Archer's bow with intermediately pivoted limbs

Abstract

An archer'shooting bow comprises a pair of elongate resilient limbs, each disposed at a respective end of an elongate rigid handle riser assembly which has a central handle portion. The limbs have outer tips at the opposite ends of the bow. A bowstring is coupled between the outer limb tips adjacent the rear face of the handle riser assembly. The bowstring has a nocking point adapted to be drawn from a rest position to a drawn limb-flexing position on application of drawing force thereto. A mounting device connects each limb only at a location intermediate its length to the respective end of the handle riser assembly for hinging motion of the limb relative to the assembly about an axis disposed substantially perpendicular to the plane in which the bowstring moves in being drawn from its rest to its drawn position. The geometries of the mountings of the limbs to the assembly are such that each limb has an inner tip adjacent a front face of the handle riser assembly proximate the handle portion. A tether device is connected between each limb inner tip and the handle riser assembly for constraining the inner tip from movement away from the assembly in response to application of drawing force to the bowstring. As the bow is drawn, each limb flexes on both sides of its point of hinging connection to the handle riser assembly in a manner analogous to a simply supported beam loaded by a concentrated load at said location. A bow having only one such limb and tether arrangement is also described.