Crossbow with plates supporting limbs

A crossbow, comprising:

• a rail;
• a plate coupled to the rail with an opening disposed therebetween, the plate extending in a plane and including a first mounting location and a second mounting location;
• a flexible limb coupled with the plate at the first mounting location of the plate;
• a pulley operatively coupled with the flexible limb;
• a draw string operatively engaged with the pulley, the draw string configured to move from a released position to a drawn position along a projectile axis, the projectile axis positioned between the rail and the plate;
• and
• a string stop coupled to the plate and configured to arrest a movement of the draw string as the draw string moves from the drawn position to the released position;
• wherein, in operation, as the draw string moves from the released position to the drawn position, the flexible limb moves;
• wherein, in operation as the draw string moves from the released position to the drawn position, a force associated with a movement of the flexible limb acts on the plate at least partially within the plane;
• wherein the first mounting location of the plate is different than the second mounting location of the plate.

A crossbow, comprising:

• a first plate;
• a second plate coupled to the first plate and extending substantially parallel to the first plate, the second plate spaced apart from the first plate;
• an upper flexible limb coupled with the first plate at a first mounting location of the first plate;
• a lower flexible limb coupled with the second plate at a first mounting location of the second plate;
• a pulley operatively coupled with the upper flexible limb and the lower flexible limb;
• a draw string operatively engaged with the pulley, the draw string configured to move from a released position to a drawn position along a projectile axis, the projectile axis positioned vertically between the first plate and the second plate;
• and
• a trigger positioned vertically beneath the second plate.