Cranking Mechanism

A cranking mechanism for a crossbow comprising:

• a planetary gear set includes a drive sun gear, a plurality of planet gears in a radially fixed carrier, and a driven ring gear, said ring gear includes a spool winding surface on an outer perimeter thereof;
• a drive shaft includes a first driven end and a second axially retained end, said sun gear is integrated into said drive shaft;
• said carrier includes a plurality of axles to rotatably retain said plurality of planet gears, said sun gear causes rotation of said plurality of planet gears within said carrier, said plurality of planet gears engage said ring gear, wherein rotation of said plurality of planet gears causes rotation of said ring gear and said spool winding surface in a direction opposite of said drive shaft;
• a strap includes a spool end, said spool end is fixed to a winding diameter of said spool, wherein rotation of said drive shaft winds said strap on said winding diameter;
• a clutch is retained on said drive shaft;
• a one-way bearing rotation device is engaged with said clutch, axial tension is applied to said one-way bearing and said clutch in a first direction through said driven end to wind said strap on said spool winding surface;
• and
• wherein said cranking mechanism for a crossbow is one of built-in to said crossbow and removable from said crossbow.

The method of operating a crossbow and a planetary gear set crossbow cocking device, wherein:

• coupling operably providing a planetary gear set and drive shaft to a spool winding surface, one end of a strap is operably coupled to said spool winding surface, a bowstring latch assembly is retained on an opposing end of the strap;
• coupling a bowstring latch assembly retainment device to the crossbow frame, the bowstring latch assembly engages and retains the bowstring;
• coupling operably a crank handle with the drive shaft, the crank handle rotates the drive shaft and the sun gear in a first direction winding the strap under tension onto the spool winding surface and moving the bowstring and bowstring latch assembly to a proximal position as to engage said bowstring latch assembly with said bowstring latch assembly retainment means;
• said crank handle is rotated a second direction releasing tension of the strap, said bowstring latch assembly retainment device retains the bowstring and the bowstring latch assembly in a cocked position;
• de-cocking the crossbow with the crank handle by rotating the crank handle in is rotated the first direction to impart tension on the strap, the user selectively disengaging the bowstring latch assembly retainment device from the bowstring latch assembly, then rotating the crank handle in the second direction to unwind the strap from the spool winding surface, returning the bowstring latch assembly to the distal position of the crossbow.

The method of operating a crossbow and a planetary gear set crossbow cocking device wherein;

• coupling operably a planetary gear set and drive shaft to a spool winding surface;
• coupling operably a drive shaft to said spool winding surface and to a bowstring latch assembly, a sun gear is retained on said drive shaft;
• engaging the bowstring latch assembly with the bowstring, retaining the bowstring in the bowstring latch assembly;
• coupling operably a handle with the drive shaft;
• rotating the drive shaft and the sun gear with the crank handle in a first direction, winding the strap under tension onto the spool winding surface, moving the bowstring and bowstring latch assembly to a cocked position;
• and
• rotating the crank handle in the second direction to uwind the strap from the spool winding surface, returning the bowstring latch assembly to a distal position of the crossbow.