Crossbow with cocking mechanism

A crossbow method comprising the steps of:

• A) providing a crossbow including:
• 1) a longitudinally extending main beam;
• 2) a bow mechanism including:
• (a) a pair of outwardly extending bow limbs extending transversely from opposite lateral sides of the main beam;
• and
• (b) a bowstring operatively engaged to the outwardly extending bow limbs and movable between:
• (i) an un-cocked position;
• and
• (ii) a cocked position;
• B) providing a cocking mechanism including:
• 1) a trigger mechanism;
• 2) a trigger latch mechanism;
• and
• 3) a winch assembly;
• C) providing the trigger mechanism with:
• 1) a trigger housing;
• 2) a trigger surface supported to the trigger housing;
• and
• 3) a string catch supported to the trigger housing and selectively movable between:
• (a) a first string catch position that does not hold the bowstring;
• and
• (b) a second string catch position that holds the bowstring;
• D) providing the trigger latch mechanism with a trigger latch supported to the main beam and selectively movable between:
• 1) a first trigger latch position that does not engage the trigger surface;
• and
• 2) a second trigger latch position that engages the trigger surface to hold the trigger mechanism to the main beam at a longitudinal position;
• E) providing the winch assembly with:
• 1) a winch housing supported to the main beam;
• 2) a spool that is selectively rotatable with respect to the winch housing;
• 3) a tensile member having:
• (a) a first end operatively engaged with the spool;
• and
• (b) a second end operatively engaged with the trigger housing;
• 4) a spool gear:
• (a) operatively engaged with the spool;
• and
• (b) selectively rotatable with respect to the winch housing;
• 5) a drive gear:
• (a) operatively engaged with the spool gear;
• and
• (b) selectively rotatable with respect to the winch housing;
• and
• 6) a clutch gear assembly that:
• (a) is selectively operatively engageable to the drive gear;
• (b) when operatively engaged to the drive gear, is adapted to enable the drive gear to rotate:
• (i) freely in a spool in direction;
• and
• (ii) subject to a damping load in a spool out direction;
• and
• (c) when operatively disengaged from the drive gear, is adapted to enable the drive gear to rotate freely in both the spool in direction and the spool out direction;
• F) providing the trigger mechanism, when the bowstring is in the un-cocked position, to be selectively moveable along the main beam to the bowstring;
• G) providing the string catch, when the bowstring is in the un-cocked position and the trigger mechanism is positioned at the bowstring, to be selectively movable from:
• 1) the first string catch position that does not hold the bowstring;
• to
• 2) the second string catch position that holds the bowstring;
• H) providing the winch assembly, when the bowstring is in the un-cocked position and the string catch is in the second string catch position holding the bowstring, to be selectively operable:
• 1) to receive a first rotational input to rotate the drive gear in the spool in direction;
• to
• 2) rotate the spool gear;
• to
• 3) rotate the spool;
• to
• 4) wrap the tensile member around the spool;
• to
• 5) move the trigger mechanism along the main beam to the trigger latch mechanism;
• to
• 6) move the bowstring from the un-cocked position to the cocked position;
• I) providing the trigger latch, as the trigger mechanism is moved to the trigger latch mechanism, to be selectively movable from:
• 1) the first trigger latch position;
• into
• 2) the second trigger latch position to hold the trigger mechanism to the main beam;
• J) providing the winch assembly, when the trigger latch is in the second trigger latch position holding the trigger mechanism to the main beam and the string catch is in the second string catch position holding the bowstring, to be selectively operable:
• 1) to receive a second rotational input to rotate the drive gear in the spool out direction;
• to
• 2) rotate the spool gear;
• to
• 3) rotate the spool;
• to
• 4) relieve tension from the tensile member;
• and
• K) providing the trigger mechanism, when the tension has been relieved from the tensile member, the trigger latch remains in the second trigger latch position holding the trigger mechanism to the main beam and the string catch remains in the second string catch position holding the bowstring, to be selectively operable to move the string catch into the first string latch position to release the bowstring to fire the crossbow.

A crossbow comprising:

• a longitudinally extending main beam;
• a bow mechanism including:
• 1) a pair of outwardly extending bow limbs extending transversely from opposite lateral sides of the main beam;
• and
• 2) a bowstring operatively engaged to the outwardly extending bow limbs and movable between:
• (a) an un-cocked position;
• and
• (b) a cocked position;
• a cocking mechanism including:
• 1) a trigger mechanism;
• 2) a trigger latch mechanism;
• and
• 3) a winch assembly;
• the trigger mechanism including:
• 1) a trigger housing;
• 2) a trigger surface supported to the trigger housing;
• and
• 3) a string catch supported to the trigger housing and selectively movable between:
• (a) a first string catch position that does not hold the bowstring;
• and
• (b) a second string catch position that holds the bowstring;
• the trigger latch mechanism including a trigger latch supported to the main beam and selectively movable between:
• (a) a first trigger latch position that does not engage the trigger surface;
• and
• (b) a second trigger latch position that engages the trigger surface to hold the trigger mechanism to the main beam at a longitudinal position;
• and
• the winch assembly including:
• 1) a winch housing supported to the main beam;
• 2) a spool that is selectively rotatable with respect to the winch housing;
• 3) a tensile member having:
• (a) a first end operatively engaged with the spool;
• and
• (b) a second end operatively engaged with the trigger housing;
• 4) a spool gear:
• (a) operatively engaged with the spool;
• and
• (b) selectively rotatable with respect to the winch housing;
• and
• 5) a drive gear:
• (a) operatively engaged with the spool gear;
• and
• (b) selectively rotatable with respect to the winch housing with a drive shaft that has threads;
• 6) a clutch gear assembly that:
• (a) includes a pressure plate gear;
• (b) includes a receiver having threads that engage the drive shaft threads;
• (c) is selectively operatively engageable to the drive gear;
• (d) when operatively engaged to the drive gear:
• (i) the drive gear and pressure plate gear rotate together with the drive shaft;
• and
• (ii) is adapted to enable the drive gear to rotate:
• freely in a spool in direction;
• and subject to a damping load in a spool out direction;
• and
• (e) when operatively disengaged from the drive gear:
• (i) the drive gear rotates with the drive shaft;
• (ii) the pressure plate gear does not rotate with the drive shaft;
• and
• (iii) is adapted to enable the drive gear to rotate freely in both the spool in direction and the spool out direction;
• 7) a one way bearing selectively rotatable in only one direction with respect to the winch housing;
• and
• 8) a brake gear:
• (a) operatively engaged with the pressure plate gear teeth;
• (b) operatively engaged with the one way bearing;
• and
• (c) selectively rotatable in the only one direction with respect to the winch housing;
• wherein:
• 1) when the bowstring is in the un-cocked position, the trigger mechanism is selectively moveable along the main beam to the bowstring;
• 2) when the bowstring is in the un-cocked position and the trigger mechanism is positioned at the bowstring, the string catch is selectively movable from:
• (a) the first string catch position that does not hold the bowstring;
• to (b) the second string catch position that holds the bowstring;
• 3) when the bowstring is in the un-cocked position and the string catch is in the second string catch position holding the bowstring, the winch assembly is selectively operable:
• (a) to receive a first rotational input to rotate the drive gear in the spool in direction;
• to
• (b) rotate the spool gear;
• to
• (c) rotate the spool;
• to
• (d) wrap the tensile member around the spool;
• to
• (e) move the trigger mechanism along the main beam to the trigger latch mechanism;
• to
• (f) move the bowstring from the un-cocked position to the cocked position;
• 4) as the trigger mechanism is moved to the trigger latch mechanism, the trigger latch is selectively movable from the first trigger latch position into the second trigger latch position to hold the trigger mechanism to the main beam;
• 5) when the trigger latch is in the second trigger latch position holding the trigger mechanism to the main beam and the string catch is in the second string catch position holding the bowstring, the winch assembly is selectively operable:
• (a) to receive a second rotational input to rotate the drive gear in the spool out direction;
• to
• (b) rotate the spool gear;
• to
• (c) rotate the spool;
• to
• (d) relieve tension from the tensile member;
• 6) when the tension has been relieved from the tensile member, the trigger latch remains in the second trigger latch position holding the trigger mechanism to the main beam and the string catch remains in the second string catch position holding the bowstring, the trigger mechanism is selectively operable to move the string catch into the first string latch position to release the bowstring to fire the crossbow;
• 7) when the clutch gear assembly is operatively engaged to the drive gear and the bowstring is positioned between the cocked position and the un-cocked position, defined as an intermediate bowstring position:
• removal of rotational input to the winch assembly results in the bowstring remaining in the intermediate bowstring position;
• and
• 8) the receiver is adapted when rotated sufficiently:
• (a) in a first receiver direction with respect to the drive shaft, to operatively engage the clutch gear assembly to the drive gear;
• and
• (b) in a second receiver direction with respect to the drive shaft, opposite the first receiver direction, to operatively disengage the clutch gear assembly from the drive gear.