shaft;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken through the arrow shaft and showing the laminated construction of the glass fiber cloth; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the winding of the glass fiber cloth about a mandril so as to form a hollow laminated arrow shaft.

In accordance with the present invention, as indicated, the shaft of the arrow is hollow and is comprised of a number of layers of glass fiber cloth suitably bonded together so as to form a laminated structure. The drawings accompanying this application show such an arrow shaft 10 as constructed of glass fiber cloth wrapped upon itself and molded so as to form a hollow tube uniform in diameter throughout its length. While I have found that such an arrow of uniform diameter is more satisfactory, my invention nevertheless may be employed with arrows having a tapered shaft.

The type of glass fiber cloth which can be employed can vary, but one suitable type is shown in Fig. 3 wherein a greatly enlarged section of the glass fiber cloth 11 is illustrated. This cloth is relatively thin and very closely woven and is employed in such a manner that more longitudinal fibres 12 than encircling transverse fibres 13 are present per square inch.

The hollow arrow shaft 10 is comprised of a sheet of such cloth, rolled into the form of a tube of several thicknesses of cloth thus forming a laminated structure. The cloth is provided with a bonding agent before being rolled. The resulting hollow shafts are extremely strong but still are sufficiently flexible for their intended use. They are light and they also possess the attribute that they are unaffected by the elements.

In the known arrows in use today, plastic nocks are usually employed. One of the weakest parts or arrows now conventionally used is at the juncture of the nock and the shaft. This weakness persists both when such nocks are used with a solid wooden arrow or with tubular metal arrows. The nocks become loosened primarily as a result of the force of the bowstring in the nock each time the arrow is released.

In accordance with the present invention I provide special means for joining the nock to the hollow, laminated glass fiber cloth shaft. With reference to the drawings the nock is indicated by the reference numeral 14. This nock is in the form of an encircling sheath of plastic, generally cylindrical in shape, and provided at one end with a bowstring notch 15. Preferably the nock is provided ? /^rusto‘^coni^cal recess at the end which is to be attached to the shaft.

In the nock end of the shaft I insert a plug 16 which preferably is of solid glass fiber. The plug 16 is generafly cylindrical m shape but the end of the plug which extends from the shaft is frusto-conical in shape so as to be complementary to the frusto-conical recess in the nock. The plug 16 is of a diameter to permit it to be press-fitted in the end of the hollow shaft and is retained solidly in place by means of cement or the like. Likewise, the nock which is placed over the end of the shaft is press-fitted onto the plug and retained in position also by means of cement.

An alternative construction for the nock end of the arrow is disclosed in Fig. 5 which shows a nock 17 made entirely of glass fiber cloth, the nock being formed with

2,747,876 a shank portion 18 adapted to extend inside the hollow arrow shaft 10. The bowstring notch 19 would then be cut directly in the solid glass fiber nock.

I have found that whichever construction is used, either that of Fig. 4 or that of Fig. 5, a very excellent joint is obtained as each provides a press-fit joint which together with the cement which has been used, provides a structure which will withstand the shocks of continuous use even with the heaviest bows. I have found that if cellulose acetate cement (a quick-drying cement) is used, very excellent results are obtained. This manner in which the nock is mounted is an extremely important part of my invention.

It has been indicated that the plug is preferably of glass fiber. I have found that very excellent results are obtained if the glass fiber plug is of glass fiber cloth with the fibres running longitudinally of the plug.

A somewhat similar structure is employed, in accordance with the invention, for mounting the pile or tip to the other end of the hollow glass fiber cloth shaft 10. As shown in Fig. 2 the pile 20, which is of the parallel pile type, is generally cylindrical in shape with a conical point 21. Preferably the pile is made of brass or the like and it is provided with a frusto-comcal recess 22.

The pile may take different forms. For example it may be bullet-shaped. Hunting arrows used in accordance with this invention are generally of the type illustrated in Fig. 1 where the hunting blade or tip 23 is usually of steel. In the form shown in Fig. 1 the tip has a central tubular portion 23' which fits over the end on the shaft, and sharp-edged blades 23. Another form of hunting blade is illustrated in Fig. 6 where the blade 24 is provided with a solid shank 25 adapted to extend within the end of the hollow shaft 10.

Referring again to Fig. 2 the pile 20 is mounted on the hollow arrow shaft 10 through the medium of a plug 26 which preferably is of solid glass fiber. One end of the plug 26 extends within the arrow shaft 10 and is secured thereto by means of its press-fit and by means of a suitable cement. The other end of the plug 26 extends from the shaft about one-half inch and this end of the shaft with the plug inserted is frusto-conical in shape so that it may be engaged in the frusto-conical recess in the pile 20. The pile 20 is secured over this end of the shaft by virtue of the fact that a tight fit is provided and also by means of a suitable cement. Still further, the pile may be crimped as shown at 27 so as to form a very positive and rigid joint.

With a hunting arrow of the type shown in Fig. 1 it is preferable to have the solid glass fiber plug 28 disposed within the hollow shaft 10 so that the end of the plug is flush with the end of the shaft. This end of the shaft is formed so as to be frusto-conical so that it can be inserted in the frusto-conical recess in the tubular portion 23' of the hunting blade 23. A suitable cement may be employed so as to provide the optimum strength.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 6 the shank 25 of the metal arrow tip 24 is disposed within the end of the glass fiber cloth arrow shaft 10 and is secured therein by means of a press-fit and also by .means of cement.

In actual practice, where solid glass fiber plugs are used, it has been found that plugs having a length of one and one-half inches are very suitable. Where longer plugs are used the balancing of the arrow becomes somewhat more difficult.

In the usual manner, the arrow is provided with fletching 29 (see Figs. 1 and 2). Usually the fletching is comprised of three feathers one of which is the cock feather 29' which is disposed 90° to the bowstring notch 15. The other two feathers of the fletching are disposed at 120° on each side of the cock feather 29'. These feathers may be arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft or preferably, in the case of a hunting arrow, may be arranged in a slightly spiral fashion.

My invention includes a novel method or process for making the arrows described. In connection with the manufacture of a target arrow having a pile of the type illustrated in Fig. 2, the arrow is made in the following manner.

I provide a mandril of steel or the like such as is illustrated at 30 in Fig. 8. This mandril is usually a solid steel cylinder slightly longer than the arrow shaft to be made. The mandril is of uniform diameter except for those instances in which a tapered arrow shaft is to 10 be constructed where, of course, a tapered mandril can be employed.

Glass fiber cloth of the type illustrated in Fig. 3 is first provided with a suitable bonding agent which preferably is of a resinous type. The cloth is then cut to a width 15 corresponding to the length of arrow desired, and is then wrapped over the mandril 30 in the general manner illustrated in Fig. 8. This wrapping can be accomplished while the mandril and the glass fiber cloth are at room temperatures.

Arrow shafts of various diameters can be manufactured by varying the number of layers of glass fiber cloth rolled onto the mandril. For instance, to make an arrow shaft of five-sixteenths of an inch outer diameter, approximately five and one-half wraps would be used, 25 whereas six and one-half to seven wraps might be used for an arrow shaft having a diameter of eleven-thirtyseconds of an inch. The laminated structure resulting is illustrated in cross section in Fig. 7.

After the glass fiber cloth has been wrapped tightly on ³⁰ the mandril, a sheet of cellophane or the like, the surface of which has been wetted with a suitable bonding agent, is wrapped over the cloth-covered mandril, and the shaft is then placed in a heat furnace for “curing.” Typical curing time is approximately one and one-half hours when ³⁵ using a furnace in the temperature range of 285° to 375° Fahrenheit, the typical temperature used being in the range of 325° to 375° Fahrenheit.

During the latter period of the curing process, a vacuum is drawn on the product, thus removing excess bond⁴⁰ ing material and allowing the final hollow arrow shaft to become thoroughly hardened.

Upon being taken from the oven, the cellophane is removed from the arrow shaft by grinding the shaft on a grinding or sanding machine. The arrow shaft is 45 then covered with a suitable lacquer, such as “Fcrdico” or varnish or similar finshing material, and the shaft is then ready to be fitted with the glass fiber plugs as heretofore described.

In some instances it may be desirable to eliminate the 50 use of solid glass fiber plugs by twisting or compacting the ends of the laminated glass fiber cloth shaft. This could be effected by heat-treating the arrow shaft on a mandril one end of which is frusto-comcal in snape. This would facilitate the shaping of the twisted end of 55 the shaft during the heat-treating process. When the heat-treating process is completed, the mandril could then be withdrawn and the other end twisted or compacted to corresponding shape with the first end. Alternatively the mandril could be used only to shape the glass fiber 60 cloth in the form of a tube, the ends then being twisted or compacted early in the heat-treating process before the tube becomes absolutely rigid, so as to form a substantially frusto-conical end. Upon being hardened, the ends can then be finished and ground to the exact shape 65 as mentioned previously.

Whether glass fiber plugs are employed, or the ends of the glass, fiber, cloth shaft are themselves twisted or compacted into frusto-conical shape, it is important that these ends be suitably ground to final form so as to 70 provide an exact fit with the recesses in the nocks and in the piles or tips.

In the case of target arrows using a pile or tip such as illustrated in Fig. 2 at 20, the fletching is applied after the tips and the nocks have been joined to the shaft in the manner described. For applying the fletching I pre2.747.878 fer to use a fletching jig or the like. The shaft is held in the jig and each feather to be applied to the shaft is held in a suitable clamp, such as that resembling a spring paper clamp. Guides are employed to guide the clamp toward the arrow so that consistently good results may 5 be had. As indicated, the feathers 29 may be applied so as to be parallel to the longitudinal center line of the shaft, or else they can be slightly spiralled.

The cock feather 29' is typically applied first, the bottom edge of the feather first having had cement ap- 10 plied to it. After the cock feather has been firmly cemented in place, the jig of the fletching device is oriented 180° so that the bowstring notch 15 in the nock 14 is disposed 180° from its original position. By then turning the jig alternately 60° in each direction, the other two 15 feathers may be applied, using the guides for guiding the feather-holding clamps to the arrow shaft.

The arrow shaft remains in the jig while the feathers are being shaped. This shaping is accomplished preferably by employing a burning and cutting method well 20 known in the art. The arrow is then removed from the jig and the front ends of the feather are ground to be flush with the shaft while the nock ends of the feather are cut by hand.

If desired, the nock and the pile of the arrow may be 25 fitted onto the arrow shaft either before or after the fletching is effected.

It is well known that every arrow upon being released from the bow will make two oscillations. When a bow and arrow are being used by a right-handed archer, after 30 the arrow has been released, and after it has cleared the body of the bow, the first oscillation appears in the form of a concave bend to the archer’s right. Immediately an oscillation of compensation occurs, sending the arrow back to the left, ending with the arrow straightening it- 35 self out and traveling in virtually a straight line toward its target. This will occur when arrows are of the proper weight and spine, even if no other factors would affect the flight of the arrow. These oscillations should not be too great and should be uniform. These factors are pres- 40 ent when arrows made in accordance with the present invention are employed.

The spine for a 28-inch arrow is determined, for example, by supporting the arrow at its ends and applying a five pound push or pull at the center of the arrow ⁴⁵shaft. This should result in a deflection of one and three-fourths inches, which is believed to be the proper spine for an arrow to be used with bows of 45 to 50 pounds pull.

In accordance with the present invention the method is ⁵⁰such that uniform spine and weight can always be achieved. On the other hand, wooden arrows, even when made of wood from the same tree, will vary considerably in weight and spine, for, due to atmospheric conditions, one side of the tree may grow faster than the other and ⁶⁵dense wood and pithy wood are often found in the same tree.

Under actual tests, my arrows have been found to be very accurate at distances up to and including 140 yards.

Arrows made of glass fiber cloth in accordance with the ⁶⁰present invention not only possess perfectly controlled uniformity of spine and weight but they possess the finest ballistic qualities and are also indestructible to a high degree. Moreover, as indicated, they do not warp and they are not susceptible to variations in climatic ⁸⁵conditions.

The bonding agent which is applied to the glass fiber cloth may vary in type. Preferably, however, as indicated, it is a thermo-setting type, which is somewhat sticky at room temperatures, and which upon application of heat first softens before becoming hardened and rigid. When such a bonding agent is employed in the process described, there is an initial semi-liquification of the bonding agent and infiltration through the interstices of the cloth, so that when further heat treatment at higher temperature occurs a solid bond is effected.

While it perhaps would not be as satisfactory, it is conceivable that the invention could be carried out by using but one layer of glass fiber cloth wrapped about the mandril with the longitudinal edges in abutting relationship.

While only one type of glass fiber cloth has been disclosed, it is of course within the purview of this invention that glass fiber textiles of other structures can be used.

While specific embodiments have been described herein, it is to be understood that modifications and details may be made and that the invention is not to be limited except in accordance with the language of the appended claims.